Julian Lytle

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Movie Review: MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE works through the power of nostalgia and sincerity

The much-anticipated Masters of the Universe film opens in theater this weekend. Read our full review right here.

Masters of the Universe isn’t perfect, but it’s genuinely entertaining and finally gives He-Man fans a movie worthy of seeing. Travis Knight adapts the cartoon with plenty of sincerity and humor. The cast has strong chemistry, and the costume and makeup work do an impressive job of bringing the toys and cartoons to life. Most surprisingly, Jared Leto delivers an excellent Skeletor who's threatening and just what you want from Skeletor through his laughing and alliterative disses that he's always willing to put out.

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'Backrooms' - Kane Parsons Turns Internet Creepiness into Nightmare Fuel - Film Review | RIOTUS

Backrooms turns liminal internet horror into a creepy, claustrophobic nightmare led by strong performances and genuinely haunting imagery.

Kane Parsons' Backrooms turns Internet creepiness into Nightmare Fuel. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve are excellent and realizes the vibes of PS1 era horror games into the cinema.

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The Mandalorian and Grogu Review: A Big, Fun Return to the Big-Screen for Star Wars | RIOTUS

The Mandalorian and Grogu is a fun, crowd-pleasing Star Wars adventure with great action, standout creature work, and a killer Ludwig Görans

I came into The Mandalorian & Grogu completely cold, never watched an episode of the show, and honestly, this movie worked as a fun big-screen Star Wars adventure. Great action setpieces, Ludwig Göransson’s score is amazing, and the puppets are dope. Fire movie.

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Nemesis Review - Courtney A. Kemp’s Heat-Inspired Drama is Netflix's New Summer Addiction - | RIOTUS

Courtney A. Kemp’s Nemesis mixes Heat-style heists with family drama, standout performances, and addictive tension in Netflix’s best crime s

Courtney A. Kemp’s Nemesis is one of the best original Netflix shows this year. A mix of Heat with New Jack City and, of course, Power - Nemesis has a perfect balance of heist movie, cops and robbers, and nighttime soap melodrama. On top of that, it's full of beautiful Black people in Los Angeles.

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The Devil Wears Prada 2 Review: A sequel that evolves from the original

The Devil Wears Prada 2 delivers sharp performances and modern relevance, expanding its world and characters into a rare sequel that might o

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is one of those rare sequels that actually builds on the original. Sharper themes, great performances, and surprisingly relevant.

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Game Review: Capcom doesn’t miss with PRAGMATA

Pragmata from Capcom mixes action and puzzle gameplay into a standout sci-fi adventure with heart, challenge, and style.

PRAGMATA blends action, puzzle-solving, and emotional storytelling into one of the most unique sci-fi games in years. It mixes third-person action with puzzle mechanics in a way that actually feels fresh, and the Hugh/Diana dynamic gives it real heart. Capcom continues to show why they’re one of the best in the industry right now.

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‘Michael’ review – We all deserve more

Michael delivers strong performances and spectacle but lacks depth and focus as a biopic. More concert than character study.

I saw Michael last night, and while I feel the film could be better, the current RT score is a bit much. The movie feels a bit shallow, but it has some good performances, is shot well, and sounds fantastic. This might be one you have to see for yourself to judge. Here's a link to my full review.

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The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Review – More Mario, More Characters, Pure Nintendo

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a vibrant, fan-first adventure packed with spectacle, heart, and Nintendo love. One of the most fun theater

So I saw The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and I put this review up on Tuesday. I liked it a lot, a lot. Gave it an A and a Fresh Tomato score on Rotten Tomatoes. I saw very quickly that I was in the minority of film critic peers. You can read my review above. I did not have any issues with the story and how much stuff was in the movie. For me, it was Mario like Mario has been for decades.

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Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Review – Less Legal Drama, More Revolutionary Ninja Action!

Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 delivers great action and performances, but messy MCU connections and uneven storylines hold it back.

The fights? Incredible.

Charlie Cox and D’Onofrio? Still perfect.

But the MCU timeline stuff… yeah, that’s where things get messy this season.

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Invincible Season 4 Review — Still the Best Superhero Comic Adaptation on TV

Invincible Season 4 improves its animation, deepens its characters, and raises the stakes with the Viltrumite War—cementing it as the best A

Invincible Season 4 really hits that next level.

The animation feels better, the fights hit harder, and the emotional arcs—especially around Mark and Nolan—land in a big way.

This show is still setting the bar.

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The 98th Oscars: My Picks, Predictions, and Long-Shot Spoilers

What I want to win, what probably will win, and the chaos picks for Oscar night.

A breakdown of the 98th Academy Awards, including my picks, the Academy’s likely choices, and a few potential upsets.

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One Piece: Into the Grand Line Review — Netflix’s Best Anime Adaptation Levels Up

One Piece: Into the Grand Line improves on every level — stronger performances, bigger adventure, and the perfect live-action Luffy in Iñaki

Netflix’s One Piece: Into the Grand Line expands the world of the Straw Hat pirates with bigger action, stronger character moments, and the long-awaited arrival of Chopper. It’s a fantastic follow-up to the first season and proof this adaptation keeps getting better.

Grade: A

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Pixar’s Hoppers Review – A Mind-Swapping Laugh Riot with Smart Insight

Pixar’s Hoppers blends sharp satire, stunning animation, and heartfelt friendship into one of the studio’s strongest original films in years

Pixar’s Hoppers blends cutting-edge animation craft with timely themes about activism and leadership. Daniel Chong’s debut feature proves Pixar can still evolve visually while maintaining emotional depth. A standout original entry.

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Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season Two, bigger stakes through Family Drama

Season 2 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters delivers bigger Titan action, stronger character arcs, and blockbuster MonsterVerse spectacle with r

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 goes BIG! More Kaiju. More action. Stronger family drama. Kurt Russell still has that action hero energy, and the MonsterVerse feels huge on Apple TV.

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Crime 101 review – A good crime thriller that wears its influences on its sleeve

Bart Layton’s Crime 101 channels Heat with gritty L.A. texture, smart camerawork, and strong turns from Hemsworth, Ruffalo, and Berry. Famil

If you’re in the mood for a gritty L.A. crime thriller, Crime 101 delivers. It’s clearly in conversation with Heat, but the cinematography and texture do real work, and the cast is strong across the board—especially Hemsworth, Ruffalo, and Halle Berry.

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GOAT Review – This Basketball movie loves ball through and through

Goat isn’t Zootopia—it’s an animated pro-basketball crowd-pleaser with bold visuals and real “know ball” detail. Works for families, hits ha

Sony Pictures Animation keeps pushing the aesthetic—and Goat might be their most satisfying crowd-pleaser yet. It’s a legit underdog sports movie and a surprisingly sharp take on pro basketball culture, ego, social media, and winning.

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The Moment Review — Did Charli XCX Survive Brat Summer

Charli XCX turns brat summer into a critique of fame itself. The Moment explores pop stardom, corporate pressure, and artistic compromise wi

A24’s The Moment reframes Charlie XCX’s brat era as a critique of fame, corporate pressure, and losing control of your own art. Stylish, funny, and unsettling in equal measure.