Tag: Netflix

Army of Thieves

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The prequel to Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead which came out earlier this year, Army of Thieves follows Sebastian (Matthias Schweighöfer), or more commonly known as Ludwig Dieter, your average every day banker who just happens to have a knack for cracking safes. Bored of the regular nine to five life, Dieter hopes for something more. Then one day, he is approached by infamous jewellery theif Gwendoline (Nathalie Emmanuel) to join in on a top secret heist during the beginning of the zombie apocalypse.

I was one of the few people who actually really liked Army of the Dead. When I heard the universe was being expanded, I couldn’t wait, especially when the next instalment would be about my favorite character Dieter. I instantly fell for his charm and nerdy ways and so to have the opportunity to learn more about him was awesome. He was the perfect protagonist to lead this film. It was also impressive to discover that in addition to starring in the movie, he also produced and directed it.

The other characters were a lot of fun to get to know too. They each brought something to the table and I wouldn’t be surprised if they popped up somewhere down the line as there is still so much we don’t know about them. Super hacker Korina (Ruby O. Fee) was sassy and oozed girl power, meathead Brad (Stuart Martin) while wonderful to look at was kind of a dud and sandwich loving getaway driver Rolph (Guz Khan) was severely underused.

Being transported inside the safes was really cool. In fact, the way in which the film as a whole was filmed felt like it belonged in a comic book. The character introductions, location names, music choices and fight sequences sucked me in and made me feel like I was in another dimension.

While the film was full of entertainment, the storyline itself was more on the predictable side. It was easy to tell what was going to happen next and there weren’t many surprises along the way. I also felt that what was going on outside of the heist didn’t do much to advance the plot. I guess I expected a lot more action considering the original movie, but I was wrong.

Still, for an origin story, Army of Thieves was an enjoyable caper that left me pretty satisfied. The various Easter eggs bridging the two movies together was done well and I cannot wait to see what happens next in this franchise.

Rating: ♥♥♥.5

Night Teeth

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For one night only, college student Benny (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.) fills in for his brother Jay (Raúl Castillo) as a chauffeur in hopes of making some extra cash. His job is to drive around two women, Blair (Debby Ryan) and Zoe (Lucy Fry), for what he’s been lead to believe, a night of party hopping. What Benny doesn’t bargain for is the real identity of his clients’. Soon Benny is exposed to a world he never knew existed where a war between humans and vampires has been going on for centuries and it is up to him to save Los Angeles before the sun comes up.

When I first saw the trailer for Night Teeth, I couldn’t help but think what a cool concept. Sure vampires are old news these days – I have devoured more than enough stories of them over the years. But for some reason, I have never tired of them. Maybe it’s because there is always something different thrown into the mix. And this time around looked like yet another fresh take on the mythical creatures that I knew I had to watch it immediately.

One of the things that drew me in initially were some of the cast members. I knew most of them: Debby Ryan from Suite Life on Deck, Alfie Allen of Game of Thrones fame, rising star Sydney Sweeney and Megan Fox, who I hadn’t seen around for awhile. While I was disappointed not to have as much of some characters as I would have liked, I have to say that I thought Benny made a great protagonist. He was your average every day college guy just looking to make his way in the world. I also really liked seeing his relationship with his Abuela (Marlene Forte) because it added a humanized element to the otherwise supernatural atmosphere. Despite having seen Jorge Lendeborg Jr. in films before, this was the first time I actually paid attention to him.

I also enjoyed the bits and pieces that were added to enrich the legend of vampires. There were some pieces of information that we knew already (staking the heart, can’t stay out in the sun etc.) however, I appreciated the extra details that gave the story a more modern take. I also thought the war between the humans and the vampires was interesting. I just wish we could have learned more about it.

Unfortunately that’s where the excitement ended for me. Maybe I had too high expectations, I’m not sure. But Night Teeth didn’t pan out exactly the way I had anticipated it would. It had some really great ideas, a pretty good cast and yet I was left wanting more. Some of the time I felt like some scenes were dragged out while others I wanted more. It all just fell a bit flat for me at the end of the day.

