With the year slowing down and still having tons to catch up on before the end of the year, why not catch up on a few movies I saw this past summer but didn’t have time to review? Anyway, I’m discussing the three movies I saw in theaters back in June: Disclosure Day, Toy Story 5, and Jackass: Best and Last.
‘Disclosure Day’
Nothing beats seeing a new Steven Spielberg film in a theater. While his name may not command the same cultural ubiquity it did two decades ago, his dedicated fanbase remains steadfast, eagerly following the celebrated director into his latest endeavors. This excitement fueled my anticipation for Disclosure Day, especially with the news that he was returning to the realm of extraterrestrial life. Having previously mastered this subgenre with films like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and War of the Worlds, he clearly feels at home in it. Though the marketing campaign was intentionally vague and it doesn’t read like a masterpiece, his return to science fiction after nearly a decade is a welcome reminder of his enduring craftsmanship behind the lens.
What’s the Story: With the world on the brink of nuclear war, cybersecurity administrator Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor) has stolen top-secret data from a nongovernment organization called WARDEX, run by the corporation’s head, Noah Scanian (Colin Firth). The company has kept decades of documents and hard drives containing evidence of extraterrestrial life on Earth out of the public eye. Along with his girlfriend Jane (Eve Hewson), he’s on the run, carrying a piece of alien technology, and plans to expose the truth. Elsewhere, Kansas City Meteorologist Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) suddenly gains abilities after a red cardinal flies into her window, triggering a strange childhood event that had remained dormant. She begins speaking languages she’s never spoken before and gains insight into random strangers’ thoughts. The two don’t know each other yet, but they might be the answer to the disclosure.
Anyone who went into Disclosure Day expecting another alien-invasion film won’t be pleased. Spielberg, who’s always been fascinated by alien visitations, and writer David Koepp, working together for the fifth time, saw it as more of a conspiracy thriller with the sci-fi touch he can really pull off. It’s less War of the Worlds and more in common with Minority Report and, surprisingly, The Post, where you’re centered on characters risking their lives to expose the truth. By the way, it’s interesting to note that this is his first film set in the present day in over 20 years.
Spielberg handles genres in a way that keeps you hooked for nearly two and a half hours, giving the film room to ponder whether aliens actually exist. We care about whether we’re alone in the universe, but more importantly, how humanity will react when the government withholds tons of information and then releases it all at once. Sometimes I believe they’re hiding clear evidence from us, and that there’s more to life in the skies. Even Hollywood’s smartest alien films have led me to wonder whether there’s common ground to avoid chaos, yet still come together to explore unexplained possibilities.
At nearly 80, Spielberg still demonstrates a masterful command of action sequences. While the film’s plot—centered on the characters’ attempt to evade WARDEX while guarding a mysterious, powerful MacGuffin—is relatively lean, the execution remains impressive. A standout sequence features an exhilarating chase involving Daniel and Jane, followed by a tense escape from a car on train tracks that perfectly maintains the film’s suspense. He clearly hasn’t lost his touch. Furthermore, the film excels without needing to state that his long-standing collaboration with composer John Williams is as strong as ever, resulting in one of the maestro’s most memorable scores in years.
With a cast of this caliber, a lackluster performance is unlikely; every actor is fully committed to Spielberg’s vision. While the ensemble is strong, Emily Blunt’s portrayal of Margaret stands out. As she navigates newfound, uncontrollable abilities, Blunt balances humor and vulnerability, skillfully exploring her character’s internal trauma. It is undoubtedly one of the finest roles of her career and reinforces why she remains one of my favorite actresses. Josh O’Connor continues to elevate his filmography with a compelling turn as the paranoid Daniel, while Colman Domingo provides a calm, unexpected presence as whistleblower Hugo Wakefield. Conversely, Colin Firth feels somewhat limited as Noah, coming across as a generic, menacing antagonist. While his character lacks depth, he has a standout scene where he confronts Hewson’s character, Jane, to uncover her and Daniel’s location through her mind. Hewson’s good, too, is sidelined after the second act, a missed opportunity given her intriguing background as a former nun grappling with the intersection of religion and extraterrestrial life.
