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Screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson had an unenviable task ahead of her when she signed on to adapt 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs into a live-action re-imaging that'd appeal to contemporary audiences. After all, the eponymous heroine has little in common with the more modern, spirited Disney princesses who have fought for love, legs, freedom, or the whole of China. Snow White was less a self-rescuing princess and more a pretty damsel in distress who ran away from home, died by a poisoned apple, and was revived by a kiss from a prince she barely knew. But in Disney's Snow White, Wilson smartly translates the classic iconography of the original film while rejiggering its flimsy framework into a solid and charming coming-of-age story.

In Disney's Snow White, the princess (Rachel Zegler) is less fragile, named not for the pale color of her skin but for the winter storm that raged the night she was born. When she is called fair, it's not meant like pretty (though she is), but as in just. For instance, she's the kind of princess who picks apples alongside her people, and then happily bakes apple pies to share in a big community feast. These little shifts in context make a profound difference, painting Snow White as resilient, capable, and caring. Of course, the tone of this kingdom shifts dramatically when the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot) takes over. 

Wilson's take on Snow White is surprisingly winsome. It delivers a familiar story with a fresh perspective and some unexpected sources of nostalgia. 

Rachel Zegler shines as Snow White.  Credit: Giles Keyte / 2024 Disney Enterprises, Inc

The star of Steven Spielberg's West Side Story and the action-packed prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Zegler has an undeniable star power from her first frames. With her open-hearted expression, earnestness, and warm singing voice, she is through and through a live-action Disney princess. Swanning around in her gold skirts and Snow White's signature bob, Zegler is sure to thrill countless Disney princess devotees. But where things get really interesting is when she confronts conflict. 

Sure, like the Snow White who came before her, she will fearfully flee into a ferocious woods, staggered by grabby trees branches. But props to director Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man 1 & 2), who flips the color palette of muted regal hues abruptly to slick black forestry and neon red mist, all of which read as a nightmarish threat for the princess fleeing her wicked stepmother's huntsman. But before this dramatic escape, Snow White also stands up to her queen, begging for mercy for a handsome bandit (Andrew Burnap) who was caught robbing the royal pantry. Here, Snow White embraces bravery, even as her voice trembles. Through her steady assertions, she creates a path all her own to love and political activism. 

The romance in Snow White is genuinely endearing. 

Forget the nameless prince. This time, Snow White falls for a bandit with a heart of gold. He meets her in the castle's kitchen and assumes — based on her humble demeanor and clothes — that she is a servant, not the princess. He has a compelling cockiness to him, and to children of the '90s, a familiar appeal; his costume includes a plaid shirt with a hood, a striped poncho, and a floppy hairstyle with a center part that feels deeply of a time not so long ago. The character's name is Jonathan, but he's giving Jonathan Taylor Thomas circa Home Improvement. And I'm not mad at it! 

On top of his vintage charms, Jonathan flirts through talk of political rebellion, proclaiming that this greedy, vain queen shouldn't be in charge, nor should she be hoarding all the goods of the kingdom for her own pleasures. It's an eye-opening moment for Snow White, who is both attracted to and appalled by this brash young man. Their conversations spark within her a desire not only to survive but to fight for her kingdom, to bring back a sense of community and revelry over military might and isolation. These politics and young love blossom in the woods, no matter how many dwarfs are looking on. 

Good God, Snow White's dwarfs are a disaster.  Credit: Giles Keyte / 2024 Disney Enterprises, Inc

This remake has faced backlash over the decision to make Snow White's dwarf friends CGI characters, rather than casting performers with dwarfism for the roles of Sneezy, Sleepy, Happy, Bashful, Dopey, and Doc. Notably, Martin Klebba of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise lends his voice to Grumpy. However, it's hard to argue CGI was the way to go when these once lovable cartoons now look like lawn gnomes with worrisome skin conditions. 

Where Zegler and Gadot are made up to have flawless faces, worthy of the cover of romantic fantasy novels, the dwarfs live in an uncanny valley. They are walking, squawking bobbleheads, mottled with blemishes that make them look somehow less real and more ghastly. Dopey — who doesn't have facial hair to hide any of his features — is the most uncanny, being downright difficult to look at, on par with Scuttle from the 2023 live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. 

Perhaps this was a demand of Disney execs, hoping to keep fans happy, but their antics feel disjointed from the personal and political thrust of Wilson's script. So, the dwarf shenanigans in the middle of the movie are a bit of a slog. After all, these characters never get any deeper than their nicknames suggest. In fact, a modified version of their "Heigh Ho," triples down on their silly monikers, with lyrics like "I'm Sleepy! / Yeah, we KNOW!" 

These eyesores of fan service are the worst bit of Snow White, unable to be elevated by the voicework of Klebba, Andrew Barth Feldman, Tituss Burgess, Jason Kravits, George Salazar, Andy Grotelueschen, and Jeremy Swift. However, the bigger disappointment is in the formerly fairest of them all. 

Gal Gadot falls short of evil diva greatness in Snow White.  Credit: Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Love her or loathe her, there's no denying the Evil Queen is an epic villainess. Gadot isn't able to bring dimension to this iconic queen, though she looks devastatingly fierce in the incredible costumes by three-time Academy Award–winning designer Sandy Powell. The dark sequins that cover her head to toe not only sparkle in a slick black and purple glory, but they have a sound to them. 

