Month: July 2024

Deadpool & Wolverine

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Everyone’s favorite anti-hero Deadpool is back and this time he’s teaming up with an unlikely ally. Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) has traded in his Deadpool life for something resembling normalcy after his break up with Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). But when his timeline is threatened by new foe Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), Wade is coerced by Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen) of the TVA to suit up, find Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and save the world.

Fans have been waiting for this instalment for years and I’m happy to report that it totally delivered. Reynold’s sassy Deadpool mixed with Jackman’s grumpy Wolverine made for a match made in heaven. From their back and forth hijinks on social media to their natural chemistry on screen, I hope this isn’t the last time we see them together.

With any Deadpool movie, audiences can expect plenty of over the top action sequences, blood and gore. The opening number and the car fight in particular were especially entertaining. The writing was also strong and quippy with almost every single joke landing. There are also plenty of pop culture references, but they’re more blink and you’ll miss them.

One area in which the film suffered was its plot which was hard to follow at times. I’ve come to expect this from Marvel, however, as I often find it hard to keep track of everything that is happening. Luckily this didn’t take much away from my enjoyment and can even be considered a standalone for new potential fans.

It’s no secret that Marvel hasn’t quite been the same since Endgame. After quite a few fumbles, I think Deadpool and Wolverine is a step in the right direction for the franchise. There is a lot of fun to be had, with hilarious jokes, memorable characters and cameos galore. I also can’t forget to mention the outstanding soundtrack featuring hits from NSYNC, Madonna, and Avril Lavigne. For the first time in a long time, I’m feeling optimistic about the future of the MCU.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Thelma

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Thelma Post (June Squibb) is ninety three. One day she receives a phone call from a scammer pretending to be her grandson Danny (Fred Hechinger) asking for money. When she complies and later realizes she’s made a mistake, she decides to take matters into her own hands.

What you see is very much what you get with this film. There are no high stakes chase scenes, no CGI or crazy hijinks. Thelma still sets out on a remarkable adventure complete with constantly escaping her worried family and stealing a gun from a friend who has Alzheimers to name a few. Despite her age limitations, the ways in which she pushes herself is still exciting to witness.

Squibb is fabulous as the titular character and I loved her team up with Richard Roundtree’s Ben. In his last role before his passing, Ben is an old friend of Thelma’s. Somehow he gets roped into this adventure and it’s so nice to see the organic chemistry between them develop. Another selling point for me was watching Thelma and Danny’s interactions. They were heartwarming and funny and reminded me a lot of my own relationship with my grandmother who passed in 2012. I mustn’t forget the additions of Parker Posey as Thelma’s daughter Gail and Clark Gregg as Thelma’s son in law Alan who were perfect in their roles and provided some big laughs.

It’s not often a film has an elderly character as its lead and that’s a shame. I really enjoyed watching Thelma take control of her life while also grasping that she can’t do everything as she used to anymore. It also reinforced the fact that it’s important to check in with the elderly people in our family and let them know that they’re not alone.

It’s crazy that at ninety four years old, this is Squibb’s first starring role. She brings Thelma to life and makes this is most wholesome movie you didn’t know you needed in your life. It’s simple yet packs a punch that will ring through right until the very end. I’m really glad I checked it out.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Twisters

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The blockbuster hit of the summer has arrived with Twisters! Serving as a standalone sequel to the 1996 version of the same name, former storm chaser Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is lured back to Oklahoma by her old friend Javi (Anthony Ramos) after a tragedy. Out on the field they come across Tyler (Glen Powell), a social media superstar. First at odds, Kate and Tyler end up working together to figure out how to beat the twisters once and for all.

I’ve never seen the original film so I cannot compare it to this new version. What I can say is that I had a total blast! Right from the very beginning I was gripped with that hardcore opening sequence and that feeling didn’t go away until the credits started to roll. The storm sequences were heart pounding and constantly had me on the edge of my seat.

