By TeeJay Small
| Published 2 seconds ago

Paramount Pictures dropped an announcement trailer for their upcoming film, Focker In-Law, last week, and it immediately caught my attention. As you can probably tell from the title alone, the film is the fourth installment in the Meet The Parents film series, which originally kicked off in 2000. While I loved the original film and enjoyed parts of the 2004 sequel, I can’t help but feel frustrated that we’re getting the exact same movie for the fourth time. From the trailer, it looks like Focker In-Law promises to add some comedic beats from Ariana Grande, but little else.

A Strong Start And Slow Decline

In case you’re not hip to the franchise, the original Meet the Parents tells a very straightforward comedic story of an obnoxious, anxious man named Gaylord Focker (Ben Stiller), as he encounters his girlfriend’s family for the very first time. Focker wants to take this opportunity to get the family’s blessing to propose, but he’s mired by a series of misunderstandings and social faux pas at every turn. To make matters worse, Focker must contend with his girlfriend’s domineering ex-CIA father, Jack (Robert De Niro).

The second film, Meet The Fockers, introduces some fresh talent, flips the script on Jack a little bit by taking him out of his comfort zone, and ratchets up the tension as the happy couple navigate their upcoming wedding and a premarital pregnancy. It’s sort of unnecessary, but it’s a harmless way to squeeze more laughs out of a pretty simple premise. Then, in 2010, we got Little Fockers, which produced absolutely no memorable moments whatsoever. Seriously, Ben Stiller even took to X this week to say “I stand by the first two” installments in the franchise, ignoring the third film entirely.

The Same Old Jokes For A New Generation

Now, it looks like we’re due for the same material a fourth time with Focker In-Law. Greg Focker is still an awkward, bumbling mess, while the aging Jack flexes his people skills and dunks on his son-in-law for having a stupid last name. Meanwhile, a new generation of Focker men have emerged, with Greg’s son Henry (Skyler Gisondo) planning to propose to his girlfriend, Olivia Jones (Ariana Grande). From the trailer, it looks like Grande plays an FBI hostage negotiator, who wishes to pry Focker Jr. away from his emotionally topsy-turvy family in favor of a life of relative normalcy.

Will I watch this movie as soon as it comes out? Almost certainly. But will I have any memory of seeing it within hours of leaving the theater? I’ve got my doubts. The truth is, Focker In-Law could have been an opportunity to completely reshape the characters in fun and exciting ways. We could have had Greg really come into his own with age, assuming a more confident and bullish attitude. We could have even seen him and Jack get on the same page for once, and work together to test Ariana Grande’s worthiness to enter the coveted “circle of trust.”

Instead, it seems like we’re due for another 90 minutes of Robert De Niro rolling his eyes at Ben Stiller, and conflicts driven by characters who refuse to sit down and explain themselves in plain English. The trailer reveals that even minor side characters from the other film are returning to do their same schtick. I’m not mad about Focker In-Law basically recycling the Meet The Parents script for the fourth time, but I am a bit disappointed, since I know for a fact that Stiller, De Niro, and the others are capable of putting out something much stronger.

In fairness, this is all a reaction to a single trailer. There’s an extremely minute chance that Focker In-Law subverts all my expectations, and delivers a new comedy classic that can hold its own. There’s a similarly likely chance that the earth is obliterated by a meteor before the film hits theaters, but I won’t be holding my breath either way. If this film is what Ben Stiller needs to finance a third season of Severance, then I’m content to buy 50 tickets and give Focker In-Law the best damn opening weekend I can.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 35 seconds ago

If you’re a movie lover, the phrase “sci-fi remake” likely fills you with dread. After all, Hollywood has cranked out more than a few worthless reboots of nearly perfect genre films over the years. This includes the newer RoboCop, which, amusingly enough, lacked the humanity of the original Paul Verhoeven film. The newer Total Recall was slick and sanitized, lacking the messy charm and charismatic lead of the original. Despite Star Trek (2009) being a wholly original movie, the sequel film Star Trek Into Darkness was a remake of The Wrath of Khan that was worse in every possible way.

Star Trek Into Darkness might very well be the worst sci-fi remake in Hollywood history. Ironically, though, one of its stars is the lead in the best sci-fi remake of all time. I’m talking about Dredd (2012), which features Karl Urban as the popular comic book character who will stop crime at any cost. He fully embodies this complex role and headlines an action film powered by adrenaline, gunpowder, and pure, manic intensity. To experience the thrill ride for yourself, all you have to do is stream Dredd for free on Tubi.

Here Comes The Judge

The plot of Dredd is that future America has become a dystopian hellhole in which highly trained cops have become judge, jury, and executioner to any and all criminals. Judge Dredd is tasked with assessing the skills of a new recruit, one whose psychic abilities may give her a much-needed edge on the battlefield. But she and Dredd will need every advantage they can get to pull off their next mission: a bold raid on a 200-story tower that serves as the base of operations for a local drug lord with a new product that threatens to turn Dredd’s burned-out-berg into a city of junkies.