Kudos to the entire sound team, because the noise around the mean queen builds an atmosphere before she even speaks. The soft clatter of sequins on sequins as she swaggers sounds almost like the scurry of spiders. The squish of caviar as she greedily plunges in her fork gives an ick while drawing attention to her luxuries, while her people are risking dungeon time for stealing potatoes. The crack of shellfish under her bejeweled fingers brings home her ruthlessness as she stares down Snow White. 

With a black-stained lip, hard brow, and a smoky eye that could start a fire, Gadot is picture-perfect in this goth villainy. She clearly enjoys the grandly repugnant proclamations of her queen, like in a song where she declares, "Ambitious girls must be vicious girls!" Yet there's something missing behind her posturing. 

It's hard not to compare her to Angelina Jolie in Maleficent or Cate Blanchett as the resplendent wicked stepmother in 2015's Cinderella. The Evil Queen is the kind of role that harkens back to the snarling femme fatales of film noir, the shrieking matriarchs of melodramas, or the animated villainesses themselves, whose self-satisfied cackles have rung out across decades. There should be a juicy liberation in playing such an unapologetically mad woman, but Gadot can't seem to tap into that rich wrath or rage. While her queen looks the part, the effect is ultimately underwhelming. 

However, for a movie that I expected to be achingly predictable, Disney's Snow White is both surprising and entertaining. Zegler is stellar as Snow White, and Burnap is terrific as her challenging beau. The dwarfs are a nightmare, and Gadot is insubstantial, but the charms of the colorful production design, the details of the CGI forest animals, and the richly enchanting costumes lure us into a fantasy world that's familiar but offers new discoveries to be uncovered. New songs give fresh verve to this antique tale. So in the end, Disney's Snow White is a magical cinematic experience. 

Snow White opens in theaters March 21.

LeBron James — the most famous basketball player in the world — has become one of TikTok's latest genres of music. Yes, genre.

People are editing popular songs to be about the NBA star, and those remixes are everywhere on TikTok. And they are so. Freaking. Catchy. The songs are endless, with remixes of "I Kissed a Girl" ("I Kissed LeBron"), "Talking to the Moon" ("Thinking 'bout LeBron"), and "Somebody That I Used to Know" ("The LeBron That I Used to Know"), among so many others.

SEE ALSO: Iowa vs. LSU delivered memes, jokes, and a great game from Caitlin Clark

In my personal opinion — which seems to be backed by its prevalence — one remix outdoes them all. It's a play on Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" that tells the story of the Los Angeles Lakers adding superstar Luka Doncic to play alongside James. And it's so damn good.

Over the past few days, I've detached from my corporeal frame, instead existing in the ether, wandering the halls and musically muttering: His name is leBRON JAMES! I'm talkin' 'bout the man on the LAKERS! LeeeeeBRON.

It jangles about in my mind like a ping-pong ditty. It is my internal soundtrack. In other words, it's catchy as all hell.

In all seriousness, remixing LeBron songs has become a TikTok trend in and of itself—not a single LeBron song, but the idea that any song can and should be a LeBron song. There are so many remixes that people are ranking their Top 5.

Like any other trend, folks put their own spin on it. Some folks use a song to post a meme. Some use them to post in-game highlights — oftentimes hiding the fact that it's a LeBron edit until the TikTok suddenly transfers to NBA action. Others just post the song itself.

Or there's something like this post, which isn't a song edit but a massively viral (43 million views) LeBron edit.

There are so many reasons why LeBron's songs are going viral. To name a few:

• The Lakers were just on the winning end of the most shocking trade in NBA history.

• People are using LeBron songs to argue the GOAT debate — James vs. Michael Jordan — and that argument is endlessly engaging for sports fans.

• We've escaped critical velocity where everyone feels like they have to post a LeBron edit.

• LeBron's name is really fun to sing.

If the songs are already getting on your nerves, brace yourself: The NBA playoffs don't start until mid-April, and the Lakers could be poised to make a deep run.

European Union regulators said the tech giants likely violated the law by unfairly boxing out smaller competitors, adding to tensions between Europe and the United States

BOGO FREE: As of March 19, the famous Roborock Saros Z70 robot vacuum with a robotic arm is available to preorder for $1,899. A special promo from Roborock turns your preorder into a bundle that includes a second Roborock vacuum for free — a value of up to $800.

Opens in a new window Credit: Roborock Roborock Saros Z70 $1,899 at Roborock
BOGO bundle Pre-order Here

Approximately no one had a robot vacuum with an arm on their CES 2025 bingo card. Roborock made one anyway, and the Roborock Saros Z70 is officially available to preorder (with shipping beginning in May). The Saros Z70 will cost $1,899 — slightly less than the $2,000 we originally expected. And if you buy your Saros Z70 during this initial release window, that $1,899 actually covers a bundle that includes a second Roborock vacuum of your choice.

The eligible bonus models span from robot vacuums to upright vacuums, including the popular Roborock Dyad Pro Combo 5-in-1 wet and dry vacuum (a $659.99 value) or the Roborock Qrevo S5V (a $799.99 value). No end date for the BOGO promo has been given, but quantities for the free vacuums are limited.

Though there's no question that a robotic arm for picking up obstacles is cool, it's the practicality that I was questioning. If you were on the fence about spending that much on a vacuum, the cost-effectiveness gets a serious boost when you get two nice vacuums for the same price.

What's so special about the Roborock Z70?

