A
young woman disenchanted with love mysteriously finds herself trapped inside a
romantic comedy.
MY 2 CENTS:
I
won’t lie, I love romantic comedies… they are my guilty pleasure! Plus, I am a
huge fan of Rebel Wilson, her comedic timing is amazing. So, after watching the
preview, I was all in!
Writing/Story: ★★★★
This movie was clever! Think of every romcom cliché
you can… now, imagine them all in one movie… what you get is ‘Isn’t It Romantic’.
The thing is, in this film, it works. It’s a parody on romantic comedies… The
movie is making fun of all romantic comedies well being one of the funniest, wittiest,
and most beguiling romantic comedies I’ve seen in a while.
This story could have gone south… and tanked, but writers
Erin Cardillo, Dana Fox, and
Katie Silberman obviously have a clear understanding of what works in a
romantic comedy and what we all make fun of. They gave us a perfect balance of
comedy and emotion.
Cinematography ★★★★
I have nothing bad to say about the cinematography
in this film… nothing amazing either.
Character(s)/Acting: ★★★★★
Rebel Wilson was amazing, as she always is. Her comedic timing alone could have carried the film, if that had been necessary. However, with the cast line up this movie had, there was no question it would be fun to watch.
Having Adam Devine and Rebel Wilson playing off each other, yet again, seemed like one of the most natural things in the world. Their chemistry on film may have started in Pitch Perfect, but I have a feeling it will continue for years to come.
Liam Hemsworth, as Blake, did a great job playing the arrogant, good looking, rich guy… and a bit clueless too.
Betty Gilpin, as Whitney, was fantastic. The part is a bit underrated but Gilpin made the role something to remember. If you don’t know Gilpen, then you need to watch GLOW… she is brilliant!
MY FAVORITE QUOTES:
“My life’s become a mother-BEEPing romantic comedy and it’s PG-13.”
TO SUM IT UP:
If
you like Romcoms… laughing… and just an all around feel good movie, then you
should watch this one. Grab a cozy blanket, a bucket of popcorn, a couple
glasses of wine (or your favorite beverage), your significant other, and settle
in for a great date night in!
Have
you seen ‘Isn’t It Romantic’ yet? Let me know your thoughts, in the comments
below. Tell me what you thought of the movie. As always, I do recommend seeing
this film for yourself and forming your own opinion.
Check out my YouTube channel and the video
review below… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video.
Twenty-seven
years after their first encounter with the terrifying Pennywise, the Losers
Club have grown up and moved away, until a devastating phone call brings them
back.
MY 2 CENTS:
I
have to say, seeing as Stephen King is my favorite author, this film is
probably my most anticipated films of the year. I loved the book, thought the
mini-series back in 1990 did an amazing job bringing the book to life, and
really enjoyed the 2017 version of IT Chapter One. With the whole cast from the
2017 version coming back for Chapter Two plus the addition of Jessica Chastain,
James McAvoy, Bill Hader, and so many other awesome actors I can’t deny I was
very excited going into the theatre.
There
is a lot to love about this film… there are also a few things I didn’t really
care for. Now, I’ve heard complaints about the movie’s length, at 2 hours and
49 minutes it is a very long movie, but you have to consider the length of the
book… Like most Stephen King novels, it’s not short!
Writing/Story: ★★★★★
As I said before, this movie is based on the novel
IT by Stephen King. When IT was originally adapted to live action, it was a
mini-series on television. I remember eating it up. I had just finished reading
the book and couldn’t wait to see it. With it being a mini-series, they were
able to really get a lot of the details from the book into the show… something
you can’t really do when it’s a movie on the big screen, you just don’t have
the time to fit it all in.
Splitting the movie into two parts, Chapter One and
Chapter Two, did allow for more detail, but I felt as an audience member that
chopping it up so much really made certain aspects of the films uneven. Plus, when
you really look at what the movie is about, an evil clown comes to town every
27 years and kills kids… it’s a little surprising how long the movie is. Both
movies pretty much have the same plot – Pennywise is back, killing kids, and the
members of the Loser Club have to fight and kill him.
