Tag: MovieReview

The Outlaws

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I don’t think I’ve ever given a movie one heart before, but I guess there’s a first time for everything.

The Outlaws, Netflix’s newest comedy/thriller offering, follows Owen Browning (Adam Devine), a straight-laced banker who is getting ready to marry the love of his life Piper (Nina Dobrev). It’s all going according to plan when his bank is held up by the infamous Ghost Bandits. Putting two and two together, Owen starts to believe it may be his future in laws (Pierce Brosnan and Ellen Barkin) who just so happened to arrive in town for the wedding.

I wanted so badly to like this film. It boasts an incredible cast and the trailer looked funny though I should have known better. How many times have I been duped before by big names just to get traction? The only shining lights for me here were Brosnan and Barkin who, while I still don’t have a clue why they’d star in something like this, did what they could to carry things along. In addition, Richard Kind and Julie Hagerty, who starred as Owen’s parents, had some great one liners and managed to steal the scenes they were in.

Devine, on the other hand, was so incredibly annoying that I had to force myself not to mute him. The high pitched screams and his mannerisms were way too over the top that it simply did not work. I can’t help but wonder if the film would have been better without him in it. And I wish I could say that Dobrev was a saving grace too, but she was kind of sidelined throughout. Even with the likes of Michael Rooker as Agent Oldham and Poorna Jagannathan as fellow bad guy Rehan, it was a lost cause.

In addition to the mismatched cast and over the top shenanigans, the movie itself was just not funny. A few of the so called jokes may have got me to chuckle, but only halfheartedly. As for the thriller element? There was none. Right from the get go you know what’s going to happen. Sometimes that’s a good thing though it wasn’t the case here.

I truly feel like The Outlaws is one of the worst movies that I have ever seen. It wasn’t funny, it was way too predictable and the cast made no sense whatsoever. Although I kept it on in hopes that it’d get better, I should have listened to my gut instinct and either switched it off halfway through or never given it a shot in the first place. I know that Netflix are notorious for the questionable quality they put out sometimes – I’m starting to think they should make some better decisions.

Rating: ♥️

Elemental

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Welcome to Element City where Earth, Wind, Water and Fire live together in harmony. Well, not really Fire who were always feared by everyone else. That doesn’t bother Ember (Leah Lewis) though. Her whole life has been planned out for her – take over her family’s shop The Fireplace. But everything changes when she meets Wade (Mamoudou Athie). Suddenly her perfect path may not be so perfect anymore.

Let’s start with the outstanding visuals. The different element characters are created in such a unique way. I love the little details, like how Ember’s flames would be constantly moving and how Wade’s body was constantly ebbing and flowing. I wish we’d had more time with Earth and Wind because it would have been cool to see their characteristics too. Similarly the location itself was stunning and so incredibly different than anything I have seen before. It made me want to pack up my bags and go live there too.

The voice cast were good enough boasting big name talents such as Catherine O’Hara as Wade’s mom Brook and Wendi McLendon-Covey as big boss in charge Gale. Joined by Lewis and Athie as our two leads, I wasn’t aware of them previously but thought that they fit in well.

I understand why the turn out for Elemental hasn’t been as great as some other projects in the past. Since the pandemic, Disney and Pixar started putting their films directly on streaming, a move that made these titles more accessible to families. Now that these films are trying to make a comeback on the big screen, I can imagine that people aren’t exactly ready to change what they’ve gotten used to.

As for the subject matter itself, while there may have been some overlapping themes that we have seen before, it was done in a fresh, new way that kept it interesting. The love story was adorable and I really enjoyed the importance of family. There were so many scenes that hit me right in the feels, I had to stop myself from bursting into tears.

Overall, Elemental may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I truly think it’s one of the better films that Pixar has done in awhile. I only wish more people would go out and see for themselves the beauty of this story.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny

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Growing up with three brothers, I was exposed to movies that I otherwise wouldn’t have watched on my own. Indiana Jones was amongst them. It seemed like they were always on in my house and I felt like I owed it not only to myself, but to my family who introduced this hero to me, to witness this final adventure.

