Month: April 2021

Stowaway

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I never watch movies about space and I didn’t really know anything about Stowaway except for the fact that Anna Kendrick is in it. I think she is such a breath of fresh air and I will literally devour everything that she stars in. I didn’t know what I was going to think about the film going into it, but I am trying to break out of my comfort zone. I am happy to report that I liked it a lot more than I thought I was going to which is always a plus! Unfortunately there were still some things that could have been improved upon.

Zoe (Anna Kendrick), David (Daniel Dae Kim) and Marina (Toni Collette) have just embarked on a mission to Mars. Everything seems to be going smoothly until they discover an unplanned passenger named Michael (Shamier Anderson) has accidentally come along. Suddenly their voyage is jeopardized and they need to figure out how they are going to survive with an extra person onboard.

The part of the film that bothered me most was that this was a very slow burn. It took ages for something to happen and scenes were drawn out to each individual detail. Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand that this is how it needed to be. It perfectly encapsulated the tone and atmosphere of being in space and the severity of what was happening. However, if you are looking something more fast paced, then this will not be for you. It took me awhile to adjust and get used to this pace and I’m still not sure I liked it.

Anna Kendrick, Daniel Dae Kim and Toni Collette are household names and I liked seeing them together in this. I am unfamiliar with Shamier Anderson, but I did think he was a great addition in the cast. While they gave great performances, I have to say that we didn’t learn very much about some of their characters. It seemed as though they stayed one dimensional and I would have appreciated more information there. I think it would have helped me root for some of them more.

Overall, Stowaway was a pleasant surprise. I was expecting something drab, but there were certainly moments that gripped me and kept me on the edge of my seat. I do feel like some things could have been fleshed out more and because of that, it did leave me wanting more.

Rating: ♥♥♥

Monday

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Have you ever been so attracted to someone that you want to give up everything to be with them?

That is what happens in the steam romance flick Monday. Mickey (Sebastian Stan) and Chloe (Denise Gough), two American expats, meet one night at a party in Athens, Greece. Sparks fly instantly and before they know it, they are spending a whirlwind weekend together. But as the two lovebirds try to take their infatuation and turn it into a proper relationship, they realize that Monday morning will still roll around eventually.

Sebastian Stan and Denise Gough lead the film brilliantly with their palpable chemistry. I don’t think it would have been half as good without them as the two main characters. They really meshed well together and I could tell that they put everything they had into these roles.

This is not your typical rom-com however, so don’t let the steamy love scenes and declarations of love fool you. It becomes evident as the movie goes on that both Mickey and Chloe have baggage that they are trying to run away from. This is what ultimately puts their relationship to the test as they learn more about each other. Will their differences bring them closer together or will it tear them apart?

What didn’t work for me here was that the story did drag on at some points. I understand that the relationship was at the forefront and therefore pivotal, but at times, I started getting bored. It was almost predictable in a way. And even though the timeline took place over the course of a year, it sometimes felt as though nothing had really happened at all.

Still, Monday was an interesting film that I am glad I watched. I’m sure we have all had that one person come into our lives that has consumed us like in Mickey and Chloe’s case and I enjoyed seeing that unfold on screen. I just wish it hadn’t left me feeling confused and yearning for more.

Rating: ♥♥♥

Love and Monsters

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In a world where monsters have taken over and wiped out the majority of the population, those who did survive now live in underground colonies and do what they can to get by. It has been seven years since Joel (Dylan O’Brien) lost his family and parted ways with his girlfriend Aimee (Jessica Henwick). When he learns that she is actually only eight five miles away, he decides to embark on the journey above to be with her, regardless of the foes he may encounter on the way.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to think about Love and Monsters going into it. I did appreciate how it gave me Walking Dead vibes with it’s apocalyptic feel and I liked how it was mixed with a ton of humor too. It seemed like it was either going to be a blast or flop and I am happy to say that the former happened. Every second of it was truly entertaining.