I think one of the reasons I really liked the
original mini-series and even why I liked the 2017 movie a little more than
this one is because you really get to feel what they are going through from a
kids perspective. Think about it, evil creepy clown running around town in the sews
killing kids… as a kid, that is some seriously scary stuff. However, with these
characters, they approach Pennywise in much the same way they did as children,
they have all the same fears they did 27 years before. However, that isn’t
really realistic, as we get older, we change, people evolve, what we are afraid
of changes and we approach our fears in a different way.
Cinematography ★★★
I think there are some really great shots in in this
movie. However, I also think that the way it was filmed gave away a little too
much too quickly. Sure, as the audience, we already know who Pennywise is and
what he looks like, but I just think with a scary movie there is something to
say for keeping the monster hidden that amps up the suspense. It seemed that
Pennywise got a lot of screen time in this film, which took the scare level
down significantly for me.
Computer-Generated
Imagery (CGI): ★★
Fun
fact about the young actors who played the Losers Club members in IT Chapter
One: They grew tremendously in the 2 years following filming that they actually
had to be digitally ‘de-aged’ in some scenes because they looked significantly
older than before. For me, every time I noticed it – which was often throughout
the film – it pulled me out of the moment. I get that there really wasn’t another
way to do it, since the flashback scenes with the kids had to look like they
were from the same time period as the 2017 film, but for me the technique just
wasn’t executed that well.
Character(s)/Acting: ★★★★★
Let’s
talk about Character(s) and acting… First off, there isn’t a whole lot of
character building in this movie. I understand that we, as the audience, already
know the characters from when they were children in the first movie, however
this is 27 years later… people tend to change, a lot, in 27 years. The movie
gives us only one scene for each of the main characters to show us what they
are like now. It just feels really rushed as the movie pushes the characters
together, trying to get them back to Derry. Then, once they are there the pace
slows down considerably and it almost feels to slow with not enough action.
In
terms of acting… WOW! Everyone is really strong. Both the adults playing the Loser
Club as well as their child actor counterparts.
I
think one of my favorite scenes is when they all first come together, at the
restaurant. They haven’t seen each other is 27 years and yet there is an
instant connection. You can see and feel the comradery as if they have remained
close friends all their lives. They do a really good job of making it seem like
these adults are the grown versions of the kids we saw jut two years ago in the
2017 movie. Mannerisms and speech patterns are all very similar and it helps to
be able to connect each of the children actors to their adult counterparts.
Best
actor award has to go to Bill Skarsgard who plays Pennywise. Pennywise is just
a wonderful role for an actor. Tim Curry was amazing as Pennywise in the 1990 mini-series
and Bill Skarsgard has done a wonderful job in both the 2017 and 2019 files. He
is creepy – Defiantly the thing that nightmares are made of.
MY FAVORITE QUOTES:
“See,
the thing about being a loser, you don’t have anything to lose. So, be true. Be
brave. Stand. Believe. And don’t ever forget, we’re losers, and we always will
be.” ~ Losers Club (IT Chapter Two)
“Here’s
Johnny” ~ Henry Bowers
The
reason I like this one so much is because it’s a throwback to another Stephen King
book, The Shining when Jack Torrance has gone crazy and is chopping down the
bathroom door with an axe to kill his wife.
TO SUM IT UP:
Although
I enjoyed this film, maybe not as much as the 2017 movie, I have to say it just
doesn’t fully live up to the 1990’s mini-series. However, I do tend to lean toward
originals more so then remakes and books rather than movies.
Have
you seen IT Chapter Two yet? Did you see IT Chapter One, or better yet did you
see the Original IT Mini Series? And, even more importantly, have you read the
book? Let me know your answers, in the comments below. Tell me what you thought
of the book, the mini-series, or the movies! I’d love to know. As always, I do
recommend seeing this film for yourself and forming your own opinion.
Check out my YouTube channel and the video review below… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video.
Open the video and watch it on YouTube so you can subscribe to my channel and never miss a video!
Through
his bond with his owner, aspiring Formula One race car driver Denny, golden
retriever Enzo learns that the techniques needed on the racetrack can also be
used to successfully navigate the journey of life.