Indy (Harrison Ford) is struggling to fit in with the new era as his retirement looms near. When an all too familiar evil returns, he is thrown back into the life he thought he’d left behind to prevent an ancient artefact from falling into the wrong hands.

There’s been a lot of talk about the de-ageing technology that was used in the first portion of the film. In order to set up the plot, we had to go back in time to see a young Indy in 1939. Instead of recasting the role, they decided to go the CGI route. I have to say that for the most part it worked – seeing Ford in his prime again was quite something though it certainly wasn’t perfect.

With every Indy film comes fight sequences and chase scenes galore. Just when I thought they couldn’t outdo themselves, another would come along and knock the other off its feet. It’s important to suspend some disbelief here, but that’s part of what makes these films so fun. The subway chase and the whole third act were really cool!

The additions of Phoebe Waller-Bridge as goddaughter Helena, Ethann Isidore as Helena’s sidekick Teddy and Antonio Banderas as old friend Renado, were excellent and fit right along the rest of the cast. While I didn’t find Mads Mikkelson’s Dr. Voller to be very menacing, he does a great job at portraying the villain so I almost didn’t even mind it. And with returning faces Jonathan Rhys-Davies as Sallah and the incomparable Ford himself, I had a great time.

To think that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is supposed to the last of the franchise doesn’t seem real. It has meant so much for so many people and although Ford says it’s time to hang up the hat, I think the legend of this character will live on forever. Is this film perfect? No, of course not. But it’s filled with a ton of nostalgia that fans will appreciate and that’s all that really matters.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

No Hard Feelings

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No Hard Feelings follows Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) who has recently been down on her luck. She’s behind on payments for the house her mother left her and her car is towed right when summer season is ramping up and she’d otherwise be making bank driving for Uber. Stumbling upon a Craigslist ad placed to hire a date for socially awkward Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman), Maddie thinks her prayers will be answered. Turns out she couldn’t be more wrong.

This is hands down Lawrence’s film. She is magnetic as our leading lady. I don’t think I have seen her in a comedic role before, but her timing was so on point and I also thought the physical comedy was well done too. She should explore this avenue more in the future.

What makes the film work so well is the friendship that develops between Maddie and Percy. Though it may start off as a business deal, it doesn’t stay that way for very long. As the two get to know each other, the layers are peeled back and they begin sharing tidbits no one else knows. The arcade date was one of the cutest movie montages I’ve seen in awhile. It really helped that Lawrence and Feldman had such natural chemistry.

This type of humor usually isn’t my cup of tea, but even I couldn’t hold back my laughter. All the jokes landed thanks to a well executed script. Some of the scenarios were also over the top and while that would usually bug me, it did the opposite here.

I walked into No Hard Feelings thinking it’d be an average at best raunchy comedy. What I got instead was a story that wasn’t afraid to go deep when it needed to while perfectly balancing the laughs. I’m glad I gave it a chance!

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

The Flash

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Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) is the fastest man alive. Realizing he can go back in time with his powers, he wants to use this chance to save his mom. But what Barry doesn’t know is that by doing this, he will alter the timeline. Suddenly there is a world with no Justice League and on top of that General Zodd has returned. It will take an unlikely few allies to set things right.

Full disclaimer time: I almost gave this movie a skip. With all the hot water that Miller has found themselves in, it was enough to nearly turn me away for good. I struggled with this a lot, but my curiosity eventually got the better of me. At the end of the day I thought it was best to put my feelings aside and focus on the film. I am so glad that I did!

This is one of the best DC entries to date. It had everything you could think of – some crazy CGI moments that made my head spin in the best way possible, superheroes old and new, some laugh out loud moments and, of course, some pretty epic cameos. Flash’s origin story has been a long time coming and it certainly delivered.

Miller was enjoyable enough as our lead. I thought it was fun that they played two versions of Barry, giving them each different enough characteristics and mannerisms to keep things interesting. With an array of cast members including but not limited to Ben Affleck, Michael Keaton, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Jeremy Irons and Kiersey Clemons, my heart was sold to Sasha Calle who portrayed Supergirl. Though her part wasn’t as elaborate as I was hoping, it was captivating enough that I can only dream we’ll see her again down the line.

