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HBO’s Superhero Satire ‘The Franchise’ Is Cathartic but Thin: TV Review
Executive produced by Armando Iannucci and Sam Mendes, HBO's superhero satire 'The Franchise' is a cathartic but thin take on the MCU and its ilk.
The movie’s lead, American beefcake Adam (Billy Magnussen), has “Dorito’ed himself” — thick top, skinny bottom — with injectable sheep hormones; the villain, British theater veteran Peter (Richard E. Grant), insists on addressing his colleagues by their number on the call sheet. “Nose clips on, let’s eat shit, amen” is Peter’s idea of a hype-up chant; when a minor hero, played by Nick Kroll, pops by for a guest appearance, he quickly assesses the gig as a “BFOGT: Big Fight Over Glowy Thing,” adding: “I’ve shot this scene three times in two years.” There are references to trimming an oversaturated release calendar, as Disney CEO Bob Iger has mandated, and car crashes en route home from night shoots, a horror story cited in the buildup to the trade union IATSE’s near-strike in 2021.
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