IMDB STORY LINE:
Dog
lovers often believe their canine family members understand language,
comprehend events, have opinions, and exude loyalty. In “The Art of Racing
in The Rain”, wise old dog Enzo Swift shares thoughts about the life
experiences which prepared him to protect his family in times of greatest need.
MY 2 CENTS:
So,
2019 seems to be the year of dog movies. Earlier this year we had A Dog’s
Way Home and A Dog’s Journey. Now, The Art of Racing in the Rain.
So, have you seen this movie? If so, what did you think of it? I need your
comments down below.
Let’s
jump right in and talk about the critical points…
Writing/Story: ★★★
The writing is good… average. I wish I had read
the book, so I’d be able to compare it, but I didn’t. So, I will say this,
there isn’t a whole lot of meaningful dialogue in this one. There are a lot of
cute little one liners but not a lot of substantial dialogue where the
characters are getting to know each other or connecting on a meaningful level.
It has a strong made for TV feel about it.
The story is cute… who doesn’t like a movie centered
around a cute dog. However, when this one takes a turn… leaving the dog story
for a bit and focuses more on the human aspect of the film, that’s when we
really get to see it for what it is… a Lifetime movie with a pretty common
plot.
Sure, there are some emotional moments and some
tragic things happen. Things that could happen to anyone… things that will break
your heart if they happen in real life. However, it’s the way they go about it
in this film that just didn’t hit the right emotional buttons with me.
With that said, most dog movies are seen as family
films, but this one does hit on topics that are a bit too depressing for kids
to be entertained by.
Cinematography ★★★
Honestly, there just wasn’t anything sensationally
about the cinematography in this film. Nothing to wright home about. There was
one scene, when Denny is racing in the rain and
Character(s)/Acting: ★★★★
I
have to say the Best Actor award in this one has to go to the dog. Or rather,
dogs, plural. There were multiple dogs that played Enzo, but seriously these
dogs did an amazing job. Kudos to the trainers on set, they did a fantastic job
getting the dogs to do exactly what was needed for this film. Plus, with Kevin
Costner’s voice giving life to the dog how could the film really go wrong,
right? His timing and delivery of Enzo’s lines was perfect.
Our
other two main characters were Amanda Seyfried, who played Eve, and Milo
Ventimiglia who played Denny Swift.
Amanda
was great, she always is. She is a natural on screen and wow… I didn’t see that
coming. This movie, as I’m sure the book did, took a major turn with her character.
I won’t give it away, but I wasn’t expecting it. She did a beautiful job
showing true emotion throughout her performance, I just wish we could have seen
a bit more of it from the dog’s perspective.
Milo
did a good job too; I’ve enjoyed his acting since his days on The Gilmore
Girls. I think he felt a little stiff in this one, but over all not bad. He had
some good emotion driven moments, but all in all his character was more one
liners than deep, true, conversation. The movie is called The Art of Racing in
the Rain, I really wish we could have seen him race a bit more. We saw him
drive around the race track… mostly when there weren’t other drivers on the
track with him. I felt a little gipped that we didn’t get to see a few good
races.
MY FAVORITE QUOTES:
“There
is no dishonor in losing the race. There is only dishonor in not racing because
you are afraid to lose.”
TO SUM IT UP:
The
story as a whole, wasn’t bad. When the focus was on the dog… telling the story
from the dog’s perspective, I was really into it. It was when it took a turn
and focused more on the human aspects of the story instead of what it was… a story
about a dog… that’s when it lost my focus a bit.
Listen,
with that said, this movie is still really good. If you loved it, I’m glad. I enjoyed
it too. I know I might not have the most popular opinion about this film, but
my job here is as a critic… I look at all aspects of the film and tell you what
I think. This one just didn’t move me in ways other dog movies have moved me
other the years. Sure, I got teary eyed once… I didn’t cry, but I got a bit of
blurry vision when the Enzo road in the race car, and sure there are some
serious – SERIOUS – topics discussed and things happen… terrible – sad things
that I did get emotional about. I knew nothing about the movie before seeing
it, other than it was narrated by a dog… I don’t want to give away to much
since I’m sure not everyone watching this video has seen the film.