Reflecting on his filmography over the past 20 years, one must respect how he balances blockbusters with dramas, even when his newer projects fly under the radar. While Disclosure Day isn’t perfect—given some iffy CGI and issues with Koepp’s writing—it still captures his sense of loss and the erosion of our collective understanding. While the finale may divide audiences and perhaps lack the scale the marketing suggests, I found it surprisingly powerful; it delivered one of Spielberg’s most resonant endings and left me reflecting long after the credits rolled.
Grade: B+
‘Toy Story 5’
Not that I had any doubts about Toy Story 5. But when Disney/Pixar announced the fifth installment was in the works, I didn’t know how to feel. For me, the Toy Story franchise, which debuted over 30 years ago, is arguably the studio’s best animated franchise, with the first three as all-time favorites. I love them. And while Toy Story 4, released seven years ago, has detractors because it should’ve ended with three, it still serves as a satisfying, unexpected epilogue. Many will call this another cash grab, another reason for our favorite on-screen toys to go on another adventure. Those first three films hold a special place in my heart, and I’ll want to show them to my children in the future. So that slight skepticism was reasonable. While it’s fair to say Toy Story 5 is the weakest of what we’ve got so far, it’s another great entry in a series both children and adults will likely get a kick out of.
What’s the Story: Jessie (voiced by Joan Cusack) has led Bonnie Anderson’s (voiced by Scarlett Spears) toys for quite some time. Now eight years old, Bonnie’s parents gave her a smart tablet called Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee) to help her make friends her own age. She becomes increasingly addicted to it, fearing she won’t have a social life, which makes Jessie worry it’ll replace all the other toys in her bedroom. Desperate for help, Jessie calls in her old pal Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) to help her tell Lilypad they can’t be replaced.
Toy Story 5 continues to evolve in an ever-changing world of technology. Just when we thought there wouldn’t be enough to push the series forward, this entry gives us the best use of Bonnie yet. Even as she approaches her double-digit years, she is portrayed as the only kid in the neighborhood, leaving her without friends nearby to play with. This isolation lets her raw imagination run completely wild with her classic toys. But once a child gets their hands on the latest tech craze, who knows what issues it will bring? Since the last movie centered on Woody, this one focuses more on Jessie than any other character—which I didn’t mind, since she’d been a fan favorite since the sequel. She still has great chemistry with Woody and Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen). But when she realizes Bonnie prefers—and therefore takes a backseat to—Lilypad, her fear of being abandoned again pushes Jessie to put her best foot forward. And though they might not be considered the leads, it’s always fun to watch Woody and Buzz back together.
Making Lilypad the villain was a strange yet logical choice. She isn’t made out to be the bad guy in the same vein as Lotso in the third movie. The messaging about kids’ tech is clear, though she also wants what’s best for Bonnie when it comes to making friends, just approaching it differently when being online isn’t always the best thing. Speaking of new characters, Conan O’Brien was a huge standout as the potty-training device ‘Smarty Pants’ who, along with his other modern tech peers, helps Jessie and Bullseye eventually find their way home. And when someone like Conan can make me laugh anywhere, that’s nothing but a win. The other characters, like Rex, Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head, Forky, and Hamm, didn’t get much to do this time since it’s more focused on Jessie and is sidelined in Staging Inside Bonnie’s home.
It would be impossible for the fourth and this entry to come close to what the original trilogy did. But director Andrew Stanton, who’s responsible for Pixar classics Finding Nemo and WALL-E, managed to get its message across in a way that resonates with young audiences. While the animation quality gets better every time, the film’s importance is teaching the benefits and downsides of devices that affect young children’s minds. Nowadays, we’re inundated with the Stresses of being lined up, being our best selves to who we meet, but it can lead to cyberbullying and not wanting to be our extroverted selves in the outside world. This teaches us it’s okay to be different and not trying to have an interest in being liked by everybody, and it was a cool way for the toys to help Bonnie still have a bright imagination.
