Rating: 4.75/5

I honestly felt like I was on the Barbie bandwagon before seeing this movie, but now having watched it, I’m on board more than I even thought I’d be. 

Barbie was easily my most anticipated film of the summer. Due to a busy schedule, I wasn’t able to see it on its opening weekend, but once I finally was able to head to my theater and watch it, I was giddy with anticipation. From the moment it starts, you know you’re about to witness two hours of sheer brilliance. From the script, set design, and most of all, the performances, Barbie is a pure delight. 

With a movie like Barbie that is so heavily stylized, it is imperative that the performances be 100% committed to every ounce of the movie’s over the top concepts. Without that, the fantasy just doesn’t create the necessary buy in. For Barbie, every single person understood the assignment. From the titular Barbie to the barely mentioned Midge the Pregnant Barbie, each actor allowed Barbieland to come to vibrant pink life. Margot Robbie is phenomenal and leads this film with impeccable humor and heart. Ryan Gosling is her perfect on screen match, bringing a flawless comedic timing to every single scene he’s in. 

When I first saw the trailers for Barbie, I’d hoped that it could at least get nominated at the Oscars for set and costume design, but now having seen the movie, I want it nominated for every award it can receive; and I honestly think it has a chance. The screenplay is genius. I knew Barbie would have a commentary that was far beyond the importance of dolls and pink, and it absolutely does, but it hits the nail on the head in a way that’s both poignant and incredibly humorous. For acting, if there were ever a nomination for a comedy performance that deserved recognition, it’s definitely Ryan Gosling. Heck, I’d even though Michael Cera’s performance into the ring, as few scenes as he had, he was hysterical. I’d heard that with the smashing success of Barbie, that Mattel is now planning on releasing a series of movies based on their most popular toys. I find it hard to believe that a Hot Wheels movie will be as important and clever as Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, but hey, I’ll be the first to admit it if I’m wrong. 

I cannot wait to see Barbie again. I know there were countless things I missed in the background, and this is definitely a movie that demands multiple viewings. It’s a joy through and through and deserves every ounce of praise it has been receiving.

Rating: 4.75/5

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is a movie I predict is destined to become a classic just like it’s source material. 

Though I was a fairly avid reader as a child, I personally never picked up a copy of any of Judy Blume’s books, but I was always aware of them. Prior to seeing Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, I didn’t know much about it other than that it was a coming of age tale. This particular genre can seem stale at times, but even though Margaret’s story is one told many times before, it still feels incredibly fresh and uncannily relevant so many decades later. It’s a movie that I genuinely wish existed when I was a child of the same age. 

What’s remarkable about Are You There God, is that even though it’s plot takes place in the 70s, it’s depiction of pre-teen girlhood is almost a carbon copy of what my friends and I experienced in our generation. Sure, some of our communication was through text rather than a landline, but apparently the coming of age experience rarely changes. From being desperate for your first bra only to find out how uncomfortable they are, to feeling like everyone else is growing up faster than you, it all stays the same. So many movies belonging to this genre focus on the catty female relationships or the constant talk of boy crushes, which Are You There God does have, but instead of spending its time on cliché depictions of preteen girls, it dives deeper into the complexities and confusion that growing up can bring.

Though this is a story about Margaret, for me, and for many others based on the reviews I’ve read, it is Rachel McAdams who steals the show. Don’t get me wrong, Abby Ryder Fortson is phenomenal as the titular Margaret, but McAdams’ character is perhaps even more difficult to portray. She’s a city fish out of water in their new suburban neighborhood, trying to fit in with all the picture perfect PTA moms. There’s a moment in particular where her present and past crash head on, impacting Margaret, where McAdams’ acting choices feel incredibly real and impeccably well done. I’ve long felt that Rachel McAdams is overdue for an Oscar, and I hope this movie gets her back in the race for the upcoming ceremony.

I really loved this movie. By far my favorite release of 2023 thus far. I can already tell this is going to be a regularly revisited movie for me, and I love it when I get to discover a new favorite.

Rating: 4.75/5

Bizarre, earnest, and fully entertaining; Matilda is hands down one of the best movie musicals to be released within the past decade. 

Aside from a few notable exceptions like 2021's West Side Story or Tick, Tick...Boom, the modern movie musical has been hitting a rough patch these past few years. Every year, there is usually a musical either on a major streaming platform or in theaters that gets released around Christmas, and for the most part, the movies have been duds. Thankfully, Matilda the Musical gets to be added into the category of exceptions to that trend alongside with the aforementioned West Side Story and Tick, Tick...Boom. As a child of the '90s, Danny Devito's take on the classic Roald Dahl tale was movie that was incredibly near and dear to my heart, so I wasn't sure what I'd think of a different film version of the story, even though I was familiar with the musical and how different it was from its' 1990s predecessor. When the trailer was released for Matilda the Musical, I could instantly tell it was going to be great, and I couldn't wait for the day it landed on Netflix. After now having watched this movie twice since it came out, I can wholeheartedly say it absolutely lived up to the expectations I'd anticipated for it. 

As a child, I was always drawn to odd or quirky stories that had a dark undertone to them, which is a prime reason I was such a fan of the works of Roald Dahl. Matilda , though not as strange as some of Dahl's other tales like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, is still very bizarre in many ways. Right out of the gate, Matilda the Musical absolutely nails the tone that is necessary for the story. Within the first five minutes, you're met with bold and brash colors, babies singing, and a doctor doing a full out dance sequence in the labor and delivery room. It's an assault to the senses in all the best ways. This opening sets a precedence for the rest of the movie; that it can have these absolutely over the top musical numbers, that are wonderfully weird, without needing any real explanation as to why. It lets each scene thrive in all the oddities they can posses. 

While Matilda does exceptionally well with the big and brassy musical sequences, it also excels with the quieter moments. In fact, that's where the movie really shines. I'm often amazed by the skill possessed by some child actors, but Alisha Weir's take on the titular Matilda blew me away more than most. Not only does she have the right amount of tenacity and vocal talent to embody the character, but her more poignant scenes are truly remarkable. I've often found that scenes where a character is trying to reign in their emotions or only letting them show in small ways are more impactful at times than ones where people are letting their feelings explode. An example of this working would be Emma Thompson's character in Love Actually in her famous Joni Mitchell scene. The same can be said here for Alisha Weir in many moments in Matilda . Throughout the movie, there are numerous times where Matilda is trying to hide from her friends what her home life is truly like or even lying to her friend, the librarian Mrs.Phelps. In these scenes, she's saying that she's truly loved at home, when you as the viewer obviously know that not to be true. It's a very difficult moment for such a young actress to portray, but she completely breaks your heart with her delivery. She says the words to Mrs.Phelps, but the look on her face makes you see the pain behind those lies. I honestly don't know how someone so young was able to tap into such a performance, but I was immensely impressed. 

I could honestly write on for more and more paragraphs about how much I loved this movie. I was really afraid that when it was released there would be people complaining about how different it was from the '90s version, but I thankfully never saw anything along those lines. Emma Thompson was hilarious as the Trunchull, and Lashana Lynch was effortlessly warm and comforting as Miss Honey. It all just worked. I hope all future movie musicals look at Matilda as a prime example of how you make a stage adaption not only work, but be endlessly entertaining as well.

Rating: 3.5/5

Avatar: The Way of Water was visually stunning, just as expected, but unfortunately wasn’t a homerun in all aspects. 

Avatar: The Way of Water has been classified as a long awaited sequel, and I would somewhat agree with that statement. Where that would be accurate is the “long” part, given that it has been over a decade since the original Avatar came out, but the “awaited” piece is where I take issue. I think obviously when the first Avatar was released, it was a global phenomenon; its box office reports were proof positive of that. But, I don’t feel like the sequel was something that people were chomping at the bit to finally get to see. I think in the two or even three years after the initial Avatar, yes, people were probably still eager to see a sequel, but after so much time had passed, the premise of another movie seemed all but forgotten about. Perhaps the circles of friends and movie watchers that I tend to be around are an anomaly, and that the majority of the film viewing world have been anxiously awaiting to return to Pandora, but I don’t believe that to be true. That being said, once it was officially confirmed that a sequel would be happening and we actually started to see footage from it, I did feel a sense of mounting excitement. Now having seen it, I can say that overall I found Avatar: The Way of Water to be very impressive in many respects, but I wasn’t quite as won over by as I’d thought I would be. 

I remember when the first Avatar came out, I was absolutely enamored by it. I had been an avid fan of the Academy Awards for literally as long as I could remember, but I recall that particular season paying especially close attention to the ceremonies with the hopes that Avatar would sweep; it did not. Since then, my love for the film waned, but in all fairness, it’s been quite some time since I’ve revisited it. With The Way of Water, I knew virtually nothing about the plot other than that it took place near an ocean of sorts. I figured I’d be getting some impressive visuals and an emotional score, which both assumptions were accurate. If the rest of the movie were as great as those two previously mentioned elements, then the whole thing would’ve been perfect; but alas, that was not the case. To praise the look of Avatar: The Way of Water, I truly can’t say enough positives about it. I’m genuinely in awe of what is possible with modern film technology. It takes a great deal of skill and movie magic to watch a film that is what I’d guess to be 98% motion capture/CGI and allow the viewer to almost entirely forget that what they’re seeing isn’t real. The Na’vi still look a bit too animated in some ways, but even so, the technology behind it is truly a remarkable feat. What really blew me away was how unbelievably real anything in the water appeared. Obviously there was some real water taking place, but there were times when it couldn’t be. I recall reading or hearing somewhere that water is one of the most difficult things to animate, but you’d never know it by watching this movie. Any scene that took place in the water was absolutely captivating and beautiful. 

Now that I’ve gushed over the look of The Way of Water, I figure it’s time to discuss why I couldn’t give this movie a full 5/5. Where the movie shined so bright in many ways, it was also equally as weak in others; primarily in the dialogue and a small handful of the performances. To me, a prime purpose of a movie like this is to have it be an immersive experience. The viewer is expected to be pulled into or transported to a whole new bioluminescent world and forget that they’re sitting in a seat in a run of the mill theater. For the most part, the movie succeeds in this attempt, but then there’s some very clunky dialogue that pulls you right out of the illusion of Pandora. Namely, the interactions between the character Spider and Jake Sully’s sons. The conversations seemed very ingenuine, and the constant use of the word “bro” seemed incredibly ill fitting to the miraculous surroundings that the dialogue was taking place in. This reminded me a bit of similar interactions in Titanic. Everything that took place on the famed vessel was nearly pitch perfect, but whenever the movie would cut away to the modern day exploring boat that was searching for the Titanic, some of the magic would disappear due to the odd acting choices and dialogue. The same thing happens in The Way of Water, except in this case, it’s whenever humans are interacting with the Na’vi and it just doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the film’s splendor. 

I will definitely be giving Avatar: The Way of Water another viewing, and if I had an IMAX theater nearer to me, I’d without a doubt be trying to see it there, but unfortunately that’s not an option. I don’t quite know when I’ll be seeing it again, as it is tricky to carve out time to watch the movie in its full three and a half hour duration, but I’ll certainly be giving it another chance. Perhaps I’ll like it more the second time around, but it’s hard to say for sure.

Rating: 4.25/5

Happiest Season is a movie I didn’t watch upon its initial release, but am very glad I got around to seeing this December. 

For this current Christmas season, I’ve been trying to seek out movies that I haven’t watched over a dozen times before. Yes, I’m still putting on my tried and true favorites, but I wanted to broaden my horizons this year. Unfortunately, that has led to watching some rather abysmal features (I’m looking at you Four Christmases), but then I got around to watching Happiest Season and all was well again. When this landed on Hulu upon being released, I didn’t watch it. I can’t exactly remember why, but maybe it was because at that time I wasn’t completely won over by Kristen Stewart, but have now very much changed my tune on that since then. This year I decided to give it a whirl and I found myself having an absolutely wonderful time. Happiest Season is certainly not without its flaws, but it’s charming, heartwarming, emotional and gives you that warm sense of Christmas that you want from any seasonal flick. 

The current trend of Christmas movies seems to be either the by the numbers Hallmark releases or direct to streaming movies that feel either Hallmark adjacent or incredibly garish hijinks filled movies targeted for much younger audiences. What’s wonderful about Happiest Season, is that it feels like neither of those things. There are few moments in the film where some of the comedy goes a bit over the top, but it’s quickly brought right back down to earth with some grounding humility and emotion. Happiest Season strikes a really nice balance of being funny but also driving home an important message about acceptance and what really matters not only during the holidays, but all year round. 

I think what makes Happiest Season work so well, is how real the characters feel, even the more ridiculous ones. In many modern holiday movies that don’t involve an element of magic or Santa to it, typically the characters feel so ludicrous that it’s hard to believe the story could truly happen. There are a few times in Happiest Season where some of the characters start to teeter into that territory, but they never cross the boundary into unbelievability and are able to keep the movie rooted in reality. The performances by all the cast, but in particular its leads find a nice equilibrium between comedy and poignancy. To name a few, of course Kristen Stewart being the star of the show does this very well, but so do Dan Levy and Aubrey Plaza. All in all, it’s a really well rounded cast who deliver some fantastic work. 

It’s been a while since I’ve watched a new Christmas movie, or at least one that was new to me, and it became something that I knew I would be watching each Holiday season. Happiest Season will definitely be added to my list of must watches each December.

Rating: 3.75/5

A movie that I once didn’t even like has turned into one I quite enjoyed watching this holiday season. 

Many years ago, when Elf first was released, I wasn’t impressed. The movie had been so incredibly hyped, that by the time I got to the theaters to see it, I was quite underwhelmed. It’s because of that viewing experience, when I was perhaps 10 or 11 years old, that I had always carried this opinion that I didn’t like Elf. Whenever I would mention my distaste for it, people would gasp in shock, unable to comprehend my feelings towards the festive favorite. Now, flash forward almost two entire decades, and much to my utter amazement, I have found my opinions towards Elf to have drastically shifted. 

It’s strange, that for a movie clearly targeted at children, that me as a child did not enjoy Elf, but now that I’m an adult, have found a new appreciation for it. Perhaps the elapsed time has provided some clarity on it, or maybe it’s just that adulthood is so stressful at times, that a movie filled with whimsy and Christmas magic brought some much needed joy and seasonal spirit. I won’t go as far as to say that I love Elf, because there are definitely still some elements to it that haven’t successfully won me over, but my overall feeling about the movie has entirely flipped. I even found myself getting chills near the end when the Christmas spirit and the swell of festive music combined with one another. 

I think what makes Elf work so well is first of all, Will Ferrell going fully all out with his performance as Buddy. Do I think it’s a bit much at times? Yes, but I don’t fault Will Ferrell for that. I just think that there’s perhaps a tad too much screen time dedicated to Buddy adjusting to New York City. I get that those scenes are crucial to the plot and character development, but it takes up a huge portion of the movie’s runtime, leaving other sections to feel a smidge rushed. With all that being said, had Will Ferrell not given 100%, I don’t know if the movie would’ve worked as well as it did, but he completely sells it. I also love a movie with a plot about getting adults to believe in Christmas again, and Elf portrays this concept brilliantly. I honestly didn’t remember that piece of the movie being so impactful, but it really got me into the spirit of the season this time around. 

Since Elf, there really haven’t been many new Christmas movies that could be dubbed “classics”. Most Holiday movies now are either produced by the formulaic juggernaut that is Hallmark or are direct to streaming service movies that are forgotten before New Years even rolls around. You really have to give credit where credit is due, that Elf was able to cement itself into the collection of beloved family Christmas movies that are watched on an annual basis. Plus, as an added bonus, I love the claymation animals at the North Pole.

Rating: 2.75/5

Disenchanted was a movie I was highly anticipating, but unfortunately it couldn’t live up to the magic and charm of its predecessor. 

To be fair, I will say that not all of Disenchanted was bad. Amy Adams was still wonderful as Giselle, but her committed and whimsical performance couldn’t hold the weight of the entire film on her shoulders, so almost everything else ended up crumbling. In the first Enchanted, little nods to classic Disney films were peppered throughout, and were fun easter eggs to discover along the way. In Disenchanted, there was zero subtlety about it. In its attempts to mirror the hidden Disney moments that came before, it seemed like the creators felt compelled to include them, and therefore just forced them in where they could. Sadly, it wasn’t just the homages to classic Disney scenes that didn’t land, but also the music. 

It seems bizarre to write this, especially coming from someone who loves musicals as much as I do, but I personally felt there were actually too many songs in Disenchanted. In the original, the concept of the movie being a musical was used sparingly. There were a small handful of song and dance moments, but they were executed to perfection and the songs from Enchanted are easily memorable. The same cannot be said for Disenchanted. I will state that I really enjoyed the villain duet between Giselle and Maya Rudolph’s character, Malvina; but other than that number, Idina Menzel’s, and another Giselle song, I couldn’t tell you what the music in Enchanted was. The amount of songs was easily doubled, but it was definitely quantity over quality. 

Ok, setting aside direct comparisons between the two films, I’ll say what could’ve made Disenchanted much better, would’ve been if they utilized more of James Marsden. He and Amy Adams were the two cast members who understood the assignment for the film far better than anyone else, and Marsden barely makes an appearance. If the plot had been completely different, and it was Giselle having to rescue Robert (Patrick Dempsey) with the help of Marsden’s character, the movie would’ve been so much more interesting. It makes sense to cast Patrick Dempsey as a doctor or lawyer, but using Disenchanted as a reference, he is clearly not made for portraying a person in a fairytale land. Without giving away too much of the plot, I’ll just say that his character becomes somewhat knight-esque, but Dempsey never sells it. Even given the constructs of the plot and why he has become this way, just doesn’t work. Every scene involving him completely pulled me out of the movie and made me wish for the next scene to come as quickly as possible. 

I really wanted to enjoy Disenchanted so much more than I did. When I heard they were doing a sequel, and that Maya Rudolph would be involved, I thought it had to be a winner; but alas, I was wrong. Perhaps a second viewing will shed a more positive light on it for me, but I sincerely doubt it. But hey, the costumes were fantastic, so I’ll give it that. 

Rating: 5/5

Rarely does a movie’s sequel surpass its predecessor in quality, but I feel this was the case for Enola Holmes 2.

To start, let me state that I adore the first Enola Holmes. When it initally came out, I watched it numerous times within the year it was released and several times in the ones after. Had that movie come out when I was little, it would’ve been played on constant rotation. I’ve always loved a good mystery. When the sequel was announced, I was incredibly excited, but did wonder if it could be as good as the first, but turns out, it’s even better. With this second outing for Enola, she’s matured a bit and so has the difficulty of her newest case. While the first film features her tracking down a missing Lord while gaining her sleuthing legs, the sequel has an even more complicated plot involving a missing woman and her involvement in the numerous deaths of women working in a matchstick factory. There’s far more tangled webs to unweave and an abundance of danger afoot, but Enola Holmes is primed and ready for fight and the mystery. 

Millie Bobby Brown’s acting talents have never been lost on me. As a long term fan of Stranger Things, I was always in awe of her performances at such a young age. Enola Holmes asks for an entirely different set of skills as she is vastly different from Eleven. Enola is quirky, bold, confident, and prone to breaking the fourth wall. There’s a lot of serious moments in Enola Holmes 2, to which Millie Bobby Brown portrays very well, but there’s also a great deal of comedy as too, and she excels there as well. Given the tone of Stranger Things and the weight put upon Eleven’s shoulders, we rarely get to see Millie Bobby Brown flex her comedy muscles in that show, but she gets to put them on full display in Enola Holmes 2 and it’s an absolute blast. 

As great as the mystery and performances of Enola Holmes 2 are, what I love just as equally are the creative ways different plot elements are introduced. Whether it be how the illustration in books are brought to life through animation or how flashbacks are used in ingenious ways, Enola Holmes 2 refuses to tell a simple A to Z story in a linear fashion. Instead, it adds a sense of whimsy and charm to it that aids in the film’s overall sense of appeal. I just love it. 