Have
you seen The Art of Racing in the Rain yet? Have you read the book? If you have
let me know, in the comments below, what you thought of either the book or the
movie! I’d love to know. I haven’t read the book, but I plan to and I do
recommend seeing this film. Watch it yourself and see what you think.
Check out my YouTube channel and the video review below… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video.
Carol
Danvers becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught
in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races.
IMDB STORY LINE:
After crashing an experimental aircraft, Air Force pilot Carol Danvers is discovered by the Kree and trained as a member of the elite Starforce Military under the command of her mentor Yon-Rogg. Six years later, after escaping to Earth while under attack by the Skrulls, Danvers begins to discover there’s more to her past. With help from S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury, they set out to unravel the truth.
MY 2 CENTS:
Writing/Story: ★★★ The Marvel Cinematic Universe is
finally introduced to Carol Danvers, played by Brie Larson. She learns about
her past, she discovers who she is, and she finds herself caught in the middle
of a war between two alien races and realizes she is more powerful than she ever
knew or thought possible.
Carol Danvers is the everyday woman turned female hero. In my opinion, we don’t have enough female heroes on screen so I was really looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. I understand that when the lead character doesn’t know anything about their past, it can be difficult to tell the story and portray that disassociation to the audience. With Carol Danvers, we learn about her past at the same time she does, through audio recordings and short flashes of things that happened in her past. It’s similar to when you’re reading a book and the author just word vomits all over you, telling you what happened instead of showing you. I wanted to see Carol physically discovering her powers, reacting to things instinctively, which would then lead to sparks of memories. Instead, more often than not these memories were brought on by the audio recordings, the short flashes of memory, and her visits with the Supreme Intelligence (played by Annette Bening) which is somehow supposed to tell her or show her what she most desires… I won’t even get into that because it was just a really strange plot line to me.
Honestly, for me, this was more of a Nick Fury movie…
It was my first experience really getting to know the Character of Nick Fury
and I thought Samuel L. Jackson did a great job with the role. I loved seeing the
younger version of Nick Fury since my only other experience with him was in Spiderman:
Far from Home earlier this year. Captain Marvel was more of a buddy cop movie
staring Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson. Or an amnesia self-discover movie…
or maybe it’s a fish out of water movie since she comes to earth and has no
idea how earth operates.
Cinematography ★★★ Visually, there just wasn’t much to talk about with this film. There isn’t a whole lot of style with this one. This film felt like a series of storyboard moments. The actors are intentionally framed, and their performing but there is no really remarkable style to speak of. That isn’t to say there aren’t good moments. There are. There are a couple really fun fight sequences and a cool slow-motion walk to the space craft, but other than that there just isn’t a lot of visual style to it.
Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI): ★★★★★ I have to say one of the most noteworthy aspects of this film was the CGI done to de-age Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson). Truly amazing CGI. If for no other reason than to see the stunning CGI work, this one is worth the TV rental fee. After the first scene or two, I stopped noticing and they seemed completely natural, which to me is the sign of a truly gifted CGI team. If you stop noticing the CGI and it starts blending into the rest of the film then you know they’ve done a great job.
Character(s)/Acting: ★★★ I felt like Brie Larson, although maybe not my choice for Carol Danvers, she did have some good moments. The chemistry between her and Samuel L. Jackson was fun to watch. They played nicely off of each other and the banter back and forth was very clever and entertaining.
Like
I said, Brie Larson wouldn’t really be my choice for Carol Danvers. It isn’t
because I don’t think she is a good actress, I do. I loved her in Room, and
honestly think she is fantastic in the right role. However, in this film she
just wasn’t the right choice. She doesn’t seem to fit the strong superhero persona.
Her acting style felt forced and she seemed stiff and uncomfortable in the
costume, and her movements were choppy, rather than fluid, during the fight
sequences.
Although
I felt like Lashana Lynch did a decent job at Maria, Carol’s best friend, there
just didn’t seem to be much chemistry between the two actresses. Sure, Carol
doesn’t have any memory of their friendship, but Maria does… There should have
been some sign of that internal struggle she would have been feeling having
lost her best friend, thinking she was dead for years, and then having her show
up on her doorstep. I just wish there had been more of an emotional connection
between the two of them. Without that, I just didn’t really care for the
characters.
