Jackpot! (2024)

“Jackpot” is a 2024 Amazon Prime Original Action/Comedy movie starring John Cena (Blockers), Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Ayden Mayeri (I Love That for You), and Donald Elise Watkins (Emergency).

It’s the not-so-distant future, and California has created a new law where whoever has won the state lottery has to survive till sundown without being killed. Whoever kills the winner gets to keep the billion plus dollar winnings for themselves. Struggling actress Katie Kim (Awkwafina) unknowingly wins the 3 plus billion-dollar lottery, now she has all of California coming after her. She hires a freelance mercenary (John Cena) to help keep her alive.

John Cena is one of the funniest guys in Hollywood, I’ll see whatever he’s in. Awkwafina is hilarious as well, so these two teamed up, it must be a must watch, right? Awkwafina plays a struggling actress who doesn’t know about the lottery and when she accidentally wins, she doesn’t understand why everyone is trying to kill her. Lucky for her though, John Cena shows up. It’s a fast-paced John Wick style fight just not as brutal, and with more comedy. Cena plays his typical big nice guy roll while beating up people. There’s not a lot of substance to this movie but it makes an entertaining watch. I give it a 7/10

Renfield

“Renfield” is a 2023 horror/comedy/action movie starring Nicholas Hoult (Warm Bodies), Nicolas Cage (Vampire’s Kiss), and Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians).

Renfield (Hoult) is Dracula’s (Cage) familiar who does all his bidding. He starts to think there is a better life out there and starts going to codependent classes to help deal with his relationship with Dracula. Renfield has his own powers by feasting on bugs. While at a restaurant he gets caught up in middle of a mob shootout, instead of sitting idly by, he feasts on his bugs and stops the mob while saving a female cop (Awkwafina) in the process. Now Renfield finds new confidence to help him start a new life and leave Dracula. Only problem, is Dracula isn’t happy about it. So, now he has the mob plus Dracula are after him.

I was excited when the trailers first dropped for this one, but it wasn’t in theaters long enough for me to go see it. So, when it came out in Redbox I went and got it the same day. Nicholas Cage has come full circle, from thinking he’s a vampire in “Vampire’s Kiss” to playing Dracula in “Renfield”, and I love that. It looks hilarious, and it also stars Nicholas Hoult, who I love in “Warm Bodies.” So, how does it stack up to expectations?

First, it’s different than I thought. It looked like it would be a lot funnier than it was. Awkwafina is a funny comic, so adding her you would think it would be funnier than it is. It has an occasional funny joke, here and there, but that’s about it. Mostly the funny parts are on the trailer. It’s more action based, it is chalked full of fight scenes, most of them pretty gory. You get to see Hoult rip a guy’s arms off and beat everyone with them. Not to mention stomping and literally ripping people in half. Which I’m a fan of unique kill/gory fight scenes, so I’m all for it. Just wasn’t expecting it. Nicholas Cage and Hoult both play their parts great. Even though it’s not as much a horror comedy but more an action movie, it is still entertaining and worth watching. I give it a 7/10.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ is a 2021 Action/Superhero movie, and is Marvel’s newest addition to the MCU. It stars Simu Liu (Kim’s Convenience), Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians), Tony Chiu-Wai Leung (The Grandmaster), Florian Munteanu (Creed II), and Ben Kingsley (The Dictator).

The ten rings are ten rings that whoever posses them will have god like powers and immortality. Shang-Chi’s dad has possessed the rings for the last couple thousand years. Now Shang-chi must face his past and try to stop his dad from using the rings for evil.

I’ve never heard of Shang-Chi, but that’s not really saying anything considering most of the super hero’s I know from Marvel all come from Marvel movies, and the MCU. Honestly, if I didn’t know it was a Marvel movie, I wouldn’t have been able to tell. It looks and feels just like a Kung-Fu movie, it has the use of natural elements such as leaves, and nature and has a ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon feel to it. It’s packed full of action and has comedic relief from Awkwafina, and Kingsley. They do however do a tie in with ‘Dr. Strange’ which is pretty cool. So keep and eye out for Shang-Chi being with the Avengers in the future. Like all Marvel movies this one is good, just go in expecting more of a Kung-Fu style movie over their typical superhero movie. I give it an 8/10.