I can already tell Enola Holmes 2 is going to become one of my go to comfort movies. It has all the things I love. It definitely seems like it’s heading in the direction of there being a third installment and genuinely hope there will be one because I’ll be eagerly awaiting its arrival.

Rating: 5/5

With Cate Blanchett at the helm of any movie, perfection is possible, such is the case with Tar. 

Prior to seeing Tar, I knew very little about its premise, as I believe was the intention based on the minimal amount of detail provided in the trailers. Going into Tar nearly blind to the plot is the best way to experience it. Instead of sitting there, anticipating certain events or potential plot points, you’re able to just let the brilliance of the movie and its performances completely wash over you; and let the mysteries and complexities unfold bit by bit. I saw Tar a few days ago, but I’ve still been thinking about it every day since; trying to ascertain if certain moments meant what I think they did and trying to dissect it more and more. Tar has a runtime just shy of three hours and the only way I was able to see it was in a somewhat local arthouse theater that’s an hour away from me with seats that I don’t believe have been replaced since the ‘70s, and yet, it would be entirely worth it to take the drive and sit in the uncomfortable chairs again in order to rewatch this movie. 

Within the past few years or so, Cate Blanchett has shot to the very top of my list of favorite actors. I genuinely find her mesmerizing in practically everything I’ve seen her in, though I still need to watch many of her more iconic roles. In Tar, Blanchett delivers an absolute stunner of a performance. Her character, the titular Lydia Tar, is complex to say the least. She’s someone that’s very pointed with a defined edge, a person one learns very quickly not to be on the bad side of; and yet, Blanchett finds ways to provide moments where you still sympathize with Lydia, even though some of her behaviors would speak otherwise. Tar as a movie is incredibly dialogue heavy, and I’m fully in awe of not only Cate Blanchett’s sheer memorization skills with all the monstrous monologues she had to deliver, but also the fact that the scenes of straight talking or conversation never seemed to be overdrawn or dull. This is due of course to the excellent script but also majorly due to Cate Blanchett and her impeccable acting skills. 

Tar is a movie that gets better and better the more I think about it. When I left the theater, I’d thought I’d be ranking it around a 4.5/5, but in the days since I’ve watched it, my score has gone to a perfect 5/5. Tar examines how quickly someone’s life can be completely thrown off course and also how near impossible it is to gather up the pieces of a shattered life and attempt to put them back together. Its lengthy runtime allows for a deep study into the psyche of Lydia Tar, yet it doesn’t present you with every answer, even though it likely could within the timeframe of the movie. The remarkable filmmaking combined with the ways in which the sound of the orchestral scenes completely engulf your senses, makes Tar a movie that is required theater viewing. I will of course be watching it again at home when it becomes available, but I know that my meager tv sound system will drastically pale in comparison to the experience of seeing it at the theater. 

I know it’s very rare for an actor to accumulate more than two Academy Awards, but I hope that Cate Blanchett can beat the odds and receive her third, because it would be highly deserved. Oscar Season is one of my favorite times of the year, and Tar had been one of my more anticipated watches of the of the predicted nominees and it absolutely did not disappoint. 

Rating: 4/5

Quirky, highly stylized, and clever; See How They Run, though not perfect, is a good time at the movies.

There are few things that I love more than period pieces set between the 40s and 50s, and a good whodunnit; so when I saw the trailer for See How They Run, my interest was definitely piqued. It seems murder mysteries in the vein of Agatha Christie are becoming quite common in film and tv right now, and I’m all here for it. Most stories of this style follow a basic plot premise; a group of wealthy people are gathered together somewhere (typically remote), someone dies, a fancy out of town detective arrives, each person is questioned, more victims are added to the total, and finally it is discovered whodunnit in a big final act reveal. Though each murder mystery follows these beats, they’re still wildly entertaining, as the viewer always gets a chance to solve the crime before the end. What makes See How They Run stick out from its counterparts, is that it takes a meta approach and is entirely aware of the cliches and tropes one would expect from a whodunnit. In fact, the description I previously mentioned of all the common traits of a murder mystery, are actually outlined from the narrator straight from the start.

Because of its self awareness, See How They Run is very gimmicky. Sometimes it works incredibly well, and other times not so much. I will say the meta aspect was very entertaining, and got a good chuckle out of many people in the audience; myself included. It allowed for a tried and true form of storytelling to get some freshness to it in a way I’d never seen done before. Another frequently used element to See How They Run was the split screen/paneling. Whether it be there to assist in the telling of a flashback or just to add an extra stylized element, there was constant split screen throughout the entire movie. There were definitely moments where I found this visual technique to be really beneficial to the scene, but there were also sequences where I don’t think it added all that much, and was actually even a bit distracting. Regardless, I give the movie a lot of brownie points for trying something a little out of the box from what you’d expect.

See How They Run is filled with a cast of A list actors and for the most part, aside from Adrien Brody, no one really seems to be trying to steal the spotlight from anyone else. Saoirse Ronan and Sam Rockwell are a pairing I would never have though to match together, but they work quite well off each other’s performances and create two very solid leads; especially Ronan. Saoirse is fantastic as the over eager and well meaning Constable Stalker, and gives her character a lot of strength and intelligence, even when the script isn’t providing it for her. She’s effortlessly funny and makes her a heroine that’s incredibly easy to root for. Rockwell is perfectly fine in his role as well, but when it came to performances that stayed in my mind as I was leaving the theater, Saoirse Ronan was definitely the one I remembered most.

I do think there were ways in which See How They Run could’ve been a bit better. Perhaps cutting back just a smidge on some of the quirkiness or even making it a tad shorter, as it felt a little laggy in the middle, but all in all, I really enjoyed it. It takes a really poorly done whodunnit to make me dislike it, but thankfully, See How They Run was well made and a lot of fun to watch.

Rating: 5/5

School of Rock, a staple from my childhood and a movie that holds up remarkably well.

When I was younger, School of Rock was easily one of my most watched movies. Our DVD copy was in seriously rough shape from the constant use. I remember when I watched this back then, loving Jack Black's performance, but more than anything, wishing I were nearly as talented as any of the kids in the band. I could play music, but nowhere close to the level of any of them. I even think after watching this, if my memory serves correctly, I had a deeply unsuccessful attempt at making a band of my own, that crashed and burned before even coming to fruition. Oh well, a kid can dream.

What makes School of Rock have such a great legacy, is how well it has aged. With so many comedies, when you look back at them, the flaws and faults that we used to miss are glaringly obvious, but that's not so for School of Rock. I hadn't revisited this in some time, so I honestly expected there to be more jokes that wouldn't have landed very well, but I was wonderfully surprised to find my assumptions were wrong. It's still as charming as ever. The only thing that didn't really hold up was my childhood belief that Dewey Finn could get away with impersonating Ned Schneebly for as long as he did. As a former teacher, I can tell you that there's no way the parents wouldn't have questioned the curriculum before Parents' Night rolled around. I believe that the administration would possibly not have been as aware, but let me tell you, some parents definitely would be wondering why their child hadn't brought home any math homework for three weeks. And I would imagine the parents of children at a prep school would be even more laser focused on their student's academics as well. But honestly, even with all that, I genuinely don't care. It's worth it to suspend my disbelief for the hour and 45 minutes of School of Rock and just enjoy it for the greatness that it is.

Jack Black has become quite known for playing wild and loud characters, but of the ones that I've seen, none compare to his performance in School of Rock. His role is the essence of everything that is great about a Jack Black performance. Watching it this time around, I noticed how in the scenes where Dewey/Mr.S is either performing music for the class or teaching them their notes, the camera rarely cuts away from the playing. It's almost all a continuous take. This shines a light, not only on the comedic and musical talents of Jack Black, but also on the insane skill possessed by the actors playing the students. There's no doubting that everyone is performing their own music and, though I don't know any of the behind the scenes history of School of Rock, I would venture a guess that Jack Black did a fair amount of improvisation during his performance as well. Those scenes where the camera doesn't break away, are easily the best segments in the entire movie. It really hammers in what makes School of Rock such a fun and unique film.

As a massive fan of musicals, I wasn't surprised when School of Rock made it to Broadway, but I never found myself overly interested in seeing it or listening to the soundtrack. I just couldn't imagine anything living up to the movie. I could be very wrong, but it's hard to reproduce something so iconic.

Rating: 1.5/5

Was I expecting a lot from Fall? No, but I had hoped it would’ve been better. 

Fall primarily earns its one and half points for its ability to make my palms sweat, but I’d honestly attribute that more to my fear of heights rather than its filmmaking. From a visual standpoint, Fall is relatively successful, but from a plot, character, or dialogue one, it’s a pretty significant failure. All the scenes of the climbing did make my heart race and my stomach flip; ladders in general make me uneasy, so it wouldn’t have taken much to make that aspect of the movie seem fearful for me. But, even that after awhile lost its luster and my interest in the movie waned until it was pretty much gone. Fall was far longer than it needed to be. If it had been a tight 90 minutes instead of 2 hours, I think it would’ve been an improvement. 

The idea of claustrophobic/survival thrillers is a genre that’s become quite popular within recent history. Movies like The Shallows, Frozen (the ski lift one, not the Olaf one), or 47 Meters Down being a few examples; the first on that list greatly outshining the others. In fact, as part of its trailer, Fall touts that it is made by the same producers of 47 Meters Down; therein lies the movie’s biggest problem. Apparently these producers only know how to tell one story. Other than the location and character names, 47 Meters Down and Fall are essentially the exact same movie. Both tell stories of two women trapped in a horrific survival scenario due to the failings of rusted feats of engineering. But it’s not even just the basic premise that is the same; beat by beat, Fall mimics the events of 47 Meters Down, it’s  just up in the sky versus down in the ocean. Truthfully, this movie might’ve well have been called 1000 Meters Up. 

I typically try not to rag on a movie too much, but for this one, I don’t have much for positives to say. So many times Fall tried to get you to invest in the characters by their backstory, but it was added in so haphazardly, that it significantly paled in comparison to all the climbing stuff. Speaking of which, Fall is essentially “Foreshadowing: The Movie”. I get that in order to build the suspense of the dangers of climbing the tower, that foreshadowing is needed. But do we need closeups of every rusty bolt and screw trembling on the ladder? By the 15th time, it’s pretty clear the ladder’s going to be a problem, even if the gated entrance and sign saying “Do Not Enter; Danger of Death” wasn’t a big enough hint. 

For some reason this movie actually made me a little mad. I think it’s because I was thinking it was somewhat decent until it very much wasn’t. I hate that for such a mediocre movie, my nervous system still responded to all the heights. What an obnoxious reason to have my heart rate increase. I should’ve just watched Free Solo. It achieves the same body response but in the form of a much, much better movie.

Rating: 4/5

Enough Said is a movie that’s been on my watchlist for years and did not disappoint when finally getting around to seeing it.

I remember when Enough Said was released. I was still working at a music/movie store and we had a little tv that played movie trailers on a loop. When the dvd of Enough Said was coming out, I’d see the muted trailer off and on throughout the day and it always intrigued me. For some reason it took me almost a decade to finally see it, but I’m glad I did. I always find it impressive when a movie can have a protagonist that you fully root for from beginning to end, despite the times in which they are rude or even unlikable. No human being exists without flaws, so when a character in a movie displays a similar nature, it feels far more realistic, which is definitely the case for Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character. Eva is grappling with the idea that her daughter will soon be off to college and she’ll be living alone. When she meets Albert (James Gandolfini), their relationship starts off relatively strong, but her self sabotaging habits begin to take hold. There are some genuinely uncomfortable scenes that unfold as a result, but it never feels artificially created. The scenes are structured and performed so brilliantly, that you as the viewer can actually feel the tension and unease. I’ve seen many movies that try to create this affect to no avail, but Enough Said perfectly executes it. It makes the characters and their struggles feel incredibly real and makes you truly want a positive outcome for everyone involved. Even when Eva or another character is harsh or callous, it never crosses the line into being too outrageous to feel tangible or true. 

Something else I really found great about Enough Said, was that the central conflict didn’t seem overly manufactured. It always drives me crazy in a plot when there’s a big secret that’s being revealed and all this confusion and misunderstanding happens, and could have been easily avoided had the main character just simply told the truth, and as the viewer, we’re just supposed to believe that wouldn’t be possible. This is a common troupe in a lot of sitcoms I’ve noticed. While the conflict definitely could’ve been avoided in Enough Said by Eva speaking up sooner, her circumstance is one where it is completely believable that someone in her position wouldn’t know what to do, and therefore does nothing until things go too far and reach a breaking point. Just like the performances, the plot creates something that is undoubtably plausible and authentic.

I’m probably one of the few people who can say Enough Said is the first performance I’d seen for both James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. I’ve obviously been very aware of them and their pop culture significance, but I’ve still yet to see The Sopranos and I’ve only seen bits and pieces of Seinfeld. I definitely should see Veep too. Actually, in Gandolfini’s case, Enough Said would be the first time I’ve seen him acting not just as a voice, as I’ve watched Where the Wild Things Are in which he is absolutely phenomenal. Either way, watching Enough Said made me realize what I’d been missing all these years by depriving myself of both stars’ incredible acting. Together, they have fantastic chemistry on screen, and Dreyfus, being the lead, brings a balance to her humor and drama with absolute precision. She can simultaneously make you laugh one moment and break your heart the next. Now having watched this, I’m making it a much higher priority on my never ending watchlist of movies and tv, to finally seek out more of their projects. 

I love it when I sit down to watch a movie, and instead of putting a tried and true favorite, decide to select one I haven’t seen before, only to find a new favorite to add to the collection. Such was definitely the case for Enough Said.

Rating: 2.5/5

My giant cat blocked part of my tv during the final battle in Uncharted, and I wasn't even mad.

Sigh...I had really hoped this was going to be better or one of those times where the reviews were bad but I ended up liking it anyways. Sadly, not the case for Uncharted. I play video games, but I definitely wouldn't classify myself as a gamer. I typically gravitate towards narrative driven games and the Uncharted series has been my favorite for many years. If my memory is correct, aside from some childhood computer games, it's actually the only game series where I've replayed them after already beating them once before. So, years back, when it was announced that there would be a movie made of my beloved games, I was excited, but also trepidatious. Historically, movies based off video games have not succeeded in their attempts to please either the fans of the games or even people who weren't aware of the previous content. I had hoped that since the Uncharted series was so incredibly cinematic on its own, that perhaps this would mean that a decent video game adaptation would finally be achieved, but alas, it was not.

When did I know that Uncharted probably wasn't going to achieve my expectations? When the cast was announced. Don't get me wrong, I love Tom Holland. I think he's a great young actor and he's my favorite of all the Spider-Men, but I definitely don't think he makes sense for the role of Nathan Drake. For one, given the storyline they have in the film, he's far too young, or at least visually appears that way. The flashback makes absolutely no sense based on the time gap written on the screen and if you take a guess at the age of the character in the game, he's definitely older. It's been awhile since I replayed the games, but I recall there being perfectly great "young Nathan" side plots that could've been expanded upon in the movie. Yet, instead, it's like they tried to morph both the past and present versions of Nate from the games to create a bizarre amalgamation. Taking the task handed to Tom Holland into consideration, I think he did fine with the material, especially all the stunts, but I would've loved to have seen someone else in the role that fit the character of Nathan Drake from the games a bit better. Don't even get me started on Mark Wahlberg. Not only is he, in my opinion, wrong for his part of Victor "Sully" Sullivan, but I am just personally not a fan of most of his acting choices. There are times when is character is trying to be sympathetic towards Nate or show some emotion, but I just don't buy it.

Given my previous two paragraphs, it does feel like my rating is too high, but I'm going to keep it where it's at. Primarily, because the very few times where the puzzle aspects from the game came into play, I thought it was pretty fun and executed relatively well. Also, I've definitely seen worse movies. Even if it was dull at times and many of the jokes didn't seem to land, it's not like Uncharted was an absolute train wreck, it just wasn't what I had hoped it could be. The post-credit scene was honestly my favorite moment in the entire thing, so I'm not really sure what that says about the movie as a whole, but it doesn't say anything great.

It does appear that a sequel for Uncharted will likely be in the works, though I don't believe anything has been confirmed at this time. If that's the case, perhaps they'll learn from their mistakes and for round two, make a better go at the stories, because the games definitely provide them with some great source material.

Rating: 4/5

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 is a better than average sequel and a great go-to summer movie.

Looking at the other reviews and ratings for Sisterhood 2, it appears I'm very much in the minority with my thoughts on it. I had never really looked to see what the general response towards the movie was, but I was honestly quite surprised to see it being so low, given how much I've always enjoyed The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. Yes, it is incredibly cheesy at times, and not all the storylines are on par with one another when it comes to how engaging they are or how much character growth they provide, but I've still always had a fondness in my heart towards the movie nonetheless. In fact, I dare say I like it a smidge more than the first. I think I've been slightly oversaturated with the first one, so the sequel feels just a tad fresher to me.

Where the first movie tugs at your heart strings with the Tibby/Bailey storyline, this one tries to do the same with exploring into Bridget's past. Personally, I think this particular plot thread is where the movie really works the best. First of all, Bridget's character has the most interesting events happening compared to the other three, but it's also where I feel you get the better performances as well. Even though she's in the movie for a very short time frame, Blythe Danner really does quite an exceptional job playing Bridget's estranged grandmother. From a physical standpoint, Blythe Danner and Blake Lively absolutely look like they could be related, but they also share a great on screen chemistry together. Their scenes with one another are very believable and are the parts that I have always found to be the most memorable when I think about the movie.

Carmen's storyline is quite engaging as well. As a former theater kid and current theater enthusiast, it doesn't take much to make me invested in a plot point if it has something to do with plays and/or musicals. It's fun to see actors playing actors and how the hustle and bustle of life on the stage is portrayed in a movie. It's also in the sequel that we get to see even more of America Ferrera's fantastic acting skills get a chance to shine. She was always one of the better performers of the quartet of leads, but it's even more evident in the sequel.

Sometimes, I question whether or not I think it's worth it to take the time to write full out reviews for the silly teen movies I watched when I was younger. But, then I think childhood me would've loved to have read positive reviews for some of my favorite movies, so I figure, why not write them now. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 is far from excellence, but it's fun, whimsical, and nostalgic, which is all you can really ask for.

Rating: 4.75/5

Absolutely wonderful. From beginning to end, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris doesn’t fail to charm and delight.

This year, I made it to a screening at relatively nearby film festival. I’d never been to anything like that before, but I had a couple of complementary tickets so I definitely wanted to take advantage. I looked at the schedule of films and most were local or very obscure ones, but then my eyes locked on to the listing for Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. I didn’t know much about the movie and had only really heard about it in passing on a podcast, but the premise intrigued me; a lovely older woman who decides to take a once in a lifetime trip to Paris to use her hard earned savings to buy a Christian Dior gown. I knew this was how I wanted to use my ticket. I went to the showing, expecting to enjoy it, but I was completely won over by it far more than I had anticipated.

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris made me think of films like Ever After, Julie & Julia, or Chocolat, in that it possesses a sense of fairy tale magic, not from a wand but from the enchanting kindness of its characters. For such a simple little movie, based on the audience reactions, you’d think I’d been at the theater to see Avengers: Endgame. People were gasping when something went wrong for Mrs.Harris, or cheering and audibly showing their glee when things went her way. In just under two hours, the fictional character of Mrs. Harris had completely won over the hearts of everyone in that audience, so it was of no surprise when as the credits rolled, the theater erupted in applause.

For this movie to land the way it did, it is in no small part to Lesley Manville. Like the impact her character had on the audience, Mrs. Harris needs to do the same to the people she meets along her journey. Her character’s simple English lifestyle is a vast difference to the glamour and elegance of the couture fashion scene of Paris, so inevitably, there’s a large culture clash. Even so, Mrs.Harris manages to lift the spirits of most of those around her, even when she is being a little cheeky or brazen. None of this could’ve been sold to the audience without the absolutely stellar performance of Lesley Manville. Her effortless embodiment of the character breathes life into the movie in a way I don’t think would’ve been possible with anyone else at the helm. Mrs.Harris may not be flashy or overly complicated, but she’s warm and kind, and you want nothing but the best for her and all those who help her. It’s just truly wonderful.

