Overview

• The reboot debuted August 1 with a “Certified Fresh” 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and an A− CinemaScore grade, and is projected to earn over $15 million in its opening weekend
• Director Akiva Schaffer limited nods to O. J. Simpson’s original Nordberg character to a single joke to acknowledge the past without dwelling on it
• Longtime fans are rewarded with blink-and-miss-it callbacks, including a Priscilla Presley cameo and a stuffed beaver homage
• Schaffer’s creative gambles range from a polarizing TiVo gag on Buffy episodes to an elaborate in-camera parody of Mission: Impossible – Fallout’s collapsing hospital trap
• A standout snowman sequence reflects The Lonely Island’s absurdist influence and practical effects work to keep the slapstick fresh