The Roborock Z70 goes past the small obstacle avoidance technology that has become a navigational staple in recent years and topples into obstacle removal technology. It performs such with a robotic OmniGrip arm that unfolds out of the top of the robot vacuum to grab the obstacle claw machine-style, and drops it in a nearby designated area. (The live demo at CES 2025 showcased the Z70 putting socks into a basket.) The arm's pickup capabilities cover four different types of obstacles and must weigh under 300 grams: socks, paper, small towels, and lightweight shoes. I'd personally benefit the most from the arm being able to grab pet toys.

People more swayed by practicality than a hit-or-miss high-tech feature might find the bigger grab here to be the Z70's incredible 22,000 Pa of suction power. That's 12,000 Pa more powerful than the Roborock Qrevo Master, my favorite overall robot vacuum of 2024 that cleans with 10,000 Pa, and 3,500 Pa more powerful than the Roborock Qrevo Curv that has sold out several times.

The Saros Z70 isn't the only new Roborock in 2025

The Saros line also includes two other new flagship models that don't feature the robotic arm: The $1,599.99 Saros 10 and Saros 10R. Both are the same super slim 3.14-inch height as the Saros S70, but both feature a mixed assortment of features from the Z70.

The Saros 10 cleans with the same 22,000 Pa as the Saros Z70, while the Saros 10R takes a negligible cut to 20,000 Pa. The Saros 10 uses the same Reactive AI technology to avoid small obstacles that most of the 2024 Qrevo models did, while the Saros Z70 and 10R have been upgraded to Roborock's StarSight 2.0 technology. StarSight, a combination of dual-light 3D Time-of-Flight technology and AI-powered RGB cameras, is said to lead to more precise mapping and obstacle avoidance, but I didn't find the Saros 10R's obstacle dodging to be particularly better than any obstacle avoidance I've tested out before.

Both the Saros Z70 and Saros 10R mop with dual spinning mopping pads (that's my preference) compared to the Saros 10's singular flat mopping pad.

Check out my full Saros 10R review for more nitty-gritty cleaning results, and stay tuned for hands-on coverage of the Saros 10 and Saros Z70 in the coming months.

SAVE $21.99: As of March 19, you can get a pair of Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones for just $38 at Amazon. That's a $21.99 discount and the lowest price we've seen on these headphones yet.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones $38 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $21.99 Get Deal

If you need a new set of headphones and aren’t dead set on getting active noise cancellation, the Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones are currently at their lowest price ever on Amazon.

As of March 19, you can get the white, blue, or cappuccino Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones for just $38, down from $59.99, at Amazon. That’s a $21.90 price cut and a really good deal on a solid pair of wireless over-ear headphones from a reputable brand like Sony. The black pair is even lower, at $35.95.

SEE ALSO: The best headphones in 2025

You’ll get up to 50 hours of listening time on a single charge, and up to 90 minutes of playback from a quick three-minute charge. There’s also an EQ Custom feature that lets you tailor your sound through the Sony Headphones Connect App. And, of course, you get the convenience and freedom of wireless listening and hands-free calls with Bluetooth connectivity.

European Union regulators said the tech giants likely violated the law by unfairly boxing out smaller competitors, adding to tensions between Europe and the United States

SAVE $40: As of March 19, get the Google Nest Learning Thermostat for $239.99, down from its usual price of $279.99. That's a discount of 14%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Google Nest Learning Thermostat $239.99 at Amazon
$279.99 Save $40 Get Deal

These weird transitional days from winter to spring are a doozy in many parts of the country. If you live in a part of the country where it's freezing cold one day and 86 degrees the next (hi, me, thanks) you're probably spending a lot of time at your thermostat trying to figure out what to set it to. Who knows? When the weather changes at the drop of a hat, it's difficult to figure out. Make things a little easier for yourself with a smart thermostat, which you can pick up on sale right now.

As of March 19, the Google Nest Learning Thermostat is $239.99, down from its usual price of $279.99 at Amazon. That's $40 off and a discount of 14%. This price applies to all colorways: Polished Silver, Polished Gold, and Polished Obsidian.

SEE ALSO: Refresh your home with these early home deals ahead of Amazon's Big Spring Sale

This learning thermostat helps keep your home at a temperature that works for you as it adjusts itself automatically based on your preferences. It tackles both heating and cooling, and helps you save energy in the long run. It works with most systems, and it doesn't need a C-wire for most homes, so it's pretty simple to set up.

With its temperature sensor (included with this package) it can help to tackle hot and cold spots as well, so if you deal with those in your home, it's got a way to tackle that specific issue.

It has a large display (60% bigger than the last model) and a setting that makes it simple to see from across the room that will automatically adjust its brightness for the best readability. It'll ask for permission to make changes to your schedule in the Google Home app, and you can connect it to Alexa-enabled or Google Assistant devices for voice control, should you prefer.

If you need a little help making your home more comfortable and can't predict the weather outside, this is the assistance you need. Grab it while it's on sale.

SAVE $50: Through March 29, Target Circle 360 annual membership subscriptions are on sale for just $49, down from $99. That's 50% off.

Opens in a new window Credit: Target Target Circle 360 annual membership $49
$99 Save $50 Get Deal

For the first time, Target is giving its Target Circle 360 members first dibs at deals during Circle Week. Officially running March 23 through 29, Target Circle Week will overlap with Amazon's Big Spring Sale (shocker). It's open to all Target Circle members, but paid members will get to shop the deals 24 hours ahead of time.

