Month: March 2022

Moonshot

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The year is 2049. Walt (Cole Sprouse) is a college student who has always wanted to travel to Mars to start a new life. He has applied for the program multiple times, has never been accepted. Sophie is working on her thesis while maintaining a long distance relationship with her boyfriend Calvin (Mason Gooding) who lives on Mars with his family. When the two happen upon each other, they decide to team up to make their dreams come true. But the journey is life changing in ways they never thought possible that has them questioning everything.

The premise of Moonshot was an interesting one. I liked seeing Earth in the future complete with robots and regular space shuttles going off into space. Having a glimpse into Mars was also pretty cool. It’s fun to imagine that this could be a reality for us in the years to come.

Despite the fact that this is geared towards a teenage audience, there was still a certain charm to it. Fans of Cole Sprouse will fall for Walt. The complete opposite of Jughead on Riverdale, Walt is charismatic, adventurous and has a big heart. Lana Condor has also made quite the name for herself since starring in the To All The Boys trilogy. It was refreshing to see her in the new adult role of Sophie. Together their chemistry was sweet to watch.

In addition to the leads, there is some much needed comedy thanks to Michelle Buteau who plays Captain Tartar and Zach Braff who portrays Leon Kovi, the starter of the Mars initiative.

While Moonshot is nothing spectacular, it’s adorable enough for some casual viewing. The cast play a big part in that as well as the space vibes. It may not be something I will rush to watch again any time soon, but I am glad to have checked it out.

Rating: ♥♥

The Lost City

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Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock), a novelist who is well known for her romance novels, is beginning to question her future in the industry. While on tour for her latest book with her cover model Alan (Channing Tatum), Loretta is kidnapped by billionaire Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe) who is convinced that she can lead him to the treasure from her story. Alan, willing to do whatever it takes to prove that he is more than a pretty face to Loretta, sets off on a journey to save her.

What makes The Lost City such a fun romp is its cast. With Sandra Bullock’s triumphant return to romcoms, this is one that is not to be missed. Her chemistry with Channing Tatum was surprisingly sweet and enjoyable to watch on screen. However, Daniel Radcliffe was the scene stealer here. His bratty portrayal of Fairfax was a total hoot; please cast him in more mainstream roles in the future! Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Loretta’s publisher Beth provided some extra comic relief and how can I leave out Brad Pitt’s cameo? He should have had a larger role in the film for sure.

The movie started off with some great jokes and one liners, though that did seem to dwindle as the plot progressed. I understand that the adventure element was just as important, but it would have been nice to have more of a balance. I did appreciate how the quest came together and to see all the beautiful landscapes was just breathtaking.

The Lost City was one of my most anticipated titles of the year and it definitely delivered. It’s perfect for date night too. Part action adventure and part romance, it has something for everyone to appreciate.

Rating: ♥♥♥

Deep Water

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After many delays, the much anticipated erotic thriller starring former couple Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas finally premiered on Hulu this weekend. Vic and Melinda are in a loveless marriage. Staying together to avoid the messiness of divorce, Melinda is allowed to take part in extramarital relationships as long as she comes home at the end of the day. But when her ‘boyfriends’ start turning up dead, their friends start thinking that Vic may be the one to blame.

There are so many things that went wrong with Deep Water. I remember the hype around this movie when it was first announced, but if I’m being honest, I forgot about it along the way? In addition to the delayed releases and the fact that the stars are no longer together, it seemed like it was doomed from the start.

I’m still trying to wrap my head around what it was that I watched. What started off promisingly enough soon plateaued and went nowhere. The plot was messy and never fully formed. It was as if each scene was cut along the way because there was so much missing. I also kept wondering what the point of it all was and why these characters were doing what they were doing.

Ana De Armas broke onto the scene with her role in 2019’s Knives Out. Since then, I have been a massive fan of hers and eagerly anticipate whatever she may be in next. While she was the best part of the movie (regardless of how horrible her character was), not even she was able to save it. I have never liked Ben Affleck. He always comes off so wooden and monotone to me. As a result, I did not buy their chemistry whatsoever.

Neither a thriller, nor erotic, Deep Water was such a disappointment. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and instead of getting answers, I was left having wasted almost two hours of my life that I will unfortunately never get back. Don’t waste your time with this one. It isn’t worth it.

Rating: ♥

The Adam Project

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The Adam Project follows Adam Reed, (Ryan Reynolds) a fighter pilot from 2050 who accidentally crash lands in 2022 instead of 2018 while time traveling and stumbles upon his younger self (Walker Scobell). Together, they team up to find their father Louis (Mark Ruffalo), the creator of time travel and the only person who can stop his partner Maya Sorian (Catherine Keener) from furthering altering the timeline forever.

I was under the impression that Ryan Reynolds was taking a break from acting, yet here we are. While he once again played another version of himself, I have to say that I wasn’t bothered by it this time around. His jokes were all on point. I also really loved the camaraderie he had with Walker Scobell. That young man has such a future ahead of him. He embodied everything about Reynolds and had it down to a T.

Unfortunately some of the other cast were underused. It would have been nice to have more scenes with Adam’s mom Ellie (Jennifer Garner) and his wife Laura (Zoe Saldana). I would have loved to know more about them.

Boasting plenty of CGI, fight scenes and time travel, The Adam Project is a fun film for the whole family to enjoy. It is very much what you see is what you get. It’s not something I will run back to watch anytime soon, but I appreciated it for what it was. The family dynamics added a little something extra that made it worth while.