One of the main areas in which the film excels is in its cast. Edgar-Jones is someone I’ve enjoyed watching since Normal People and Where The Crawdads Sing. Now that she is in such a mainstream movie, she has proven that she can do anything. Ramos was perfect as Javi, a man who didn’t always do things for the right reasons, while Powell killed it as Tyler. Words cannot express how much I love that man; he is so incredibly charismatic and this douchebag character was so much fun! I also need to shoutout the players that made up Tyler’s team (Brandon Perea, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sasha Lane, Tunde Adebimpe and Katy O’Brien). They were fab and I would totally go storm hunting with them.

Something I didn’t expect was that the story, with all its crazy moments, had an emotional tone to it. The tragedy that occurs at the beginning comes back throughout the course of the film. It helped make the characters more realistic and multi-dimensional. I also liked the hints of romance between Kate and Tyler. It was never the full focus, but the way in which it was handled was really sweet.

I honestly did not think I was going to enjoy Twisters, but it’s certainly up there with one of my favorites of the year so far. With its action packed storm sequences, fabulous cast chemistry and emotional heart, this is the film of the summer that you don’t want to miss.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Despicable Me 4

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Gru (Steve Carell), Lucy (Kristen Wiig), Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), Agnes (Madison Polan) and the Minions (Pierre Coffin) are back in an all new adventure! With a new addition to their family, Gru Jr., Gru is finding it difficult to bond with his son, especially because his son is intent on tormenting his dad. When old arch nemesis Maxime (Will Ferrell) and his girlfriend Valentina (Sofía Vergara) break out of prison, the family are forced to go on the run.

I have always been a fan of the Despicable Me and Minion movies. They are just so much fun! The storylines are usually full of twists and turns and while you more or less know how they will turn out, you still have a good time anyway.

This time around we were joined by some new faces. Joey King donned the role of Poppy Prescott, a new neighbor who dreams of becoming a villain. Her dad Perry voiced by Stephen Colbert and her mom Patsy voiced by Chloe Fineman were great additions that added some new dynamics. I also thought that Maxime and Valentina were worthy villains and learning about Maxime’s past with Gru was interesting too.

I’m always so impressed with the animation in these films. It’s so vivid and I enjoyed seeing different locations from the first three instalments. Mayflower, for example, was a cute little town that the family had to flee to for protection. It was fun getting an inside look at the top secret headquarters where the Minions were hiding out as well as Gru’s school where he learned to become bad.

My favorite part, however, was the Minions. The obsession that I have with these creatures is unmatched. They are just so freaking cute and they say the funniest things. I think I laughed the most when they were on screen.

Despicable Me 4 is just as much fun as its predecessors. Audiences of all ages can find something to enjoy here. With its brilliant animation and talented voice cast, there is a lot to appreciate. I am already very much looking forward to the next Minions movie and whatever else may come from this franchise. I don’t think it’s one I will ever get tired of.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

Descendants: The Rise of Red

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Five years after the original trilogy came to a close, the Descendants are back. The Rise of Red follows Red (Kylie Cantrall), the daughter of the Queen of Hearts (Rita Ora), who is nothing like her tyrant mother. When chaos breaks out in Auradon, Red is forced to team up with Chloe (Malia Barker), the daughter of Cinderella (Brandy) who just so happens to be the former best friend of the Queen of Hearts. Together they must travel back in time to change the future.

When I first heard that they were making a sequel to the franchise, I didn’t think it was really necessary. The way in which they ended things in the last installment seemed fitting and the fact that none of the OG four characters were attached to the project had me skeptical. Still I wanted to see for myself what all the fuss was about and unfortunately I walked away feeling disappointed.

One of the aspects I did like was the introduction of some new characters. Red was a decent enough protagonist and I thought that Ora completely embodied the role of the Queen of Hearts. It was also cool how they incorporated Brandy’s Cinderella and Paolo Montalban’s King Charming and of course it was nice to see China Anne McClain reprise her role as Uma, the only bridge between the old and new stories.