Not a Circle 360 member, but want early access? Through March 29, you can sign up for half price. Usually $99 for the year, annual memberships are on sale for just $49. Aside from early Circle Week access, Target Circle 360 memberships offer unlimited same-day delivery from stores, access to a curated marketplace of other retailers and grocers via Shipt.com, free two-day shipping on eligible items, extended return windows, and other exclusive benefits and experiences.

For the upcoming Circle Week sale, Circle 360 members will get first dibs on the following deals:

• 40% off Deal of the Day for Performance for the family

• 30% off Deal of the Day for all Heyday electronic and tech accessories

• 30% off tees, tanks, dresses and shorts for the family 

• Gourmia Digital Air Fryer (6-quart) — $39.99 $69.99 (save $30)

• Beats Solo Buds (Target-exclusive Arctic Purple) — $49.99 $79.99 (save $30)

• Up to 30% off select Legos

Even better: With your new membership, you can have your Circle Week deal purchases delivered to your doorstep on the same day (on orders over $35). No need to head to the store.

Take note that this 50% off deal is only open to new annual Circle 360 members. Once the 12-month promotional period expires, Target will charge you automatically for the next year at full price ($99). In other words, be sure to cancel before the year is up if you want to avoid that charge.

On Wednesday, Google announced the Pixel 9A. Just a couple of hours later, we found out there's been a minor delay in actually getting the phone into people's hands.

The Verge reported that pre-orders have not been opened for Pixel 9A yet, despite Google usually doing so right as a device is announced, due to an unspecified hardware problem with the phones. In a statement to The Verge, Google confirmed that there is a "component quality issue" affecting a "small number" of Pixel 9A devices, which means the phone will not be on shelves until sometime in April.

SEE ALSO: Google Pixel 9a announced: Specs, price, release date, preorder details

This certainly explains a couple of odd things about the Pixel 9A rollout. The lack of pre-order availability was the biggest sign that something was wrong, but as The Verge noted (and Mashable can confirm), nobody in the media has gotten a review unit, either. As to what the actual problem is, all anyone can do is speculate. Maybe it's the battery, maybe it's the display, or maybe it's something else entirely.

SEE ALSO: Google Pixel 9a kills the camera bump

It's a shame because the Pixel 9A is one of the more interesting Google hardware launches in a minute. Unlike most of the Pixel A-series phones, it's a fairly radical redesign of the Pixel 9 that it's based on, as it removes the rear camera bump that has defined the Pixel aesthetic for years. At just $499 with a Tensor G4 chip and a 120Hz refresh rate, one could argue the Pixel 9A is a substantially better value than the $599 iPhone 16e, which is still stuck with a 60Hz refresh rate.

Keep an eye out for more info on this in the next few weeks.

Ana de Armas is on the hunt for vengeance in the John Wick franchise spin-off Ballerina. And according to the film's latest trailer, John Wick himself (Keanu Reeves) is hot on her heels.

SEE ALSO: 2025 movie preview: All the films you'll want to know about

The film, which takes place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, introduces Eve Macarro (de Armas). She's training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma in order to take down the people who killed her family. But her quest won't be without its challenges — chiefest among them, the Baba Yaga himself.

The trailer above reveals that the crime lord known as the Director (Anjelica Huston, reprising her role from Parabellum) calls on John Wick to stop Eve's rampage. The pair face off in a snowy showdown.

"She sent you here to kill me?" Eve asks.

"Or you can leave," John replies.

Eve certainly isn't leaving, so cue the gunfights! Check out the trailer above for more of Eve and John in action, as well as Eve's very liberal use of a flamethrower and the return of John Wick mainstays like Winston (Ian McShane) and Charon (the late, great Lance Reddick).

Ballerina hits theaters June 6.

Get ready for a week of sales everywhere. It's like Black Friday, but make it spring, with flowers, pastels, and great deals for the upcoming summer season.

On the heels of Amazon announcing the Big Spring Sale, which officially starts on March 25, Walmart is coming in hot with the deals too. And we also can't forget that Target is getting on the savings with Target Circle Week that also overlaps the majority of the sale dates.

Boiled down, we're all in for some great sale prices next week. If you're a Walmart fan or are shopping for great discounts this spring, here's everything to know about the Walmart Super Savings Week.

When is Walmart Super Savings Week?

Officially, the Walmart Super Savings Week spans Monday, March 24 though Tuesday, April 1. Sale prices are exclusively available online at walmart.com and in the Walmart app, which means you can leisurely scan the Walmart sale aisles from the comfort of home.

Best deals to look out for during Walmart Super Savings Week 2025

Catering to the spring and summer season, the Walmart sale promises discounts on spring cleaning items, patio furniture, barbecues, and much more. Expect to see discounts that take up to 55% off normal prices. Here's a sneak peek of some deals to expect at the Walmart Super Savings Week 2025.

• Up to 30% off TVs

• Up to 30% off patio and garden items

• Up to 50% off jewelry

• Up to 55% off Crocs (the ultimate summer footwear)

Last year's Super Savings Week brought impressive discounts on Apple products like AirPods, AirTags, and Apple Watches, and we wouldn't be surprised if this year follows suit.

We also spotted great spring cleaning deals last year, including Dyson and Bissell vacuums. Compared to last year's Amazon Big Spring Sale, Walmart's offerings served the same or even better discounts on Apple Watches, Fitbit trackers, and video games, so we'll be keeping an eye out for those this year.