I will admit that my main reason for wanting to watch this was for Dylan O’Brien. I have liked him ever since his Teen Wolf days and always thought he was destined for greatness. I believe that he was the perfect choice for this role – he carried the whole film on his back and it solidified the fact that we really don’t see enough of him. Along with Jessica Henwick as his dream girl Aimee and the father and daughter Clyde (Michael Rooker) and Minnow (Ariana Greenblatt) he meets along the way, the cast were great.

My favorite thing about the film was that at the end of the day it really was about finding out who you really are and what it means to be your own hero. It’s easy to forget that we have the strength to do just about anything if we just put our minds to it.

I recommend Love and Monsters for anyone who is looking to escape for a couple of hours. It will instantly lift up your mood and make you smile.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Thunder Force

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I am not a fan of Melissa McCarthy so I don’t know why I watched this. Spoiler alert: it was bad. I didn’t have a good feeling about it going in, but somehow that didn’t stop me. I wanted to give Thunder Force a chance. I should have listened to my gut feeling telling me to run far, far away. Instead I wasted two hours of my life. I sacrificed myself so that you wouldn’t have to. You’re welcome.

Picture a world where villains have been wrecking havoc on humans for years. Emily Stanton (Octavia Spencer) has dedicated her whole life devising a plan to get revenge on the ‘Miscreants’ that killed her parents when she was a child. Together with the help of her estranged friend Lydia Berman (Melissa McCarthy), they team up to become Thunder Force, a superhero duo who will stop at nothing to achieve Emily’s dream and save the world.

I have to admit that the movie did actually start off on a promising note. I liked the backstory on Emily and her parents as well as how she became friends with Lydia. The two were so different, but had great chemistry and meshed well together. It wasn’t until they had a fight and decided to go their separate ways that it all went downhill for me. I couldn’t’ really get back on board afterwards.

I did not find the movie funny at all. I like a very particular sense of humor and this was not it. At times, it was as if the jokes were trying too hard and they all fell flat. I have also noticed that the projects created by Ben Falcone and which star his wife Melissa McCarthy never tend to do well. I don’t know who keeps green lighting them to get made. I also, for the life of me, cannot understand why Octavia Spencer would star in something like this. That woman is a queen and she seemed very out of place here.

While the title has an impressive line up of side characters in Jason Bateman as The Crab, Bobby Cannavale as The King, Pom Klementieff as Laser, Melissa Leo as Allie and Taylor Mosby as Emily’s daughter Tracy, they couldn’t do anything to save it.

Overall, I really did try to give Thunder Force a fair shot. Unfortunately, going forward, I will stick to my initial instincts and continue to skip out on the Falcone/McCarthy team ups.

Rating: ♥.5

Minari

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I finally sat down and watched Minari the other day. It really is worth all the hype. I wasn’t sure that it would be my type of movie at first, but after all of it’s success and the fact that it has been winning all of these awards left, right and center, my interest peaked. I knew I had to watch it! I had a feeling it was going to leave an impression on me though I don’t think I realized just how special it was really going to be.

The story follows a Korean-American family who move to Arkansas in hopes of starting a farm. Despite the fact that they will face many challenges along the way in order to achieve their American dream, they will also learn about the true value of family and what it really means to make a home.

While the movie is slow, I felt like it needed to be that way in order to capture the true essence of it. Usually something like this would put me off, however I have to say that that wasn’t the case here. I enjoyed watching the events unfold while learning about these characters in the process.

The casting choices in Steven Yeun as father Jacob, Han Ye-ri as mother Monica, Alan S. Kim as son David, Noel Cho as daughter Anne and Youn Yuh-Jung as grandmother Soonja were all A+ choices. They were so believable as a family with their many ups and downs that you really do end up rooting for them throughout. The addition of Will Patton as Paul who helped Jacob on the farm was great as well.

Minari really is as good as everyone says it is. I loved every moment. It left me feeling deeply touched and hopeful for the future which is so important these days. I hope it wins the Oscar for Best Picture.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