I can’t believe my good luck that this film came even remotely close to me. Where I live, we don’t typically get the smaller releases, so I’d assumed I’d have to wait to see it at home. I’m so glad I was able to experience it in the theater with everyone else who seemed to be loving it as much as me. Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is a burst of joy and whimsy, and is a truly marvelous movie.

Rating: 4/5

Thor: Love and Thunder is an absolute blast; easily one of the craziest and humorous additions to the MCU. 

When it comes to the movies of the MCU, aside from Spider-Man: No Way Home, Thor: Love and Thunder has been my most highly anticipated movie in a post-Endgame world. This is primarily because Ragnarok is one of my absolute favorite Marvel features, but also because I’ve really grown to love Taika Waititi’s film style and sense of humor. When I saw the trailer for Love and Thunder. I just knew it was going to be great, and it was. 

I like to state in my reviews for MCU related things that my love and relation to the fandom comes solely from a film perspective. When I was younger, I had never read the comics, so my understanding of the mythology really only comes from the movies and the extensive knowledge of the comics that many of my friends possess. That being said, this has never hindered my enjoyment of the movies, but it likely makes me naive or ignorant to some of the shortcomings the plots may have. I believe this is somewhat the case for Love and Thunder. I was so enchanted by the comedy and visuals, that there were possible problems with the story that I missed but were noticed by my friend group; such as the efforts to being funny taking precedence over more important aspects to the plot. Even so, we all left thinking it was a fun movie and a great time at the theater. 

From my limited perspective, what I really enjoyed about Love and Thunder was the score, the comedic timing, and nearly all the performances. Other than the classic Avengers theme, I can’t think of many other MCU scores that have stood out to me like the one in Love and Thunder. The recurring notes that play when Thor begins to battle are electric and charge each scene with a palpable energy. They also blend incredibly well with the classic metal aesthetic the rest of the film is going for. As previously stated, this movie is quite funny, and knows exactly how to use Chris Hemsworth’s comedic talents to its full advantage. The only true criticism I could think of was Christian Bale as the God Butcher. When you have such an incredible villain performance like Cate Blanchett as Hela preceding you, it’s nearly impossible to live up to it. Bale was perfectly fine, but just won’t be going on my list of favorite villain performances from the MCU. 

All in all, I really enjoyed Thor:Love and Thunder. I definitely look forward to watching it again and it’s easily near the higher ranks when it comes to my most beloved MCU features.

Rating: 5/5

A genuine surprise. Despite a horrendous theater audience, Elvis has become my favorite film release of 2022 thus far.

First off, let’s set the scene. I’m not a massive Elvis Presley fan to begin with, but there were many things about Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis that more than piqued my interest enough to go see it. I walk into the theater and there’s one full row of people and then just me. The movie’s about to start and a couple comes in and has the whole theater to choose a seat, and decides to sit one seat gap’s worth next to me. Already off to a rocky start. Then, not once, but twice does this woman’s phone ring, and not only does she not silence it, but lets both calls completely ring through. I was not pleased. But, even with all that and the other theater goers who were getting up in front of me, talking, or checking their phones, I still left the theater with full admiration and enjoyment for the movie I’d just seen. 

As previously stated, I’ve never been a huge Elvis fan. I’ve never disliked his music, but was maybe just so over exposed to it that I hadn't taken the time to truly listen to any of the songs. After seeing Elvis, I have a whole new appreciation for the songs and the man who performed them. Now, with any biopic, you of course have to take the accuracy of each scene with a grain of salt, and not being an Elvis aficionado, I couldn’t tell you if any of it was entirely factual, but I would hazard a guess that a large portion was. I never really knew how quickly he became a sensation or the deep passion he had for his music. Austin Butler has been immensely praised for his work as the titular Elvis, and I’m going to add to the positive sentiments and say he was absolutely phenomenal. From my understanding, he did most of his own singing in this, and I was thoroughly impressed. He managed to change the tone and cadence of his voice as Elvis aged; taking it from the boyish quality of “Hound Dog” to the more ragged sound it possessed during the Vegas years. You can tell Butler put his entire body and soul into the performance, and it paid off big time. 

Personally, I’ve never had a problem with a more “by the numbers” biopic, but I know that’s a point of contention for some. However, if there was ever a director to break from a formula for a movie about someone’s life story, it would be Baz Luhrmann. Elvis starts out rather chaotic; almost a cinematic assault to the senses. Everything happens incredibly fast, pulling the viewer into the whirlwind that was Elvis Presley’s rapid shot into fame. It blends flashbacks with the present in both a visual and auditory symphony. Eventually, things slow down to a more expected pace and falls into some typical biopic patterns, but I’m not bothered by that at all. I like how the pacing matched the trajectory of Elvis’ career and how it truly took you along for the ride. 

I went into seeing Elvis expecting I’d like it, but I did not anticipate loving it as I did. For someone like me who isn’t a die hard Elvis fan, to be covered head to toe in goosebumps, completely filled to the brim with emotion from the music, really says a lot about how wonderfully structured pieces of this movie are. I highly recommend seeing it a theater to get the full surround sound for the songs, but I’m sure it’ll still be great at home too.

Rating: 3/5

Definitely not the best movie Pixar has released, but it’s light years (see what I did there) away from being it’s worst. 

Typically, a good marker for an excellent children’s movie is that when you see it in a theater, both the adults and kids are audibly enjoying it. In my particular theater, that did happen on occasion, but nothing like when I’ve seen previous Pixar movies. There were some mild giggles here and there, but it was a rather muted audience overall. I think this pretty much sums up the general experience of Lightyear. It has its funny moments and has a decent enough plot, but you never feel overly invested or engaged with it. 

I’ll say that Lightyear does start out with a clever idea, but as the movie progresses, it makes me wonder why in the world of Toy Story, a Buzz Lightyear action figure would’ve been such a hot commodity. If this is the movie all the animated children of 1995 saw, Buzz doesn’t really seem all that great, but perhaps I’m just missing the appeal.

What does Lightyear do well? First off, it dips its toe deeper into the inclusivity pond more than any previous Pixar film has, which gives me hope that there’s more of that trend to come. That’s a big plus for the movie. Second, the robot cat is pretty funny, easily my favorite character. And as always, the animation was fantastic. In particular, there were a few close up shots of Buzz where the details of his face in comparison to the background around him were really spectacular. 

I do think Lightyear may wind up being a Pixar movie I’ll end up liking more upon a second viewing, but right now I feel rather lukewarm about it. It should be said that science fiction isn’t usually my go to genre, so given that the entire movie takes place in space, it put it at a bit of a disadvantage, though I did go into it with a fully open mind. I do look forward to seeing it again, to perhaps find more enjoyment than I did this time around. As far as sequels or in this case, prequels go, Lightyear is definitely no Incredibles 2, but it is infinitely better than Cars 2, so at least it has that going for it.  

Rating: 4/5

Charming, classy, and elegantly witty; A New Era is everything one would want and expect from a Downton Abbey movie. 

Downton Abbey captured the nation with its tales of the Crawley family and the lives of the staff that served them day and night. Throughout its six seasons, there was love, humor and heartbreak. With the two movies, it feels like they have set some of the more devastating drama aside to provide its fans with some lighter fare. Personally, I’m completely here for it all. I always was captivated by the more serious moments of the show, but I loved their scenes of whimsy as well. Of course both movies have their somber moments, but they’re both quite jovial in tone, especially A New Era. This newest film poses the question, would fans like to see the Crawleys and company romp through the south of France, while meanwhile back at Downton, a film is being made? The answer to that question is yes, yes we would. 

Prior to seeing A New Era, I knew nothing of the plot line that took place at Downton. I assumed some things had to happen at the titular grand estate, but I was under the impression that the whole cast somehow went to France. I’m a person who absolutely loves movies about moviemaking, so imagine my utter glee when that plot line began to unfold. In my opinion, this is the part A New Era does best. The scenes in France are fine and entertaining, but back at Downton, the way they incorporate what’s being filmed for the movie with what’s happening behind the camera is truly special. I do feel like the problems with the fictional film were solved rather quickly, but perhaps that was the case with filmmaking in the late ‘20s. 

With a cast as vast as the one that makes up Downton, it’s difficult to pick an MVP. Maggie Smith is as acerbic and quick witted as ever, so of course she’s a standout, but for this film in particular, I think Michelle Dockery and Joanne Froggatt take the top spots for me. They were always my favorite roles on the show, but I really enjoyed their characters’ chemistry with one another but also how they interacted with all of the filmmaking scenes happening in the movie. 

Though this film is titled A New Era, it does certainly seem like this is the end for Downton Abbey. Many elements felt very conclusive, with character arcs being tied up with a nice bow. I’m sure if the public demands it, another film could happen, but I honestly hope there isn’t one. Not that I wouldn’t love more Downton, I just think this feels like the most meaningful and impactful way to bring closure to the stories of the characters that have been beloved for so many years.

Rating: 4.5/5

A crazy ride from start to finish, Dr.Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a welcome and incredibly unique addition to the MCU. 

Usually, when a new Marvel film is being released, I anxiously await the trailer and watch it a handful of times before seeing it in the theater. For the Dr.Strange sequel, I actually hadn’t watched the trailer before seeing the movie. It wasn’t that I was avoiding it, it just somehow got passed me before viewing the movie. That being said, I’m honestly glad I didn’t see the trailer beforehand, because it allowed me to experience the movie without any idea whatsoever of what was going to happen. I knew the movie would have Dr.Strange and Wanda in it, but nothing beyond that. It allowed for me to be fully blown away by all the creativity and insanity that make up the plot. 

Dr.Strange in the Multiverse of Madness made me think a lot of Thor: Ragnarock in the sense that it is a movie that’s clearly part of a grand cinematic universe, but is very unique from its counterparts. Like Taika Waititi did with Ragnarock, Sam Raimi put his own creative stamp on Dr.Strange, and created a franchise installment that feels connected to its predecessors but completely individual as well. Between the scene transitions, the more visible violence, and the depictions of the different universes, Dr.Strange in the Multiverse of Madness feels like Raimi found a perfect balance of respecting the numerous MCU films that came before it, but didn’t follow any particular visual formula that may be expected of a superhero movie. 

I know this is obviously Dr.Strange’s film, but it was Wanda that was the most memorable for me. I’d always liked her character, and then with the release of WandaVision, she shot straight to the top of my list of favorites. Her tragic character arc gets further development here, and Elizabeth Olsen portrays it phenomenally. I haven’t been quite as excited for the post Endgame MCU releases, but anything with her character has been exceptional and one thousand percent worth watching. 

I’ll admit it took me a little bit to get interested in the story for Dr.Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It wasn’t bad by any means, but it just seemed to have a slower start. There’s plenty of action straight from the beginning, but the character investment piece seemed to be missing at first, but definitely gained traction as the film progressed. Though I was entirely sold from the start, I absolutely was by the end. 

I’ve been toying around with the idea of doing another Marvel rewatch soon and knowing I’ll get to revisit Dr.Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as part of that makes it even more enticing.

Rating: 4.85/5

This movie is absolutely bonkers, and I love it. 

I had seen the trailer for Everything Everywhere All at Once before getting to the theater, but nothing could have prepared me for the blast of action, comedy, and ultimate creativity that washed over me as the movie progressed. I can honestly say that I’ve never seen anything like it. The way the film is structured allows for a plot where anything, and I mean anything, could happen at any time, and you’ll never know what to expect. There are elements to the plot that, in any other movie, I would’ve found crude or ridiculous, but in Everything Everywhere, it works, and works incredibly well. 

Performance wise, everyone was absolutely brilliant. Michelle Yeoh is just phenomenal. The transformations, fight sequences and range of emotions her character goes through are staggering. I would imagine that seeing this movie on the page would be incredibly daunting, but Yeoh makes it look effortless. Similar sentiments can be said about all the cast, but Stephanie Hsu also deserves any and all praise she receives. I had seen her in The Marvelous Mrs.Maisel and thought she was great, but she’s even better here. 

With a movie like Everything Everywhere All at Once, I can’t even fathom how one begins to put it together and not only make it coherent, but incredibly entertaining as well. This is the kind of movie that demands to be seen in theaters. It has so many elements, that not every section may be your style or speed, but they are for someone else in the audience, so there’s always constant enjoyment happening. For me, I’ve always loved any action sequence that blends the fight choreography with some type of operatic or classical music, so there’s definitely a favorite moment of mine in the movie for sure. 

I didn’t really know what to expect from Everything Everywhere All at Once. I was mostly just hoping it would live up to the hype and it absolutely did. The movie may not be for everyone, which I totally understand, but I can tell you from my own personal experience, I had a very good time.  

Rating: 3.75/5

What an entertaining movie this was. Did it meet my high expectations, not entirely, but I left the theater thinking I'd just watched something very fun, and that's all you can really ask for. 

The romcom genre seems to be one that is truly missing from the world of cinema these days. They do come out now and again, but not in the way they used to. It's for that reason, and many others, that The Lost City feels like such a breath of fresh air and a wonderful return back to movies that have entirely ridiculous concepts, but lean into them so heavily that the silliness doesn't matter and you just have a great time watching it. The Lost City creates a world for itself where you can have one scene of Sandra Bullock's character, Loretta, peeling leaches off of the behind of Channing Tatum's character, Alan, and then another where Bullock's manager Beth, played by Da'Vine Joy Randolph, is flying in a cargo plane filled with various livestock. It's all insane, it all makes sense, it's all a goofy good time. 

Since the days of Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe seems to have taken a hard pivot into playing the most bizarre and unhinged characters he can find. If he was looking to break his Potter mold, he has certainly succeeded thus far. The Harry Potter films gave Radcliffe small moments where he could be funny, but that was never Harry's main character trait. Turns out, Daniel Radcliffe is fantastic at being comical, especially if that comedy is rooted in weirdness. His role in The Lost City wasn't the primary focus, but he certainly left a memorable mark on it, that's for sure. 

When it comes to the leads for The Lost City, you can rarely go wrong with Sandra Bullock, and Channing Tatum was a fantastic foil for her brand of humor. The two have excellent chemistry with each other, and they make their scenes, both the funny and the serious, shine throughout the entire film. It's never a pairing I would've envisioned coming together in a movie, but I'm so glad it did, because it really worked. 

Based on the reviews and response for The Lost City, I did go into it with my expectations being too high. I definitely didn't leave the theater disappointed, but I didn't laugh quite as much as expected. Even so, I would still say The Lost City is a fantastic comedy. It has adventure, puzzle solving, and a cast that genuinely seems to be having a blast. All in all, a movie definitely worth watching.

Rating: 3.5/5

By far the worst in the series, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 tries its best to be a satisfactory conclusion to its franchise, but comes up a little short. 

First things first, I don’t dislike Mockingjay Part 2. All things considered, I think it’s rather successful given the source material it’s based on. I, like many other people who was a teenager at the time of the book’s release, anxiously awaited the finale to my beloved series. I, also like many others, was rather disappointed with the ending I received. I always had this theory that Suzanne Collins had the first half of Mockingjay written when the first two books became best sellers, and therefore had to rush the back half of Mockingjay to get it released while the fire was hot, thus creating a very quick conclusion where the plot and characters unravel and it all comes to an end way too fast. Now, I have no idea if that’s true, just a thought I always had. It would also explain why the first Mockingjay movie is exceedingly better than the second. But, given the content provided, I think Part 2 did remarkably well with the material it was working with. 

Mockingjay also got stuck in the trend of splitting the final book into two films; a precedent set by Harry Potter. As a diehard Potter fanatic, I’ll never say that was a poor decision on that particular franchise’s part, especially given the length of the final book, but other series were really kidding themselves if they thought they were on the same popularity and cultural significance level as Harry Potter. Overall, I don’t think Mockingjay needed to be divided into two segments, but it did well for the most part. By splitting it into two, it made for a second half that ultimately dragged in many places, but more or less triumphed in others. All successes were very much due to the performances and the score. 

As per usual, Jennifer Lawrence is at the top of her game as Miss Everdeen. Her character is a powerhouse to be reckoned with, and even though the source material demands that Katniss find herself in a hospital bed every few chapters, Lawrence still makes her strong and captivating. Elizabeth Banks also remains as fabulous as ever as Effie Trinket. Since the first film, Banks had knocked it out of the park with her performance in these movies. She fully understood the assignment and brought Effie to life almost more successfully than any other character portrayal from the books. 

Last positive note I’ll say about Mockingjay Part 2 is on the score. James Newton Howard composed the music for all four films, each being incredibly powerful. They manage to provide a much needed crutch to some of Part 2’s messier or laggy scenes, and amplify the greatness of some of its better ones. 

I think before this most recent watch, I had only seen Part 2 once prior. Every time I did a viewing of The Hunger Games series, I always got sidetracked before getting to the finale. It’s not as bad as I had recalled, but in comparison to what came before it, not even close to the same level. Though I’ll say it again, it’s hard to fault a movie that’s not exceptional, and is that way because it’s trying to stay true to its source material.

Rating: 4.25/5

Thanks to a creative plot and a hefty dose of nostalgia, Turning Red is yet another triumph for Pixar. 

I remember last year when I heard what the concept of Pixar’s next movie was going to be, and I wouldn’t say I was skeptical, but I was a little doubtful that it would be up to par with some of the studio's best features. I really need to learn to stop second guessing Pixar, as they rarely fail, and Turning Red is no exception to that rule. The concept is very unique, really unlike anything they’ve done before, and also manages to tackle a coming of age story without being overly preachy or cliched in its messages. Even though I’m not a pre-teen anymore (thank god) its’ themes of personal discovery and not letting others opinions tarnish your own sense of self, still packed an emotional punch. 

Something I really loved about Turning Red was its portrayal of female friendship. All too often movies paint female relationships as catty or manipulative, with plots about teenagers being the worst offenders. Turning Red takes an entirely opposite approach. The core group of friends are incredibly supportive of one another, especially when they first discover Meilin’s new found red panda identity. They’re there for her no matter what, and it’s a really beautiful portrayal of friendship. 

In recent history, Pixar seems to be trying to be a bit more daring with their animation approach, Luca being a prime example of this. Turning Red definitely appears to be continuing that trend. Many of the characters do look, on the surface, like a variation on the typical Pixar human, but then there are times when it blends with an almost anime like style, especially when characters have any strong emotions. To my recollection, it’s the only time I’ve seen Pixar merge two different animation visuals like this. Very different from their previous works and super fun to watch. Also, as a side note, the fur on the red panda was impeccably animated. 

I really enjoyed this. After watching the trailer, I knew I would, and that was before I even realized it took place in the early 2000s. Between the memories of my teen years brought back from the animated tamagotchis and butterfly clips, to the depiction of boy bands and passing notes before texting was a thing, Turning Red was a super fun movie with a whole lot of heart.

Rating: 4.75/5

Incredibly dark, and not just in subject matter, The Batman is a welcome addition to the ever increasingly gritty saga of the winged vigilante. 

First of, let me tell you, this is not a movie you want to accidentally walk in a few minutes late to. Primarily because you won't want to miss a thing, but also because if you're seeing it in a theater and you come in after it starts, you won't be able to see anything. Trust me, I know. I very unfortunately arrived one minute after The Batman began, and when I entered the theater to try and find my seat, it was nearly impossible to see the hand in front of me, let alone a seat in the theater. All the Batman movies of recent history have had very low lit color schemes, with the majority of the scenes taking place at night, but The Batman takes that concept to an entirely different level. There's hardly anything a shade above gray throughout the whole movie. Everything is incredibly dark and grimy, which suits the atmosphere of the film perfectly. 

Now, I don't claim to be incredibly knowledgeable on the subject of Batman movies, but from the ones I've seen, it's always been filled with more twisted villains and plot lines than you find in other superhero movies. This was clear in Tim Burton's take on the character, it was very prevalent in the Dark Knight Trilogy, and The Batman takes it the farthest. The comparisons to movies like Seven, Zodiac and Saw have all been made countless times by now, but they are mentioned a lot because it's very true. For one, the murders being committed by the Riddler are incredibly gruesome and definitely mirror some of the crimes seen in the three previously mentioned films, but there's also a strong comparison because this is also the most "detective-esque" we see Batman in any of the previous Batman movies I've seen. There are of course times where he's doing his crime fighting thing in the more physical sense, but we see a crime solving side to him that I hadn't witnessed before. The murders he's investigating involves riddles and puzzles that he must solve before it's too late, and the escape room/mystery obsessive in me loved every minute of it. 