Already-live deals to shop during the Walmart Super Savings Week 2025

Just like Amazon, which already has over 200 deals worth shopping ahead of the Big Spring Sale, Walmart is already dropping prices. We expect to see hundreds of deals drop at Walmart on March 24, but you don't have to wait until next week to get some nice discounts. Here are a few deals that are already live at Walmart.

• Charbroil Patio Bistro Tru-Infrared Gas Grill — $169 $199.99 (save $30.99)

• Tappio 3-Piece Patio Conversation Bistro Set — $169.99 $299.99 (save $130)

• Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 42mm) — $329 $399 (save $70)

• Vizio 75-inch Class Quantum 4K QLED HDR Smart TV — $564 $779.50 (save $215.50)

The promise of Robert De Niro playing not one but two infamous gangsters might enough to tempt fans of Goodfellas or the Godfather trilogy into seeing The Alto Knights. But be warned. While the promise of double De Niro is tempting, the movie itself is inexplicable. 

On paper, The Alto Knights sounds terrific. The real-life story of Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, two childhood friends turned rival Mob bosses, is peppered with the classic elements of gangster movies, from macho face-offs, sharp-tongued wives, vicious betrayals, a criminal conspiracy, and merciless, violent murder. Who better to draft such an adapted screenplay than Nicholas Pileggi, the author and co-screenwriter behind Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas and Casino? And who better to headline than recurring Scorsese collaborator/iconic tough guy Robert De Niro? 

However, director Barry Levinson (Sleepers, Dope Thief) makes some absolutely befuddling choices in The Alto Knights. The potential promised by its talent is squandered in a completely confounding gangster flick. 

Why is Robert De Niro playing two characters in The Alto Knights? 

From the start, Vito Genovese and Frank Costello are depicted as very different kinds of gangsters, though they share a similar origin. These Italian immigrants became friends as young men, hanging around the Alto Knights Social Club in 1910s New York City. Associates of the notorious Lucky Luciano, both made their way in the city through criminal enterprises. However, by the 1930s, it was Genovese who was chosen to run the Family — that is, until a double-homicide investigation chased him back to Italy. Before he left, Genovese handed the reigns to his trusted friend, Costello, expecting to resume control upon his return.  

However, in the intervening decades, Costello's leadership of the Mob was so successful that on top of becoming obscenely rich, he'd made enough political connections to achieve a sheen of respectability. In The Alto Knights, Frank is a suave philanthropist who attends glamorous charity balls with his wife Bobbie (Debra Messing), a chic Jewish socialite, on his arm. Meanwhile, Vito is a more Scorsese kind of gangster — close to the streets, gnawing on a cigar, spitting out threats and curse words with equal ease. His wife is a sultry Italian divorcée (Kathrine Narducci) that runs her nightclub with passion and a big mouth. 

Frank is the kind of smooth criminal De Niro has played before in films like Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, where his affluence and polite veneer hide an ocean of sins. Vito is more mercurial, the kind of primed-for-eruption character De Niro played in Taxi Driver or Goodfellas. So there's a curious experiment in having the octogenarian actor attempt to straddle this range of representation that he's managed across decades, all in one film.

Masterfully applied prosthetics distinguish Frank from Vito, as do the voices De Niro uses for them. Frank is more traditionally De Niro, with a low, husky, alert but world-weary delivery. Vito is higher pitched and sharper in cadence; frankly, it feels like a Joe Pesci impersonation. But there are enough shared physicalities in both stride and facial expressions — especially in a couple of scenes where the characters face off — that this double-casting feels like a stunt that doesn't pay off. It's just obvious it's the same guy, but why is less clear.

Perhaps Levinson couldn't decide which role his Wag the Dog collaborator would be best in and so went for both. Maybe he thought this dual-casting would build a message about these mafiosos, something along the lines of how far they grew apart from their common past — sort of a "there but for the grace of God go I" kind of a thing. However, if that were the case, you'd think Levinson would do the same for the flashbacks, casting the same actor to play both Young Frank and Young Vito. Instead, Luke Stanton Eddy and Antonio Cipriano play these roles, respectively, but even calling them roles feels like a stretch considering their screen time. Astonishingly, The Alto Knights engages less with flashbacks than it does with black-and-white staged photographs intercut with archival B-roll and egregious voiceover that barrels over everything.

The Alto Knights feels like a gangster movie with zero patience for its own story. 

It is a truth universally accepted that gangster movies are allowed to be long. Goodfellas is two hours and 26 minutes. Casino is two hours and 58 minutes. The Godfather Part II is three hours and 22 minutes. Sure, some might grouse, but overall it's understood: That time is required not only to properly unravel the secretive lives and complicated criminal conspiracies of its anti-heroes, but also to allow audiences to experience the intoxicating confidence of being a mobster. For instance, the Goodfellas' long take winding through the Copacabana on Henry and Karen's first date allows us to walk in the gait of a gangster, experiencing the access, the power, and the thrill. Filmmakers need pace and time to build the intoxicating atmosphere that makes murder feel like an understandable trade-off.

By sharp contrast, The Alto Knights races through its story with a cluttered and haphazard structure that seems to predict audience restlessness, and instead causes it. For instance, the movie opens in media res, with the 1957 attempted hit on Frank Costello. Then, a voiceover from a calm Frank begins to explain what happened next and why the attempted murder happened at all. While you might be wondering if Frank is telling his story from beyond the grave, Levinson leaps to setting up who Frank and Vito are to each other through boring montages of the aforementioned B-roll and uninspired black-and-white flashbacks. It's a dizzying and dull structure that talks down to the audience instead of welcoming them in.