Did this installment bring me to tears, as I have come to expect from any Toy Story film? It didn’t, which I found disappointing. However, it hit an emotional beat once you learn more about Jessie’s backstory, and it felt well-earned, proving the series still knows how to aim for the heart. One aspect of the story that could have been improved was the subplot about these Buzz Lightyear toys that washed up from a shipping container are on a quest to search for “Star Command.” The film opens with them, which is intriguing, but whenever the plot cuts back to them, I wondered what these high-tech toys were for until the end. It was fun, for sure, but for some, it was more entertaining than the actual Lightyear spin-off that came and went.
Was Toy Story 5 set out to be another masterpiece from them? No, but regardless, no one should leave this thinking it’s only fine because its message is in the right place. It feels like how I felt when Inside Out 2 came out: if not a bit better, it settles on a safer story that still has enough to be a great installment, proving the skeptics wrong yet again.
Grade: B+
‘Jackass: Best and Last’
Franchises don’t always end easily, especially if they ran for years without any real diminishing returns. That’s how many felt when they announced Jackass: Best and Last would be the fifth and supposed final installment of the series, dedicated to Johnny Knoxville and his friends performing the most dangerous and stupid stunts ever filmed. This was the third movie from them I’ve seen in theaters (the first was Bad Grandpa), and I expected them to relive some of their greatest, grossest, and most painful moments since their days on MTV. Because it mixes new stunts with old scenes we probably know and love, this entry won’t be a favorite for long-time fans, but if this was their way of going out, it got the job done; I laughed the entire time.
I never watched the show or the various shows featuring the cast (Viva La Bam, Wildboyz) because I was way too young, and it would be idiotic to imitate what they did despite the warning at the beginning. But the movies have grown on me, and I still get a kick out of them, with 2022’s Jackass Forever being absolutely hilarious. Hearing how this will blend new stuff, behind-the-scenes content, and the classics that made us react differently, I got skeptical about how it’ll work without it being nothing more than seeing a .5 on the big screen. Still, you can’t help but see this crew’s friendship grow with each movie. You’ve got Knoxville, Chris Pontius, Steve-O, Dave England, Preston Lacy, “Danger” Ehren, and “Wee-Man,” along with the newest members from Forever, having the best time doing the dumbest things for pure enjoyment.
For Jackass fans, it’s almost nostalgic to see the moments they consider their favorites. This decision won’t please everyone who has seen these multiple times. But as someone who only saw the first three at home as a teenager, I didn’t mind seeing them again in better quality. Compared to how young they looked then, it’s so strange how they look now. Jackass: Best and Last doesn’t forget the Golf Course Airhorn prank from the first. “The Poo Cocktail Supreme” from Jackass 3D—that is still gross to witness. Or my favorite from Forever, “The Silence of the Lambs,” which featured footage of Bam Margera.
That’s not to say the new material they’ve filmed lacks when they are fully committed to the bits every step of the way. You get Steve-O getting a prostate exam from a robot (voiced by comedian Adam Ray), then answering trivia questions where, if they get it wrong, Zach Holmes sits on them while hung. And it isn’t a Jackass movie if it doesn’t involve any shit of any kind, and them playing Twister proved it was a mistake to refill my popcorn. One of the biggest laughs came from unseen footage of Knoxville in a hardware store, dressed as an escaped prisoner, and the LAPD was called.
Does Jackass: Beast and Last need to exist? Not necessarily. We’ve seen this footage before, and the newer stuff tends to underutilize a few of the new players. Everyone, including myself, thought Forever would be the last one because they’re getting older and probably don’t want to live much longer. Still, did I smile while watching? Yes. It had the balance we wanted, giving us time to reminisce about the good times and even the bittersweet ones, especially whenever Ryan Dunn was on screen. But nobody goes into a Jackass movie expecting Shakespeare or anything of that caliber; it’s just a good time watching the gang go out for our entertainment. As someone who never grew up with the series, I liked what we got.
