Superman

The newly reinvented DC Universe is here and with it a brand new Superman adventure. This time around it’s no origin story – instead it picks up in the middle of a war between two neighbouring countries. As an alien himself, Superman (David Corenswet) is forced to face his roots with his human upbringing as Clark Kent.

With James Gunn at the helm, I was cautiously optimistic. Having enjoyed both Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad, I was looking forward to seeing his take on the iconic comic book character. Mixing his signature blend of comedy and heart, we have the most human version of Superman there’s ever been and that was quite refreshing.

It is no doubt that Corenswet looks the part of our hero. I didn’t know what to expect though I think he did a good job. Superman isn’t supposed to be full of depth, but having this version of him show a more caring side worked. Rachel Brosnahan’s version of Lois Lane was spot on. I like how she had her own stuff going on alongside her relationship with Clark. That being said, the chemistry Lois shared with Clark was sweet and believable; it was probably my favorite of the recent versions we’ve had. Nicholas Holt is a menacing Lex Luthor. At times I really wanted to punch him because he was so annoying, but I was equally as charmed by him because he was doing it so well. Special shout outs go to Skylar Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Edi Gathegi as Mr. Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced as Hawgirl and Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher. I’m already looking forward to hopefully seeing much more of them as this universe expands.

While the film boasted a vibrant color palette, some beautifully shot moments and mostly convincing CGI, it wasn’t without its faults. There was a lot going on storyline wise and I’m not sure they were all completely necessary. This meant that there was also an abundance of characters and at times it was hard to keep up with them. And although I liked how it picked up right in the middle of a battle, I did find that choice a bit disorienting and it took me a minute to get situated.

It’s no secret that superhero movies have been on a downward spiral over the last few years. DC, in particular, has put out some subpar films that never fully captured the hearts of its audiences. I always tried to defend them, but I knew they could be better. While this was not a full return to form for the franchise, I definitely think Superman was a step in the right direction.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

The Greatest Hits

Harriet (Lucy Boynton) has been dealing with the sudden loss of her boyfriend Max (David Corenswet). In order to help her grieve, she discovers that certain songs can transport her back into a particular time in which they spent together. As she tries to fit the pieces together in the past, her life in the present takes off when she meets David (Justin H. Min).

I really liked the concept of this movie. It blends so many different genres together from romance, comedy and drama to time travel. It’s so true that one particular song can really send you back to when you first heard it. The way in which this was incorporated throughout the film was really smart. The song choices were A+ too; there were some well known classics and others that I wasn’t familiar with, but they all fit perfectly.

Boynton should lead more films because she did a stellar job as our protagonist. She’s clearly been through a lot and she’s torn between her past and her future, but wouldn’t anybody be in her predicament? Max and David couldn’t be more different, but neither of them outshine the other. Boynton has pitch perfect chemistry with both Corenswet and Min that you can’t help rooting for both of them to end up with her. The addition of Harriet’s best friend Morris (Austin Crute) was a welcome one. You could tell he was her ride or die and I appreciated how supportive he was of her while also keeping her grounded.

As much as I enjoyed the time travel aspect of the story, I have to say that it did get a bit repetitive. I also wish we’d had a bit more background on Max. As the film was told in Harriet’s point of view we didn’t really get to know him outside of her thoughts and feelings.

The Greatest Hits is an emotionally charged romantic dramedy that only got better as it progressed. With fabulous performances and an even better soundtrack, this is a film I will be revisiting.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

Look Both Ways

Netflix’s newest romcom Look Both Ways features Lili Reinhart’s Natalie Bennet who has always stuck close to her five year plan. Graduate college, move to LA with her best friend Cara (Aisha Dee) and land her dream job in the animation industry. On the night of her graduation, she takes a pregnancy test and her life suddenly splits in two. In one scenario, events unfold as if the test was positive where Natalie decides to keep the baby and raise them with the father Gabe (Danny Ramirez). In the other, Natalie does go to LA where she not only lands a great job, but a great guy too.

Now that Riverdale is approaching its last season, it is nice to see Reinhart star in something new. After her first foray into film with Chemical Hearts, I have to say that I enjoyed her in this movie much more. In addition to acting, she also produced the film and you can tell that she gave it her all.

The storyline itself is rather simple and straightforward. There aren’t any special effects or crazy plot twists that occur, but that doesn’t make it boring either. It actually made for a pleasant viewing experience because I didn’t have to pay too close attention and I was still able to follow what was going on. The events that transpired throughout were also realistically done.

But what I liked the most about the film was seeing how both stories, though completely different, did not out-weight one another. Just because Natalie had a baby in one storyline didn’t mean she wouldn’t be more successful or less happy than the storyline in which she went to LA, got a job working for her idol (Nia Long) and met the man of her dreams (David Corenswet). Both had their ups and downs and worked out the way they were supposed to. It was refreshing to have this take portrayed on screen.

If you are looking for a cute and easy going romantic comedy to laze around to one afternoon, I recommend watching Look Both Ways. It’s certainly one of the better films in the genre that I have seen lately.

Rating: ♥♥♥