Tag: ArianaGreenblatt

Now You See Me: Now You Don’t

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It’s been ten years since we last saw The Horsemen, but they are finally back on our screens! New performers Charlie (Justice Smith), Bosco (Dominic Sesa) and June (Ariana Greenblatt) team up with the retired gang for a diamond heist unlike any other. Spanning multiple countries and high stakes magic tricks, they have to take on new villain Veronika Vanderberg (Rosamund Pike).

I love the first two Now You See Me films so much! When film number one came out I remember being completely enthralled in the idea of it; they took magic and amped it up by a million. While the second wasn’t as great, it was still a fun time. And although this third outing probably wasn’t necessary, I still enjoyed every single minute of it.

All the major players were back: Jesse Eisenberg as J. Daniel Atlas, Woody Harrelson as Merrit McKinney, Dave Franco as Jack Wilder and Isla Fisher as Henley Reeves reprised their roles and it was honestly like no time had passed. They still had such an effortless chemistry with one another and it looked like they were having a ball. I actually liked the new character additions. It made sense to introduce some fresh blood and they fit in well. Pike also completely smashed it as a bad guy. Her accent was not at all convincing, but I think that was supposed to be the point and it added some surprising comedy to her scenes.

I’ve heard some people say that there wasn’t as many full on magic tricks as before and while I can see where they are coming from, I do understand why they had to go bigger this time around. There was still the usual slight of hand and card tricks, but the scene in chateau in France was cool and the final trick came together in a way that I wasn’t expecting though I mean that in the best way possible.

Overall, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t may not have been the best in the franchise, but I still had a blast with it. I could literally watch a million of these films and never get bored of them so here’s hoping we get many more!

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

Fear Street: Prom Queen

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Prom is a rite of passage for every high school student even when said high school is in Shadyside. For one night only they will try to take their minds off of the curse that has fallen on their town for a good night. Lori Granger (India Fowler) is an outsider who has been nominated for Prom Queen. It’s clear that none of the It Girls, lead by Tiffany Falconer (Fina Strazza), want Lori to be competing against them. When they start disappearing one by one, it becomes clear that a killer is on the loose and none of them are safe.

The first three Fear Street films came out in the summer of 2021 and became instant hits. This trilogy singlehandedly got me into the horror genre. I was so excited for this new instalment. Unfortunately it did not exactly live up to my expectations though there were some things I still appreciated.

Fowler did just fine as our final girl though I wasn’t completely sold on her performance. The same can be said about the other younger talent. Strazza was probably my favorite because she was so mean, she could very well give Regina George a run for her money. It would have been nice to see more of Christy, portrayed by Ariana Greenblatt, and I would have appreciated more backstory of the other girls. The adult cast were much more enjoyable. Nancy (Katherine Waterston) and Dan Falconer (Chris Klein) were hilarious as Tiffany’s overbearing parents and I thought Vice Principal Dolores Brekenridge (Lili Taylor) and Principal Wayland (Darrin Baker) were quite the pair.

Though a lot of the kills were predictable, they were still really well executed. I was unsure at the beginning because we didn’t see the first one happen on screen, but luckily it was ramped up by a thousand percent thereafter. I also have to say that I did not see the reveal coming whatsoever. It genuinely caught me off guard.

Fear Street: Prom Queen may not have been the outing I had anticipated it would be. I guess that what happens when you get your hopes up too high. At least the kills were good and the soundtrack perfectly encapsulated the eighties. I am looking forward to more of the Fear Street books being adapted.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

Barbie

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Ever since I heard they were doing a Barbie movie, my excitement went through the roof. I waited and waited and while it seemed everyone in the world was able to watch this movie before me, my time finally came last night. And it was everything I had hoped it would be and more.

In Barbieland, the women are in charge. There’s President Barbie, Doctor Barbie, Nobel Prize Winning Barbie. And then there’s stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) who is perfectly content with her day to day life. But when she starts malfunctioning, she starts to question why things are the way that they are. The only way to fix herself is to make the journey to the Real World to find the girl who plays with her. Along with Ken (Ryan Gosling), this will be a trip that changes not only Barbies forever, but Kens too.

There is simply not enough words in the English vocabulary to describe just how much this film means to me. It was so brilliantly done – not that I ever had a doubt with Greta Gerwig at the helm – but I’m still so pleased that it surpassed my expectations. Usually when a film is this hyped up, it can never be that good. But it was!

Robbie is absolutely perfect as our lead. Not only is she stunning, she gives a career best performance as her character starts feeling emotions she never did before. I also don’t recall her acting in such a comedic role before and I liked it! The big scene stealer here though was Gosling as Ken. All those rumours about him being tipped for an Oscar better be true because he was phenomenal. There were equal parts silly and hilarious mixed with a kind of redemption that just fit. I could go on and on about the others in this cast, but the list would be endless. So many stars in one movie is usually a mess, but that wasn’t the case here.

I want to live in Barbieland. The pastel colors contrasting with the darker tones of the Real World was well thought out, though I’d choose the former any day. And I want every single outfit that Robbie wore. Combined with a steller soundtrack, on the surface the film seemed like it would be one thing, but once the dust settled and it got down to the nitty gritty, the moral of the story became a lot more important than I ever thought possible. I went from laughing my head off one minute to crying the next.

Barbie was smart, funny, thought provoking and filled with girl power. With Robbie and Gosling leading the pack, I never had any doubts as to how amazing it would be. I can’t wait own it and watch it a million times on repeat. To Greta Gerwig: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Now onto Oppenheimer!

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: ♥♥♥♥