The Couch Critics

"Send us a Text!" Disney's live-action remake machine continues churning with their latest offering, Lilo & Stitch, and I have some strong thoughts about it. While box office numbers may tell one story, the heart of this Hawaiian tale seems to have gotten lost somewhere between animation and reality. The 2002 animated classic captured something special - the raw, emotional bond...

"Send us a Text!" Dickens' immortal tale of redemption takes center stage as Nathan and Katy dive into the 1970 musical adaptation "Scrooge," starring Albert Finney and Alec Guinness. What unfolds is a fascinating contrast in perspectives that perfectly captures why some Christmas classics resonate differently across audiences. Nathan lights up with pure theatre-kid enthus...

"Send us a Text!" Death has a new bloodline, and after 14 years, the Final Destination franchise returns with a twist that attempts to tie the entire series together. What happens when a grandmother who cheated death in the 1950s passes her visions to her granddaughter decades later? The answer stretches the already flexible logic of this horror franchise to new limits. "Final Desti...

"Send us a Text!" Missing the magic but packed with '80s nostalgia, the 1985 film "Santa Claus" takes center stage in this solo episode of The Couch Critic. Your host Nathan dives into this peculiar Christmas movie that Katy wisely opted to skip, and for good reason! What begins as an apparent retelling of the St. Nicholas legend quickly spirals into one of the strangest C...

"Send us a Text!" Death always has a plan. With a sixth installment of the Final Destination franchise on the horizon after a 14-year absence, it's the perfect time to revisit the series that made us afraid of everyday activities from flying to roller coasters. Join me as I rank all five existing Final Destination films from best to worst. Surprisingly, the original doesn't cla...

"Send us a Text!" Hugh Grant dancing through 10 Downing Street. Emma Thompson crying to Joni Mitchell. A young boy dashing through airport security for love. These iconic moments from "Love Actually" have cemented its place in holiday movie history, but does this ensemble romantic comedy truly deliver on its premise about love? We tackle this star-studded film that follows eigh...

"Send us a Text!" Marvel fans rejoice! We're diving deep into "Thunderbolts*" (or should we say "The New Avengers"?) on this episode of Cinema Saturdays. After several divisive post-Endgame releases, has Marvel finally found its footing again with this ragtag team of morally ambiguous characters? Join host Nathan and special guest Elizabeth as they break down wha...

"Send us a Text!" Holiday rivalries reach new heights in "Deck the Halls," where Christmas spirit becomes a battleground between two suburban dads determined to outdo each other. Matthew Broderick brilliantly portrays Steve Finch, the town's self-proclaimed "Christmas guy" whose meticulously planned holiday traditions leave little room for spontaneity. When Danny...

"Send us a Text!" Horror movies live and die by our connection to their characters. Why should we fear for people we don't care about? This fundamental challenge haunts Sony Pictures' latest video game adaptation "Until Dawn," a time-loop thriller that struggles to make us invest in its imperiled teens. Based on the acclaimed 2015 PlayStation game, this adaptation fol...

"Send us a Text!" Remember that magical car that could fly, float, and bring families together? "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" zooms back into our hearts as we revisit this 1968 musical fantasy classic starring the incomparable Dick Van Dyke. What we discovered might surprise you – did you know this whimsical children's tale was penned by Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond? Thi...

"Send us a Text!" Cinematic mystery boxes can yield treasures or disappointments – and this week, Nathan unpacks a decidedly strange Screen Unseen experience with A24's "The Legend of Ochi." This peculiar PG-rated creature feature stars Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson, and Finn Wolfhard in a tale about a shy village girl who discovers a wounded baby creature and embarks on a qu...

"Send us a Text!" Meet Me in St. Louis sparks a fascinating debate about what truly constitutes a Christmas movie. Does a film need to center around the holiday itself, or is it enough that Christmas simply occurs within the narrative? This vibrant MGM masterpiece from 1944 follows the Smith family through four seasons in turn-of-the-century St. Louis, culminating in a poignant Christmas...