The Batman is unusual in its lack of Bruce Wayne, being that we barely see Robert Pattinson getting to embody Mr.Wayne, and instead spend far more time on him as Batman. For me, this wasn't an issue, because the Batman based scenes were so great, but it was almost a little jarring every time Batman turned back into Bruce Wayne, because it was so uncommon. Every superhero story is structured around a person who exists in the day to day world, but has to conceal their superhero identity, but in The Batman, it seemed reversed; like Batman has always existed and Bruce Wayne was created as the alter ego. 

I hesitate to give The Batman a full 5/5 rating, because there were a few gadget scenes that came off a little awkward, particularly when Batman was flying, but aside from that, it was a pretty exceptional movie. All the villain work was fantastic, Colin Farrell was incredible; I literally didn't realize he was The Penguin until after the movie had finished. Zoe Kravitz was captivating and her physical and verbal sparring with Pattinson was incredibly fun to watch. All in all, a fantastic entry into the Batman cinema archives.  

Rating: 3.75/5

Cyrano, though not Joe Wright’s best, is a visual marvel and an incredibly unique musical. 

When Cyrano began, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it, which surprised me considering I love musicals and period pieces, then there’s the fact that Joe Wright directed one my favorite films of all time, Pride and Prejudice. Even with my love for musicals, that’s what initially set me off of Cyrano. At the beginning, the singing and choreography didn’t seem to blend well with the film. The songs were fine, but the choreography in particular felt quite awkward. However, as the movie progressed, my opinions on the musical elements and the film as a whole began to change. 

Getting past the first quarter or so of Cyrano, the musical numbers become much more pared down and intimate. There’s far less choreography and the songs themselves improve as well. There’s one particularly poignant number about heading off to war that hits quite emotionally hard, and a few other songs that I enjoyed so much that I downloaded them the day after watching the movie and have been listening to them consistently since. Even if at first, it seems like Cyrano won’t work as a musical, given a bit of time it absolutely redeems itself as a worthy movie of that genre. 

With this being a period piece, incredible sets and costumes are a given, and Cyrano does not disappoint. It’s really no surprise this has an Oscar nomination for costumes. The production design is stunning, and makes it nearly impossible to take your eyes from the screen. Additionally, the use of color really helps with the shifting of tone as the film progresses and becomes more somber and sorrowful. 

Of the three leads, I would say Haley Bennett was the standout for me. I remember first seeing her in Music and Lyrics and really loving her voice, so seeing her get to lead a character through song was something I feel was well deserved for her. Peter Dinklage and Kelvin Harrison Jr. were also great in their roles. Dinklage being the titular Cyrano means he has to captivate you with his performance, and he absolutely does. Kelvin Harrison Jr.’s on screen chemistry with both Dinklage and Bennett was excellent as well, and the three of them make a very convincing and compelling love triangle. 

I definitely wouldn’t categorize Cyrano as one of my favorite musicals or my favorite Joe Wright film, but I definitely enjoyed it and the music. I’m not surprised it didn’t receive more Oscar nominations, but I’m pleased with the one it got.

Rating: 3/5

For something that seemed like it would be so entertaining, House of Gucci ultimately ended up being a bit of a let down. 

It took me awhile to get around to finally seeing House of Gucci. By the time I did, the reviews and opinions had been out for months, and it was pretty clear that the general opinion of it wasn’t exactly positive. Still, when I sat down to start the movie, I really hoped it would be one of those times where I disagreed with the overall consensus. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. House of Gucci is rather boring at times, overly long, and not nearly as captivating as it seemed it would be. 

On the surface, it seems like House of Gucci should’ve been a slam dunk. It had great actors doing some fun performances, the production design was flawless, and it had Ridley Scott at the helm. All of those things should’ve equaled a fantastic film, but it just didn’t happen. Honestly, I think if it had shaved about 20-30 minutes off the total runtime, that would’ve really helped. I may have been watching this quite late at night, but I don’t think that was why I found a hard time paying super close attention to it. If you’re going to have a movie be just under three hours, it better be worth the duration, and House of Gucci just didn’t feel like it was. 

On the positive side, the film looked absolutely gorgeous. Between the costumes, locations, and set designs, there weren’t any faults to be found. The whole plot is centered around an unbelievably wealthy family, so the film must exude that luxurious feeling as well, and it absolutely does. 

Performance wise, the film holds up quite well, with Lady Gaga of course being the most notable and memorable one. You can tell she poured herself into the role, and if even if the movie itself is dull at times, she’s always fun to watch. Same can be said for Al Pacino. Though he’s not in the movie for a large portion of the time, the scenes he’s in are some of the best. The only real negative I found with the performances came with Salma Hayek, and it’s nothing against her character or portrayal, it’s just the sheer lack of time she was in the film. I don’t know much of the real story House of Gucci covers, so I’ve no idea how much Salma Hayek’s role really came into play, but as a character in the film, she seemed incredibly underused, so much so that I constantly kept forgetting she was in it and was surprised every time she appeared. 

Overall, House of Gucci bored me at times, but was pretty good at others. It’s not nearly as enjoyable as I’d anticipated, but not the worst film of 2021. It’s like a knock off Gucci handbag; beautiful on the outside, but upon closer inspection will lead to disappointment.

Rating: 3.5/5

Though I didn’t dislike CODA, I have to say I definitely have mixed feelings about the film as a whole. 

CODA is a perfectly fine movie, but I wouldn’t say I was ecstatic about it. I think going into it I had a bit of a prejudgment on it, because a podcast I listen to wasn’t overly kind about their reviews for it. I don’t think that knowledge massively impacted my final opinion of the movie, at least I tried to make sure it didn’t. After finally seeing the trailer, I was looking forward to watching CODA, but ultimately ended up feeling the way I expected to about it, lukewarm. 

I think my main trouble with CODA is that it doesn’t seem to know where it lands as far as the type of movie it wants to be. It feels like it’s one half sappy YA novel adaptation and one half adult drama. Because of this, there are some weird tonal shifts that happen throughout, and some of the characters feel like they’re in the wrong movie if you compare them to other scenes that happen later on. There are also some plot points that feel a bit too quickly resolved. These concepts are mostly what really didn’t work for me with CODA. That being said, I’d be lying if I said there weren’t scenes that won me over, because they’re definitely were, and those would be primarily because of Troy Kotar.

Troy Kotar, who plays the father in the film, is without question the standout performance in CODA. Without him, I honestly don’t think the movie would work nearly as well as it does. He’s the most believable character out of all of them and it’s his emotional journey that is the most interesting to watch. Emilia Jones was also very good as the lead character Ruby, and the scenes she shared with Kotar were easily her best. 

I think a second viewing outside of the Oscar season may make me like CODA a bit more, but right now I’m just a bit perplexed how this got one of the ten Best Picture slots. I definitely don’t think it’s bad, just not exactly Best Picture worthy.

Rating: 4.75/5

I love this movie. Plain and simple. 

Lately I’ve been watching a lot of romantic comedies. There are always some that aren’t so good, and some that stand out high above the rest. Music and Lyrics is one that certainly belongs to the latter category. For one, it stars two staples of the romcom genre giving some of their best performances, especially Drew Barrymore. It also has a soundtrack that I personally find really enjoyable. I cannot tell you the amount of times I listened to “Way Back Into Love” when I was younger. I had that soundtrack on my first MP3 player that could hold over a hundred songs and I listed to the Music and Lyrics soundtrack constantly. 

Something that I feel sets Music and Lyrics apart from other romantic comedies is it’s unique plot. Many romcoms tend to blur together with their overall concepts, but this one definitely does not. The idea of two characters who start out as strangers, having to collaborate to create a hit song for a pop star is really fun, and then add in that one of those characters is an ‘80s has been, and it just becomes an absolute hoot. 

I definitely think it could be said that when it comes to romantic comedies, Hugh Grant tends to play a variation of the same character in each one he’s been in. Though it’s not exactly overly creative, it’s a formula that works and works incredibly well for Music and Lyrics. He has surpassingly good chemistry with Drew Barrymore, who I think is the standout role of the two. Her character is probably closer to the real Drew than some of her others, and is effortlessly adorable and easy to root for. It’s truly a perfect romcom performance. 

I just love this movie. I always have. From the meet cute, to the montage of them recording the song in Alex’s apartment,  to the final performance. It’s all great. In my opinion, one of the best of the genre.

Rating: 3/5

I know these movies are bad, but I’m a sucker for the “Avengers Assemble of Romcoms” genre that movies like Valentines Day are part of.

There was a time period in Garry Marshall’s career where he made a string of movies that took place on a specific holiday and packed together all the big name actors he could find. These movies are arguably not good, but I think of that type of genre, Valentine’s Day honestly isn’t all the terrible. It’s absolutely cheesy at times and there are a few character plots I think could easily be removed, but overall, I still genuinely enjoy it. 

If I had to pick, I think the Ashton Kutcher/Jennifer Garner arc would be my favorite. It’s nearly impossible not to find Garner effortlessly charming and adorable, and such is the case for Valentine’s Day. To me, her character is the most memorable of the bunch and she has a good chemistry with Kutcher. 

To the opposite point of Garner and Kutcher, I think the whole Anne Hathaway/Topher Grace part would be the one I’d remove. This one seems the most disjointed from the rest of the intertwining plots. The whole purpose of these movies is to tell independent stories that somehow intersect with one another, and there’s just barely fits into the other narratives. I also think Grace’s character isn’t all that redeemable, even though the movie tries to make you think he is. 

I distinctly remember seeing this in theaters when I was a teenager, and I loved it. I wouldn’t say my feelings are quite as strong now, but I still really like Valentine’s Day and typically try and find a time to watch it each year; usually in February.

Rating: 4.75/5

Volver, a film I had never previously seen before, has now left an indelible mark on my memory. 

Volver was the second feature we discussed in my film class, so again, I have already written pages and pages about it, but this movie was so stunning I don’t find it very difficult to want to talk about it again. I knew practically nothing of the plot before watching Volver, and I imagine that’s the best way to experience it. The film class I’m taking is focusing on mother/daughter relationships on film, so I knew it was going to fall into that category somehow, but that’s all I was aware of. 

Volver seems to belong into a film genre all its own. It’s funny, but heartbreaking. Beautiful, but at times incredibly dark. There’s really no one single descriptor one could use to categorize it. Volver keeps you guessing as to how the plot will unfold, and between the mysterious elements of the story, you are treated with some truly incredible performances. 

Penelope Cruz has always been an actress I’ve been aware of, but hadn’t had the privilege of seeing her in many movies. Her role as Raimunda in this film, just may be one of my favorite performances I’ve seen in some time. Every second Cruz is on screen absolutely captivates your attention. The vast range of emotions and challenges her character traverses throughout the film are staggering, and Cruz plays it with sheer elegance and command. 

I used to work at a record/movie store, and I would often see Volver as I was organizing or putting away DVDs. I was always intrigued by the cover, but for some reason never took the time to watch it. Now that I have, I’m incredibly grateful my class made me see this, because it’s spectacular.

Rating: 4/5

Bring It On belongs to that beloved category of teen comedies that were born out of the 2000s. If you grew up watching it, you probably still love it to this day. I’m somewhere in the middle, but leaning much more towards love than I used to. 

When Bring It On was released, I was just a bit too young to see it in theaters, so I missed the initial wave of outpouring adoration for it. In cliche of all cliches, I ended up seeing it for the first time at a team party during my brief stint  as a middle school cheerleader. All the other girls had watched it countless times, and if I recall correctly, were even reciting some of the scenes. I grew up rather sheltered, so 12 year old me missed a whole lot of what was going on in the movie, but I remember still liking it. 

I think because Bring It On wasn't something I watched over and over again in my youth, I don’t have quite the same attachment to it as numerous people my age do, but upon recently watching it, I can still say I definitely enjoy it. In many ways, Bring It On was incredibly ahead of its time. Many movies like this don’t age well, and there are certainly some aspects of it that don’t, but overall, Bring It On’s central message still seems current and important over 20 years later. 

When I recently rewatched Bring It On, it was the first time I’d seen it in at least ten years, so there was a lot I didn’t remember. I’m not sure why it took me so long to revisit, but I doubt it will take that long again.

Rating: 3.75/5

I recently started a film class, and Steel Magnolias is the first movie we discussed. 

Since I already wrote many, many paragraphs about Steel Magnolias for said class, I find it hard to come up with anything new to say about it, but I’ll try. Prior to this recent viewing, I hadn’t seen Steel Magnolias in its entirety. I always seemed to catch it on tv somewhere in the middle, so I’d only seen bits and pieces. It does sort of amaze me though that it took me so long to fully watch this movie considering it stars Dolly Parton. 

When you have a movie with an all star cast, the ladies who make up that ensemble are obviously going to be the focal point of what many people talk about. Whose character was liked best, who gave the better performance and so on. For me, Dolly reigns supreme, but that’s no surprise. In this, we get to see some of Dolly’s more dramatic acting, and of course she’s brilliant at it. Of the non Dolly performers, I would say for ranking my favorites, Sally Field was second and Olympia Dukakis and Shirley MacLaine tied for third. Sally Field has the big scenes in Steel Magnolias, the ones that people continue to talk about for decades after the film has been released. She knows how to turn on her emotions like a switch and uses that to practically rip the hearts out of the viewers. 

Until last year, I had always thought I didn’t really like Shirley MacLaine, but then I saw The Apartment and realized how wrong I was. MacLaine is a hoot as the crochity and ill tempered Ouiser, and her interactions with Dukakis’ character are perfect for providing some levity to the more somber moments of the movie. 

On film, stories of female friendship or predominately female casts are few and far between, and when they exist, many times the characters are at each other’s throats for one inane reason or another. In Steel Magnolias, we actually get to see female characters with supportive and loving relationships towards one another. It’s not a completely foreign concept in modern film, but it’s definitely not something that happens all the time, and especially not in movies from further back in cinema history. 

Steel Magnolias is certainly dated in some respects, but that shouldn’t prevent it from being enjoyed. I’m glad my class finally made me sit down and watch it, and I know I’ll be revisiting it again someday.

Rating: 3.5/5

For an overall very good movie, I still find myself with mixed feelings on The Lost Daughter. 

Let’s start with what really works for The Lost Daughter; the performances and the plot setup. I’ve never seen Olivia Colman in anything where she was less than impressive, so it comes as no surprise that she’s excellent in this. By design, her character Leda is not exactly likable, but even so, you can’t help but wonder where her story is going to take you. Much of Leda’s past is shrouded in mystery, with snippets only being revealed in small moments of memory and recollection. The film is structured very much like a jigsaw puzzle you don’t have the box for. Only until you place the final piece do you really have a full picture of what is going on.

I’m trying to remember if I’ve ever actually seen Dakota Johnson in anything other than The Lost Daughter, and I don’t believe I have. Her role is not a small one, but she has a stronger presence through body language than she does through dialogue. Not that I’m any expert on acting, but to me it seems like Johnson’s character would be one that would be very challenging, and she absolutely nails it. 

So with my feelings on the plot structure and the performances, why didn’t I rate this higher? Mainly because I didn’t love the visual style of the camerawork. I found it to be a bit jarring at times, especially all the scenes where it jumped to extreme close ups. I think I can understand why those choices were made for the way the story works, but that’s never been my favorite type of filming. I do think I’m probably fairly alone on that opinion, which is perfectly fine.  It certainly didn’t ruin the movie for me, but it didn’t make me fully in love with it either. 

I definitely think The Lost Daughter demands a second viewing to really comprehend all that was happening within the confines of the plot. It took me quite a few days after seeing it to feel I had digested the movie enough to even write this review. I’m very curious to see how my opinions may change whenever I watch this again.

Rating: 4/5

Chaotic, perhaps too much so at times, but The Mitchells vs the Machines overall was a very enjoyable experience. 

I love animated movies. Disney, Pixar, Studio Ghibli; you name it, I’m interested. Now, take a movie like The Mitchells vs the Machines that takes to concept of traditional animation and completely turns it on its ear? I’m sold. As much as I love animation, my lack of art skills and knowledge on the process of creating these films often leaves me in awe of the work that goes into creating them. That notion can be attributed to The Mitchells probably more so than any other animated film I’ve seen in recent history. I honestly have no idea how the art in this movie was made, whether it was more computer or hand drawn, no clue. All I know is that it was fantastic to look at and remarkably unique. 

Prior to the robot apocalypse, the main character in The Mitchells vs the Machines, Katie, has just been accepted to film school. Her love for the cinema is a huge factor to what drives the family’s mission to try and bring an end to the robot army. Now this was something I completely resonated with; not so much the robot part, but 100% the film piece. I happened to watch this movie mere days after I decided to make the decision to go back to school for film, having my first class start just this week. So, Katie’s passion for going to film school and finding her people, really hit close to home for me and made me love this movie even more. 

Though the animation is without question the star of The Mitchell’s vs the Machines, the voice acting and writing are wonderful as well. I found myself laughing out loud numerous times and even found the robot characters very humerus. This really surprised me as that is not my usual response towards most robot adjacent comedy. The Mitchells is an incredibly clever movie and knows exactly where to find the necessary quiet among the charming, yet a little overbearing at times, moments of crazy. 

Of the two 2021 releases that involve a potential world ending event, meaning this film and Don’t Look Up, do yourselves a favor and watch The Mitchells vs the Machines. You’ll have a significantly better time.

Rating: 4/5

The Tragedy of Macbeth if nothing else, is an absolute visual masterpiece. 

I am far from an aficionado on the works of Shakespeare. Like I’m sure is the case with many others, most of my knowledge of the writings of The Bard come from my high school English classes, where we studied two plays; Romeo & Juliet and Macbeth. I would say of the two, I have a much firmer grasp on the former. In my brief encounters with Shakespeare, I’ve often found that the stories are much easier to understand as a visual medium, which is obviously the intention, given that they’re plays. Even so, if someone knew nothing of the plot, I believe they’d still be able to understand what was happening even if the dialogue is the traditional Shakespearean writing. Joel Coen does such a brilliant job of telling the tragic tale, that you can gaze in awe at the film even if you aren’t catching all the meaning of the conversations. That being said, having some understanding of the plot of Macbeth certainly helped me with appreciating this adaptation even more than I probably would have.

What’s so unusual about this current Oscar season, is how many films in contention are shot in black and white. It’s not uncommon to have one contender that is, but it seems a bit of an anomaly to me to have so many in one season. Of all the ones I’ve seen for this year, including C’mon C’mon, Belfast, Passing, and parts of The French Connection, I would say The Tragedy of Macbeth utilizes the visual style the best. It creates an atmosphere to the movie that feels enchanting yet haunting at the same time. The scenes in which it works the most effectively in my opinion are any that involve the three witches or when Lady Macbeth is beginning to lose her mind. 

As previously stated, being far from an expert on this play, I can’t say whether Frances McDormand and Denzel Washington’s portrayals are superior to others who have tackled the roles, but I can say I was very impressed. Probably more so by McDormand than Washington, but that’s splitting hairs really. Both take on the famed characters with power and captivating skill. 

The Tragedy of Macbeth is not my favorite film of 2021, but it’s fairly high on the list. When a movie makes itself such a marvel to look at, how could it not be.

Rating: 1/5

A bad movie in general, but just horrible for anyone with preexisting anxiety about the state of the world.

I had initially started watching Don’t Look Up on New Years Eve, but ended up deciding not too because it was too long for the time of night it was. I can’t think of a time I’ve been happier that I made a decision not to watch a movie on a specific date or time, because it would’ve been an absolutely horrible way to end or start a year. Given the topic, a comet headed straight toward earth that will destroy the planet, one would expect Don’t Look Up to be a downer, but it’s not only that, but just an awful movie pretty much all around. You can have a movie be about a dark or upsetting plot and still have it be a great, it’s been done countless times before, but that’s a concept Adam McKay seemed to really miss with Don’t Look Up. 