MY FAVORITE QUOTE:
“I’m
not gonna fight your war. I’m gonna end it.” ~ Carol Danvers
Honestly, this is a pretty good superhero
quote and to me, probably the most superhero thing Carol Danvers says in this film.
TO SUM IT UP:
I
was more disappointed than I was entertained. The movie isn’t terrible… but it’s
not great… it just seemed to fall flat.
Have
you seen Captain Marvel yet? If you have let me know, in the comments below,
what you thought of it! As always, I do recommend seeing this film and finding
out for yourself what you think of it. My opinions might not line up with yours
and you might just love the film.
Check out my YouTube channel and the video review below… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video.
Alita is a creation from an age of despair. Found by the mysterious Dr. Ido while trolling for cyborg parts, Alita becomes a lethal, dangerous being. She cannot remember who she is, or where she came from. But to Dr. Ido, the truth is all too clear. She is the one being who can break the cycle of death and destruction left behind from Tiphares. But to accomplish her true purpose, she must fight and kill. And that is where Alita’s true significance comes to bear. She is an angel from heaven. She is an angel of death. Written byAnthony Harmon
MY 2 CENTS:
Writing/Story: ★★★★
This movie was Based on a graphic novel series by Yukito Kishiro. I haven’t read the graphic novel series so I can’t compare them to the movie. I’m just reviewing what I saw on screen and I personally think that James Cameron and Laeta Kalogridis did an awesome job with the adaption and that Robert Rodriquez was exactly the right director to bring it to life.
Right from the start of the film, you are swept away in this mysterious, dangerous new world where nothing is as we know it today yet the societal struggles of class are all too familiar.
The only think I really had a problem
with was the unnecessary romantic storyline. I didn’t really believe the
relationship between Alita and the local boy who falls in love with her.
Cinematography: ★★★★★
I don’t usually call out the cinematographer by name, but this film was so much fun to watch and the imagery that Bill Pope gave us on screen was truly beautiful. The world created in this film is stunning and the effects are amazing!
The motor ball scenes which depict this
world’s sporting event are insane. Basically, the players go around a race-track
with a metal ball that they have to capture. Its violent and fast-paced, and so
exciting. As a movie goer, I was drawn right in.
The visuals in this world are insane!!!
The fight sequences are so exciting. I love a strong female character, but I do
think that Alita is a character than all movie goers can enjoy.
Character(s)/Acting: ★★★★
Rosa Salazar was fantastic as Alita and the special effects associated with her character were astounding. I will definitely be checkout out more of her work.
Christoph Waltz was good as Dr. Dyson Ido. You could really feel his fatherly love for Alita as well as his internal struggle with what he was doing just to survive.
I’m a Jennifer Connelly fan but with this film, I felt that her character was really under-utilized. There just wasn’t much character development with her character. I felt like they could have done so much more with her.
Mahershala Ali was another actor that just felt stagnant in this film. There wasn’t much to his character. He was a puppet and I felt like just about anyone could have played his role.
Keean Johnson who plays Hugo, Alita’s love interest, actually surprised me. No, I didn’t believe the romance between them, but he did a great job with his internal struggle. He so desperately wanted to get up to the upper world and will do, and has done, literally anything he has to do to get there. Then, when he meets Alita his starts to struggle with some of his decisions.
MY FAVORITE QUOTES:
“This is just a body. It’s not bad or good. That part’s up to you.” ~ Dr. Dyson Ido
“You’ve been given a chance to start over with a clean slate. How many of us get that?” ~ Dr. Dyson Ido
TO SUM IT UP:
Overall,
I loved this film. I’ve seen some less than flattering reviews on it, but I
really enjoyed it and think it was a lot of fun. Sometimes you really just want
a fun, strong, unstoppable character and that’s what you get with Alita.
Have
you seen Alita: Battle Angel yet? If you have let me know, in the comments
below, what you thought of it!
Check out my YouTube channel and the video
review below… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video.
