The good, bad and ugly of 2024 thus far

Film Review

Tinashe Kusema

THE year 2024 has proven to be better than 2023 when it comes to movie releases, if the first-quarter performance is anything to go by.

It should tell you something when the figures dictate that Adam Sandler was the highest-paid actor last year and the 57-year-old comedian managed to achieve this feat without a theatrical release.

Sandler’s mega deal with Netflix continues to be beneficial for both parties, with an estimated 500 million hours spent streaming his content alone.

His US$73 million paycheque last year beat out “Barbie” stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, who were second and fourth with US$59 million and US$43 million, respectively.

But that is neither here nor there.

The year 2023 was bad for movies, with the star-studded historical drama “Oppenheimer” being the only notable one.

The film recently collected seven Oscars and is surrounded by a lot of flops and unremarkable releases.

That inevitably set the bar very low for the first quarter of this year. That said, let us get into the bad, the good and the ugly so far.

The good

Honourable mention here should go to “Dune: Part Two”, although I am yet to sit down and properly view it.

However, word on the web is that the movie is actually good, tells a decent story and contains some great cinematography.

The universal pick for the best release of the first quarter has to be “The Beekeeper”.

The movie ticks all the relevant boxes of your typical action flicks and is kind of an ode to old school flicks of the genre.

Jason Statham is in his element in this movie as the 56-year-old English actor spends a huge chunk of the film menacingly whispering his dialogue, all the while breaking bones and killing bad guys.

I hardly think the movie will still be as big as it is right now come December but I have recommended it to many people with reviews ranging from good to great.

With films like “Venom — The Last Dance”, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die”, “Deadpool & Wolverine”, “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” and “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” on the plate in the coming months, it promises to be a big year for the action genre.

The bad

You know a movie is bad when the lead star goes out of his or her way to distance themselves from the flick during the promotional press tour.

The only thing worse than the Sony release “Madame Web” has to be some of the highlights of lead actress Dakota Fanning’s press.

My personal favourite has to be when she allegedly tried to name the “Spiderman” movies she knew and dropped these little nuggets: “Spider-Man: Here He Comes”, “Spider-Man: And He’s Back” and “The Goblet of Spider-Man”.

“Madame Web” has a weak and lazy plot, the performances are terrible and the film’s antagonist, Tahar Rahim’s Ezekiel Sims, is as bad and one-dimensional as they come.

The ugly

“Madame Web” was my initial pick for this category until I heard the distressing news that plans are underway for yet another James Bond movie. To put it into context, the first Bond movie came out way back in 1962 and since then, there have been as many as 25 feature films. A young Sean Connery starred as the first Bond in the “Dr No” film (1962), and in the time since then, as many as seven actors have taken up the mantle of British beloved spy James Bond.

But enough is enough!

“No Time to Die” gave the esteemed character a great movie death and ending, and all that work will be undone with yet another cash-grab release.

It is believed British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson will be the new James Bond, with the 33-year-old said to have been offered the role and contract.

I cannot say for sure whether the rumours are true, but I sincerely doubt that the world is clamouring for a new James Bond movie.

The small screen

Mzansi Magic presents “Code 13”, a race to capture dangerous escaped convicts.

Crime, corruption and betrayal of the highest level are set to be the driving themes for this new drama series that is set to premiere on April 14.

Set in the gritty heart of Johannesburg, “Code 13” follows the story of Bheki Ndlovu (played by Zolisa Xaluva), a no-nonsense Jozi detective with a knack for connecting the dots and solving complex cases.

Together with a hard-edged police unit, he is tasked with recapturing six of the city’s most dangerous criminals who escaped from a police van.

Bheki’s work life is not the only one that seems to be “adventure-packed”, but his personal life plays a significant role as he tries to balance the two.

The series, produced by Seriti Films, also stars Lunathi Mampofu (Bongi Nkosi), Bheki’s love interest Aluve Mjali (Marcus “Mamba” Moagi) and Primo Baloyi (Veli “Veja” Mohalanyane).

Other cast members who will star in the series include Zikhona Bali (Azania), Saint Seseli (Patrick) and Thami Mngqolo (Dr Pitso).