Tag: CamilaMendes

Masters of the Universe

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Based on the film, TV show and toy line from Mattel of the same name, Masters of the Universe has been totally revamped and is ready to enter the twenty first century. When his kingdom of Eternia is taken over by the evil Skeletor (Jared Leto), Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) is sent to Earth for his protection. Despite dealing with normal every day life as a human, Adam has never forgotten who he is. In order to save his kingdom, Adam must retrieve the Sword of Power. Only then can he return to Eternia and claim his rightful title as He-Man.

I was not the demographic for this franchise growing up. Though it came out a few years before I was born, it wasn’t ever anything I got invested in later on. I actually didn’t know much about the story or the lore beforehand. All I knew was that it had somewhat of a reputation for being corny and kind of terrible. Enter director Travis Knight. Having prior experience with adapting a toy line to a film series, he seemed like the perfect choice for a reboot. And boy did he knock it out of the park!

It’s been a hot minute since I was genuinely excited for a superhero/fantasy film. Marvel has been lacking and DC is still trying to find its footing after they decided to rework everything. This first foray back into the world of Eternia and these characters was such an enjoyable ride. As someone who didn’t know anything about it going in, I appreciated the origin story before diving into the main conflict. It helped set the scene, but it didn’t overstay its welcome and from there on out it progressed at a solid pace. I was just so intrigued with what was unfolding on screen in front of me.

Galitzine smashed it as Prince Adam. I’ve seen him play awkward before and he does it so well. I liked the juxtaposition between him as a very human individual and then seeing his transformation into the hero we grow to love. It was smart to have him not all of a sudden be the perfect fighter either, but instead hone his craft over time. His team consisted of a colorful variety of characters. Camila Mendes starred as Teela, Adam’s childhood friend and potential love interest. I thought she was so kick ass in this role and I was obsessed with her hair and eye color. Idris Elba portrayed Duncan, Teela’s father and a long time mentor of Adam’s. We’ve seen the down on their luck drunk bit before, but he did it well enough. I was still glad when he snapped himself out of it and got his mojo back. Kristen Wiig lended her voice talents to Roboto. She had some great one liners, however her character wasn’t featured as much as she could have been. Another character who could have been given more of a limelight was Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn. I was excited when I heard she was in the cast, but I didn’t understand the purpose she brought. She was just kind of there lingering in the background. Leto was hands down the scene stealer as Skeletor. Say what you will about him as a person, he gave it his absolute all. I don’t think I have ever seen such a well rounded villain before. He was menacing yet hilarious and I was vibing with everything he was doing.

What I liked the most about Masters of the Universe is the fact that it didn’t take itself too seriously. It was knew what it wanted to do and it achieved that. It leaned into the camp and silliness and while not all of the jokes worked, most of them did. I thought the casting choices were spot on and the world of Eternia and its surroundings was so well thought out and beautifully constructed. There is so much more to tell so I really hope we get a sequel.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Musica

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Directed, written and starring Rudy Mancuso, this coming of age love story follows Rudy (Mansuco) who is an aspiring creator. He has synesthesia; every noise he hears he turns into a rhythm. This has proven to be quite difficult in his day to day life, especially in dealing with his mother Maria (Maria Mancuso) and his girlfriend Haley (Francesca Reale). But everything changes when he runs into Isabella (Camila Mendes) at the fish market. Suddenly the prospect of figuring out his future doesn’t seem so bad.

I have never seen a film like this, but I loved every moment of it. There were some scenes that seemed to be right out of Stomp. The way in which each rhythm, melody and dissonance were depicted was so unique – at times it was like an overload to the brain as well which I guess is just how Rudy felt on a daily basis. As these moments came on screen, I grew to enjoy them more and more. My favorite was when Rudy and Isabella were in the playground and he was trying to explain his situation to her.

The casting is spot on here, with Mancuso proving that he is a triple threat. Mendes shines as the girl of his dreams and it’s no surprise that the two fell for each other while making the film. You can’t help but feel for Reale’s Haley and laugh at J.B. Smoove’s Anwar, Rudy’s best friend. But it is Mancuso’s real life mom Maria who is the scene stealer. Not only is she absolutely hilarious, but she is everything you’d expect a Brazilian mother to be. I really liked seeing their authentic chemistry come to life on the screen.