Somehow, this movie has an absolute all star cast and manages to waste practically every single one of them. I would say Jennifer Lawrence was the best overall, but everyone else, not so much. Even Cate Blanchett, quite possibly my favorite working actress, was not able to salvage this movie for me. Meryl Streep, one of the greatest  actresses of all time; actively terrible in Don’t Look Up. I had known this movie was rather divisive before watching it, but definitely did not expect to dislike it as much as I did.

From what I’ve gathered via interviews, I believe Don’t Look Up was conceived and written pre-pandemic, so in all fairness to Adam McKay, I’m sure he couldn’t have exactly predicted his movie would be coming out while the world is in such a state of chaos and unrest. Even so, with that being said, this movie made me unbelievably anxious, which I think in some ways was the intention. I know the comet is supposed to be a metaphor for Global Warming, but honestly I couldn’t help but find more parallels to everything else going on with politics and the pandemic, and it just hit way too close to home for my nerve level. 

I honestly only watched Don't Look Up for two reasons: the potential Oscar buzz it had and the fact that Cate Blanchett was in it. Both reasons proved not to be enough for me to feel it was worth my time to sit through the overly pretentious two hour runtime and ridiculous end credit scene of Don’t Look Up. If this movie was the reason Cate Blanchett was no longer able to do Being the Ricardos, then I'll be even more angry at Don't Look Up for existing. 

Rating: 3.75/5

Ok, maybe I missed something, but I wasn’t nearly as enchanted by Licorice Pizza as so many others seem to be.

Licorice Pizza was perfectly fine, but based on all the critical reception, I had expected to leave the theater with one of my favorite movies of the year, and that just didn’t happen. The performances in this are great, no denying that, but I didn’t like the characters that much, and I think that was one of the main reasons I didn’t absolutely love the movie. A potential Oscar nomination does seem to be in the future for Alana Haim, and I do think it’s deserved. Even though I didn’t exactly enjoy the character she was playing, he performance still very much impressed me. 

Licorice Pizza is a bit of an anomaly to me, in that it is both equally slow and fast paced to a fault. That may not make sense, so let me explain what I mean. There is very little character development as you go throughout the over two hour run time. We do learn a bit more about our two leads, but any people they meet along the way or any new ventures the crew decide to embark upon, just seems to happen with little to no explanation. It’s an interesting choice, and probably more realistic to life in that we never get the full story behind the characters we meet in our own day to day lives, but it did make the plot seem to go from one thing to the next a bit too quickly.

For the slow pacing, what I mean by that is even though, as previously mentioned, things change rather fast from plot point to plot point,  I still wasn’t overly interested in the many different events that happened throughout the movie’s duration. Therefore, Licorice Pizza as a whole felt slower paced to me because, admittedly, I did check my watch on occasion to see how much time was left before it was over. 

Maybe a second viewing of Licorice Pizza will shed some new light on it, allowing me to see what so many others appear to love about it. I will say, I’ve had some really bad luck lately with overly chatty audiences, such was the case here, so perhaps that hindered my ability to really allow myself to sink into the story. Who knows. If it does get some Academy Award nominations, which does seem to be the track it’s on, I wouldn’t be mad about it.

Rating: 4.95/5

Though all my efforts to remain spoiler free failed before finally seeing it, Spider-Man: No Way Home still dazzled and entertained. 

No Way Home was one of my most highly anticipated films of the year. When that first trailer dropped, I actually squealed out loud with excitement to an empty room after the preview ended. From that point on, I basically counted the days until I could finally watch it. Unfortunately, I was unable to see it until two weeks after its initial release, and inevitably, some crucial plot details crossed my path, even though I tried incredibly hard to avoid them before seeing the movie. Even so, I walked into the theater, amped to finally see No Way Home after such a long wait. Boy oh boy, did it not disappoint. 

I will keep this review spoiler free for anyone who has yet to see it, so all I’ll say is that No Way Home is the best Spider-Man film to date. There’s always a debate on who has been the better Peter Parker over the three different series, but I’m firmly a Tom Holland voter all the way. First of all, Holland looks more age appropriate than the previous two Spideys, but he is also spot on with capturing the essence of the character. Since Homecoming, Peter Parker has been through an incredible ordeal, and in No Way Home, the weight and responsibility that comes with being a hero all starts crashing down on him, along with the typical teenage problems of college admissions and first love. It’s a balance that could possibly seem fake or even silly if done wrong, but Holland sticks the landing perfectly. 

Warning, the next paragraph is not a spoiler if you’ve seen the trailer, but if you haven’t, I wouldn’t read further.

Seeing both Willem Dafoe and Alfred Molina return was absolutely brilliant. I imagine had I seen this in the theater on opening night, their entrances would have been when the crowds began to cheer. Though I wouldn’t say the Tobey McGuire Spider-Man movies are my favorite trilogy I’ve seen, the first two are fantastic and have some of the best villain portrayals of all time. Even though so much time has passed, Dafoe and Molina slip back into their roles with ease and bring a wonderful element of nostalgia to No Way Home. 

The MCU really knows what they’re doing when it comes to their Spider-Man movies. Not too long ago, I did a Marvel rewatch, but after watching No Way Home, I feel that I’m ready to begin again. The other new Marvel releases have been great, but this one really felt like being pulled right back into that same level of excitement any of the pre-Endgame releases brought. No Way Home is a blast and easily the best thing the MCU has done since WandaVision. 

Rating: 5/5

Despite being surrounded by one of the worst movie theater audiences I've been in for some time, West Side Story amazed me from beginning to end.

Prior to last year, I had never seen the original West Side Story in its entirety. I'd watched clips but finally got around to viewing the full movie during my Oscar Best Picture challenge. It very quickly became one of my favorites of the 93 overall winners. When I heard Steven Spielberg was remaking it, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit skeptical. But then, when I saw The French Dispatch in theaters, the full trailer for Spielberg's West Side Story played, and just the brief preview of the film almost brought me to tears. Every time I saw the trailer, my excitement grew, and I finally got to see the movie in its entirety, and now that I have watched it, I can say it may be my favorite release of the entire 2021 calendar year.

Movie musicals are one of my most beloved film genres, but they're not always winners, especially in recent history. The early to mid 2000s were producing some excellent releases, but it seems as if we've almost been in a movie musical lull since then. 2021's West Side Story feels like a breath of fresh air in a sea of mediocre musical adaptations. Dare I say it, but I maybe even think it's better than the original. The West Side Story of the 60s had acting that was intentionally over the top, that likely wouldn't work as well with today's audiences. For this most recent version of the famed musical, those stylized performances are there, but they've been toned down to be a bit more palatable for the current viewer. In doing so, the emotions hit incredibly hard and added to the breathtaking score, it's without question, remarkably impactful.

It occurred to me while I was watching West Side Story, that it seems like it's been quite awhile since we've received a musical that focused so much on dancing and choreography. Of course every movie musical is going to have dancing, but the sub-genre that has almost ten minute long choreography numbers seems to have been a product of a bygone era. It's because of that that I wondered before seeing West Side Story, if Spielberg was going to scale down the dancing at all, and thankfully and rightfully, he did not. The choreography in West Side Story is some of the most impressive I've seen. The energy leaps off the screen and creates fight scenes that are intense, but also impeccably skilled and graceful.

I was taken aback by the performances of everyone in West Side Story, but most notably for me were Ariana DeBose who played Anita and Rita Moreno. Their roles were the ones that left the strongest impression on me as I left the theater, and I really hope that a Best Supporting Actress nomination is in Moreno's future for this upcoming Academy Awards. Moreno has one of the most crucially important scenes in the film, and it immediately caused my own emotions to rise and tears began to form in my eyes. Just absolutely wonderful.

I know I say this all the time, but I mean it more for West Side Story than I have for any other film; I cannot wait to watch this again. I refused to let my horrendous audience ruin the experience of watching it for me, but it was hard to ignore the insufferable man who kept randomly pointing out objects that were on the screen. Sir, I know there is a wrecking ball being shown, but that doesn't need to be announced to the whole theater. The rustling of candy boxes, slurping of drinks, or full blown conversations being held by the people in the audience couldn't damper my love for what I was watching, but I do look forward to seeing it again without all the ridiculous distractions.

Rating: 5+/5

I’m actively having to collect my emotions as I begin to write this. For a series that has been such a pinnacle of my life since I was seven years old, the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts pulled at every heartstring I have. 

Honestly, I can think of very few things in my life that have been as important to me as Harry Potter. I have a similar story to many people my age, in that I grew up with the series, aging with the characters, but going on far fewer adventures as the Golden Trio. I adored the series as a child and teen, but in my adulthood is where I found extreme comfort within the pages and on the screen. To this day, when I’m feeling anxious or lonely, I take a trip to Hogwarts and I feel at home. All the stress of the world just melts away and I can disappear into the magic. 

Whenever I finish the books or another movie marathon, I always experience a sense of sadness that it’s over, even though I know I can just start it again. Now, with this reunion special, I was given a chance to once again feel that excitement of seeing my favorite world and characters come together once more. I cried within minutes of it starting, but by the end I was absolutely sobbing. That may seem silly to some, but this special absolutely nailed what it means to be a Harry Potter fan and why it’s so meaningful to so many people. At one point, Helena Bonham Carter says, “That’s what’s so profoundly therapeutic and good about it, is it’s made people who otherwise feel lonely, they feel they belong.” I could not express it in better words how true this statement is to me and countless others. 

In Return to Hogwarts, it shows how each film marked a crucial time in both the characters' and actors' lives. It brought everyone that could partake, back together to relive the memories. Seeing their emotions as they reminisce and look back on how profound these movies have been, instantly makes your own emotions swell to the surface. You cannot ask for more from an anniversary special as highly awaited as this. 

Harry Potter will forever hold an enormous part of my heart. So many people have asked why it’s still so important to me, and for those who may not understand, they just need to watch Return to Hogwarts to see why. So, when another two decades have passed and I’m middle aged and still gushing about Harry Potter and someone asks if I still love the series after all this time? I’ll simply reply, “Always.”

Rating: 5/5

With every passing year, my love for The Holiday increasingly grows. 

I had previously written a review for The Holiday, but looking back at it, it was one of my early attempts at movie writing, and I really don’t feel that I captured enough in that review just how much I adore this movie, so I’m going to give it another shot. The Holiday is a seasonal favorite that has been an annual watch for me since its' initial release, but this current Christmas was the first time I decided to watch it twice. Maybe I’ve just been in a place where I need to frequently revisit my favorites, or maybe The Holiday is just that wonderfully charming. 

For me, what makes The Holiday such a beloved film is how it is a Christmas story that centers itself around the love of movies. Cameron Diaz’s character is a movie trailer editor (my dream job) and in the storyline that follows Kate Winslet's character, Iris, she begins to learn about the neighborhood of her L.A. vacation home, and finds out that one of her neighbors is a man named Arthur Abbott (Eli Wallach), who is a retired screenwriter from the classic era of Hollywood. Even if what Iris and Arthur talk about from the golden age of Tinsel Town is somewhat fabricated, it is the inexplicable allure and charm of that time period that adds a really wonderful and unique concept to the movie. That, and the brilliant and charismatic performance given by Eli Wallach are major factors into what make The Holiday so excellent. I recently listened to a podcast episode of This Had Oscar Buzz, where they were discussing this movie, and said Winslet and Wallach are the best relationship in the film, and I wholeheartedly agree. 

In most movies of the romcom genre, there is of course a score, but they’re rarely described as memorable. The music sweeping behind the plot in The Holiday however, is one of my most favorite scores I’ve heard. When I think of the many wonderful films I’ve watched that had a moment where the music and the scene created movie bliss, there are three from The Holiday alone that immediately come to mind. It’s score that I can recite in my head without needing to have heard it in recent history, and if I have watched The Holiday recently, the score plays in my mind for days afterward and I absolutely love it. I know there will be people who may say Hans Zimmer has better scores out there, and I know I haven’t heard them all, but this one is my favorite of his that I’ve come across.

As much as I love the acting by Kate Winslet, Jude Law, and Cameron Diaz; it is the performance given by Jack Black that really caught me by surprise upon first watching The Holiday. Jack Black is commonly cast in roles where is character is outlandish and loud, but in The Holiday, his character, who is a film composer, is gentle and rather soft spoken. Don't get me wrong, Jack Black is great at the over the top comedy, but it is really nice to see him with a role that is a different change of pace. 

The Holiday is a movie that makes me eagerly await the Christmas season even more than I already do. I know once Thanksgiving has over, it means it’s time to revisit one of my favorite films. There are few movies that instantly throw me into the spirit of Christmas like this one does. Maybe I'm too much of a sucker for love stories and classic Hollywood, but even so, The Holiday is wonderful and deserves to be a Christmas season staple for all.

Rating: 4.75/5

I watched Klaus for the first time last year, and it very quickly became a movie that would be receiving an annual Christmas viewing. 

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Disney. Every year their animated releases typically make it to the top of my “Best of the Year” lists, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I found the animation in Klaus to be refreshing. With what seems like 99% of animated features being done in a similar three dimensional CGI style, when you get a film like Klaus that looks so soft and illustrated, it’s really something special. There are scenes in this movie that are just absolutely gorgeous, specifically any having to do with the woods and Klaus’ cabin. I’m forever in awe by the skill that artists have, no matter the medium, but this movie really takes it to an entirely different level of beauty with the way in which it is animated. 

The story of Klaus is reminiscent to a TV movie I saw when I was little, Santa and Pete; a tale about the origins of Christmas. Aside from that childhood movie, the plot that Klaus explores is one that is seemingly quite rare for the holiday movie genre. Most of the fantastical Christmas films focus on Santa already being well established, but this one evokes more magic than almost all the others because of the way it shows the very beginnings of Christmas.  It brings with it a sentiment of wonder and kindness that makes Klaus all the more enchanting

I can’t give Klaus a full 5/5 rating, just because there are a few small elements and characters  that didn’t entirely win me over, but other than that, it’s a remarkable movie. The score is phenomenal, the voice acting is perfect, and by the end of the film, you’re nearly weeping from your heart being filled with the spirit and love of Christmas. What more can you ask of a holiday movie?

Rating: 4.75/5

Here it is, my most anticipated film of the year. Thankfully, it didn't disappoint.

I remember probably almost two years ago now, I was mindlessly scrolling through IMDB, looking up my favorite actors and directors to see what they had coming up. I found my way to Cate Blanchett's page and saw her listed as being in the yet to be released, Nightmare Alley. Then when I looked into the movie further and saw the director, plot, and rest of the cast, I was more excited for this film than I had been for any recent release that I could recall. When the first teaser trailer dropped, I could actively feel my heart racing with the anticipation of Nightmare Alley finally coming out. I anxiously awaited release day, and now that it's here, I can say that I absolutely loved it.

There are a handful of things or people that, if you put them in a movie plot, I'll be instantly interested. To name a few, they would be stories based in the '40s, Cate Blanchett , carnival/freak show narratives, Toni Collette, film noir, and Guillermo Del Toro. Marvelously, Nightmare Alley has all of it. Because this movie matched my interests so perfectly, it was easy to let my expectations run wild. How could I not, really? When I sat down to watch and the opening credits began, I could tell right away that I was going to leave the theater very happy. I will say that Nightmare Alley was much slower paced than I had anticipated, but the movie strolls in places in order for it to run when needed.

Nightmare Alley is a movie where I know, as much as I love it now, I will very likely think even higher of it as time goes on. Not ten minutes had passed after it ended before my thoughts and regard towards the movie started becoming even more positive than they had been only moments before. The scenes are absolutely stunning to look at, especially any moment involving snow. In addition to those, it may be an odd observation to make, but also, any time a person walked in a scene, were some of my favorite sequences in the film. In many cases, characters were shown walking from behind, moving towards a new location or development in their story arc. In these scenes, the character is usually heading towards a brilliantly shot landscape or set. It's in the way that the scenes are captured but also the movement set up by the camera that make them so beautifully captivating. Whether it be someone heading in the direction of the carnival or walking into a night club, they are all equally sublime.

Before watching Nightmare Alley, I had a very strong hunch that Cate Blanchett would be my favorite part, and I was right. Blanchett is phenomenal in almost anything, but when she gets to play a villain and use her menacing, yet seductive laugh, she truly shines. The cast in Nightmare Alley is really a who's who of outstanding performers, but Blanchett is by far the best in my very biased opinion. Bradley Cooper is no slouch either, he can't be if he's going to share the screen with Blanchett and not completely be looked over. The two make an excellent scene pairing, as do he and David Strathairn, though the scene dynamics are wildly different from that of the aforementioned duo.

I know I say this in a lot of my reviews, but I'm going to say it again here; I genuinely cannot wait to watch this again. I feel a second viewing will only garner even more appreciation for Nightmare Alley than I already have. Especially for the cinematography and background details, because I know I missed so much this first time around. Isn't it wonderful when the thing you've waited for for so long doesn't let you down? Such is the case with Nightmare Alley.

Rating: 4.5/5

What a welcome, incredibly unexpected surprise this was.

As far back as I can remember, I Love Lucy was the first show I ever fell in love with that didn't involve a big purple dinosaur or an animated aardvark teaching me life lessons and encouraging me to read. I very distinctly remember the first time I was every introduced to Lucy Ricardo and company. I was at my aunt's camp, and they wrangled all the kids together on the couch to watch. The episode; "First Stop". The Ricardos and the Mertzes are on their way to California. They make a pit stop at a horrid motel. A train passes and Lucy and Ricky's bed travels across the motel room each time it goes by. From that point on, I was hooked. Flash forward approximately 25 years later, and my love and appreciation for I Love Lucy and the brilliant red headed powerhouse behind it, has grown stronger with every year.

It is because of this enduring history I have with Lucille Ball, that I had extreme hesitations about Being the Ricardos. Other than Debra Messing in an I Love Lucy tribute episode of Will & Grace, I have always found Lucille Ball impressions to be garish and overdone. Every attempt at impersonating the comedy legend always seems like the actor forgets that Lucy Ricardo was supposed to be a real human, and not a cartoon. About ten years ago was when I first heard that this film was in the works, at that time, Cate Blanchett was signed on for the lead. Though I wouldn't say Blanchett looks like Lucile Ball, I trusted her to bring one of my childhood heroes to life with accuracy and respect. Then, I assume due to the incredibly lengthy pre-production, the role was changed to having Nicole Kidman at the helm. I'd be completely lying if I said I hadn't been disappointed with the casting change. Foolishly, I had suspected Kidman to be wrong for the tremendous task of embodying Lucille Ball, but I am incredibly happy to eat my words and say I was very, very incorrect.

Here's the thing. Anyone who attempts to portray Lucille Ball is signing themselves up for an immeasurable amount of scrutiny. Off the top of my head, I cannot think of any historical figure more beloved who would have so much automatic, and likely negative, response to anyone who tackled the role. Does Kidman look like Lucy? Not really. She resembles more the collectable I Love Lucy Barbie Dolls than the real person, but she looks enough like her to make the movie believable. The reason I feel Kidman's portrayal works so well, is Being the Ricardos focuses far more on the behind the scenes life of the show than it does the Ricardos themselves. It certainly gives you sequences where you get to see the cast reenact beloved scenes from the show, and they're definitely great, but Kidman really shines outside of those moments. It's nearly impossible to watch an imitation of Lucy Ricardo and not make constant comparisons, but an impression of Lucille Ball is a different story. Kidman changes her vocal cadence depending on which Lucy she's portraying, and it's an excellent feature she adds to the role. The same can be said for Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz. Doesn't look identical, but captures his mannerisms perfectly. I truly cannot express enough how impressed I was with it all, and that's really not something I expected I'd be saying.

