The Roundup with Jeff Stockton (Season 36 Round 7)

 

We're 21 films into Season 36 now following a seventh round where not every ambitious swing connected, and a couple of performances left me scratching my head. Here's The Roundup....

SOUNDTRACKS

Remember when I was wondering whether Season 36 was ever going to have any memorable soundtracks? Yeah... I can officially retire that concern. With Voice becoming the seventh soundtrack-heavy release of the season, the Golden Reel race for Best Soundtrack has quietly become one of the most competitive categories on the board. Will Voice actually make the final nominee list? I'm honestly not sure. But that's almost beside the point.

The important thing is that we've reached the stage where there are legitimate contenders fighting for spots rather than simply filling out a ballot. 1995 still feels like the benchmark for me, but several films have now entered the conversation, and that's exactly what you want from an awards category. Healthy competition makes for better awards seasons.

THE SONG OF ROLAND

This is exactly what I want from a historical epic. Big scope. Strong writing. Excellent craftsmanship. An ensemble cast that actually feels worthy of the material.

No, I don't think The Song of Roland reaches the lofty heights of John Malone and Chad Taylor's Caesar Trilogy. Those films remain the gold standard for large-scale historical storytelling within LRF. But Brady Corbet directs with real confidence, Jimmy Ellis delivers another sturdy screenplay, and the production never loses sight of the emotional tragedy underneath all the spectacle.

THE HULK 3

Now this feels like the Hulk franchise again. One of the smartest decisions this production made was bringing Mark Newton back after he sat out The Hulk 2. That second film had moments, but HG Hansen's screenplay always felt overstuffed and oddly unfocused. It was a movie constantly fighting itself. The Hulk 3 feels far more confident.

Newton clearly understands Bruce Banner as both a character and a franchise. The emotional conflict lands better, the pacing is tighter, and the movie finally recaptures the balance between monster movie, superhero spectacle, and psychological drama that made the first film so effective. Instead of feeling like another sequel, this feels like the series getting back on track. That's exactly what a third installment should accomplish.

VOICE

I spent most of this movie asking myself one question. "What exactly is this trying to be?" A musical? A cyberpunk noir? A futuristic thriller? The answer seemed to be... yes.

Unfortunately, that combination never quite came together for me. Johnny Mercer has already demonstrated enough talent that I'm convinced he's a writer worth following. But this felt like the kind of project where an emerging writer reached for four different genres simultaneously before fully mastering one. Every individual ingredient had potential. Together, they constantly competed for attention instead of complementing one another. There's a good movie hiding inside Voice. This version just couldn't find it.

JONATHAN BAILEY

Let me be clear. Jonathan Bailey gives a perfectly respectable performance. This isn't about bad acting. This is about presence. When you're playing Roland — the legendary knight whose name is literally in the title — I need to believe people would follow you into certain death. I need that larger-than-life screen presence that historical epics demand. I just... didn't feel it.

Bailey is undeniably talented, but I continue to struggle seeing him as a traditional movie star leading man. There's a difference between carrying scenes and commanding them. He handled the material competently, but he never quite passed what I call the "eye test." Every time another major actor shared the screen with him, my attention drifted toward the supporting cast. Sometimes charisma can't really be taught.

RACHEL ZEGLER

This is going to sound harsh, but it's something I've been thinking for a while. Rachel Zegler can absolutely sing. Nobody should question that. What I continue to question is whether audiences actually enjoy spending two hours with her as a leading lady.

For me, there's an undeniable smugness to her on-screen persona that keeps creating distance between the character and the audience. Maybe that's unfair. Maybe it's simply the kinds of roles she's been playing. But movie stardom isn't just about talent—it's about making people want to root for you. I never quite get that feeling with Zegler. She's unquestionably gifted. I just don't find her especially likable as a screen presence, and for someone being positioned as a major leading actress, that's a difficult hurdle to overcome.