New York City and Newark pose as the backdrop of the film. In some ways they could be additional characters. They are constantly brought up by the characters, particularly in Mancuso’s case, when he is trying to figure out what it is he wants to do with his life and I liked how they were never forgotten.

Musica was truly a delight. Mancuso has created a beautiful story that everyone can relate to. While his character didn’t always do the right thing, this was integral to the plot and it all came together nicely in the end. With great cast chemistry and stellar music performances, this isn’t a film I won’t soon forget.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Upgraded

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In this spin on The Devil Wears Prada, we meet Ana (Camila Mendes), a down on her luck intern who is passionate about art. Always in debt and sleeping on her sister’s couch, Ana dreams of one day impressing her boss Claire (Marisa Tomei). When she is invited along on the trip of a lifetime and is upgraded on the plane, she meets Will (Archie Renaux) who ends up mistaking her for her boss. Ana doesn’t correct him and sets off a string of events in her wake.

Carlson Young of the Scream television series tries her hand at directing here. The film doesn’t necessarily break the romcom mould, but it’s still got all the ingredients needed to make for a pleasant viewing. It helps that our leading lady is extremely relatable in her misfortunes and that you can’t help but root for her as things start falling into place.

Mendes has a few feature films on her back now, and with Riverdale officially being over, I’ve appreciated the various roles that she has taken on. I wasn’t as familiar with Renaux’s previous work though I felt like his chemistry with Mendes was organic enough. Lena Olin who stars as Will’s mother Catherine was an absolute treat while Anthony Head was equally as delightful as family friend Julian Marx. And as much as I wanted to like Tomei’s Claire, a modernized version of Miranda Priestly if you will, I could not get past her accent!

This was a true rags to riches story and I had fun embarking on the rollercoaster ride. I also love when the main character goes to a new country and have all their dreams start to come true, so this was pretty much right up my alley. There were still times where its unrealistic scenarios had me rolling my eyes in disbelief making it hard to look past.

Overall, Upgraded is a cute enough romantic comedy that is perfect for this time of the year. Though it borrows ideas from other well known stories, the incorporation of the art world was fresh and exciting. This may not be one that I will revisit any time soon, but I appreciated it for what it was.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

Do Revenge

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If Gossip Girl, Mean Girls and John Tucker Must Die had a baby, it would be Do Revenge. Everything that Drea (Camila Mendes) has worked so hard for to be popular in high school and get into an Ivy League college goes up in flames when her sex tape is leaked by her boyfriend Max (Austin Abrams). Over the summer at tennis camp, she befriends transfer student Eleanor (Maya Hawke) who was recently outcasted by the girl she had a crush on (Ava Capri). Realizing they have more in common than they would have ever thought, the two decide to team up to carry out each other’s revenge.

It has been a very long time that a teen movie hit all the right notes for me. The script was sharp, witty and modern while not trying to be over the top about it. It also had a color palette and costume design to die for as well as a killer soundtrack. Hearing Olivia Rodrigo one moment and Meredith Brooks at the end was genius.

The main selling point for me here was it’s cast. Take Veronica Lodge from Riverdale, Robin Buckley from Stranger Things, Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) from Game of Thrones, Ethan Daley from Euphoria (Austin Abrams), Kamran (Rish Shah) from Ms. Marvel, Jessica Davis (Alisha Boe) from 13 Reasons Why and Pope Heyward (Jonathan Daviss) from Outer Banks, mesh them all into one project and the outcome is fantastic. Sure it may seem like a bunch of cameos, but for once I’m not complaining about it. The standouts are, of course, Mendes and Hawke whose chemistry was delightful to watch. I didn’t know if I wanted them to remain friends or if I wanted them to get together romantically.

On the surface, Do Revenge might seem like a vapid film that you will forget after just one viewing. That couldn’t have been further from the truth. Drea and Eleanor wanting to right the wrongs that were bestowed upon them was inspiring to watch, especially because both cases were so relatable in today’s day and age. As you watch their stories unfold on screen, you notice that they could very well be yours. This one is definitely worth checking out!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