Part of me cannot fathom how I almost gave The Flash a miss. Not only is it one of the biggest blockbusters of the summer, it is one of the biggest blockbusters of the year. Now that DC is under a new team, I can only hope they will continue to improve.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️

Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse

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In 2018, Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse took the world by storm with its intricate storytelling and beyond insane animation styles. Now, five years later, we have the much anticipated sequel Across The Spider-Vers. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is thrust into a world full of Spider-People who want to protect their own. But when the heroes clash on how best to handle a new foe, Miles may need to rethink his destiny.

Full disclosure: I was one of those people who was late to the party. Having only watched the first film last fall, I was immediately swept up into it all. I understood the hype and couldn’t believe I’d slept on it for so long. And luckily this new installment is just as good as its predecessor.

Never have I ever seen such amazing visuals in a film before. It’s a shock to the senses with many different things going on at once, but it totally works. The comic book feel is elevated to the max and I commend the animators for going these distances. Seeing life in various universes was such an amazing experience as well.

Moore once again brings it as our main man Miles. Struggling to juggle every day life and his hero lifestyle is no easy feat and he’s learning as he goes along. I enjoyed having more backstory on Stenfield’s Gwen and am looking forward to her solo film already. The rest of the characters are voiced by some incredible talents in Oscar Isaac, Jake Johnson, Issa Rae, Brian Tyree Henry and Daniel Kaluuya, all of who the film wouldn’t be the same without.

As much as I enjoyed the film, I have to admit that I found it too long. Though this is part one of a two part epic, I did think it was dragged out at times. Additionally, there were some scenes in the middle that were on the slower side. They took me out of the action and weren’t always necessary.

Overall, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse was a damn good time, but it didn’t completely sell me. Maybe that will change after the second part comes out next year. I still think it’s one of the most impressive superhero films of all time and it certainly warranted the applause it got at the end.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

The Little Mermaid

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We all know the story of The Little Mermaid. Created by Hans Christian Andersen and animated by Disney in 1989, this beloved classic has finally gotten the live action remake treatment. Over the years, I have come to tread lightly when it comes to these because I’ve been let down so many times (except for Aladdin which was brilliant). So while I was interested in seeing where they’d take one of my top five Disney flicks, I didn’t want to get my hopes up.

I am happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised with the film. The visual effects were stunning – yes there was a lot of CGI, but I wasn’t bothered by it. The vibrant colours of life under the sea was beautiful. I was completely transported away into this world that I almost wanted to pack my bags and become a mermaid myself!

The best part of the film, was of course, Halle Bailey. This is her film. All the people who were skeptical can step aside because she was born to play Ariel. She made the role her own while also incorporating bits and pieces from her origin. The facial expressions, mannerisms and her VOICE. Her fucking voice was perfection! When she sang Part Of Your World I had chills engulf my whole body and I never wanted it to stop.

In addition to Bailey, we had Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric who was a total clone of his animated counterpart. I was one of those little girls who had a major crush on Eric and to see him come to life like this was a treat. I thought the rest of the casting choices fit as well: Javier Bardem as King Triton was powerful though underused, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder was cute and ever so diligent towards Ariel and Awkwafina was laugh out loud hilarious as Scuttle. Unfortunately I didn’t care much for Melissa McCarthy’s Ursula as I’m simply not a fan of the actress herself. The stand out for me, however, was David Diggs as Sebastian. Every single moment of his was pure gold.

While they tried to bring this story into the 21st century, I didn’t care for many of the updates. The only new song I really enjoyed was Scuttle’s (though I might be biased because it had Lin Manuel Miranda written all over it). The added scenes didn’t really do anything to enrich what we already knew and the run time was a little too long.

All that being said, The Little Mermaid was much better than I ever thought it was going to be. Seeing this story come to life was a major nostalgia trip for me in the best way possible. I do think this is a step in the right direction for Disney going forward and hope it sticks.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

Robots

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Owning a robot may be illegal, but that doens’t stop womanizer Charles (Jack Whitehall) and gold digger Elaine (Shailene Woodley) from using theirs to help them get by in life. Things get complicated when their counterparts fall in love, forcing Charles and Elaine to team up to put a stop to the shenanigans before people start to catch on that it isn’t actually them.