The songs and choreography didn’t feel synonymous with what we had seen before. You could tell that there was no cohesion between when Kenny Ortega was at the helm and now with Jennifer Phang. I couldn’t help but think that they were trying too hard to incorporate some Tik Tok fads as well which is something I couldn’t relate to.

Another thing that really bothered me was how clunky the plot played out. The first two acts were fine but the third went by in the blink of an eye with no proper wrap up! They’d built up the Castlecoming Dance the whole way through and then the audience didn’t even see it happen. There wasn’t even an epic final performance to end on a high note.

Overall, Descendants: The Rise of Red was a letdown. I didn’t have high hopes to begin with but this was just poorly executed and unnecessary. I feel bad for the longtime fans who were looking forward to this one.

Rating: ♥️♥️

Space Cadet

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Tiffany “Rex” Simpson (Emma Roberts) is a party girl from Florida who works as a bartender. Once upon a time, she wanted to be an astronaut. When her best friend Nadine (Poppy Liu) tweaks her letter to NASA, against all odds, Rex is accepted into the program.

I’ve been a fan of Roberts for as long as I can remember. She takes on a lot of different types of roles and while they don’t win any awards, you can tell that she is having a fun time with it. Her friendship with Liu’s Nadine was one of the highlights for me – the way in which Nadine went to bat for Rex and pretty much committed fraud just so she could make her dreams come true shows that she is a true ride or die. In fact, the rest of the cast was pretty good too. From the camaraderie with the rest of her teammates in NASA (Kuhoo Verma, Desi Lydic, Yasha Jackson, Andrew Call and Josephine Huang) to Logan O’Leery (Tom Hopper) and Pam Proctor (Gabrielle Union) who ran the program, everyone gelled really well together.

One needs to suspend all disbelief while watching as there is no way that this could happen in real life. But at the core of an otherwise bonkers plot is a story of finding yourself and following your dreams. It reminded me a lot of Legally Blonde. Nobody believed Elle could go to Harvard just like everyone overlooked Rex at NASA. At the end of the day, they proved everyone wrong.

I honestly thought that Space Cadet was going to be awful. It came across as cringey and kind of childish, just what you would expect from a film on a streaming platform. What I got instead was something that actually really resonated with me as I’m sure it will with many others. It was also the perfect pick for the Fourth of July.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

Reunion

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On the night of their high school reunion, a group of former classmates wake up to find that they are trapped inside due to the snowstorm. What’s even worse is that one of their own has been murdered. Because nobody is able to go in or out of the house, it becomes clear that the killer is one of them.

Up until about a week ago, I didn’t even know that this film existed. But when I saw that it boasted names such as Lil Rey Howery, Billy Magnussen, Jamie Chung, Nina Dobrev, Chace Crawford, Jillian Bell and Michael Hitchcock, I have to say that my interests grew. I should have known that a straight to demand release wasn’t going to be anything more than mediocre.

There were some elements that I enjoyed, aside from the cast who all donned a particular high school stereotype. The locked room setting is one of my all time favorites as it really makes the whole experience more intimate and personal. There’s no room to hide for our players and we get to know them on a deeper level. Not to mention the fact that the house in which they were stuck was a beautiful mansion which didn’t hurt.

I also have to say that I did not guess who the murderer was at all. I had a couple hunches, but nothing that was concrete. I always say a thriller isn’t successful unless the twist pays off. Luckily this one wasn’t too bad.

Unfortunately, the writing wasn’t great and some of the jokes cringey though I did find myself laughing out loud a couple times. I also can’t help but think of how this is a literal copy and paste of Apple TV’s The After Party with only a few details changed. As time went on, I grew tired of the constant putting each other down that the characters did to one another, which at least fit with the high school environment.

At the end of the day, there wasn’t anything special about Reunion. The potential that I did see at the beginning didn’t last for very long. While it was fun, mindless watch, but is ultimately forgettable in the long run.

Rating: ♥️♥️