Lucy was famously not the easiest person to be around at times. To make the immense impact she had, she couldn't afford to present herself as the pleasant 1950s demeanor expected of most women of the time. She made tremendous gains for women in the entertainment and business industries, and had to be a hard ass at times in order to accomplish it. Being the Ricardos doesn't shy away from the sharper side of Lucille Ball, and I commend it for it. It paints the full picture of the woman she was, and leaves you with more regard for her legacy than you may have had before watching the film. I know there will be many people who disagree with me, but as someone who has idolized Lucy essentially their whole life, I can say I genuinely loved this movie.

Rating: 4.75/5

The Power of the Dog was my first Campion, and what a brilliant introduction to her films. 

The Power of the Dog is a movie where upon initially watching it, I knew I really liked it, but less than 24 hours later my opinion went from like to love. It’s almost as if my mind needed time to fully absorb what I’d watched for me to appreciate it for all it had to offer. My opinion changed so much so that I went into Letterboxd and adjusted my rating and bumped the movie even higher on my 2021 ranking. Whether it be the plot, performances, direction, or cinematography, The Power of the Dog is truly masterful. 

I’ve been a fan of Benedict Cumberbatch for many years now, starting with Sherlock as so many did, but it’s clear to me that this is quite possibly his most impressive performance. The weight he brings to his character, Phil’s presence is absolutely staggering. From the a few notes of a banjo or the click of his boots, you know when he is near, and you and in addition to the characters in the movie are immediately put on edge. Cumberbatch instills such a feeling of menace and unease to Phil, but it’s not the kind of danger that appears spontaneous. Every move he makes is incredibly calculated, which is why it’s so imposing. He is in control of every situation and is not someone to cross. Cumberbatch commands the attention of every second of film he’s on. 

In juxtaposition to Benedict Cumberbatch, every other character in The Power of the Dog is just trying to hold their own, but are struggling in the shadow of Phil’s power. As is the case of Cumberbatch, the other cast members are exquisite in their portrayals of their characters. You root for their success and fear the consequences that their attempts for normalcy and happiness may bring. 

The way the story for The Power of the Dog unfolds is beautifully crafted. It’s far from a straight forward Western, as there are numerous secrets and mysteries to be unearthed. It’s because of this and many other reasons that I greatly look forward to watching this again.

Rating: 5/5

Encanto is quite simply, one of the best things Disney’s made in recent history. 

Encanto wastes no time in getting you invested in not only the story, but the music that will be guiding you through it. Its' upbeat, powerful, and mystical soundtrack is just one of the many things that make Encanto so wonderful. It adds itself to the handful of times where I’ve left the theater and immediately downloaded the soundtrack. 

Ever since I was young, I’ve always loved stories involving magic, especially ones where different powers are distributed among the characters. Encanto lands perfectly into that category. The creativity behind the world imagined in Encanto is truly astounding. To see not only the different magic gifts each family member has had bestowed upon them, but the different rooms and worlds that are made to go along with their powers, is easily my favorite aspect of Encanto. 

As I was watching Encanto in the theaters, it’d be safe to say my friend and I were laughing more than the kids in the audience. Not the first time that’s happened, but that’s what I love about Disney. For decades, they’ve managed to strike the perfect balance between making a film for children that everyone will enjoy. It’s also why so many of their movies dare to dive into deeper emotions which is especially present in Encanto. The movie treats the viewers, no matter the age, like they aren’t just mindless movie goers. That they can handle subplots about grief or feeling left out or alone. Encanto handles these topics with perfection, along with everything else the movie does so brilliantly. 

Since theaters have been opening up again, I’ve been making a point to go and see as many new movies as I can, but I’ve yet to feel the urge to brave the germ ridden theaters to revisit something I’ve already seen. Encanto is one where I've been toying around with the idea of going back to watch it again, because I loved it that much. Between the story, music, voice acting, and breathtaking color, it's really a wonder to behold.

Rating: 3.75/5

Belfast is a good movie, though not as wonderful as some reviews would suggest. 

Belfast is another movie I knew very little about before watching. In fact, I don’t believe I’d even see the trailer before going to the theaters. I knew it was in black and white, but beyond that, hardly anything more. I wouldn’t say I was completely underwhelmed by it, but I wasn’t as enthusiastic about it as I’d anticipated. Even though I knew virtually nothing about Belfast before watching it, I did know it was getting impressive reviews, so I had expected to like it more. 

I really have mixed feelings on Belfast, especially some of the way things were shot. At times, I was very enthralled by it, especially any scenes combining black and white and color at the theater. But then there were other times where the camera angles felt incredibly out of place, sticking out like a sore thumb from the scenes before it, thus pulling me out of any movie enchantment I may have been feeling moments before. It just isn’t overly cohesive. 

What can’t be denied are the quality of the performances Belfast has to offer. All characters, both young and old, are incredibly engaging and truly help enforce the emotional pull that the plot needs. Belfast isn’t exactly on the top of my lists for movies I need to watch again, but it’d be worth it to watch it another time around for the acting alone. 

It seems like Belfast is most certainly Oscar bound. I wouldn’t say it doesn’t deserve the attention, but I can’t say I’ll be exactly rooting for it either.

A short documentary about the life and culinary genius of the one, the only, Julia Child.

Julia may not be a groundbreaking documentary, but I knew I was going to love it before I even watched it. Even if a documentary isn't phenomenal, if it's about a subject you have immense interest in, it's usually still going to be something you like. Admittedly, Julia is far from the best or eloquently structured documentary I've seen, but I have had a fascination with Julia Child since I was little, so I absolutely had a blast getting to see this.

I would say the main faults of Julia would be the, at times, awkward attempts at putting in some of the more controversial aspects to her life to try and give some contrast to the beloved Julia Child the world all knows. It doesn't exactly transition incredibly well, but these moments are so sparse that it didn't really detract from my enjoyment of the film.

Julia Child was such a prolific person, both in stature and reputation. She changed the face of the culinary world and brought about an era of Food TV that truly seems could not have existed had The French Chef never been. I've read about Julia Child in biographies and watched the movie Julie & Julia more times than I can count, but I always crave more knowledge on her life, because I find it immensely fascinating. The documentary Julia gives you that additional information, but also provides an extra window into aspects of her career and personal life that I had never known about. Through letters and journal entries shown on the screen, her relationship with Paul Child unfolds as well as her frustration with attempting to get Mastering the Art of French Cooking published. It's an insight into the real Julia and is what really makes the documentary so special.

I really loved this movie. Not that it's surprising, but it will without a doubt make you hungry by the end, it sure did for me. Even though I'm vegetarian, I couldn't help but want to reach right into the screen and taste the boeuf bourguignon; it looked absolutely delectable.

Rating: 3.5/5

Eternals, though beautiful to look at, lacks the energy to keep it truly exciting.

To start, I will say I made the very poor decision of going to see Eternals at a 9:45pm showing when I was already really tired. Such bad planning inevitably lead to me nodding off on occasion in the theater. So, this review will likely change a bit once I give Eternals another less sleepy go around.

I didn't doze through the whole thing, just parts here and there, but that still didn't fully hinder my ability to form an opinion on Eternals. I do think if it were slightly more interesting, I probably wouldn't have been so prone to nearly falling asleep on occasion. I did like the way the movie was structured, with the viewer being able to see the different eras of the Eternals as they had existed throughout time, but it just wasn't quite enough to keep me fully engaged.

What I did really love about Eternals was the cast. For any faults the plot may have had, the cast did their best to make up for it. They each suited their roles to perfection and it is really their characters and performances alone that make me excited to see what's going to come next from this newest group of MCU heroes.

To be honest, aside from WandaVison, since Endgame, I have found myself having a harder time getting really invested in the MCU offerings. Especially movies that don't involve any of the characters found in the Pre-Endgame films. I did like Shang-Chi, but it still didn't grasp my interest in the same way that the MCU used to. I'm hoping that it's just temporary hero fatigue, and that I'll be able to soon be excited again for new MCU movies. Eternals may not have met my hopes or expectations, but it was decent and I think upon another viewing I'll like it more.

Rating: 4.5/5

Well color me surprised, I really, really liked this.

Why is my enjoying this movie an unexpected result? Here's the thing, I've never really understood the fascination with the Royals, so I wouldn't say the plot of Spencer was a huge selling point for me. But also, I had always had this assumption that I didn't like Kristen Stewart as an actress. I blame Twilight. Even so, I decided to watch Spencer because it's predicted for a lot of Oscar buzz, so I wanted to make sure to see it as part of my attempt to watch all Academy Award nominated films. After seeing this, it turns out I was very, very wrong about my assumptions on Kristen Stewart. She is fantastic in this. There are still some little quirks that she does that would occasionally pull me away from fully believing her as Diana, but there were more times than not where I truly would forget that it was Kristen Stewart on the screen, as she would completely disappear into the famed Princess of Wales.

I think one of the reasons the Royals has never been overly interesting to me is because I was too young to remember all of the craze around the Princess Diana time period. I vaguely remember hearing about the tragedy of her death, but I didn't fully understand what happened, and I was certainly too young to really know who she was. It is because of this that Diana has been more myth than reality for me. It seems like, and I could be quite wrong about this given my lack of knowledge on the subject, that it is only recently where the true struggles of Diana's life have started to come to light. That we're just now getting the full story of her battle with mental health and how it seemed no one would help. For as little as I've known about the Royal Family in my lifetime, I did always have this general understanding that Diana's life was a harrowing one, but if the events in Spencer are true at all to reality, than her story is far more heartbreaking than I'd ever realized.

Spencer's plot happens over the course of three days and even though it almost all takes place in one location, given the sheer size of the estate, there's a lot of variety to the different rooms and styles to each scene. There's one segment in particular that involves a late night Christmas Eve celebration by candlelight that sticks in my mind as one of the movie's best moments. Though the dimension of the scene is small, its impact is incredibly strong. It's easily one of the most intimate and emotional sequences in Spencer. I would also say it is this scene alone that makes me think Kristen Stewart is already locked into being a nominee for Best Actress.

Given where I live, I was very surprised that Spencer came to a theater near me, as we unfortunately don't usually get movies like this. I'm so incredibly glad it did. I really knew almost nothing about the plot of Spencer before seeing it at the theater, and I think if I had had to wait to see it at home, I would've likely read or heard more about it over time, and the experience of seeing it wouldn't have been the same. Sometimes, going into a movie with just about zero knowledge about the plot really pays off, and this is one of those instances.

Rating: 3.75/5

I’d be lying if I didn’t say the main reason I watched The French Dispatch was because it’s predicted for Oscar nominations and I try to watch all the nominees, because that’s exactly why I went to see it. Having said that, I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised. 

I have a complicated relationship with Wes Anderson. I was first introduced to his movies in a high school film class, and honestly, 18 year old me wasn’t overly enthused. We watched both The Royal Tenebaums and The Darjeeling Limited. The first, I don’t believe I was paying very close attention to because I was editing a project of some kind, and the second, I just didn’t like. So from that point onward, I had always just held this opinion that I didn’t like Wes Anderson movies. Now, flash forward about ten years later. It’s recently dawned on me that I was probably too young and truthfully, probably a little pretentious, to give Anderson’s movies a fair chance. So, I’d made a recent vow to revisit his works and see if my opinion had changed. It appears it may have. I wouldn’t say I’m a complete Anderson convert, I need to go back and rewatch The Royal Tenebaums and The Darjeeling Limited, but if The French Dispatch is any indication, I suspect I like Wes Anderson more than I thought. 

What I really liked about The French Dispatch is how it’s a story told through vignettes. It’s not a common movie style, so it’s always intriguing when a plot unfolds in that way. Personally, my favorite was the section about the artist, and that is primarily because of Tilda Swinton. She’s great in basically everything, but even though her amount of screen time is rather small compared to others, her’s is the performance I left the theater thinking about the most.

The French Dispatch, not unlike other Anderson movies, of course has a very distinct visual style. Given the episodic nature of the movie, you get to see many different ways in which he has chosen to not only tell a story, but how to make each one different from the other. An idea that raises the anticipation for each segment, as I was constantly wondering what the next concept would look like.

As I get older and learn more and more about movies in general, I do find my tastes and opinions have drastically changed from even as little as three years ago. After seeing The French Dispatch, I know I’ll be giving Wes Anderson’s other movies another attempt, and I’m very curious to see how my thoughts on them may have changed. There is still part of me that feels as if I won’t ever love him as much as his most devoted fans do, but maybe I’ll get a little closer to that appreciation than I’d ever thought I would.

Rating: 2.5/5

Tim Burton, please stop doing adaptations. It’s really not working for you. 

Many years back, I read Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. I assume like many, I was intrigued by the cover and the assortment of odd and creepy pictures inside its pages. However, I found myself disappointed by the book as a whole. When Tim Burton’s movie based off Ransom Riggs’ novel came out, I didn’t exactly avoid seeing it, I just didn’t have much interest based on my feelings of the book. Now, having decided to watch all of Burton’s movies, I finally got around to watching it, and my sentiments are somewhat mixed. 

For the first half of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, I was rather surprised to find myself enjoying it. I thought the reveal of the children was quite effective and I really liked the time loop scene. But then, about half way through, my enjoyment of the movie began to wane. The beginning of Miss Peregrine’s had a faint whisper to the style of the old Burton we used to know and love, but the second act falls back into his newer CGI obsessed and forced humor antics. It’s a shame, because for awhile, I thought I’d be writing a very different review. 

Not unlike the consistency of the plot, the performances in this movie are mixed as well. Though he’s the lead, Asa Butterfield just really didn’t capture my attention. I get that his character is supposed to be intentionally awkward, but I didn’t buy his relationships with anyone in the movie. Eva Green is great, easily the best part of the whole thing. Green is the new Burton girl, and I haven’t loved her in everything she’s done for him, but this is definitely her shining performance. Samuel L. Jackson as the villain though? Not a fan. To be fair, I don’t blame him at all. He received the brunt of all the ridiculous dialogue, and there’s only so much a person can do to try to make it seem not terrible. He tried, but it still didn’t work.

It really seems like the downfall of Burton’s career was when he began adapting well known works. Planet of the Apes was the first sign of danger, and there really hasn’t been any good adaptations of his since then other than Sweeney Todd. Not to say his successful movies aren’t influenced on previous works, obviously both Batmans were, but that was a different era of Burton, and he had a much clearer vision then. Sadly, I don’t think we’ll ever return to those days, so all we can do is rewatch his classics and reminisce on the director that once was, rather than dwell on what his movies have become.

Rating: 4.25/5

Full disclaimer, this review for Dune is coming from someone who knew nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, about the plot beforehand. 

Prior to seeing Dune, if someone had asked me what it was about, the only things I could’ve  said would’ve be that it’s science fiction and the characters occasionally had to wear things in their noses; that’s all I had. Now having seen Dune: Part One, I honestly couldn’t tell you a whole lot more about the plot, but I can say I very much enjoyed the experience of watching the movie. Not knowing the names and history of the planets and different characters definitely made understanding Dune quite a difficult task, but it all looked so incredible that I truly didn’t care. I know I’m probably the thousandth person to say this, but Dune demands to be seen in theaters. 

It really speaks to the stunning cinematography and design of Dune that I could sit through all nearly three hours of runtime, being lost on the plot, but still very engaged in what I was seeing. I’ll admit that the first 30 minutes or so didn’t grab me in the way the rest of the film did, but once that first sandworm scene came around, I was immediately hooked. 

While in the theater, I found myself watching Dune in awe of the amount of skill it must take to tackle such an immense project. When a director must know that so much of what they’re creating will only be seen in post production after all the CGI and movie magic has been added in, what talent and creativity it must take to get that vision to go from their mind to the screen. I can’t even begin to conceive how such a daunting task would need to unfold. Dune is a showcase to Villeneuve‘s talents that not only was he able to make this story come to life, but also have it feel so incredibly expansive and real. 

I am certain that a few more viewings will help me understand the plot of Dune, but even if it doesn’t, I don’t really mind. It's worth watching again just for the look of it alone.

Rating: 3.75/5

Big Eyes is far from being named as one of Burton’s best, but it’s an absolute breath of fresh air from some of the recent movies he did before it. 

Big Eyes came out at a time where Burton’s former reputation as a unique visionary had all about crashed and burned. After the bomb that was The Planet of the Apes, he certainly still had some great movies, namely Big Fish and Sweeney Todd, but aside from those two titles, it was clear to see the quality of his films were dropping. More CGI was being heavily used and the constant casting of Johnny Depp was running his movies into the ground. Frankenweenie was quite good, but his live action attempts were suffering. I think that is why I ended up liking Big Eyes as much as I did. I’ve been watching Burton’s entire filmography in chronological order, and I needed something of his with real people that didn’t feel so overproduced. 

What’s sad about the fact that I liked Big Eyes because of its more subtle approach, is that aside from some of the opening suburban shots and the slightly punched up colors of the city settings, you can’t really tell this is a Burton film. At the start of his career, his style put such a large stamp on his movies that you wouldn’t have a shadow of a doubt as to who directed it. For Big Eyes, had I not known beforehand who the director was, I’m not 100% sure I would’ve been able to know right off the bat who directed it. It almost seems like Burton knew Dark Shadows was such an obscene, over the top disaster, that he overcorrected and made Big Eyes much more toned down than it should’ve been. 

Let’s talk about the acting for a moment. Amy Adams was excellent, she rarely isn’t. Christoph Waltz on the other hand, not my favorite performance in the movie. Now, I don’t know anything about the real Walter Keane, so maybe Waltz’s portrayal was incredibly accurate, but it just came off as a bit too big. Not completely unwatchable, just not great. 

I do wish the final act of Big Eyes hadn't felt so rushed. We do get a nice little post script, but it felt like there could've been more to the story before the credits rolled. But all in all, not a bad movie. Not in my top five Burtons, but still pretty darn good.

Rating: 0.5/5

I’m sorry, but there’s no other way to say it. This movie sucked. I immensely hated it. 

A little over 10 years ago, my mom introduced teenaged me to a gothic horror soap opera from the '60s. That show was Dark Shadows. It was cheesy, but not intentionally, creepy for what it had the budget to be, and inexplicably engaging. It became this wonderful time my mom and I had where she got to watch me experience and love a show she was obsessed with when she was little. When I initially heard there was going to be a movie about it, I was really excited! I figured most of the world had forgotten about Barnabas and Collinsport, so I was thrilled to see it was going to be given the modern film treatment. Then I saw the director attached, Tim Burton, and my enthusiasm began to fade. By this point, I was well aware of Burton’s drop in quality, but I thought I could still give it a chance. Then I saw the trailer and was outraged. 

Fast forward many years later, and I’ve decided to watch every Tim Burton movie, thus succumbing to the unfortunate fate of having to watch Dark Shadows. I still vowed to give it a fair shot, thinking maybe I’d prejudged it, but my original opinions were very much right. This movie is absolutely horrendous. Not even Helena Bonham Carter or Michelle Pfeiffer, two actresses that I love, could save this. Was Helena Bonham Carter trying to do a Maine accent or was she poorly covering up her British one? Who’s to say, but that is the absolute least concern when it comes to the myriad of problems Dark Shadows has. The comedy is horribly timed and cheap, the character choices ridiculous (Carolyn in particular), and any attempts to stay true to the tone of original series is completely forgotten. I can’t think of a movie in recent history that I have disliked as much as this. 

What’s so incredibly frustrating is, as silly as the original series could be at times, the core story was great, and could’ve made an amazing movie. The story of Barnabas, a man who lost the woman he loved to a vengeful witch, only to be turned into a vampire; forever longing for his departed love, though he knows he’ll never see her again. It’s a story that’s been done many times, but with the right director, it could’ve been macabre and romantic, instead of this tawdry adaption we so unfortunately received. 

At one point in time, Tim Burton might have been a good choice for Dark Shadows, but not anymore. He became so focused on shoving Johnny Depp into every lead role that he forgot to see if Depp was the right person for the character. Johnny Depp, though once a great actor, was certainly not right as Barnabas Collins. Nobody in this movie was cast correctly, but most of all him. If it were true to the original series, Barnabas was supposed to be mysterious, yet charming, and also very elegant. I saw none of that in Depp’s portrayal. It’s just unfortunate that by working together constantly and not branching out, both Burton and Depp seemingly have brought about an end to their once illustrious reputations. 