The early 1970s. William Miller is
15-years old and an aspiring rock journalist. He gets a job writing for Rolling
Stone magazine. His first assignment: tour with the band Stillwater and write
about the experience. Miller will get to see what goes on behind the scenes in
a famous band, including the moments when things fall apart. Moreover, for him,
it will be a period of new experiences and finding himself. Written by grantss
MY 2 CENTS:
Let me start by saying that I’ve seen this film at
least a dozen times. It’s one of my all-time favorite films. This film is one
of the most thoughtful and emotional journeys that you can experience in a
film. When the movie was over, I felt like I had been on a rollercoaster of
emotions. I was connected to the characters and invested in their journey.
Writing/Story: ★★★★★ Almost Famous takes place back in
the year 1973 and is all about William miller a 15-year old aspiring rock
journalist as he travels across the country with a band called Stillwater. William
has been hired to write a feature story about Stillwater for an upcoming issue
of Rolling Stone magazine and has to interview the band. Eventually, William
forms a deep bond with the band members and the band-aides a group of women who
follow the band while on tour. The band-aides are led by Penny Lane (played by
Kate Hudson).
Character(s): ★★★★★
Character
development is usually something I talk about when reviewing books rather than
movies, but this film really shows you the truth in the lives of these characters.
They are so invested in living in the present moment… the here and now… something
I often talk about in my #MindfulnessMonday posts and videos, but something often
taken for granted living in 2019. I really enjoyed seeing these characters
living this amazing Rockstar life. They experienced highs and lows, but seemed
to take things more in stride than maybe we tend to do these days. While the
characters still dealt with stress and conflict, everything just seemed simpler.
I’m not saying simple as in unrealistic ether… as a movie viewer, you are
fulling invested in their lives and almost feel like you’re on tour with Stillwater
too.
Cinematography: ★★★★★
This film is so fun to watch and it isn’t just the acting and the writing – the
camera angles and lighting have a lot to do with it. One scene that really defines
this film for me, is when they are all on the tour bus and break into song
singing ‘Tiny Dancer’ by Elton John.
Acting: ★★★★★ AMAZING!!! Whenever you’re
watching extremely recognizable stars on the big screen, it can be hard to suspend
your disbelieve. However, even though this movie is packed with amazing actors
we already know and love, there wasn’t a single moment when actor recognition
pulled me out of the film. Each of the actors took on their role and became
their characters for the 122 minutes of this film. They were utterly believable
and profoundly realistic.
MY FAVORITE QUOTES:
“From
here on out, I am only interested in what is real. Real people, real feelings,
that’s it, that’s all I’m interested in.” ~ Russell Hammond
“I
always tell the girls, never take it seriously, if ya never take it seriously,
ya never get hurt, ya never get hurt, ya always have fun, and if you ever get
lonely, just go to the record store and visit your friends.” ~ Penny Lane
TO SUM IT UP:
Overall,
I really loved this film. It’s an amazing story about love, life, and the
pursuit of happiness. The cast is stock full of phenomenal actors with the acting
chops to pull off the story in a realistic, heart twisting way. The soundtrack
captures the 70s and makes you really feel like you’re there. Then, to top it
off, the cinematography pulls you in and paints a beautiful picture that even
if seen in still frames you’d be able to feel all of the emotions of the feature
film. There was NOTHING I didn’t like in this film.
Have
you seen Almost famous yet? If you have let me know, in the comments below,
what you thought of it!
Check out my YouTube channel and the video
review below… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video.
Would you prefer to watch the video review, instead of reading it? CLICK HERE
Title: Swiped (2018) Director: Ann Deborah Fishman Writer: Ann Deborah Fishman Stars: Noah Centineo, Kristen Johnston, George Hamilton, Christian Hutcherson, Kendall Ryan Sanders, and Nathan Gamble Genre: Comedy Runtime: 93 minutes
Let me first say this… Just because I didn’t really care for this movie doesn’t mean you won’t like it. I don’t typically review movies and books that I don’t care for because I don’t want to discourage anyone else from seeing a movie that they might enjoy.
STORYLINE: James, a college freshman and computer genius, is enlisted by his womanizing roommate, Lance, to code the ultimate hook-up app. But when James discovers that his divorced mother is using the app, unexpected consequences ensue.
