MichaelCera – Credits Rolling

In a near futuristic world, Ben Richards (Glen Powell) has just been let go from his job. He desperately needs to find a way to make money to get some medication for his sick daughter. With no more choices, he joins a game show called The Running Man where contestants are allowed to go anywhere in the world while trying to escape the hunters who are hired to kill him. If he survives, he will win one billion new dollars.

I was not familiar with the book by Stephen King nor with the original 1987 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. If I’m being completely honest I probably wouldn’t have checked this reboot out if it weren’t for Glen Powell as I have the biggest crush on him. I’m glad that I did though.

Powell was such a great choice for the lead. He’s like the new Tom Cruise, but better. His character had so much grit and determination to do whatever he needed for his family. He has more than proven his leading man status and I cannot wait to see what role he takes on next. Josh Brolin starred as Dan Killian, the creator of the competition. Manipulative and selfish, he mostly see him on screen and yet he’s still someone you wouldn’t want to mess with. Colman Domingo was a scene stealer as Bobby T, the host. He truly shined every time he was on screen. I only wish we had more of his backstory. The same could be said for Lee Pace, William H. Macy, Katy O’Brian and Michael Cera. Though they all played important roles, the audience didn’t get to know them very well.

Censorship and controlling media is a running theme throughout. As Ben continues on with the game, he learns more about the government and how they are trying to hide the truth of what is really going on. This is something that has been happening more and more in present day and I believe it will only continue. It’s scary to think of a reality where game shows of this nature could exist, but I could see it happening.

Overall, The Running Man was a thrilling and heart pounding blockbuster that kept me mostly on the edge of my seat. I do think that it lost some steam along the way however. The first half was engaging, but somewhere at the halfway point it stalled and the ending was a bit anti-climatic. That being said, I still had a good time with it and that’s all that matters.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

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: ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️