There are scenes in Dark Shadows that are bafflingly awful. I’m a completist, so I had to get around to seeing this eventually, but it was incredibly far from an enjoyable task. I don’t think loving the original series is the main reason I hated it so much; I can’t imagine I would’ve found it watchable even if I’d never seen a single episode. It’s just completely dreadful.

Rating: 4/5

Rent is a movie that's a weird phenomenon for me where I didn't realize until very recently how disliked this it was. 

When Rent came out, I saw it in theaters. I was just old enough to be legally allowed to see it without a parent or guardian. Prior to watching Rent, the musicals I knew by heart were ones like Les Miserables, Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, and Grease. Because of this, Rent felt incredibly new and daring to me. Because I saw Rent when I was thirteen, and believe me, I was a very young thirteen, there was a lot of the plot that went right over my naive little head. But even so, I knew that from what I could understand from it, that I loved the story and the music even more so. I left the theater a Rent fan for life. 

To do this day, I have never had a chance to see Rent on the stage, so my knowledge of the musical remains very much from the film only. My first experience of seeing Rent at the movie theater was one where I was absolutely enraptured by it and because I didn't know of any discrepancies from the stage to the screen, I had ignorantly assumed most everyone enjoyed the movie too. It was only until recently listening to a podcast episode about Rent where I learned how wrong I was. Even so, rewatching it now as an adult, I can't find myself disliking it. I'm sure if I grew up knowing and loving the stage version, my opinion would be very different. I know if whenever a movie adaption of Wicked comes out that if it changes too much from the stage I'll be very upset. So I can fully understand why there are a lot of people who dislike the Rent movie, but because I've yet to see it live, I can only hold onto my feelings based off the film, and I still love it. 

This most recent time around watching Rent, I did notice how rushed the ending seems to be, which is something I'd never really felt before. I hesitate to assume anything from the stage version, but I would hazard a guess that Angel's story and conclusion receives more time than it does in the movie. Also, within the song "What You Own', it seems like time flies by way too fast to really get the emotional punch it's trying to deliver. But even with all that being said, Rent is still one of my more enjoyed movie musicals, especially the first three quarters of it. 

Some of my fondest memories of my childhood are my sister and I discovering new musicals to fall in love with together, and Rent was one we both found at the same time. Maybe that's the primary reason I still enjoy the movie after all the years? Who's to say for sure, but I know that despite the negative reviews it has, I will always like this movie. Though, no matter how many times I view it, I'm not sure if I'll ever understand Maureen's protest.

Rating: 2.5/5

Along with Ella Enchanted; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is one of the few movies I can pinpoint from my childhood as being disappointed by. As an adult, I can’t say I like it much more than I did then. 

I grew up being rather enamored with the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Then, by the time Tim Burton remade it, I had definitely cemented my status as a movie obsessive and was old enough to recognize different directors. Because of all that, I remember being very excited to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory but then leaving the theater feeling very underwhelmed. Where the original was filled with magic and whimsy, the remake was garish and lacking in charm. It also included a backstory for Wonka that felt most unnecessary. 

What really throws me off in Tim Burton’s version is the portrayal of Willy Wonka. Burton’s constant casting of the same people seemed to be the start of his downfall. On paper, it would appear that Johnny Depp would be a great choice to play Wonka, but in reality, it didn’t work. I do wonder what the movie could’ve been like with another casting choice. In the original, Gene Wilder’s take on Willy Wonka was that of a character who was an odd duck to be sure, but was someone who was a child at heart and was full of a constant curiosity for what could be created. Depp’s version of Wonka is one where you wouldn’t be at all surprised to find that the chocolate factory had to be shut down because its owner was either discovered to be on the sex offender registry and/or wanted for homicide. His portrayal is a far more sinister and emotionally stunted version of Willy Wonka. To be fair, Depp does have his moments where there is some sincerity to be found, but they are few and far between. 

With all that being said, what does work really well in this, is any scene involving Charlie and his family. Freddie Highmore is too good for this movie. His portrayal of Charlie is incredibly earnest and the most grounded aspect to the entire film. And though her scenes are a rarity within the whole plot, Helena Bonham Carter delivers an additionally great performance as well. Without either of them, especially Highmore, I don’t know if I could even find this movie to be watchable. 

Every time I watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I somehow kid myself into thinking I’ll maybe like it more this time around, but I never do. It’s certainly not Burton’s worst, but this definitely seemed to be where the decline in quality started to become painfully obvious.

Rating: 2/5

I’d heard from basically everyone who’d seen Planet of the Apes, just how bad it was, so I went into ready to hate it. End result? It wasn’t as horrible as I expected, but definitely not great. 

Instead of writing a full on review, I’m just going to break Planet of the Apes down into what I felt was good and what was bad. 

The Good

• Helena Bonham Carter’s performance was excellent, especially considering the amount of prosthetics she was under. 

• The make up is incredible in this. I cannot even fathom how long it must have taken for all the actor to ape transformations to be complete. 

The Bad

• Lisa Marie’s ape seduction. So bizarre. Just, why?  

• The ending, for fairly obvious reasons. 

• Mark Wahlberg’s performance. All of it. It seems like in every movie, Wahlberg has the same three acting tricks to draw from. Step 1. Flare nostrils. Step 2. Be out of breath. Step 3. Look as confused as possible. 

I think going into Planet of the Apes with such incredibly low expectations made me like it more than anticipated, but it’s still not a winner by any means.

Rating: 3.85/5

Batman Returns is nuts. Between jet pack penguins, Danny DeVito’s constant black drool, and Michelle Pfeiffer putting a live bird in her mouth, it’s absolutely insane, but in the best ways. 

Though I gave Batman Returns a lower rating than its' predecessor, I think as time passes, and I have processed the movie a bit more, that may change. Batman Returns may have caught me off guard a bit. The first Batman was bizarre at times, but nothing even remotely close to this. When you think of imagery associated with Tim Burton movies, Returns certainly seems to have the bigger stamp upon it.

The villain could also be why I liked the first Batman more. I really loved Nicholson’s Joker, but can’t say I felt the same for DeVito's Penguin. Don’t get me wrong, DeVito is phenomenal as the crazed new threat to Gotham City, but I had a very hard time watching him. There are certain things that if shown in a movie will make my stomach instantly turn, and they are messy eating and consuming of raw meat, and Penguin does both. To be honest, I actually had to look away a few times, because I could feel myself beginning to get very queasy. But, that result just means DeVito was very effective as Penguin, so, job well done.

What was the best part of Batman Returns? Catwoman, without question. Michelle Pfeiffer is absolutely iconic as Selena Kyle. Like Batman, Catwoman is a character that faces the challenges of duality, and Pfeiffer impeccably captures the many sides to Selena.  Prior to becoming Catwoman, Ms.Kyle is very clumsy and nervous. But, add some superpowers to a new taste for revenge, and you’ve got yourselves the perfect concoction for a legendary performance. Once officially Catwoman, Selena’s daytime personality has changed for sure, but when in her claw adorned suit, she’s a lethal weapon. There’s a different tone of voice and cadence that Pfeiffer brings to her scenes depending on which version of Selena Kyle she is. With most superhero stories, you find it hard to believe someone wouldn’t recognize the person behind the mask, but Pfeiffer makes Selena Kyle and Catwoman different enough from one another, that you can somewhat think it could be possible for Bruce Wayne not to recognize her. 

I think when I watch Batman Returns a second time around, I’ll like it even more. It’s only been a few days since I saw it, and already I’m realizing I enjoyed it more than I initially thought. It’s a bananas movie for sure, but it’s an absolute blast.

Rating: 4.85/5

It’s been out for years, but I’ve finally gotten around to seeing Edge of Tomorrow, and it did not disappoint. 

I’m always impressed with stories like Edge of Tomorrow, where the characters within it are reliving the same day over and over again. It’s a tactic that’s been done many times on TV and has been successful, but it’s a whole different ball game when you stretch that concept out to withstand a two hour runtime. Yet, somehow Edge of Tomorrow doesn’t make the constant redos of the same scene over and over again feel boring or stale. Obviously each repeated day isn’t exactly the same, because what would be the point in even watching, but with the addition of new action and story expansion every time around, it remains very engaging. It also puts the viewer in a really fun position of trying to piece together the characters’ courses of action of how they can make it to the next phase of the story. 

I’d heard the action in Edge of Tomorrow was great, so that didn’t surprise, especially not with Tom Cruise at the helm. I may not exactly like the man, but his dedication to stunt work is certainly admirable. What I found to be quite unexpected with Edge of Tomorrow, was the humor in it, especially from Cruise. Prior to this, I think I’d maybe seen two other Tom Cruise movies, neither of which were action or comedy. I’ve never been his biggest fan, and I’ve admittedly never seen any of the Mission Impossibles, and those take up a large portion of his acting credits. So, the fact that I not only enjoyed him in this, but actually found myself laughing at his moments of comedy, especially in the training montages, was a very happy surprise. 

Lately, I’ve been on a real Emily Blunt kick, so it only seemed fitting that now would be the time that I watch Edge of Tomorrow. As previously stated, not a big Tom Cruise person, so Emily Blunt was the primary reason I watched this, and she is phenomenal in it. Blunt is one of the most versatile performers working right now. Comedy, drama, musical, action, horror; she can do it all. She’s one of the actors whose movies I most anxiously await, and I really hope she does more adrenaline fueled narratives like this, because she absolutely knocks it out of the park. 

I’m really glad I finally got around to seeing Edge of Tomorrow. Most of the action movies I’ve watched have been comic book based, so I’m definitely due to broaden my horizons in the genre, and this was a great place to start.

Rating: 4.85/5

So, this was excellent. 

Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is like nothing the MCU has done before. It’s mystical, powerful, and absolutely stunning to behold. Taking the traditional superhero origin story elements and adding that to mythology and folklore is an absolute winning combination.

At this point, you’d think Marvel would be running out of ways to shoot a fight scene without repeating themselves, but Shang Chi proves that theory wrong. Reminiscent of the beauty found within the action of movies like House of Flying Daggers, Shang Chi is a visual masterpiece. Because of the the mission that Shang Chi must embark upon, he’s taken to fantastical locations, filled with wonder and enchantment. It is there where the movie’s most impressive moments dwell. From training to actual combat, it’s all done to perfection. 

What also makes the fight scenes in Shang Chi so great, is it never feels like a one man show. Most action movies give their hero a sidekick, and they feel just like that, a tagalong character that’s only there when the plot demands them, like if you removed them from the story, not much would change. That’s certainly not the case here. The battles that Shang Chi faces cannot be fought alone, and the people who fight alongside him, whether it be his sister, his best friend, aunt, etc., they all feel crucially important to the story. Without them, our hero could not have a chance of reaching the end of his journey. 

Simu Liu is phenomenal as the titular character. Shang Chi must be powerful, yet vulnerable, serious, yet witty, and Simu Liu captures every moment with brilliance and ease. The same can be said for Awkwafina, who plays his best friend Katy, and Fala Chen, who plays his sister Leiko Wu. Both characters are vastly different from one another, which is a main reason as to why their scenes together are so great. Truly, the performances in Shang Chi are just all around, really fantastic. 

Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings really surprised me. I must admit, I’ve had some reservations about the post-Endgame MCU. Endgame felt like such a finale, that I feared the following phase of movies would come off like the revitalized season of a tv show that had ended a decade prior. But, what the MCU has done since Endgame has quelled all my worries, primarily with Shang Chi. This is the first movie since 2019 to feature a new lead hero that wasn’t in any of the previous phases, and let me tell you, if any of the upcoming MCU movies are as fantastic as this one, then I’m very excited for what’s to come.

Rating: 4/5

Practical Magic is a movie that continues to grow on me. Every time I watch, I find more and more to love about it.

I can't remember the first time I saw Practical Magic, but it was quite a long time ago. From what I can recall, I feel as if I remember it catching me off guard a little bit. Maybe I thought it would be spookier? Maybe I thought it was more a romantic comedy? I honestly couldn't tell you, but perhaps one of the things that surprised me was the style of it. I know for a fact that when I first watched Practical Magic, I was quite young, and though I loved movies more than anything, I was still very uninformed about the different types of filmmaking. I was adjusted to the typical A to Z storytelling formats you see in most movies, so anything that was a deviation from that formula, no matter how slight a shift it may have been, it took me a little while to process. Watching it now, many years later, I don't find much to be different about Practical Magic from any other movie. Its film style is pretty typical. More than anything, it's just very quirky, but in a great way. Looking back on it, I think what surprised me the most then was the way it presented the concept witchcraft.

In basically every story where witches are involved, they almost all have the same issue; witches have to be in hiding and no one can know about their powers. The characters in Practical Magic, though not completely out in the open with their incantations and potions, certainly don't hide the fact that they're witches either, especially the Aunties. People go to them for cures and spells, and this variation on a witch centered plot was rather new to me. I went into the movie fully expecting their magic to have to be entirely secret, but was very happy to find it shown in a different way. That's what I love that about this movie. It brings a delightful twist to a concept that's been tackled many times before.

For both Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, they're 100% the reason Practical Magic is as great as it is. For the plot to work, you have to completely believe their bond as sisters. And even though they don't look a thing alike, the way their relationship unfolds on screen makes you fully accept that they're related. You can see how, even without magic, they would know when the other was in trouble, because their sibling bond feels that strong. Together, they're the strings that tie the entire film together.

I truly love this Practical Magic. I'm not sure if I would have said that a decade or so ago when I first watched it, but I can definitively say it now. It's a perfect feature to put on during the Halloween season, or really any time of year for that matter. But it definitely feels right at home with the cooling of the Autumn temperatures and the sense of spooky magic that's in the air once the leaves start to fall.

Rating: 4/5

I saw Free Guy as part of a Drive-In Theater Double Feature. One movie was not as good as I expected and the other was better; Free Guy belongs to the latter category.

I went into watching Free Guy expecting it to be fun, silly, and filled with the expected Ryan Reynolds antics. To be clear, it matches all of those descriptors, but it's somehow much more unexpected and entertaining than I predicted. Like I said, I saw this at a drive in, so I couldn't hear if others were laughing as much as I was, but I actually regret seeing Free Guy in such a venue, because I think it would've been served even better by being watched in an actual theater so I could hear other people's reactions as well.

Free Guy is clearly meant for a very specific demographic. If you don't play video games or don't know anything about them, you're likely going to miss a lot of the jokes placed throughout the movie. I've played my fair share of them, but not a lot of online simulated world games, so I'm sure there were some references that passed me by, but I grasped enough of it to find it quite humorous. Similar to greats like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and The Lego Movie, its charm may not work on everyone, but that shouldn't stop people from watching it. Actually, between those two previously mentioned titles, Free Guy most strongly resembles The Lego Movie. In fact, the opening scenes feel almost like a mirror of the animated feature, just minus the Lego bricks. If you are a member of Free Guy's target audience, then you'll likely find it to be an absolute blast.

Between the story, the action, and the costumes, Free Guy is one of those movies where it just looks like it must've been incredibly fun to work on. It's quite goofy at times, but also very clever when needed. Its definitely one of the bigger movie surprises I've had this year and one I cannot wait to watch it again.

Rating: 2/5

Ella Enchanted will always be the first movie I ever remember being incredibly disappointed by and it definitely hasn’t gotten better with age. 

When I was very young, 5th Grade I believe, my sister recommended the book “Ella Enchanted” to me. She knew my love of fairytales and thought I’d like it. Well, I became enthralled in it. Having my teacher tell me to put the book away because I was reading through class. So, when they announced there would be a movie of my newly beloved book, ten year old me was ecstatic. Then I saw it. 

It has been awhile since I read the source material for Ella Enchanted, but I still know it’s a poor excuse for a book adaptation, drastically changing elements from the page. No amount of fairy magic could turn this into a faithful rendering. 

Somehow, even with all that being said, I would still watch this movie from time to time when I was a kid. I liked the musical numbers. But now, watching it as an adult, I wanted to see what I thought of it so many years later, and I found it very hard to make it to the end. Anne Hathaway, try as she might, just couldn’t save this movie. If I remember correctly, this was around the time when she was attempting to shake her Princess Diaries persona, but still had to do Ella Enchanted. In my opinion, you can tell she’s tired of being in kids movies, and is just as unenthused with the film as I was. Though, her singing “Somebody to Love” will forever be great. 

I love fairytales, always have and always will. I’m game for pretty much any adaptation of a classic tale beginning with “Once upon a time…”, which is why Ella Enchanted is such a drag. It had all the elements for a great story filled with magic, but just couldn’t put the pieces together to make it something enjoyable. I do think if I hadn’t read the book beforehand, I probably would’ve like it more, but I don’t think I’d ever have considered it a favorite. Also, Heidi Klum's presence in this has always baffled me.

Rating: 3.25/5

Lately I've been going through a major nostalgia movie kick, and whenever I go through a childhood favorites phase, I almost always find myself watching Madeline.

For me, Madeline will always be known as the first movie I ever saw Frances McDormand in. For a long time, when I was still quite young, if I caught clips of other movies with her in it, I would always recognize her as the woman who played Miss Clavel. Obviously, once I got older and started watching her much better and more prominent roles, I came to know her for many other movies, but I still always look back fondly at this movie and really enjoy watching her in Madeline. Even if it is a somewhat silly kids movie, I mean, she clucks like a chicken at one point, it's still a good performance and a decent film for what it is.

As previously mentioned, I've been watching numerous movies lately that I used to watch fairly regularly as a kid. Many of them don't really hold up, but this one does. The story of course is a classic, but for a movie targeted for children, the acting is more than passable, and not just by McDormand. Hatty Jones, who plays the titular Madeline, brings all the tenacity and heart needed to bring the beloved literary character to life, thus making the movie much better than it could've been with a different lead.

When it comes to Madeline, you could without question find far worse kids movies. It's not perfect by any means, but it's certainly still worth giving a watch.

Rating: 3.25/5

The Suicide Squad was as action packed and bananas as I expected it to be, but honestly, I have to say I was a bit disappointed. 

Here’s the thing. When it comes to the newer wave of DC movies, basically the post Dark Knight era, I haven’t been exactly over the moon about the releases, granted there’s still quite a few I haven’t seen. I liked Wonder Woman, though I need to see it again because I don’t quite remember it. I really enjoyed Birds of Prey, but I was underwhelmed by Man of Steel and couldn’t even make it though Batman vs. Superman. With all this being said, based on how much I liked Birds of Prey and the fact that James Gunn would be directing, I was really excited for The Suicide Squad. Then, once the reviews starting coming in, I had even more anticipation to see it, so maybe that’s why I left the theater not nearly as enthusiastic about it as I expected to be. 

There were certainly parts about The Suicide Squad that were great. Margot Robbie was as fantastic as ever, especially in one fight scene about half way through. Also, this movie’s no holds barred approach is highly admirable. There isn’t one moment where any of the cast members feel out of place or not committed to going all in for the story. Because The Suicide Squad fully embraces its adrenaline filled insanity, you as the audience don’t find it weird to see a human-shark hybrid gobbling people down while mutant starfish rain from the sky. 

I truly think the theater experience I had massively hindered my enjoyment of The Suicide Squad. This is a movie designed to be watched in a full theater, where everyone’s collective energy feeds into the atmosphere of the film. I saw this during a matinee that had maybe 6 other people in the theater. I of course planned to see The Suicide Squad at this time, but I didn’t expect it to have that strong an impact on my opinion of the movie. There really only seemed to be one person in the theater that was audibly enjoying it, which made many of the jokes seem to fall very flat when I’d expect they’d have a full theater roaring with laughter in a different theater set up. 

I never saw the Suicide Squad that came before this, but based on reputation, I never felt the need to. However, I will be watching this one again. I think I need to give it a second chance. Even if it’s not in a theater, I’m curious to see if my thoughts towards it will change upon another viewing.

Rating: 4.25/5

What an incredibly fun time at the movies this was. I knew I was likely going to enjoy Jungle Cruise, but it far exceeded my expectations. 

