Tag: Susan Sarandon

NONNAS

“NONNAS” is a 2025 Netflix original comedy/drama starring Vince Vaughn (Freaky), Lorraine Bracco (The Sopranos), Talia Shire (Rocky), Brenda Vaccaro (Midnight Cowboy), Drea de Matteo (The Sopranos), Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise), and Linda Cardellini (Freaks and Geeks).

An Italian man (Vaughn) loses his mom and with her life insurance money he opens up a restaurant on Staten Island. He hires a group of nonnas (Italian grandmas) to serve as his cooks. He wants to bring the world the same type of homemade meals he grew up with to honor his mother.

I’ll watch anything with Vince Vaughn in it, he’s a loveable big guy that you can’t help but love. The cool thing about this movie is it’s based on a true story. The restaurant is still going strong to this day. The acting is great, it’s hilarious and heartfelt. The bickering between the nonna’s will have you cracking up. We all know someone like them in our own lives. It will have you in your feels several times to the verge of tearing up. It’s a great heartfelt movie that the whole family can enjoy. I give it a 9/10.

Blue Beetle

“Blue Beetle” is a 2023 Superhero movie and the newest member of the DCU. It stars Xolo Mariduena (Cobra Kai), Bruna Marquezine (Women in Love), George Lopez (George Lopez), Belissa Escobedo (Hocus Pocus 2), Susan Sarandon (Mr. Woodcock), Raoul Max Trujillo (Apocalypto), and Harvey Guillen (What We Do in the Shadows).

Jaime Reyes (Mariduena) is a recent college graduate with a prelaw degree. He goes back home to Mexico and finds out his family is struggling financially. Jaime sets out to get any sort of work he can to help them out, when he unknowingly helps hide a top-secret government weapon for a girl he finds attractive. The weapon is a symbiotic host that chooses Jaime and gives him an armored suit and incredible powers. This allows Jaime to become the superhero known as the Blue Beetle.

I haven’t heard of the Blue Beetle before, and most DC movies outside of the Batman movies are absolute garbage. Two reasons I gave this a shot though, 1. James Gunn is now in charge of the DCU, and 2. Xolo Mariduena. James Gunn is a terrific director and has proven he can direct superhero movies (Guardians of the Galaxy series). Xolo Mariduena is a great actor in “Cobra Kai” and can already fight because of the show. So, lets jump into the movie. If you’re unfamiliar with the Blue Beetle like I was, think of a cross of Venom and Iron man, and that pretty much sums it up.

So, how is it? The acting is solid all the way through. It’s also great to see George Lopez back in a big role. He does a great job as the comedic relief playing Jaime’s uncle. Xolo Mariduena also does a great job as the lead star, which I figured he would. If you’re a fan of “What We Do in the Shadows” it’s also cool to Harvey Guillen in it. It’s a little over two hours and the firs hour does have some slow moments in it, but that’s just trying to set up the back story and plot. Once the action takes off in the second half, it’s nonstop and does what James Gunn knows how to do. Mix the perfect blend of action and comedy that we all have come to love. For a DC movie, it is very solid, and the future of DC is in good hands with James Gunn. I give it an 8/10. Which outside the Batman films, is one of the higher rated DC movies I have seen.