The central cast of Dredd is as tight as the movie’s script. Game of Thrones veteran Lena Headey plays the ruthless drug dealer who is, honestly, much more vicious than Cersei Lannister ever was. Meanwhile, Juno star Olivia Thirlby is excellent as the psychic rookie getting an unfettered look at what it means to be a Judge in a time of lawless chaos. But nobody is acting their hearts out like Karl Urban, who injects just the right amount of personality into Judge Dredd without turning him into a caricature of himself (something Sylvester Stallone failed to do in the previous Judge Dredd movie). 

Urban is an actor who always disappears into his roles. As a veteran of Marvel, Star Trek, and Lord of the Rings, he has more than earned the title of a genre legend. As great as he was in those other roles, though, Urban’s Dredd is the best performance of his career. In another actor’s hands, this performance would have been pure schlock (still looking at you, Stallone) or generic action slop. Paradoxically (and perfectly), Urban finds the sweet spot, conveying his character’s passion for justice while still coming across as a cool and emotionless agent of the law. 

It’s Dredd’s World. We Just Live In It

Now, here’s a confession that might cost me my nerd card: growing up, I never really got into the original Judge Dredd comics. Because of that, my only real exposure to this character has been through the medium of feature films. That’s why I was a little intimidated that I wouldn’t be able to fully appreciate Dredd: I had read about how this second film was infinitely more faithful to the comic, and so I worried that I’d be completely lost. Fortunately, I was quite wrong and discovered to my delight that this movie is very accessible to complete franchise newcomers.

That’s because Dredd, like Mad Max: Fury Road, embeds effortless world-building into its narrative without ever bogging down the storytelling or slowing down the action. If you’re a comic fan, you’ll appreciate all of the Easter eggs placed lovingly throughout the runtime. If you’re a sci-fi fan paying close attention to the dialogue, you’ll quickly suss out everything you need to know about this fictional world. Of course, if you’re just an action junkie who just wants to turn your brain off, it’s entirely possible to enjoy Dredd as a relentless movie filled with one action-packed scene after another.

One Action Scene After Another

For all its amazing attention to detail, the plot of Dredd is mostly a paper-thin excuse to shuffle us from one perfect action scene to the next. Like a sci-fi Die Hard, this movie is all about trapping our protagonists in a building where they are outnumbered and must fight wave after wave of well-armed foes. Fortunately, our heroes are driven by something more than their singular thirst for knowledge: the knowledge that all it takes is a single bullet to the leader’s head to utterly destroy this amoral organization.

It really is that simple. Our heroes must fight their way up the huge tower in search of their prey. At every turn, they encounter new foes, new challenges, and new surprises. The result is a visceral movie guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat. Dredd is the rare film that is full of surprises, always zigging when you expect it to zag. At the same time, however, it never fails to deliver exactly what its core audience wants: one balls-to-the-wall action scene after another. If you’re looking for something like a lo-fi John Wick crossed with The Matrix, then Dredd is the sci-fi action masterpiece you’ve been looking for.

Even if (like me on my first watch) you’re not very familiar with the title character, you owe it to yourself to watch Dredd. It’s got a small-but-swol cast, amazing costumes, and sweet set pieces. It also has action scenes that don’t stop until multiple bodies hit the floor. Think I’m overhyping the film too much? Fine, you be the judge! To experience the craziness for yourself, all you have to do is stream Dredd for free on Tubi. It’s better than the earlier movie in every way, but if this newer film inspires you to start belting out “I am the law!” in your best Stallone impression, don’t worry: I won’t tell anyone.

Florida attorney general James Uthmeier announced Tuesday that the state launched a criminal investigation into OpenAI and its flagship product, the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT.

The investigation centers on the use of ChatGPT by a gunman who allegedly shot several people at Florida State University in April 2025. The shooting killed two people and injured five others. The suspect, a former student at Florida State University in his early 20s, is awaiting trial for multiple charges of murder and attempted murder.

“Unfortunately, what we’ve seen in our initial review is that ChatGPT offered significant advice to the shooter before he committed such heinous crimes,” Uthmeier said at a news conference on Tuesday, according to NBC Miami.

Uthmeier offered several examples of such exchanges, including one in which the suspect allegedly asked about the gun’s short range power and the type of ammunition the gun used. The New York Times reported that the suspect also prompted the chatbot to answer questions about how the country would respond to a shooting at FSU.

Florida law may consider anyone who aids, abets, or counsels someone in a committed or attempted crime as a principal to that crime.

In a published statement, Uthmeier said that “…if ChatGPT were a person, it would be facing charges for murder.”

Mashable contacted OpenAI for comment but didn’t receive a response prior to publication.

The criminal investigation follows an initial probe launched earlier this month by Uthmeier into ChatGPT’s links to “criminal behavior,” including the FSU shooting, as well as child sex abuse and the “encouragement of suicide and self-harm.”

The investigation seeks, among other evidence, OpenAI’s policies and internal training materials related to user threats directed toward other people between March 2024 and April 2026.

A recent report published by the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that many AI chatbots, including ChatGPT, helped test users posing as 13-year-old boys plan violence, including school shootings, knife attacks, political assassinations, and bombing synagogues or political party offices.

At the time, OpenAI said it had since introduced a new model different from the one tested jointly by CNN and the Center for Countering Digital Hate. It is unclear which ChatGPT model the alleged FSU shooter used.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.