Rating: ♥♥

Nightbooks

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Alex (Winslow Fegley) loves horror stories. He loves writing them and he loves reading them, though sometimes this sets him apart from the other kids in his class. When nobody shows up to his birthday party, Alex decides to burn all of his story books. What he doesn’t expect is while he is on his way to do so, he is lured by a witch into her swanky, modern apartment where he becomes his prisoner. In order to avoid death, Alex convinces Natacha (Krysten Ritter) to let him tell her a scary story each night. But he is no alone in the apartment. Yazmin (Lidya Jewett) has been her servant for the past three years and she knows the ins and outs of the place. Together, Alex and Yazmin devise a plan to escape before it’s too late.

The concept for Nightbooks seemed really cool. I liked the element of Alex having to tell stories to Natacha for his freedom where that was the one thing that got home stuck in her apartment to begin with. All of the scenes that took place there were magical. I loved the special effects and everything was was incorporated to give that creepy effect. At times it really was as if the audience was supposed to be stuck in a real life nightmare.

I was mainly interested in watching the movie because of Krysten Ritter. I’ve been a fan of hers ever since she guest starred in Veronica Mars way back in the day. She hasn’t been up to much since Jessica Jones was cancelled and that’s a right shame because she’s such a delight. Winslow Fegley and Lidya Jewett were enjoyable enough as Alex and Yaz. I liked their friendship and thought they worked well off each other. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw more of them in the future.

Nightbooks was a fun film, but it wasn’t as good as I was hoping it would be. It is definitely marketed towards a younger generation and it shows. I’m still glad that I watched it, I just wish it had held up the intrigue factor I felt while checking out the trailer.

Rating: ♥♥

Afterlife of the Party

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Cassie (Victoria Justice) has always been the life of the party. No matter the occasion, she will drop everything to have a good time and her twenty fifth birthday is no exception. But when Cassie unexpectedly dies, she is transported to the ‘in between’ where she meets an angel named Val (Robyn Scott). Val tells Cassie that she has a chance to make amends with the important people in her life which will ultimately determine her path into the afterlife. Cassie thinks making her parents (Adam Garcia and Gloria Garcia) and best friend Lisa (Midori Francis) know she is okay will be a walk in the park however she soon realizes that she may need to put more work into it before it’s too late.

This supernatural comedy was something of a surprise for me. It had looked cute in the trailer, but of course I went into it not expecting much. And while the movie was no masterpiece, I enjoyed it for what it was. Sometimes you just need a mindless chick flick, you know?

The plot was different and interesting. I liked how Cassie was given a second chance and the audience had the opportunity to see her grow into a better version of herself. Victoria Justice did a good job in her role. A standout for me, however, was Midori Francis of Dash and Lily fame. I really liked her in that when it came out over Christmas and it is great to see her acting in more roles. Also, Robyn Scott as Val also provided a lot of necessary comedic relief.

Afterlife of the Party was one of those films that just made me smile and believe in happy endings despite the heavier underlying themes. It won’t be winning any awards anytime soon, but it was something I needed in the moment and that was enough for me.

Rating: ♥♥♥

He’s All That

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Based on the 1999 classic She’s All That, He’s All That is the gender swapped remake that has been on everybody’s lips since news broke that it was being made. Popular girl and social media influencer Padgett (Addison Rae) is humiliated when she catches her boyfriend Jordan (Peyton Meyer) cheating on her during a live stream. In order to revive her image and get her sponsorship back, she makes a bet with her friend Alden (Madison Pettis) to makeover a geeky guy into Prom King material. What Padgett doesn’t bargain for is that Cameron (Tanner Buchanan) is unlike anybody she could have imagined and she finds herself falling for him.

I knew going into this movie that I shouldn’t expect too much. The original version has such a huge following and has become absolutely iconic since its release. I also heard that the storyline and acting weren’t very good which had me weary. Still, I was intrigued.