Rating: ♥♥♥

Turning Red

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Turning Red follows the story of Mei (Rosalie Chiang), who is torn between being her mother’s dutiful daughter and all the chaos that adolescence brings. When the women of the Lee family turn thirteen years old, an ‘inconvenience’ falls on them. Now, if Mei gets too excited, she turns into a big red panda.

The fact that this movie took place in Toronto was a huge plus for me. It was fun spotting all the the Easter eggs. Thank you Disney for putting Canada on the map! The casting choices came hand in hand with the location. With the voice talents of Sandra Oh and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, the Asian Canadian representation was perfect.

Mei has to be one of the most relatable cartoon characters ever. Her obsession with boy bands and boys in general was something I could appreciate. I also loved the depiction of her relationship with her mother Ming. At the forefront of the film, it ticked all the right boxes for me. Mei wanting to embrace who she is and Ming afraid of letting her daughter grow up was so on point.

Yet another Pixar hit, Turning Red is an uplifting film about growing up and being true to yourself. You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy it. There truly is something in it for everyone.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Fresh

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Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is fed up with dating. Believing she will never find the man of her dreams, when she happens upon Steve (Sebastian Stan) in a grocery store, she thinks her luck is changing. Not only is he a doctor, he’s charismatic, charming and very good looking. So, why shouldn’t she throw caution to the wind and go for it? When Steve suggests a trip away, Noa agrees, hoping it’ll bring the two of them closer together. What she doesn’t bargain for is just how much.

Directed by Mimi Cave, Fresh is one of the most refreshing movies I have seen in a long time. Just when you think you know where the film is going, you are forced to think again and re-access everything. With a witty script and an impending sense of dread through, I was kept on the edge of my seat all the way through.

The performances by our two leads are outstanding. Daisy Edgar-Jones is the heroine that you want to root for. I’m so glad that Daisy is getting more recognition. After starring in Normal People, it was clear that she’s got a bright future ahead. As for Sebastian Stan, I was completely blown away with what he brought to the table. It’s nice to see that he can branch away from the Marvel Universe into a completely different genre.

I don’t want to say too much about Fresh. It’s best if you go into this movie blind. I wouldn’t even watch the trailer. The less you know the better. I guarantee that the rollercoaster ride you embark on will be well worth it.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

The Weekend Away

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Based on the novel by Sarah Alderson, The Weekend Away is about best friends Beth (Leighton Meester) and Kate (Christina Wolfe) who meet up in Croatia for a girl’s trip. Beth has just had a baby while Kate is going through a divorce. After a crazy night of partying, Beth wakes up and discovers that Kate is missing. She’s not answering her phone, her purse has disappeared and the police don’t seem concerned. With the help of Zain (Ziad Bakri), Beth races against time to piece together what happened, with each clue becoming more deceptive than the last.

When I heard that Netflix was coming out with a new book to movie adapation, I raced to buy it. I always try to read the book before the movie and let’s be real, most of the time the former is better than the latter. I devoured it in one sitting and was completely swept up in the story; surely there was no way the movie would be done justice. I just wish I hadn’t been right about that.

My first problem with the film was the acting. It was subpar at best. Even Leighton Meester who I’m a big fan of wasn’t able to save it. There weren’t any standout performances and some of the characters lacked depth. At least we had the beautiful Croatian background to keep us happy.

For the most part, I have to admit that the movie hit the most important plot points. It drove me crazy that they changed the main character’s name and the initial location, but I digress. Where it all went wrong was during the climax. That final twist is make or break for me and I really don’t like what they did with it here. It changed my whole outlook.

Overall, The Weekend Away was fine, but if I’m being honest, you are probably better off reading the book. I promise it is so much more worth it.

Rating: ♥♥

The Batman

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When serial killer The Riddler (Paul Dano) starts targeting political members of Gotham City, leaving behind a trial of clues in his wake, Batman (Robert Pattinson) takes it upon himself to find out why. Striking up partnerships with James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) and Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz) to unmask the culprit and bring justice to all, Batman soon realizes that The Riddler’s motivations are much more personal than he thought.

I was so, so hesitant to check out this latest venture into Batman’s story. The Dark Knight is one of my all time favorite films and it is what got me into the superhero genre to begin with. I didn’t understand why the story needed to be redone. When I say I went into this cautiously, that was an understatement. I really didn’t know what to expect, but I have to say that I wound up being pleasantly surprised.

This version of our beloved vigilante is much darker and that sets the tone for what’s to come. This paved the way for the Riddler which is by far one of the most intimidating villains I’ve ever seen. Paul Dano’s performance was out of this world; I really commend him for taking it as far as he did. The casting in general was on point. I loved what Zoë Kravitz did with Selina Kyle and Jeffrey Wright is brilliant as Gordon. I also can’t forget Colin Farrell who portrayed the Penguin. I didn’t even realize it was him!

As for Robert Pattinson, when news broke that he was casted as the lead, I really did not know what to think. Like many before me, when they think of him, their minds automatically go to Twilight. I really wasn’t sure if he’d be the right fit for this. I appreciate that he put his own stamp on the role and think he did well with it, however, I can’t say that I prefer him to Christian Bale.

Overall, The Batman was much better than I expected it to be and for that I am glad. In spite of the nearly three hour run time, the first chapter of this new story ticked all of the right boxes and I cannot wait for more.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