Life found a way to upend some of my plans to write eight reviews this spring, so I’m doing a little catch-up compilation post to gather my quick thoughts on these shows and movies.

“How to Train Your Dragon” (2025)
I really enjoyed the spectacle of seeing this in live action, and Toothless is somehow just as cute as his cartoon version. Mason Thames, Nico Parker and Gerard Butler all do a great job in helping bring this story to life, even if it is more or less a frame-by-frame remake of the original animated film.
Rating: 4/5

“The Buccaneers” (Season 2, 2025)
Season one of “The Buccaneers,” a modern take on Edith Wharton’s 1938 novel, seemed like it was meant for me as someone who loves her period pieces. This Apple TV+ adaptation portrays a group of young American women and their love interests, mostly British men, in the 1870s. This whole ensemble is fantastic, and they continue to build up the juicy twists and turns in season two.
Rating: 4/5

“Echo Valley” (2025)
Sydney Sweeney is all over the marketing and promotion for this, but she only appears in a few key scenes. That’s OK, though, because Julianne Moore and Domhnall Gleeson do a great job of eating up the screen. However, nothing else about this movie is on their level. I also found the twists in this to be quite predictable.
Rating: 2.5/5

“Stick” (Season 1, 2025)
I am not a golf girlie, but I loved “Stick.” In the same vein as “Ted Lasso,” Owen Wilson plays a down-on-his-luck golfer who starts to spring back to life when he comes across a young man with a killer golf swing. Wilson, Judy Greer and Marc Maron all do wonderful work, but the real star is Peter Dager as the ingenue golfer. I’m hoping there is a second season, and either way, I want to see more from Dager.
Rating: 4/5

“Tornado” (2025)
I really enjoyed the performances in this samurai-style western, but the story and editing (including jumping back and forth in time) turned “Tornado” into a real mess.
Rating: 3/5

“The Amateur” (2025)
Rami Malek resurrects aspects of his “Mr. Robot” character for this thriller that asks the question “What if a tech nerd becomes James Bond?” The answer is some slick spy moments that rely a lot on tech, improvisation and luck. “The Amateur” is at times very far-fetched, but overall a good spy thriller that “Mr. Robot” fans are sure to enjoy.
Rating: 3.5/5

“The Luckiest Man in America” (2024)
I feel like Paul Walter Hauser is making a career out of playing alienated weirdos who do odd things, and I am not here for it. This is an interesting story, for better or worse with vibes that reminded me of “Woman of the Year,” another recent based-on-a-true-story film centering around a game show that wound up being underwhelming.
Rating: 3/5

“Freaky Tales” (2024)
I loved seeing Tom Hanks in a cameo as a cinephile video store employee in this anthology film. All four stories had their fun, especially the two music-themed entries. I cannot say this one is much more than fun, though.
Rating: 3/5