Voiceover can be compelling in a gangster movie, as Goodfellas proved. But here, it seems De Niro is given a third role — not so much as narrator but as a spackler trying earnestly to patch together the broken bits of this story into something sensible. Levinson's gratuitous use of voiceover papers over decades of important events and grisly homicides with little in the passing visuals to land their gravity.

Worse yet, Levinson — or perhaps Pileggi — becomes fixated on cross-cutting sequences, however unmotivated. Ideally, cutting from one situation to the other and back again would increase tension, showing how one incident will impact the other or paralleling how two characters have a shared point of impending threat. But in The Alto Knights, these crosscuts feel less about their relationships and more like the editor was told to trim 20 minutes from the film, whatever it took. So, gone are breaths, beats, and atmosphere. What's left is a gangster movie that feels forcefully sped up, causing little of its blows to land successfully. Which, considering the failed hit on Frank at the film's start, might be darkly fitting! 

To Pileggi's credit, he crafts monologues that harken back to the greatness of Goodfellas and Casino, elucidating from Frank and Vito's perspectives the self-preservation aspect of the Italian Mafia in America. Surrounded by bigotry and rejection, the Mob was built to protect their own. However, while this argument's weak points has room to be explored in his previous films, The Alto Knights gives little more lip service to these ideas, leaning hard on De Niro's performance as the movie's structure crumbles around him. He is bolstered by a strong supporting cast, including Messing as Frank's shrewd wife, Narducci as Vito's volatile lover, The Sopranos' Matt Servitto as a frustrated Mob lawyer, Death to Smoochy's Michael Rispoli as a fired-up Frank loyalist, and Shōgun's Cosmo Jarvis as an easily flustered minion of Vito's. However, these engaging performances can't save The Alto Knights from sinking under the weight of Levinson's confounding direction. 

In the long run, The Alto Knights will likely be remembered fondly as a bold risk for its central casting gambit. But considering the masterful storytellers involved here and the muddle of a Mafia movie that came from them, it's impossible to imagine The Alto Knights will be known for much more than its big swing and a bigger miss. 

The Alto Knights opens in theaters March 21. 

Akira, one of the most dangerous ransomware strains floating around the internet, just met its match — an Indonesian programmer armed with cloud computing and sheer determination.

As first reported by TechSpot, Yohanes Nugroho successfully cracked Akira, a multiplatform ransomware that has been wreaking havoc since 2023. Used by cyber criminals to target hundreds of businesses, government agencies, and industries, Akira has helped its developers earn millions.

SEE ALSO: New scam involves fake BianLian ransomware notes

While this isn’t the first time someone has found a way to break Akira’s encryption, what makes this case remarkable is that Nugroho did it alone — and in just over 10 hours. TechSpot has the full breakdown, but here’s the quick version:

Nugroho, a hobbyist programmer, built a decryptor to crack Akira ransomware using GPU power — similar to what fuels high-end gaming graphics. He discovered that Akira’s encryption keys are based on the exact moment of the attack, down to the nanosecond, making each file’s key unique.

SEE ALSO: Get ready for these scams in 2025

To make decryption even harder, the ransomware scrambles these keys through 1,500 rounds of hashing before locking them with RSA-4096 encryption. Normally, this would be nearly impossible to break, but GPUs can run millions of calculations quickly.

Nugroho got a break when a friend provided log files from an attack, helping him estimate the time needed to crack the encryption. His RTX 3060 wasn’t fast enough at 60 million guesses per second, and even an RTX 3090 didn’t cut it. So, he turned to cloud services RunPod and Vast.ai, renting 16 RTX 4090 GPUs — finishing the job in just over 10 hours.

The brute-force tool is available on GitHub, and Nugroho encourages GPU experts to refine and optimize it further.

SAVE $26: As of March 19, you can get a TP-Link WiFi extender for just $23.99 at Amazon. That's a 52% discount and a $26 price cut.

Opens in a new window Credit: TP-Link TP-Link AC1200 WiFi Extender $23.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $26.00 Get Deal

If there’s one thing we can’t live without, it’s a reliable internet connection. Sure, that may sound dramatic, but when our livelihood often depends on our ability to stay connected, a strong and consistent WiFi signal becomes a necessity rather than a luxury.

One way to get a better WiFi experience is by investing in a quality WiFi extender, and right now, you can get the TP-Link AC1200 for just $23.99 at Amazon. That’s a 52% discount and a $26 price cut.

SEE ALSO: The best mesh WiFi router for gamers

The TP-Link AC1200 WiFi extender can extend your WiFi coverage to 1500 square feet and connect up to 30 devices. It's capable of speeds up to 867Mbps on the 5GHz band and 300Mbps on the 2.4GHz band.

This extender also has handy features that make it a worthwhile investment, including dual-band WiFi for improved network performance and a built-in Ethernet port for fast wired connections.

Elon Musk is practically synonymous with Tesla — and that's become a problem for at least one major investor.

It's gotten so bad that one of Tesla's earliest investors has called for Musk to step down. Ross Gerber said in an interview with Sky News that Musk's role in the U.S. government — notably the (extremely) divisive Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — and close ties to President Donald Trump have damaged Tesla.

"I think Tesla needs a new CEO and I decided today I was going to start saying it and so this is the first show that I'm saying it on," Gerber said on air with Sky News' Business Live. "It's time for somebody to run Tesla. The business has been neglected for too long."

