As a concept, The Bikeriders is fascinating. The film, based on a true story, is primarily framed around interviews between Danny (Mike Faist), a photographer who documented the Vandals Motorcycle Club in Chicago as a student, and Kathy (Jodie Comer), the wife of one of the gang’s most well-known members. These interviews drive the narrative, which traverses the 1960s and ‘70s, as Danny catches up on everything that’s happened since he last saw the group. As may be expected from any gang-related tale, it hasn’t been all that great.

Much of the film centres around the idea of found family, of community. Misfits find a place in the Vandals, and as the gang grows, expanding into new chapters, everything looks rosy. They host giant picnics, booze-fueled affairs that end in muddy fields, churned up by circling bikes, and physical altercations, both friendly and vicious. This feeling of belonging is strongest in the scenes where tens of motorbikes rumble down the highway in formation, fields or dust as far as the eye can see and the roar of the engines strong enough to shake the cinema seats. The sheer power of these moments is breath-catching, and while the audience will certainly feel a degree of separation from the camaraderie it’s enough to get across the seduction and joy of the Vandals in their early days.

Comer is undeniably excellent in her role. She knows exactly when to play it serious and when to lean into the comic, and her replication of the real Kathy’s speech patterns and tone is uncanny. But aside from her mile-a-minute dialogue, during which she frequently drifts off topic before being gently redirected by photographer-documentarian Danny, the script is sparse. Butler’s Benny is more of a brooder than a talker, the majority of his time on screen spent smouldering into the distance or flying off the handle and punching something. It’s not that he’s not good at this—he excels at the tortured bad-boy schtick—but it leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to the character’s complexity.

Benny is, or could be, an interesting character, but just as he keeps those around him at a distance we never really get to learn what makes him tick. He has a strong if misaligned sense of right and wrong, he’s loyal to a fault and he really, really loves motorbikes. There’s no real emotional depth to him until the final scenes where, after Kathy has made a point earlier of the fact that he never cries, he sits on the front porch sobbing. Presumably this should be a cathartic moment for all involved, perhaps a sign that he’s changed and is finally showing some vulnerability, but it’s such a predictable plot point that it falls entirely flat.

Tom Hardy completes the central trifecta as Villains founder Johnny Davis. Beginning as a man playing dress-up as a gang leader, his gradual descent into violence and serious crime should be interesting, but it’s difficult to get invested in the character’s journey. The only real affection Johnny demonstrates is for bikes, his boys, and Benny, who he’s pretty obsessed with (to the point that he and Kathy end up in a heated argument over who should have custody of the fully-grown man). We’re told that he is, or was, a family man, but we rarely see this family or get to know why it wasn’t enough for him, why he favours the gang over his own flesh and blood. Again, an opportunity for complexity is missed.

Jokes have been made that one of the best parts of a Tom Hardy character is never knowing what his voice is going to sound like. In The Bikeriders, the effect can only be described as startling. Fairly high pitched and almost wheedling at times, it’s occasionally hard to take him seriously as the founder of a biker gang, or even completely comprehend what he’s saying.

In terms of pacing, despite clocking in at just under two hours the final act feels like a drag.

Each new flashback, prompted by Kathy’s interviews, seems both unnecessarily drawn-out and like the film is hurrying to wrap up the loose ends. The reminders that these are, or were, real people are genuinely affecting, speaking to the tragedy of the Villains and nostalgic for what the gang once was: a group of guys who just really loved motorbikes.

The Bikeriders has its moments, but feels incomplete as a whole. There’s style here, and attention to detail—the mimicry of the real Danny’s photos in some of the shots is great—but the film feels just like the photos it’s based on; a series of snapshots that hint at depth but never let us see the full picture.

To compete in today’s tumultuous entertainment industry, Paramount Global will need to evolve into a “media and technology” company, tech scion and soon-to-be Paramount Chief Executive David Ellison told investors and financial analysts Monday, a day after the company’s board approved a merger deal with his Skydance Media.

