Displaying items by tag: Mason Thames

REGRETTING YOU

US, 2025, 116 minutes, Colour.

Allison Williams, Mckenna Grace, Dave Franco, Mason Thames, Scott Eastwood, Willa Fitzgerald, Clancy Brown, Sam Morelos, Ethan Costanilla.

Directed by Josh Boone.

Based on a novel by Colleen Hoover might be enough recommendation for audiences to see this film. Her novels have been highly popular, especially in the United States. There is an appeal to younger generations as well as to older readers.

There was a film version of It Ends With You. Now there is Regretting You. And early in 2026 there will be Reminders of Him. And Colleen Hoover fans will be glad to hear that there will be another film towards the end of 2026, Verity.

The initial appeal of Regretting You is with the younger audience, two couples, early 20s, their lives before them. Two are quiet. Two are eager extroverts. And then the revelation that one of them, Morgan, played by Allison Williams, is pregnant. And the father to be is Chris, played by Scott Eastwood (reminding audiences of his father, Clint). The other two in the group are the very outgoing Jenny (Willa Fitzgerald) and the quiet Jonah (Dave Franco). But, this is just a prologue.

The main action of the film in fact takes place 17 years later. Morgan is the devoted mother of her daughter, Clara (Mckenna Grace) and most of the action concerns this relationship. Morgan has been married to Chris all these years and he is still rather happy-go-lucky. Jenny has also grown up and is pregnant – and the revelation that Jonah who had disappeared 17 years ago has now returned and is teaching at the local school.

Will this simply be a pleasant family story? Or what will be the implications of the title, the regrets.

Needless to say, there will be some complications. Especially in the relationships of the older generation. But, the centre of the film soon becomes Clara, enthusiastic teenager, devoted to her father, often having emotional clashes with her mother, feeling her over-protective. She is very friendly with Miller (Mason Thames), both the same age, school experiences, bonding, ups and downs in their relationship. Then there is a car accident which turns everybody’s lives upside down – with a great number of regrets.

Depending on your life’s experience, there will be sympathies for some characters, irritation with the behaviour and attitudes of others. And, when things become rather dire, can there possibly be a hope of a happy ending? But who wants to leave the cinema feeling emotionally down? So, the ending is not without hope!

1. The popularity of Colleen Hewitt’s novels? Adaptations?
2. The Middle America setting, the small town of Dillon, 30,000+? A story of ordinary Americans?
3. The setting, the youngsters together, School memories, the outings, Chris and Jenny, outgoing, the games, together? The contrast with Morgan and Jonah, more introverted? And the news that will Morgan was pregnant, Chris the father?
4. 17 years later, Morgan married to Chris, their life together, domestic scenes, Clara, her age, admiration for her father, her relationship with her mother, her mother protective, mortgage retirement, not fulfilling ambitions, devoted to family?
5. Jenny, Morgan’s sister, younger, Morgan helping bring her up? Her relationship with Jonah? His absence, return, teaching at the school? Jenny pregnant? The gatherings?
6. The focus on Clara, independence, her father, her mother and the arguments? Her friendship with Lexi? The encounters with Miller? Discussions, his girlfriend? Their encounters, the attraction? Miller, moving the signposts for pizza delivery? Clara giving him a lift, meeting his grandfather, his grandfather’s comments? Smoking, lungs, illness?
7. Clara and her devotion to Jenny, the birthday party, the making of the cakes? Clara and her texting Jenny? About Miller? About her mother? The sudden stopping?
8. The accident, the deaths, the revelation of the affair? The impact on Morgan? The impact on Jonah? Not telling Clara? The funerals? Clara leaving, going with Miller, smoking, her mother tracking her on the phone, the confrontation? The further difficulties? Clara and her confiding in Lexi?
9. Miller at the diner, his friendship with Ethan, the showing of the films, the dates, Ethan awkward but skilful with the camera, Lexi and the relationship with Ethan?
10. The baby, Jonah and his devotion, suspecting that the baby was Chris’s? His reaction, separation, yet dependence on Morgan? The cave and the baby? Clara and the baby?
11. Clara, with Miller, the discussions about sex, her inviting him over, the window, the condom, his care, her reluctance? Morgan finding her, the reactions?
12. Morgan and Jonah, mutual support, the love from the past, decorations, the kiss, Clara finding them? Reaction?
13. The drama, Clara and her puzzle about Jenny and the stopping of the texts, the car, her discovering the truth?
14. The awkward birthday party, Morgan inviting Miller, Lexi present, tensions, Miller leaving?
15. The happy ending, everybody together, Miller’s grandfather and the inheritance, the background of studies, Jonah teaching them, scholarship to school, Clara getting in, not telling Miller, his eventually getting in – and his showing of the film, happy times?

BLACK PHONE 2

US, 2025, 114 minutes, Colour.