To be honest, I have to say that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. Some of the acting really wasn’t great – I’m not a fan of Addison Rae and thought she was kind of annoying throughout but not everybody was awful. Tanner Buchanan was fine (both acting and looks wise) as was Isabella Crovetti who played his sister Brin.

It was also awesome to see Rachael Leigh Cook and Matthew Lillard in this. Despite the fact that they didn’t reprise their roles from the original and played new characters instead, it made me feel all nostalgic to see them again. I appreciated the various callbacks made to the older version as well. Some of the lines were almost identical, if I remember correctly, and the dance battle scene at Prom was on point.

He’s All That is nothing to write home about though. Parts of it were boring and predictable and I definitely thought there was room for improvement. That being said, it wasn’t one of the worst movies I have ever seen and I think people are being way too harsh about it.

Rating: ♥♥.5

Vivo

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Ever since he was young, it was always Vivo (Lin Manuel Miranda), a kinkajou and his owner Andres (Juan de Marcos Gonzalez) against the world playing music for the people of Havana. When tragedy strikes, Vivo takes it upon himself to deliver a love song from Andres to Marta Sandoval (Gloria Estefan), his lost love and a famous singer. With the help of a teenage girl named Gabi (Ynairaly Simo), they travel through Florida in hopes of getting to Marta’s farewell concert before it’s too late.

Vivo had been on my list for some time. I really wanted to see it because of Lin Manuel Miranda who not only stars as the title character, but who wrote and composed all the music. They were certainly the highlight of the film and brought such a bright atmosphere to an otherwise somber movie.

Despite the colorful setting and the very talented cast which also included the likes of Zoe Saldana, Michael Rooker, Nicole Buyer and Katie Lowes, the rest of the plot was just okay. It wasn’t very surprising and at times I kind of wanted it to move along more. I think I kind of expected more from it at times.

All that being said, Vivo is a story about hope and finding your place in the world. It is also about accepting others as well as yourself in the process. It did leave me feel warm and fuzzy inside so I guess it did it’s job!

Rating: ♥♥♥

The Kissing Booth 3

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It’s the last summer before college and Elle Evans (Joey King) is determined to make it the best one yet. Together with her best friend Lee (Joel Courtney), his girlfriend Rachel (Meganne Young) and Elle’s boyfriend Noah (Jacob Elordi), they make a plan to stay at the Flynn family beach house before it’s sold. But Elle has some decisions to make and she soon finds herself torn between Lee and Noah. Lee wants her to go to Berkeley with him like they always planned, but Noah is banking on her choosing Harvard where he studies. It will surely be a summer neither of them will forget.

I was curious to see how the final instalment of The Kissing Booth trilogy would come to a close. And while I was mostly satisfied with the ending, I have to say that everything leading up to it left much to be desired.

Elle and Noah are supposed to be this cute couple that you want to root for, but fuck were they annoying. I couldn’t take their constant back and forth and just wanted them to either sit down to talk or break up for good. Instead though, Elle was whiny and would turn to anyone but Noah to talk about their issues and Noah was just a straight up douche who would flee whenever a problem arose. To say it was exhausting watching them is an understatement.

I also didn’t think the way Lee treated Elle was right. They are supposed to be best friends who have each others’ back through it all and it didn’t seem that way. I understand her choosing between the two brothers is integral to the plot, however it got old fast. No wonder Elle could barely figure out what she wanted to do with her life. She was being pulled in every direction.

All in all, I kind of expected more from The Kissing Booth 3. While the story ended on a high, it was way too messy to get there in the first place and I’m happy it’s over.

Rating: ♥♥.5

The Last Letter From Your Lover

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Ellie Haworth (Felicity Jones) is a journalist who one day stumbles across a secret love letter from 1965. Wanting to learn more about Jennifer Stirling (Shailene Woodley) and Anthony O’Hare’s (Callum Turner) love affair, her own love story unfolds with the help of Rory (Nabhaan Rizwan), an archivist who aids her in finding more letters.