The most interesting aspect of this movie for me was the integration of robots into society. The fact that we are closer to a reality where we can exist with robots than not is a scary thought and I loved that it was explored here. Having the robots in work settings, doing housework and the like is going to be a reality before we know it and I very much enjoyed this futuristic take.

Whitehall was a great choice for the role of Charles. Slightly different than the usual comedian, it worked for him. Alternatively, this was something different for Woodley, who I’ve come to know for more dramatic parts. That’s not to say she wasn’t as enjoyable and I thought the two played off well against each other. The way in which they differentiated the leads to the robots was also impressive and definitely confused me at times!

The film may have had an interesting premise and good leads, but that is all it boasted. The slapstick comedy and raunchy jokes were a bit much at times. I think they would have benefitted by added some more heartwarming moments. This would have allowed them to reach

All that being said, Robots was perfectly fine for a casual night in after work. It served its purpose in providing enough entertainment, but could have been much better.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

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Eleven year old Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Forston) feels like her whole life is turned upside down when her parents (Rachel McAdams and Benny Safdie) move the family to New Jersey. Growing up in a household of mixed religion, Margaret never had the pressure to make a choice on her faith, though her paternal grandmother Sylvia (Kathy Bates) can’t agree. When Margaret chooses this topic for a school project, she turns to God to help her in endeavours.

Based on the beloved novel by Judy Blume, the adaption of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret has been anticipated for many, many years. While I cannot recall as to whether or not I read the book, it has become a staple for many women because of it’s sheer relatability.

All of the predicaments that Margaret found herself in were reminiscent of my preteen years that it was scary. Dreaming that my bust would grow at a faster rate, that the cute boy in class would notice me and that I’d get my period so that I could be just like my friends were times that I had deep buried long ago. Wanting to grow up and be treated as an adult seemed so important then whereas now I wish I didn’t have all these responsibilities.

The cast was so on point. Ryder Forston killed it as our protagonist, perfectly capturing those moments of awkwardness. She’s got a bright future ahead of her and I look forward to seeing where she goes next. Bates has always been one of those household names and I thought she was great as the hip grandmother. It was McAdams as Margaret’s mother Barbara whose performance was absolutely charming, however – she gave up a lot for her family and we see how she overcomes it. It made me realize as well that I missed having her on screen.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is the type of film I never knew I needed. Not only for my childhood self, but for the self I am now. It really was quite the experience and I am so glad that films like this exist.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️.5

Love Again

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Dealing with the loss of her fiancé, Mira (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) thinks she’ll never love again. Struggling to move on, the children’s book author and illustrator isn’t inspired and the only person she confides in is her sister Susie (Sofia Barclay). Then she starts messaging ex’s number for comfort. Little does she know that Rob Burns, (Sam Heughan) music critic, has been assigned to it on his work phone. When he’s assigned to write a profile on Céline Dion, he enlists her help in how to meet Mira and win her heart in the process.

Every once in awhile, a film comes around at exactly the right moment and leaves such an impression on you, lifting you up in ways you never thought possible. That is what happened with Love Again. It was so incredibly charming and feel good, I’m still smiling about it hours later.

Though slightly on the predictable side, the plot is enjoyable enough to become invested in. You root for Mira and Rob both separately and together. The turmoils they’ve been through and how they wanted to move forward was relatable. Thanks to the chemistry of Chopra Jonas and Heughan, the scenes they shared together on screen were always filled with magic.

Alongside our two leads are the incredible supporting cast who, without them, this movie would not have been the same. Barclay smashed it as Susie, Mira’s forever cheerleader. Rob’s colleagues Billy (Russell Tovey) and Lisa (Lydia West) were a fab team that provided some big laughs. But the most genius part of all was casting Céline Dion. Playing a heightened version of herself worked so perfectly and the incorporation of her greatest hits made it even better.

If you are in the mood for a feel good romcom, look no further! Love Again is genuinely funny with a great cast and a whole lotta heart. Just don’t be surprised if you get some popular songs stuck in your heard…

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️