Gerber said he though Musk needed to step down or fully devote himself to Tesla — but also noted the "company's reputation has just been destroyed by Elon Musk."

He added in the Sky News interview: "Sales are plummeting so, yeah, it's a crisis. You literally can't sell the best product in the marketplace because the CEO is so divisive".

SEE ALSO: DOGE and Musk's USAID shutdown probably violated the U.S. Constitution

Tesla has struggled mightily lately. The company saw a brief bump in share price after Election Day but that has been more than erased by Trump's actual presidency. Tesla was trading at nearly $480 per share in mid December. It was trading for around $232 per share on Wednesday.

Musk was already controversial, what with his "Roman" salute and nearly $300 million (seemingly successful) effort to sway the 2024 U.S. election. But his actual role in the government — which is vague but apparently wildly powerful — has cratered his reputation for lots of Americans. That has seriously impacted Tesla's fortunes. Clearly investors are taking notice.

SAVE $15: As of March 19, get Monster Hunter Wilds for PlayStation 5 for $54.99 at Woot. That's a discount of 21%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Woot 'Monster Hunter Wilds' (PlayStation 5) $54.99 at Woot
$69.99 Save $15.00 Get Deal

Co-op games can make for some of the best fun you'll ever have with another player. Just take Split Fiction, for example, which is an insanely fun ride through different genres with a pal. If you're looking for something a little more chaotic, the Monster Hunter series is a great option. And you can get the latest release in the series for a discount right now.

As of March 19, get Monster Hunter Wilds for PlayStation 5 for $54.99 at Woot, down from its usual price of $69.99. That's $15 off and a discount of 21%. This discount is for a physical copy of the game rather than a digital code, so you'll have to wait for it to be shipped to you.

SEE ALSO: The best gaming deals ahead of Amazon's Big Spring Sale — shop PlayStation, Nintendo, and more

This entry of Monster Hunter is bigger and better than ever, as you make your way to the Forbidden Lands to investigate a new frontier. You'll follow monsters across a variety of biomes with different seasons alongside your feline Palico companion and a new team at your side while you hunt new monsters and come face to face with a variety of new wildlife as well as flora and fauna.

It's the same Monster Hunter you're probably familiar with at its core, however, with challenging tracking options for your prey, new moves, equipment, abilities, and more with crossplay multiplayer available to enjoy the game with others on different platforms. You can fly solo or join up to three other players to tackle the new world together.

If you want to get your co-op on with a group in a new setting for the Monster Hunter universe, this is a great place to start, especially at a discount so soon after release.

SAVE $10: As of March 19, you can get the JBL Go 3 portable mini Bluetooth speaker for just $29.95 at Amazon. That's a 25% discount and a $10 price cut.

Opens in a new window Credit: JBL JBL Go 3 $29.95 at Amazon
$39.95 Save $10.00 Get Deal

If you’re looking for an affordable way to bring your tunes with you this summer, the JBL Go 3 portable mini Bluetooth speaker is a solid option that won’t break the bank.

Right now, you can get this mini speaker at Amazon for just $29.95, down from $39.95. That’s a 25% discount and $10 off the list price. The last time we saw it drop this low was in November 2024, so it’s a good time to snatch this deal while you can.

SEE ALSO: The best speakers in 2025

The JBL Go 3 is a compact, lightweight, yet durable speaker that’s perfect for taking with you on the go. It can play for up to five hours on a single charge, and it's IP67 waterproof and dustproof, so you don't have to worry about getting it wet at the beach or by the pool. It also comes in multiple color options, including camouflage, pink, teal, black, blue, and more.

While it may not have the biggest sound, it’s still a JBL speaker, so you can expect decent audio quality with a surprising amount of bass for the size. At this price, it's a great secondary speaker to have around the house or toss in your bag for weekend getaways and outdoor adventures.

If you have an old(er) Samsung Galaxy device, your next big software update is just a couple of weeks away.

Samsung confirmed on its website this week that the big One UI 7 update will start rolling out to pre-Galaxy S25 generations of smart devices on April 7. One thing to note is that the U.S. rollout is set for April 10, so if you're in the States and don't get the update on April 7, you know why. The rollout will hit Galaxy S24 devices, along with Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 to start, with older Samsung devices getting it later.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: Every rumor we've heard so far

As for what One UI 7 will actually bring to those devices, it seems like it's mostly intended to bring them up to speed with the Galaxy S25 series.

The home screen and lock screen have been streamlined a bit, but the biggest additions are in the realm of AI features. After installing it, Google Gemini will become your phone's default voice assistant, and you'll be able to ask it to perform multi-app actions, just like Galaxy S25 owners have been able to since that phone launched a couple of months ago.

Other new features include AI Select, which allows you to draw a circle around something on screen and perform context-sensitive actions, such as turning a video into a GIF. Writing Assist will clean up your text messages, Drawing Assist can create images using text prompts, and Audio Eraser can cut out annoying background noise from videos you've shot.

None of this is strictly new, but if you don't have a Galaxy S25, it'll be new to you. That counts for something.

Check out the best Amazon deals of the day as of March 19: OUR TOP PICK Google Pixel 9 Pro (256GB, Unlocked) $849 (save $250) Get Deal BEST SPEAKER DEAL Sony ULT Field 1 $98 (save $31.99) Get Deal BEST KIDS DEAL Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids $139.99 (save $50) Get Deal BEST TABLET DEAL Google Pixel tablet (128GB) $279 (save $120) Get Deal BEST STREAMING DEVICE DEAL Amazon Fire TV 4K Max $39.99 (save $20) Get Deal

The cat's out of the bag: Amazon's Big Spring Sale is set for March 25 through 31. Of course, in true Amazon fashion, plenty of deals are already popping up a week in advance. We've rounded up some of the best ones that you can shop as of March 19, including big brands like Sony, Google, and Amazon itself.