Based upon the novel by Jojo Moyes, The Last Letter To Your Lover was something I knew I needed to add to my TBR before the film’s release. All I hoped for was that the adaption would be just as good as the book! Luckily I was not disappointed! The film followed the book rather closely and the few changes that were made were necessary.

The aspect that I liked most in the book was seeing how Jennifer and Anthony’s relationship blossomed and so I appreciated the way in which this was shown in the movie. The chemistry between Shailene Woodley and Callum Turner was super believable and a joy to watch. Despite knowing where the plot was going, I was still holding my breath in hopes that they would find their way back to each other.

Similarly I enjoyed the parallels between both female protagonists. I remember thinking that Ellie’s story could have been more fleshed out in the book and was therefore glad that there was more of her on screen. It really drove home her connection to the love affair and I liked how each scene seemed to be interwoven together.

There was something really charming mixing the two time periods together. Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong year and I definitely found myself yearning for the 60s while watching. The fashion in particular was absolutely stunning and I coveted all of Jennifer’s outfits.

The Last Letter From Your Lover definitely lived up to my expectations. In some ways I actually think it was better than I was hoping for. It was dreamy, heart wrenching and utterly romantic. I highly recommend it.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Fear Street Part 3: 1666

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In the final instalment of the Fear Street trilogy, we are transported back in time to 1666. Finally, we would be able to see the beginning of Sarah Fier’s curse! Not only do we have the chance to witness the events leading up to her death, but we are also able to have a better understanding of who she really was. Meanwhile, back in 1994, the teenagers are once again in a race against time to save Shadyside and put an end to the curse forever.

When the movie started, I’ll admit that I was skeptical. While I’m so happy to have learned more about Sarah, it took a little bit of time for the story to take off. As soon as things picked up though, I was completely transfixed and couldn’t tear my eyes away from the screen. I thought it was interesting as well how the lives of Sarah and Hannah seemed to mimic those of Deena and Sam’s and how at the end of the day the theme of love was at the root of the entire story.

The way in which everything came together was really impressive. I was hoping for a proper wrap up and was not let down in the slightest. There were twists and turns galore, however the main one was pulled off so incredibly well that I was left speechless. Still two days later, I am thinking about it! Now that I have seen all three films, I would love to rewatch them sequentially so that I can catch the little clues and see how they fall into place.

I am still amazed at how much of a treat Fear Street has been for me. Sure I was curious at first, but I never expected to become such a dedicated fan. I hope that this isn’t the last we have seen of this franchise but until then, I am going to seriously consider venturing future into the horror genre.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥.5

Gunpowder Milkshake

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Sam (Karen Gillan)is a dangerous assassin who has made quite a name for herself since starting out. When a mission goes wrong and she is forced to protect eight year old Emily (Chloe Coleman), Sam turns to her mother Scarlet (Lena Headey) for help. Together with Scarlet’s associates Madeleine (Carla Gugino), Florence (Michelle Yeoh) and Anna May (Angela Bassett), they must take down The Firm for good.

I had been really looking forward to Gunpowder Milkshake. A badass cast of women kicking butt and taking names? Yes please! It sounded right up my alley. Unfortunately, I did find the plot to be a bit on the weak side. Some things didn’t make sense and I would often lose track of what was happening.

That being said, there were still plenty of great aspects. I already mentioned the cast, but they really were fabulous. I could have watched them interact for hours because their chemistry was so impressive. In fact, I would totally be on board for a sequel if they ever decided to make one. That is how much I loved them all.

I thought the effects were amazing and the style in which the film was shot was very cool and different. The music was on point and the fight sequences rocked.

Overall, Gunpowder Milkshake is a fun film that radiates girl power and there is certainly nothing wrong with that! I just wish it had packed a bit more of a punch for me.

Rating: ♥♥♥