Mason Thames, Madalyn McGraw, Ethan Hawke, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone, Miguel Mora, Ariana Rivas, Demian Bichir.

Directed by Scott Derrickson.

In 2022, Black Phone was a very successful menace and horror film. It had strong credentials, basic story from Joe Hill (who, in fact, is the son of Stephen King), director, Scott Derrickson (whose films include The Exorcism of Emily Rose, the two Sinister films, Deliver us from Evil), and a new masked villain played by Ethan Hawke, The Grabber.

Many menacing sequences with the young Finney, played by Mason Thames (who was to go on to star in How to Train a Dragon, Regretting You) vanquishing The Grabber.

Hill and Derrickson have combined for this sequel, bringing The Grabber to life beyond the grave, going back to the original situation at the summer camp with the killing of three children by The Grabber, involving Finney’s mother. And the sequel starts with a prologue back in 1957 with Hope, the mother. But the main action takes place four years after Finney’s destroying of The Grabber.

This time it is Finney’s younger sister, Gwen, Madalyn McGraw, who answers the phone, has relentlessly upsetting dreams, the family having to rescue her to wake her from her restless sleep. And, it is The Grabber on the phone, still menacing, tormenting Gwen.

The main part of the drama is to return to the scene of the crimes, the summer camp, the cooperation with the manager, Armando (Demian Bichir) was there at the time of the killings. Now Gwen has even more fearful dreams, with the group at the camp, Finney, Gwen’s friend, Ernesto, and the father, Terrence, Jeremy Davies, also arriving.

The search takes the group to the lakes, now frozen, and some menacing confrontations, on the ice, and under the ice, The Grabber targeting Gwen, but the group hoping that when they find the bodies of The Grabber’s former victims, there will be some kind of ending.

This sequel has been successful with the public, sympathetic victims who conquer, and The Grabber is installed in the Gallery of successful movie horror villains.

But, we leave the cinema with a smile rather than with any dread.

1. The impact of the original film? Horror, menace, victims, survival and confrontation, monster, background story, attacks, death? Expectations for the sequel?
2. The continuity from the first film, the return of writers, director, cast members? The return of The Grabber?
3. The prologue, 1957, Hope, at the camp, phone, the call, reality and dreams, the boys, carving their names in ice, the end of the call? Hope as the mother of Finney and Gwen? Her death considered suicide, the effect on her husband?
4. 1983, the family, Finney and the experience with The Grabber, killing him? Finney’s four years, depression, drugs? Gwen, her age, memories of the past? Their father, distance, drugs?
5. Gwen, her dreams, phone, The Grabber, the dead children? Talking to her mother on the phone? The overwhelming effect? With Finney, with her father? Her decision to go to the camp? Persuading Ernesto, brother of the dead Robin? Persuading Finney? Travel, snowed in, the manager and his niece, the two on the staff? Trying to understand Gwen’s dreams?
6. The experiences at the camp, Armando remembering Hope, the photos, identifying Wild Bill Hickok as The Grabber? The deaths of the children? Gwen and the continued dreams, the group trying to wake her, understand what was happening?
7. The reappearance of The Grabber, beyond death, his appearance’s tied to the mysterious deaths and the disappearance of the boys’ bodies? Armando and his search, the realisation about the lake, the scene for hockey and games, the probable location, the various searches, the ice, breaking, under the ice, finding the bodies?
8. Gwen’s continued dreams, the presence of her mother, The Grabber and his taunts, explanations of the past, the boys, his killing Hope? The effect on Gwen, the other is trying to wake her, the consequences?
9. The arrival of Terrance, telling him the truth, the impact, when challenging him about his drugs and withdrawal?
10. The decision to search, everyone together, going to the lake, The Grabber, the struggles, finding the remains of the children, the confrontation and the destruction of The Grabber?
11. The ending with a sense of peace, Gwen as normal, the reconciliation of the family, the mystery solved about the boys, and the final phone call, Hope, and a greeting from heaven?

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON

US, 2025, 125 minutes, Colour.

Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gerard Butler, Nick Frost, Julian Denison.

Directed by Dean DeBlois.

Once upon a time, there was a village in the Arctic, a Viking village, called Berk. Life was tough. And, there was continued threat of rampaging dragons. In the Viking tradition, the way to win was to conquer the dragons in battle – but, the Vikings were often thwarted, even with the staunch leadership of Stoick. Audiences were introduced to this adaptation of popular stories by Cressida Cowell in 2010. This was through the highly entertaining animated version of How to Train Your Dragon. And, so popular, there were two popular sequels.

In recent decades, there has been the Hollywood trend of making live-action versions of popular animated films. And with varying success and, sometimes, odious comparisons in favour of the animation In fact, the director of How to Train Your Dragon was a co-writer and co-director of the original Lilo & and Stitch as well as of the live-action remake, which broke box office records around the world only a month before the release of Dragon.

