Tag: Netflix

The Princess Switch 3: Romancing The Star

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

The Princess Switch franchise is back for another holiday instalment. Following the events of last year, the story follows Queen Margaret (Vanessa Hudgens) and Princess Stacey (Vanessa Hudgens) having to do damage control when a priceless artefact is stolen. In order to get it back, they enlist the help of cousin Fiona (Vanessa Hudgens), who has been doing community service hours in a convent. Together along with Fiona’s henchmen Mindy (Florence Hall) and Reggie (Ricky Norwood) as well as a man from her past Peter (Remy Hii), they are the perfect team to outsmart Hunter (Will Kemp), the man who took it to begin with. But no Christmas is complete without a switch and once again, Margaret and Stacey are roped into the escapade.

Vanessa Hudgens is a pretty impressive actress. The fact that she plays three very different characters, each with distinctive mannerisms is not something you see every day. Sometimes it’s hard to tell each one apart, especially when they do switch and pretend to be each other. It’s always nice seeing the rest of the cast in Nick Sagar as Kevin, Sam Palladio as Prince Edward, Mia Lloyd as Olivia and Suanne Braun as Mrs. Donatelli too. The movie wouldn’t be complete without them!

The storyline this time around was more enjoyable for me. I remember feeling like something was missing from part two, however, the decision to focus more on Fiona was the right one. There was so much we didn’t know about her and learning about her past really had me sympathizing with her. The various hijinks everyone found themselves in throughout were just as out there as usual and I loved the festive atmosphere of Montenaro once more.

Overall, The Princess Switch 3: Romancing The Star, while utter crap, was fun, entertaining crap that I enjoyed every single second of. These movies are not to be taken seriously whatsoever and they are something that I look forward to each year. In all honesty, I’d be happy if they did seven more too with many more variations of Hudgens’ character because they are just so much fun.

Rating: ♥♥. 5

Red Notice

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

Red Notice follows FBI top profiler John Hartley (Dwayne Johnson) as he embarks on a mission to find some of the world’s most wanted. Nolan Booth (Ryan Reynolds), a renowned art thief, is trust into Hartley’s way, forcing the two of them to team up to find The Bishop (Gal Gadot), another art thief who is always one step ahead. On the hunt for Cleopatra’s eggs, Hartley and Booth will stop at nothing to get to them first, even if it means traveling the world, participating in some heists and having to put up with one another in the process.

My hopes for this film were high. How could they not be? Three of the most popular names in cinema right now star along side each other in this action adventure flick and I like them all individually. The chemistry between Johnson and Reynolds was exactly what I had anticipated while Gadot was great addition to the mix. My only problem with this trio was that once again, Reynolds was basically playing himself. I realized that this was the third movie I had seen him in this year and he really does tend to play the same type of character over and over again. While I do enjoy him as an actor, I also wouldn’t be mad if I didn’t see him in any projects in the coming year. I need a break.

I liked the storyline and thought the quest was interesting enough. There were some fun chase sequences and lots of twists along the way. The action was sort of lack lustre on the whole, however, and there was a bit too much predictability. I wish I had been caught off guard a few more times.

Netflix movies have mostly been full of misses lately and that makes me sad. I was really looking forward to Red Notice and while it was entertaining enough, my expectations weren’t really met. That being said, they set it up nicely for a sequel which I would still undoubtedly watch.

Rating: ♥♥. 5

Love Hard

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

Natalie (Nina Dobrev) is a hopeless romantic journalist from LA who has been on countless dates over the years. When she matches with handsome Tag (Darren Barnet) who lives on the East Coast, Natalie thinks that her luck is finally changing. The two spend a couple of blissful weeks talking non-stop until Tag suggests she visits him for the holidays. Taking a leap of faith, Natalie is completely surprised when she discovers that she has been catfished by Tag’s childhood friend Josh (Jimmy O. Yang). To get her to stay, Josh says he’ll help Natalie land Tag if she pretends to be his girlfriend in front of his family (James Saito, Rebecca Staab, Althea Kaye, Harry Shum Jr. and Mikaela Hoover) he tries so hard to impress.

I actually wasn’t going to review Love Hard at first. I thought it would be just another Netflix movie that would be forgettable right after I finished it. Well, I was totally wrong. While it wasn’t a masterpiece of any sort, I loved absolutely every single minute of it and figured that there was no way that I couldn’t not write about it!

There was never a question as to whether or not I’d watch the movie. The cast, in particular, reeled me in. I’ve been a fan of Nina Dobrev’s since her Vampire Diaries days. I hadn’t seen her in much lately which is a shame because she’s such a likeable person. Darren Barnet of Never Have I Ever fame is a rising star. Mark my words, he will be in a lot more projects for years to come. His looks don’t hurt either. It was also a treat having Harry Shum Jr. in this as Josh’s overbearing, perfectionist brother.

What I liked most about this film was the moral it wanted to share. Never judge a book by it’s cover. I feel like this is so important, especially today where social media has such a strong influence. It’s so easy to pretend to be somebody else, but it is important to be yourself regardless. While some say that the outcome of the story was not entirely believable, I think it worked perfectly for the tone.

Love Hard officially marked my first Christmas movie of 2021. I swear I’m starting earlier and earlier, though I can’t lie and say that I really mind. Not only was it adorable, it had me laughing multiple times and swooning at others. It was a perfect light, feel good movie that instantly put a smile on my face right when I needed it.

Rating: ♥♥♥.5

Army of Thieves

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

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

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

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

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

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

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

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

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

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

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

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

Published on by DanielaLeave a comment

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