MY 2 CENTS:
Writing/Story: ★★ This one is cliché! We’ve seen this
story a thousand times… sure it’s updated a bit with the introduction of
technology and the invention of an app, but honestly its just ‘Revenge of the
Nerds’ meets ‘Sydney White’ meets ‘American Pie’ meets ‘Animal House’. The problem
is, this one doesn’t quiet hit the mark.
Acting: ★★★ Leigh-Allyn Baker (Leah Singer) is the one shining light in
this film. She does a beautiful job playing the single parent trying to be ok
with her situation while inside she is broken.
MY FAVORITE QUOTES:
“You
must be my, soon to be transferred to another college, roommate.” ~ Lance Black
Check out my YouTube channel and the video
review below… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video.
Would you prefer to watch the video review, instead of reading it? CLICK HERE
Title: Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) Director: Jon Watts Writers: Chris McKenna and Eric Sommers Based on the Marvel Comic by: Stan Lee and Steve Ditko Stars: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Jake Gyllenhaal, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon Genre(s): Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi Runtime: 129 minutes Rated: PG-13
Following the events of Avengers: Endgame (2019), Spider-Man (played by Tom Holland) must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.
Writing: ★★★★★ Spider-Man Far From Home is an
action packed follow-up to the previous Spider-Man Homecoming that takes place
after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Peter Parker is back after the snap –
back from the 5-year blip that made half the world’s population disappear and
he just wants to be a normal kid. Unfortunately, his is quickly called into
action by Nick Fury who manages to hijack Peter’s class trip bringing Peter and
his friends directly in the middle of all the action and danger.
Cinematography: ★★★★★
There are some extremely well-done shots in this movie. The fast-paced
movements were edited perfectly. The awesome part… and this is a SPOILER… we
get to see it as if we are backstage on a movie set. SO COOL!!!
Story: ★★★★ The story telling in Spider-Man Far From Home is like no other superhero movie that I’ve seen. It plays games with not only Peter Parkers perception of reality, but that of the viewing audience as well. This movie is all about escape, wonder, adventure, heroism, drama, characters. This story dovetails off of Endgame and shows us what the world is like today after everything that happened in Endgame.
This
has to be one of my favorite Spider-Man movies ever made. I think one of the
main reasons I really enjoyed this story, and the movies in which Tom Holland
has played Spider-Man, is because we actually get to see Spider-Man as a kid
learning what it means to take on the responsibility of becoming a superhero.
They
gave us a mid-credit scene that is incredible… it changes everything you
thought you knew about what would be next for Spider-Man. SPOILER – It turns
things around and sets up Spider-Man to be the bad guy. Then, they take it one
step further and spill his identity to the world by broadcasting his name and
photo. So, make sure you stay to watch it!
Acting: ★★★★ Tom Holland is my Spider-Man! He feels completely natural in this role and does a great job.
I
loved that they brought in Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) because we only got a
little glimpse of him at the end of End Game. Samuel L Jackson just oozes control
and he plays the part of Nick Fury so well.
Jake
Gyllenhaal playing Quentin Beck (Mysterio) does a fantastic job… You believe him
as this hero fighting this massive enemy. You want him to win… you want him to
take Peter Parker under his wing, now that Iron Man is gone, and teach him
everything he knows… SPOILER – WRONG!!! He is so good a making you believe he
is the good guy and it just rips you apart when you find out you were wrong
about him the whole time.
MY FAVORITE QUOTES:
“I
just want to go on my trip with my friends. Europe doesn’t really need a
friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.” ~ Peter Parker
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A New York cop and his wife go on a European
vacation to reinvigorate the spark in their marriage, but end up getting framed
and on the run for the death of an elderly billionaire.
MY 2 CENTS:
Writing: ★★★ The writing is really the only
thing holding this film together and it wasn’t that great. It has a decent plot
– a New York cop and his wife go on a vacation they probably can’t afford and
they end up getting framed for the murder of a billionaire. I guess they would
have motive because they don’t have much money to start with, but come on.