“When you look at the landscape that exists today, there are a lot of technology companies that are rapidly expanding into media companies,” Ellison said during the hour-long call. “It is essential for Paramount to be able to expand its technological prowess to be both a media and technology enterprise.”

Part of that plan involves improving the algorithmic engine and ad technology capabilities of Paramount’s streaming service, Paramount+, he said. Making Paramount+ profitable is a key goal for Ellison, and reworking the algorithm that powers user recommendations should increase the time viewers spend on the platform and how content is delivered, he said. That, in turn, should help reduce churn.

On Sunday, the two companies announced that Paramount’s board of directors had approved the $8.4-billion bid for Ellison’s Skydance Media and its backers to buy the Redstone family’s Massachusetts holding firm, National Amusements Inc., giving Ellison control over Paramount and allowing Skydance to merge with the storied media company.

But the company still faces major challenges due to its heavy linear TV presence, as well as a heavy debt load. With all that in mind, the company needs to adapt to new technology, both to stay relevant and to become more efficient.

Ellison noted the partnership that Skydance Animation has with Oracle — which was co-founded by his father — to build a so-called “studio in the cloud.” Though animation has long been seen as an on-premise industry, Ellison said Skydance’s newest animated film, “Spellbound,” was partially produced in the cloud, which reduced costs.

“We intend to scale that business across all of our production workflows,” he said, adding that the company plans to use artificial intelligence tools to “enhance creativity and drive production efficiencies.”

“It really is that combination of art and technology that we believe is the cornerstone of this business and is going to be essential towards our future,” Ellison said.

But market investors may not have been convinced. Shares of Paramount were down about 5% to $11.21 around 7:30 a.m. Pacific time.

Ellison has withstood months of intrigue and negotiations to clinch control of Paramount. He first approached Paramount’s non-executive chairwoman, Shari Redstone, last summer about making a deal for her late father’s company. In June, it appeared the two sides were getting close to a resolution, but Redstone abruptly got cold feet and walked away from the deal.

The Ellison-led team of investors regrouped and a revised deal began to come together in recent weeks, culminating in Sunday’s announcement. The deal requires regulatory approval.

In a note to employees Sunday night, Paramount’s so-called “Office of the co-CEOs,” which is made up of three executives, said the company will continue to move forward with a plan unveiled late last month, which includes “streamlining teams, eliminating duplicative functions and reducing the size of our workforce.”

“Until the transaction closes, it’s business as usual,” the note said.

The upcoming 2024 blockbuster movie Twisters is earning fantastic early reviews, which are coming from meteorologists watching for more than just entertainment.

Led by Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones, Twisters takes inspiration from the epic adventure seen in 1996’s Twister, although it is not seen as a sequel or a reboot.

This film sees a new team of storm-chasers and weather experts joining forces to investigate massive tornadoes in the farmland, risking their lives in the name of science.

Meteorologists Share Strong Reactions to 2024’s Twisters

On June 20, Universal invited real-world meteorologists to a special early screening of Twisters at AMC Northpark 15 in Dallas, Texas.

Star Daisy Edgar-Jones also attended the screening as a special guest, after which the guests shared their reactions on Facebook.

It is important to note that these meteorologists’ public reviews of the movie are more likely to be positive rather than negative or mixed ones due to Universal’s special invite.

WFAA meteorologist Kyle Roberts described the movie as “very entertaining,” making it clear that it used a Hollywood-influenced view of storm chasing. 

He praised the special effects and its entertainment value regardless of its accuracy:

“Very entertaining!… It is Hollywood’s portrayal of storm chasing, so don’t go into it expecting anything more than that. It’s not a documentary. While there are callbacks to the original, it is not a remake or a sequel. The special effects are fantastic and it is an entertaining watch.”

He admitted it was “less realistic than the first one” in terms of storm-chasing and safety, although it did not take away from his enjoyment:

“In response to someone asking ‘how was it?’ very entertaining! Not really realistic but it’s a movie and a fun watch! And then in response to someone asking ‘Is it less realistic than the first one???’ HAHA well…from a storm-chasing and safety standpoint? Absolutely.”