"Send us a Text!" Gotham's darkest secrets resurface in "Batman Under the Red Hood" as a mysterious vigilante forces the Dark Knight to confront his greatest failure. This week on Cinema Saturdays, we explore this emotional DC animated feature that brings one of Batman's most tragic storylines to life. What happens when Batman's moral code is challenged by someon...

"Send us a Text!" The Polar Express stands as a landmark in animation history – the very first full-length computer motion capture film, earning a place in the Guinness Book of World Records alongside other Tom Hanks pioneering projects like Toy Story. Twenty years since its release, hosts Nathan and Katy analyze whether this Christmas classic holds up or falls into the uncanny valley. K...

"Send us a Text!" Unexpected joy from unlikely places - that's what this week's Cinema Saturday episode delivers as we dive into the surprisingly entertaining world of The Minecraft Movie. When I first saw the trailer, my expectations couldn't have been lower. A movie based on a video game with no real storyline? It seemed destined for the pile of forgettable video game ad...

"Send us a Text!" Christmas movies should warm our hearts and inspire holiday spirit, but do they all deliver? My long-awaited review of "Fred Claus" finally arrives, exploring whether this Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti vehicle deserves a place in your holiday rotation. What happens when Santa's bitter older brother reluctantly joins the North Pole operation? On paper, th...

"Send us a Text!" From the gritty streets of mob-controlled New York to the dusty roads of first-century Jerusalem, this week's double feature takes us through vastly different cinematic worlds with surprising results. Robert De Niro's "Alto Knights" promised to be a quintessential mafia film with the legendary actor taking on dual roles as crime bosses Frank and Vito...

"Send us a Text!" Christmas movies come in many forms, from the overtly festive to those that merely use the holiday as a backdrop for their storytelling. Home Alone, the 1990 classic starring Macaulay Culkin as the resourceful Kevin McAllister, falls somewhere in the middle of that spectrum – a film so deeply associated with Christmas that it's become a holiday tradition, yet one t...

"Send us a Text!" Disney's latest attempt to refresh their animated classics crashes headlong into the pitfalls of modernization with the Snow White remake. What should have been a loving tribute to the film that built the Disney empire instead becomes a cautionary tale about straying too far from what made the original magical. The fundamental disconnect begins with the characteriz...

"Send us a Text!" What happens when you combine Batman, Christmas, and Tim Burton's gothic sensibilities? The answer might disappoint you, as we discovered in our latest deep dive into Batman Returns (1992). After welcoming back fan-favorite co-host Katy to the show, we examine this supposed Christmas classic featuring Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Danny DeVito, and Christopher...

"Send us a Text!" Walt Disney's groundbreaking 1937 animated masterpiece, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, stands as a cornerstone of cinematic history—but does its simplicity still resonate in our complex modern world? I journey back to where Disney feature animation began to rediscover what made this fairy tale so powerful and enduring. The film's straightforward moral framew...

"Send us a Text!" Dive into the heartwarming world of Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" as we explore its timeless themes of hope, community, and the impact of each individual's life. In this captivating episode, we revisit the classic film starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed, delving deep into its memorable moments and the powerful message it carries. You&...

"Send us a Text!" Sometimes great directors miss the mark completely. That's exactly what happened with "Mickey 17," the latest film from the Oscar-winning director of "Parasite." What should have been an exciting sci-fi dark comedy starring Robert Pattinson as an "expendable" colonizing an ice planet turned out to be a tremendous disappointment. Despit...

"Send us a Text!" Get ready to dive into the heartwarming yet confusing world of Jack Frost with this week’s episode. Infused with warmth and humor, Nathan navigates through Michael Keaton's layered performance, discussing how a snowman grapples with family struggles and personal dreams. Did you know George Clooney almost played Jack? And what about the emotional turmoil within the...

"Send us a Text!" Prepare for a gripping exploration of courage and humanity in "Last Breath," a film that redefines the limits of bravery. Join Nathan in this episode of Couch Critic’s Cinema Saturdays as he dives into the true story of seasoned deep-sea divers battling the elements to rescue one of their own. This isn’t just another adventure film; it’s an emotional rollercoa...