Surface Level "People We Meet on Vacation" is Still a Fun Time
Unfortunately, People We Meet on Vacation didn’t hold up quite as well as I’d hoped.

What led a former top scientist to rob a bank and hold a dozen hostages? Czech Television's crime thriller based on Martin Goffa's novel "The Little Girl" is squeezed into two environments - the interior of a robbed bank with hostages and the interior of a crisis management car, from where the police communicate with the mysterious attacker and try, like him, to play for time and find out more about him. The flashbacks also tell the story of the attacker's daughter Karin from the recent past, gradually revealing a connection with what is happening in the current storyline.
Unfortunately, People We Meet on Vacation didn’t hold up quite as well as I’d hoped.
While everyone was going gaga over The Odyssey, Desert Warrior was quietly taking audiences on an epic Arabian “knights of the sand table” adventure
At least we got the original cast back, right? Not even that saves it. None of them could bring a sliver of hope to this special. Rather, they bring dread as we witness the light leaving from their eyes.
Him is visually stunning—all concrete cathedrals and bone-rattling impact shots that look like a nightmare highlight reel. Marlon Wayans is magnetic as this legendary quarterback who's basically selling salvation with a smile that never quite reaches his eyes. But the story keeps running in circles: more tests, more cryptic pep talks, more ritualistic drills. The sports-as-religion metaphor beats you over the head when subtlety would've been more effective. The middle drags, and that finale chooses spectacle over substance. It's undeniably stylish, but left me cold. Also worth noting: despite the Monkeypaw connection, this isn't actually a Jordan Peele film—he didn't write or direct.
In the film adaptation, director Jon M. Chu turns each musical number into a massive show stopper, with grand set pieces and a wealth of diverse dancers. Yet, in this attempt to show reverence for the people of the Washington Heights barrio, Chu, or maybe more specifically those in charge of casting, left out a crucial part of the community, Afro-Latinos.
Frozen II is not quite direct to DVD Disney sequel level, but if it wasn’t for the spellbinding animation and budget, it certainly would be.