WFAA meteorologist Mariel Ruiz reflected on how the original Twister “solidified [her] love for meteorology,” feeling that Twisters will do that on a greater level for new viewers.

She also praised Daisy Edgar-Jones’ performance, saying she did “an incredible job taking on the role of Kate” and calling the film “a must-see” outing:

“The original ‘Twister’ solidified my love for meteorology. I think ‘Twisters’ will inspire the next generation of meteorologists/scientists/so much more. A must-see this summer! It was a pleasure getting to chat with and introduce moviegoers to Daisy Edgar-Jones before the screening. She did an incredible job taking on the role of Kate, a meteorologist changing the name of the game 10/10.”

Freelance meteorologist Lauren Bostwick told fans they will “LOVE the new Twisters movie” if they liked the original, emphatically saying she would watch the new one multiple times:

“If you liked the original you’ll LOVE the new ‘Twisters’ movie that’s coming out July 19!!! I am so thrilled that Universal Pictures invited us to the screening…definitely will be watching again…and again!”

Freelance meteorologist Jeanette Gallardo called Twisters “pretty great,” sharing a similar plan to watch it “over and over in theaters:”

“Had the cool opportunity to attend a screening of ‘Twisters’… and I gotta say… it was pretty great. I will definitely be watching this one over and over in theaters”

Additionally, independent reviewer Lynne Loves Movies shared her reaction to the film after a separate screening, calling it “a blast” and recommending it to fans. 

After doubting it could top the original, she praised the 2024 movie for putting people like her “in there far more” than its predecessor:

“‘Twisters’ is a blast!!! In theaters July 19th. I  recommend it. I was at a Sneak screening. Didn’t know so many folks from Chicago were involved. I thought to myself: No way they can top the original ‘Twister,’ but they really did by focusing on the actual power of the storms themselves. They really put us in there far more than the original and it’s the power and destruction of the tornado that is the villain. The sound is awesome. I bet they’ll get recognition for sound editing.

Her only major complaint was “the romance they hint at between Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Tyler (Glen Powell),” but she praised Powell’s portrayal “as the cowboy Storm Wrangler:”

“I’m not too crazy about the romance they hint at between Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Tyler (Glen Powell) and thankfully they don’t focus on that because the chemistry between the two leads seemed lackluster but since they were mostly about storm chasing it didn’t distract from my absolute enjoyment of the movie.  I thought Glen Powell did a great job as the cowboy Storm Wrangler. He has the same motley crew of storm chasing characters vs the corporate crews that exist in “Twisters,” but they don’t build on that too much – thank goodness. Its about those monstrous tornadoes. It’s a thrilling ride for sure. Spielberg exec produces.”

How Will Fans React to 2024 Twisters Movie?

Outside of some minor confusion about Twisters being a sequel or reboot, these early reviews should do plenty to get the general public, especially coming from those who know what the characters are supposed to be doing.

On top of the star power from Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick) and co-stars like Anthony Ramos (Ironheart) and David Corenswet (Superman), the film appears to have no shortage of epic action. Just like its predecessor, it’s the kind of movie tailor-made to succeed as a summer blockbuster.

The 2024 movie also has the advantage of bringing much more believable special effects than 1996’s original outing, which seemed to be a big part of why the meteorologists enjoyed it so much.

Now, the big question is if fans will be open to something new from this legacy franchise, particularly in a year with only a few big winners in theaters.

It also has the challenge of coming out amongst heavy competition, with Despicable Me 4 releasing on July 3 and Deadpool and Wolverine debuting on July 26.

Should these reviews be a sign of things to come, however, moviegoers will hopefully respond to that positivity and put forth a good showing.

Twisters spins into theaters on Friday, July 19.

Read more about other Universal projects below:

Will Oppenheimer 2 Ever Release? Universal Boss Gives Perfect Response

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 Movie: Release Date, Cast and Everything We Know

New Despicable Me 4 LEGO Set Includes ‘Mega’ Spoiler from Movie