Alternate Ending… There were hints at
the beginning of the film… Jennifer Aniston’s character commented on how her
husband, played by Adam Sandler, never listens. She has wanted to go on this
vacation for years. In fact, it’s their honeymoon, but they have been married
for a pretty long time already. Second hint… he was reading a murder mystery on
the plane – she loves them. Where, as an author, I thought the film should go
was that Adam Sandler was saving money for years, planning the perfect murder
mystery vacation for his wife. In the end we would find out it was all a big
game, just like in the movie The Game.
Nope, that isn’t what happened. You’ll
just have to watch it for yourself to see the disappointing end.
Cinematography: ★★★
There were some decent shots when they were in the car chase, but other than
that, the cinematography was nothing to write home about.
Story: ★★★ I thing I covered this when I was talking about the writing. I would have done things a bit different with the ending to allow for a plot twist that this movie failed to give the viewers.
Acting: ★★★ I’ve never been a huge fan of Adam Sandler;
he tends to yell to much in his films. However, he didn’t do that in this one.
No, in fact, he was very subdued. The acting wasn’t terrible, but it could have
been better.
I like Jennifer Aniston, I have since her
time on Friends, but she is a lot like Brad Pitt… nice to look at but a little
one noted when it comes to character development.
MY FAVORITE QUOTES:
“All
women are actresses, dear. I’m just clever enough to get paid for it.”
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review below… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video.
View
the Official Trailers Here!
Scene
shot by shot with Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, and the rest of the cast!
Other movies with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston!
Ben Is Back follows the charming yet troubled Ben Burns (Lucas Hedges), who returns home to his unsuspecting family one fateful Christmas Eve. Ben’s wary mother Holly Burns (Julia Roberts) welcomes her beloved son’s return, but soon learns he is still very much in harm’s way. During the 24 hours that may change their lives forever, Holly must do everything in her power to avoid the family’s downfall.
AWARDS:
Lucas Hedges won the award for Best Performance by an Actor 23 and Under at the Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society Awards. I’m actually surprised this movie didn’t bring in more awards.
MY 2 CENTS:
Writing: ★★★★★ Let me start by admitting that I’ve never suffered with Addiction or known anyone who has, not really. Watching this film, I was moved. The truth in the scenes and the raw openness of the dialogue draws you in rips your heart out. Writer Peter Hedges, who also happened to direct this film, does a wonderful job of telling Lucas’ story. I think the message was powerful and devastating. He doesn’t sugarcoat the pain, deceit, and manipulation involved in an addict’s life.
Cinematography: ★★★ There was nothing special or different about the cinematography in this film. It wasn’t great… it wasn’t terrible… it just was.
Story: ★★★★ I recently watched ‘Beautiful Boy’ with Steve Carell… another movie about a son who is an addict, only this time it focuses on a father-son relationship. If I had to compare the two movies, I’d say ‘Beautiful Boy’ was more realistic. With that said, I’ve read a number of reviews for ‘Ben Is Back’ stating that the story is unrealistic, the events would never happen, and that Julia’s character would never do the things she does in the film. As a mother, I will say, there is very little I wouldn’t do to help my children.
Acting: ★★★★★ Really, there are only two performances
that need to be discussed; Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges because they carried
this film. Without them, there wouldn’t be a story.
I’ve always loved Julia Roberts, she gives
everything to every roll she takes and with this one… she is raw, exposed,
desperate, and unconditionally loving. She gave an outstanding performance and,
as a mother, left me in tears.
Lucas Hedges really impressed me with his
performance. Sure, he is the director’s son and it probably got him the roll,
but I think he held his own. I am not at all surprised that he won an award for
this performance. In this brief 24-hour glimpse into his life we are both swept
away by his playful nature with his younger siblings and blindsided by the devastating
admissions into his past. Hedges does a beautiful job portraying not only the
victim but the instigator.
MY FAVORITE QUOTES:
“You
don’t know what you’re doing. I’m not worth it. If you really knew me, you’d be
done with me.” ~ Ben Burns
I
think the reason I love this quote so much is because it shows just how much someone
can fail to see their own self-worth. Ben is convinced he is no good, can do
nothing right, and will always fail. But when he says this, he is talking to
the one person in the world who will never be able to see him that way, his
mother.
Check out my YouTube channel and the video
review below… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video.
View
the Official Trailers Here!
Interview
with Julia Roberts on Good Morning America
Nina Soden 