Here are our top picks for the best Amazon deals of the day if you want to get a jumpstart on saving. If none of these are your cup of tea, stick around as we select a new batch of deals tomorrow.

Our top pick: Google Pixel 9 Pro Opens in a new window Credit: Google Google Pixel 9 Pro (256GB, Unlocked) $849 at Amazon
$1,099 Save $250 Get Deal

While the display is slightly bigger and thinner than the Pixel 8, most of the Pixel 9's upgrades are under the hood. It boasts a larger battery capacity with faster charging speeds, a next-gen Tensor G4 chip (which is nearly 20 percent faster), a new 48MP ultrawide camera lens, an eye-popping 30x zoom feature, a 35 percent brighter display, and a healthy dose of AI features from Google Gemini. If you're rocking an older Android phone, it's totally worth the upgrade — especially while an unlocked model with 256GB of storage is on sale for just $849. That's 23% in savings and its lowest price on record.

Read our full review of the Google Pixel 9.

Sony ULT Field 1 Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony ULT Field 1 $98 at Amazon
$129.99 Save $31.99 Get Deal

Mashable's Shopping and Reviews Editor Miller Kern took the Sony ULT Field 1 for a spin and gave the portable Bluetooth speaker a glowing 4.5 out of 5 stars. Particularly, she credited its sound quality, customizable EQs, and bass-thumping ULT setting for its high rating. The battery life could always be a bit longer, but 12 hours is still acceptable. Typically $129.99, you can grab it for less than $100 as of March 19. That's 25% in savings and just $10 away from its best price ever.

Read our full review of the Sony ULT Field 1.

Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids $139.99 at Amazon
$189.99 Save $50 Get Deal

The Fire HD 10 Kids features a 10.1-inch 1080p full HD display, 3GB of RAM, up to 13 hours of battery life, and is 25 percent faster than its predecessor. Its durable case with a built-in kickstand ensures it can handle kid-friendly adventures, while the included year of Amazon Kids+ ensures your kid will never be bored. The Kids+ subscription offers a massive library of books, games, and educational apps for little ones. Our favorite tablet for kids, it's also on sale as of March 19 for the very affordable price of $139.99. That's 26% in savings.

Google Pixel tablet (128GB) Opens in a new window Credit: Google Google Pixel tablet (128GB) $279 at Amazon
$399 Save $120 Get Deal

Thankfully, Google's first tablet is much better than its first smartwatch. While the specs aren't anything to write home about, they're completely acceptable; it packs a Google Tensor G2 chip with 8GB of RAM under its hood, 8MP cameras on the front and back, and an 11-inch 2560 x 1600 display. It'll also last you up to an impressive 12 hours per charge. Where it really shines is as a useful smart display when paired with the speaker dock (sold separately). Regularly $399, it's on sale for just $279 as of March 19. That's 30% in savings and matches its best price ever.

Read our full review of the Google Pixel tablet.

Amazon Fire TV 4K Max Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max $39.99 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $20 Get Deal

As far as streaming devices go, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max offers the most bang for your buck. Not only is it the first and only Fire TV Stick with Ambient Experience, which turns your TV into artwork like Samsung's The Frame, but it also has the most storage of any Fire TV Stick at 16GB. It packs over 2,000 pieces of museum-quality images to choose from, features WiFi-6E, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos support, and gives you the ability to play Xbox games without a console. Just $59.99 on a regular day, it's down to $39.99 as of March 19. That's 33% in savings.

None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.

SAVE $69.19: As of March 19, the JBL Live Beam 3 earbuds are $130.76 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $199.95. That's a 35% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon JBL Live Beam 3 $130.76 at Amazon
$199.95 Save $69.19 Get Deal

A great pair of earbuds is essential if you plan on heading out into the world at any point. You can use them to listen to your favorite albums, make and take calls with them, and enjoy some great audiobooks as well. If you're ready to snag a new pair, now's the time to do it, especially since you can get an excellent pair of JBL buds for a great discount right now.

As of March 19, get the JBL Live Beam 3 earbuds for $130.76 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $199.95. That's a 35% discount and a $69.19 off. This discount only applies to the Silver colorway, as the rest of the buds are still sitting at $159.95.

SEE ALSO: The best noise-cancelling earbuds under $100 we've tested are on sale for $25 off

The JBL Live Beam 3 earbuds offer adaptive noise cancelling with custom controls that let you change how much sound you want to let in. Its four noise-sensing mics help the buds adapt to your surroundings so you don't have to lift a finger, but you can choose how best to listen to them if you want a custom experience.

Plus, they have six beamforming microphones to help reduce noise and wind sound, so you can make calls without having to worry about anyone missing every other word. Use their personal sound amplification's ambient noise levels as well to custom tune your vocals when you're out and about.

These buds offer 48 hours of playback per charge, with 12 hours of playtime and another 36 in the charging case. The case itself is smart, with a touchscreen that lets you change up your sound across any device you're connected to without needing to use the JBL App.

If you're ready to try a pair of earbuds that give you a world of customization, these are it. Be sure and grab them while they're available for this low price.