When it was suggested that there be this live-action remake of Dragon, Dean DeBlois decided  to direct it. And, while he brings the magic touch of his animated films, he has made the transition to a vigorous and enjoyable life-action. At times this film is quite spectacular, extraordinarily rugged cliffs and clifftops, surging sea. And, the director has been able to use, often scene by scene, the screenplay of his original film. It works well.

And, the casting is also strong. This time the young Hiccup, son of Stoick, expected to follow in his chieftain father’s warlike footsteps, is played by Mason Thames, an affable young man, the actor able to act and cavort with his favourite Dragon, Toothless, since Thames has ballet training and experience. The voice of Stoick in the animated films is that of Gerard Butler, here able to use his Scottish accent after all those action shows in the US, but is not just a cartoon character. He is a proud father, disappointed in his son, ultimately forced to acknowledge  the moral strength of his son as well as his courage and wisdom with the dragons.

The casting is also effective in choosing live-action actors who resemble cartoon characters! (And it is always a pleasure to see New Zealand’s Julian Denison, the Wilderpeople, here as one of the Dragon-fighting students.) Nico Parker proves that female Dragon fighters can be as good as, even better, than so many of the men!

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And training one’s Dragon? The moral of the story is the importance of brains over brawn. All kinds of training to fight the dragons, ships and weapons, shields against the Dragon flames. But, Hiccup Is intelligent, encounters a friendly Dragon, relates to Toothless, but has a scientific and engineering mind and imagination, finding ways of befriending and taming the dragons – able to achieve peace.

If you enjoyed the animated films, try this one because while both  fantasy, live-action actually creates the impression that this is what those Viking times were really like!

1.            The quality of the film?  Popularity?  Visuals?  Vocal?  Story?  Values?

2.            The live-action remake, the use of the same screenplay, the look of the characters, their voices, the sound effects? The action, the sense of realism compared with animation fantasy? The action sequences, the dragons, flight, the warfare? The human characters, seeing them and hearing them? More real? The score?

3.            The title and expectations? 

4.            The voice-over explanation, the traditional Viking life, the desolate island, the culture, eternally fighting the dragons? 

5.            The island, its peaks and forests, the surrounding sea?  The sheep and their expressions, the dragon attacks?  The fights?  The Viking way of life?  Life as a battle?

6.            The visualising of the dragons, the great range of appearances, the swooping, the fire, the stealing?

7.            Stoick the Vast?  The patriarch, leading the Vikings, the warrior, the loyalty of his men?  His disappointment with Hiccup?  His hard attitude, talking and not listening?  His friendship with Gobba?  The training, his dismay, wanting to disown his son? 

8.            Hiccup in himself, scrawny build, the Viking expectations, trying to life up to his father’s hopes?  At home?  Gobba and his work?  His being  mocked by the other kids?  Yet being inventive (and his fixing the artificial limb for Toothless)?  The attack of the dragons, his wounding Toothless?  Going through the forest to find him, Toothless unable to fly properly?  Hiccup and his reaching out, the trust of the dragon, supplying him with food – and the jokes about fish and eating, Toothless having to eat the fish?  Playing with Toothless, flying?  Hiccup and his talent for flying?

9.            Gobba, his work as a blacksmith, confidant of Stoick, his wooden leg and the story of his losing his limb?  Training the young kids?  Astrid, the boys and girls, their parody of American teenagers?  The variety of dragons, the various tests, the fears, the reaction to the dragons, running away?  Hiccup, learning the reactions of the dragons, their fears?  Able to tame them, put them back in their cages?  Everybody amazed?  Stoick amazed?  Hiccup’s changing reputation?

10.     The character of Astrid, warrior, tough, defying Hiccup? The training sequences, her collaboration?

11.   The training sessions, pickup and avoidance, his studying the dragons, his imagination, science, the equipment, with toothless, the success of his techniques? The other members of the training squad, the range of characters, cartoon characters, activities, their build, talk, finally joining in the final confrontation? The parents?

12.         Astrid, Hiccup’s attraction, her tough stances?  Going with Hiccup, discovering Toothless, kissing him, slapping him?  Flying and the bond between them? 

13.         Stoick and the decision for the expedition, Hiccup’s pleading that they not go?  The ships, the sea, the danger, the storms, the battles? 

14.         Hiccup and Astrid, flying, discovering the nest of the monstrous dragon?  Toothless and his abilities?  The return, the explanation? 

15.         Stoick, the defeat, Hiccup and his flying, being forced to listen?

16.         The Night Creature, monstrous, the dragons all supplying it with food, its emergence, the challenge, Hiccup and Astrid, Toothless and the destruction of the dragon? 

17.         The dragons and the Vikings, in peace?  The film’s themes about fathers and sons and reconciliation, expectations, listening?  Peace as more important than battles?  Friendship and society?