Jungle Cruise is certainly trying to capture the spark that made Pirates of the Caribbean such a pop culture icon and the humor that made Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle such a surprise hit, and it mostly succeeds in that endeavor. It certainly won’t leave its stamp on cinema in the way that the first Pirates of the Caribbean did, but I wouldn’t be at all shocked if there was already a sequel in the works for Jungle Cruise. It’s fast paced, genuinely funny, and well acted, especially by Emily Blunt. 

Dwayne Johnson is great in this. He’s doing his typical performance one would expect to find him do in a movie like this. Though that seems like a negative comment, it’s not. His larger than life stature and effortless charm work perfectly for his character. That being said, Emily Blunt is the true star of this. While I was watching Jungle Cruise, I was trying to think if I’d ever seen a bad Emily Blunt movie, and I couldn’t think of one. Even if the film she’s in is mediocre, her performance is always top notch. Thankfully, Jungle Cruise is not mediocre, so she just makes the entertaining source material even better. Her action star prowess is equally as impressive as her impeccably sharp comedic timing and wit. 

What really surprised me about Jungle Cruise was some of the moments of creativity that were thrown in. I went into it expecting it to be a by the books action-adventure comedy, but was pleasantly surprised with some of the tricks they did involving maps and cameras. The score was also an added bonus. It does have times where it sounds like you’d predict it to be for a plot involving a jungle adventure, but other moments where it’s much better than you’d expect. 

There are some scenes in Jungle Cruise that do fall a bit flat, mainly some awkwardly out of place innuendo and also some rough CGI, but I still had a blast watching it. I have seen people give this some middling reviews, and I can understand why, but personally, I really enjoyed it and will be readily watching it again very soon.

Rating: 5/5

There are few movies as quintessential to summer as The Sandlot. It’s a giant dose of nostalgia that when you watch it, you are instantly transported back to the carefree days of summer vacation. 

For some baseball movies, you really have to like the sport to get into the film. The Sandlot, however, can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of whether or not they grew up watching and/or playing baseball. I myself was raised in a baseball family, so I always loved The Sandlot, but I know that even if I hadn’t been raised with the sport, I would’ve considered The Sandlot a favorite nonetheless. It's nearly impossible not to be won over by the cheeky, witty, rag tag group of kids that make up the cast.

What makes The Sandlot such a unique sports movie, is that there really isn't any competition in it. 99% of all movies about a sport of any kind, almost always have some big game or championship that will encompass the last part of the plot. The Sandlot does technically have one competitive game against another baseball team in it, but that's really more of a blip on the team's radar than anything else. So even though The Sandlot has baseball as one of its primary plot points, the "big game" moment so to speak, isn't against another team, but a dog of unknown size and ferocity. It makes the movie more a mythical hero's journey than it does a typical sports story arc, and it's all the more unique and better for it. 

Last summer I somehow missed watching this, but I made sure to rectify that this year. When it comes to a movie giving you that blissful summer feeling, The Sandlot is one of the best.

Rating: 4/5

The Green Knight was a unique film experience. I went into the theater knowing very little about the plot, and walked out without much more knowledge on the story, but still satisfied with what I’d just watched. 

The movie itself is incredibly surreal. There is of course a narrative, but it plays second fiddle to the primary objective of The Green Knight, and that is to create a visually stunning work of cinema, a goal to which the movie most certainly achieved. For the most of the plot, I was following along with it the best I could, fully knowing it was meant to be a somewhat unconventional type of storytelling, one in which there are long gaps between dialogue and a lot of time spent on capturing the scenery of Gawain’s journey. I was honestly rather proud of myself for grasping as much as I did, but the last fifteen or twenty minutes or so lost me a bit. That’s to no fault of The Green Knight though. I historically have difficulties fully contemplating more avant-garde type movies, but am actively trying to challenge myself to watch more films like that to learn and hopefully grow my understanding of different movie styles. Even with the ending leaving me a tad confused, I still found I very much enjoyed The Green Knight, and I think a second viewing will certainly allow me to get even more from it. 

Comprehension aside, The Green Knight is a visual marvel. You don’t even have to understand an ounce of what is happening in the plot to be able to appreciate what’s on the screen. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen a movie that pulled me in with its aesthetic as much as this one did. I am immensely happy that I took the time to see it in a theater. It wouldn’t have been nearly as impactful had I only watched it at home. 

All in all, I will be watching The Green Knight again. Though it is a little slow of pace and may not be for everyone (I’m almost 100% certain I heard snoring from the man sitting behind me in the theater), it is without question worth sitting down to watch at least once.

Rating: 4/5

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants has been a summer pinnacle for me for as long as it’s been around. I watched it as a teen and have carried on the seasonal viewings well into adulthood. Does it have a hefty amount of cheese and sentimentality? You betcha! Do I still love it every time I watch it? Absolutely. 

Admittedly, I never read the Sisterhood books when I was younger. For some reason, I always found a hard time getting into teen melodrama on the page but found enjoyment in it in certain movies, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a prime example of that concept. It does have more than it’s fair share of teen drama, but it doesn’t feel overly fake or irritating. 

This movie could’ve been another teen movie book adaptation added to the many that have been forgotten over time, but it wasn’t, and in my opinion, there are a few reasons for that. For one, at this point, Alexis Bledel was already known via Gilmore Girls so she added some name recognition, all four leads have gone on to have very successful acting careers, but the main reason I feel Sisterhood was such a triumph was because of how much you believe the friendship between the four characters. They all have vastly differing personalities, but they click together with ease. Even though as each girl goes off on their summer adventure, splitting the Sisterhood by distance, you still feel their bond. It’s an invisible chemistry that just holds the movie up and makes it work.  

For many who grew up in the same time period as me, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was a staple of our youth. Some of us would even try label ourselves either a Lena, Bridget, Carmen or Tibby. Every new generation has a handful of teen movies they latch onto for life, and this is one of mine. I watch it every year because I don’t tire of it, and I doubt I ever will.

Rating: 3/5

Of the many Disney Live Action remakes, I have to say I think this one was the most disappointing for me. 

Unlike what appears to be the vast majority, I don't mind the concept of the live action movies that Disney has been putting out. Do I prefer their original content more? Of course, but I'll always be curious to see what Disney has to offer and what new spin they'll put onto a familiar story. This how we got the most recent Cinderella, which is not only my favorite of the live actions, but one of my favorite movies from the past decade or so. 2015's Cinderella told the beloved tale, but added enough to it to make it feel fresh and full of magic. So what made Beauty and the Beast so underwhelming by comparison? It's that it tackled the story with the almost complete opposite approach to what Cinderella did. It essentially copied its animated predecessor shot for shot. Granted, they did try to add some originality to it by giving Beast his own solo and diving more into Belle's backstory, but the efforts to add these elements didn't really enhance the plot and just made the movie feel more drawn out than it already was. 

The problem with Beauty and the Beast, was that the whole movie just felt like it was trying too hard. I know there must have been an immense amount of pressure to make it work, pressure that Cinderella likely didn't have, considering it's a fairy tale that's been redone more times than one could possibly count. But, with Beauty and the Beast, between the overly chaotic "Be Our Guest" sequence, the creepily animated versions of Lumiere and company, and Emma Watson's auto-tuned voice, it all just seemed like a bit much. The plot is a grand tale, so it's going to require some extravagance, but I feel like the movie went beyond what may have been needed. 

Even with all the previously mentioned pieces of Beauty and the Beast that I wasn't overly fond of, there were still elements that I liked. I thought Luke Evans was a great Gaston, that the outdoor of the castle in the snow looked beautiful, and that the opening sequence was still fantastic, though, that last piece is really more the fact that the music for the prologue of Beauty and the Beast is some of my favorite scoring in all of Disney. I certainly didn't hate this remake, but I wish it had been better. 

To be honest, I think I went into Beauty and the Beast with too high of expectations. I was so ecstatic about Cinderella, that I assumed Beauty and the Beast would follow suit, but that sadly didn't happen. I'm glad I gave it another chance after my initial viewing upon its original release, but I can't say I'm going to be racing to watch it again any time soon.

Rating: 4.25/5

The highly anticipated release is finally here, and Black Widow does not disappoint.

Though it embarrasses me to admit, unlike most, I was a bit of a latecomer to the MCU. I didn't see any of the first phase in theaters, but was caught up in time to see Age of Ultron on the big screen when it first came out. Since then, I have anxiously awaited any new release the franchise has had to offer, pouring over each new trailer as they dropped. As much as I had looked forward to Black Widow, especially with its Covid induced delay, I actually knew very little about the movie itself. I had seen the first few trailers that were released, but then stopped watching them. I was very curious to see how Natasha's Pre-Endgame story would unfold in a Post-Endgame viewing world, so I didn't want to see too much in the trailers so I could be as surprised as possible once I finally saw the movie. I'm so glad that I did that, because what I thought I knew based on those first few previews was completely different to what Black Widow ended up being and that made it all the more exciting and enjoyable.

Black Widow, though similar in plot structure to other MCU movies, does feel quite different when it comes to its characters. We get a bigger window into their lives than we see in some of the other origin or semi-origin story films. It also is in the rarified air of female lead superhero movies, where there always seems to be an annoying amount of undue pressure put on them to succeed, and Black Widow 100% does. Captain Marvel was great, but Black Widow definitely surpasses that for me.

Scarlett Johansson is fantastic, that's something we all know from her previous Avengers movies, but it's an absolute blast to get to see her at the helm of her own movie. In prior MCU entries, we got small glimpses into Natasha's tortured past, but in Black Widow, we get a full on look as to what made Agent Romanoff into the ass-kicking Avenger we all know and love. We see the trauma, the training, and transformations she goes through, making for a fully rounded character to which Scarlett Johansson delivers on all accounts.

Even with it being a movie all about the Black Widow, Florence Pugh comes incredibly close to entirely stealing the show. I have seen Pugh in a handful of movies now, and I can honestly say I have yet to see her be anything less than stellar in all of those performances. The movie has a lot of humor mixed throughout its action, and though the MCU is famous for its quips, Pugh has some of my favorite comedic moments in the entire franchise. Her timing is on point, but she isn't just there to be a gag. David Harbour suits that role a bit more, and does spectacularly as well. Pugh gets moments of sincerity along with her laughs, and she is an absolute knock out from start to finish. I don't know if she's going to be in any further films for Marvel, but I sincerely hope she will be, because I'd absolutely love to see her do more.

It had been so long since I had seen the iconic Marvel opening titles on a big screen in a theater, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't give me chills when I saw them at the start of Black Widow. Though you can watch this at home on Disney+, I would save that option for a second viewing, because you need to see this in a theater if it's available. It's an incredibly fun ride.

Rating: 2.75/5

Ok, so this may be a controversial opinion, but I felt this was better than the animated original, but marginally so. To be honest, I wasn’t a big fan of either Dumbos, so my thinking Tim Burton’s rendition is better isn’t really saying much.

For me, I’ve always had a fascination with old circuses, but the human side of it all, not the animals. I know that’s quite a hypocritical statement, but it is what it is. I find the acrobatics and carnie life incredibly interesting, but once they get into the performing animal territory, I’m out. So why may you ask did I watch a movie about a circus animal? Well, sheer curiosity for one, but also, I’ve been watching all of Disney’s live action attempts, so that’s the main reason why. 

What I’ll say as a positive for Tim Burton’s Dumbo, is that he does do a great job at adding his own spin to an already told tale. If someone was going to take the twisted original and retell it, Burton was a good choice to give it a try. Though I would’ve thought the same thing about Alice in Wonderland and that did not yield nearly as positive results as this. 

Even though Dumbo was fully CGI, it’s still impossible not to be disturbed, deep to your core when Dumbo is being taunted by the crowd, put in harms way, and ripped away from his mother. You as the audience can’t help but react to it, but you know who doesn’t? The kids in this movie. Dumbo is literally falling from the sky, with no sign of using his ears to fly, and those kids looked like they were students stuck in class listening to a five hour lecture on how grass grows. I know not all child actors can deliver standout, memorable performances, but for them being such pinnacles to the story, it was hard to believe the danger Dumbo was in because of their lack of response to it. 

All in all, Dumbo is one of the better things Tim Burton has put out in some time. However, I long for the days where his films felt truly original and he let his creativity explode off the screen without this underlying current where it feels like he’s trapped between his true vision and wanting mainstream success. Unlike some of the timeless Burton classics, I likely won’t be watching this again anytime soon. It was perfectly adequate, but nothing I feel I need to see again.

Rating: 4.25/5

The real people aspects of Christopher Robin are not nearly as lovely as the beloved characters from the 100 Acre Wood in CGI form. I now know what my life has been missing, and that is a Winnie the Pooh to be my kind, philosophical companion. 

Few movies make you weepy just out of sheer sweetness, but this movie most certainly did for me. Every moment where Winnie the Pooh was on the screen made my heart full and my soul smile. Winnie the Pooh’s messages of acceptance, adventure, and love have always been timeless, and even though he may not be presented in the cartoon or illustrative way we’re all familiar with, his impact is just as strong and meaningful.

Speaking of how Winnie the Pooh is presented, I’m really in awe of the animation in this. To make the 100 Acre Wood gang look like stuffed animals is one thing, but to make them look like well loved ones is another. We’ve all had our favorite stuffies that had been washed too many times, causing the fur to be matted and frayed, but we wouldn’t give them up for anything, no matter how dingy they got. This movie captures that essence in its characters impeccably well, making them remarkably genuine and tangible.

I loved this a lot more than I thought I would. So wholesome and wonderful.

Rating: 4.75/5

Amazing. I desperately wish this had been released into theaters alongside Disney+. This would’ve looked phenomenal on the big screen. 

In general, Pixar delivers wonderful stories, The Good Dinosaur and the bulk of the Cars series excluded. Though it seemed for a small stretch that they perhaps were losing their groove by focusing too much on sequels, their two most recent releases show that Pixar is just as good as ever. Prior to seeing Luca, I honestly wasn’t sure what I’d think about it. With releases being all over the place due to Covid, I really hadn’t heard much about it. I’d seen the teaser trailer, but that was about it. I worried that the lack of promotion for it meant that maybe the studio didn’t have high hopes for it because it wasn’t going to be good. How wrong that thought process was. 

Let’s break down what makes Luca so stunning. First, the animation style. The look of the humans in this film is like nothing Pixar has done before. In every movie they’ve done where humans, or human like figures are involved, they all bare some resemblance to one another. Even looking at the mythical creatures in Onward, you can see a similarity to the other people found in movies like Up and Inside Out. In Luca, the appearance of the characters have an almost claymation like quality, especially in the way their mouths move. It was incredibly refreshing to see a studio that had made as many movies as Pixar has, dare to try something so different. 

Ok, now the 2nd reason why Luca is great; the colors and detail. When you’re dealing with a story about sea creatures, you’re almost guaranteed to have a landscape filled with vibrancy and that’s exactly what you get with Luca. It's absolutely gorgeous. Both on land and in the sea, you can’t take your eyes away because it’s just so lovely to look at. Also, the old classic movie posters on the walls in the village were a super fun touch. 

Lastly, what makes Luca so great is the story. It’s a tale about what it means to feel like an outsider and how to grow to be confident in what makes you different. It’s a story where practically everyone could find a message within it that would ring true to their heart, and that’s a quality that has always made Pixar so important and impactful for so many years. 

With Pixar’s most recent two releases being sent straight to Disney+, I fear this will be a trend that will continue post-pandemic. It seems like a stretch to think that’s the way they’ll keep going, but it does cause one to worry. Soul was a phenomenal movie, but I didn’t feel overly disappointed that I could only see it at home, but with Luca I most certainly felt that longing for the theater experience. This particular one really should get the big screen treatment, and even though I can’t see it that way, I will certainly be watching it again very soon, even if it has to be on my meager living room screen.

Rating: 4.75/5

I loved this, it was a blast!

Cruella was exactly what I expected it to be. An impeccably dressed ride filled with entertaining nods to previous adaptions and suave, cheeky, and fun performances. 

It is of no surprise that the two leading Emmas knock their roles out of the park. Emma Stone, playing the titular Cruella, brings all the over the top drama and danger one would expect from the character, but is also able to add some real emotion to the more quieter moments needed for Cruella's arc. What I really love about it, is that though you are given a window into Ms.de Vil's more human side, you still aren't left thinking that she could never turn into the villain famous for wanting to make a coat out of puppies. That was always the main issue I had with the movie Maleficent, it made her far too redeemable. Now, this film does make you empathize with Cruella, she is the main character after all, but she's still not turned completely sweet, and I love that. 

Emma Thompson on the other hand, essentially plays the original Cruella in this. Her character, the Baroness, is a heartless designer, who feels no remorse when it comes to knocking down any obstacle in her way, be it human or otherwise. Basically, take Miranda Priestly, remove any emotion, and add some Disney volume, and you'll have Emma Thompson's Baroness. I have yet to find a story where Dame Thompson's addition to it doesn't make it better, and Cruella is just another example of that. Her entrance is fabulous, backed by phenomenal music and a reveal that lets you know she's not to be trifled with. She instantly becomes the villain you love to hate. 

Most movies that have their soundtracks being a constant shuffle of a decade's greatest hits, usually get on my nerves (I'm looking at you Forrest Gump), but for Cruella, it really works. For one, each song makes a lot of sense for the plot, and even though it is a bit on the nose, I don't think I'll ever find a time where I wouldn't enjoy a scene filled with Emma Stone executing a diabolical plot as a Disney villain, dressed in impeccable costumes, while a Blondie song plays in the background. It's just too much fun!

I cannot wait to watch this again. I know I could have seen it with premium access on Disney+, but I wanted to view it on the big screen, and I'm so glad I did. This is easily one of the better live actions Disney has done so far.

Rating: 1.5/5

Sigh, was this ever disappointing. I had a hunch this wasn’t going to be great, what with the initial test audience response and the fact that it was trapped in the realm of unreleased movies for so long, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad.

The Woman in the Window suffers from a serious identity crisis. It desperately wants to be an artistic and unique thriller, one that delves into shots, angles, and imagery that hasn’t been done before. But instead, it's a bizarre amalgamation of visionary attempts and poorly performed slasher fare one would expect to see in Lifetime original movie. It’s truly an editing nightmare. 

To be fair, I know that Joe Wright’s original cut of this had to be heavily tweaked due to audiences finding it confusing, but I don’t think I could’ve predicted how bizarre the final product would become because of it. I don’t remember the book as being confusing, but based on the movie, I do wonder what Wright’s first attempt looked like, because I can’t imagine it was worse than what audiences were finally given. 

Usually I love Amy Adams, but even she could not save this movie. She definitely has some decent scenes scattered throughout, but not enough to make the movie worthwhile. In fact, it almost seems insulting that this movie got such high caliber actors to be in its cast, and presented them with such poor material. 

It’s pretty clear the studios had given up on this movie. The Covid induced delay didn’t help I’m sure, but there’s been hardly any press about its final release. In fact, I didn’t even know it was being dumped onto Netflix until I happened to stumble upon an interview with Amy Adams where it was mentioned in passing that it was coming out. The eventual release of The Woman in the Window feels like nothing more than the studio’s attempt to finally be rid of this project, and after watching it, I can’t say I blame them.

Rating: 2.5/5

Andra Day is fantastic, but sadly the rest of the movie can’t live up to the excellence that she brings to it. So much so that it painfully brings to light what’s lacking in many of the other cast members’ performances and the direction of The United States vs. Billie Holiday. 

This movie isn’t without moments of poignancy and upsetting sequences, nor does it lack a crucially important message, but the way everything is presented feels either forced, out of place, or unable to really hit the mark it’s so clearly trying to do. 

Though this movie may not be as great as it possibly could’ve been, Andra Day’s Oscar nomination is well deserved.

Rating: 1/5

Oh Tim Burton, what happened to you? 

Once upon a time, it would’ve seemed like Burton would’ve been the prime candidate to take such a uniquely bizarre and whimsical tale as Alice in Wonderland and bring it to a life, filled with color and oddities. Instead, we are given CGI driven nightmare fuel that is both horrifying and dull. 

There is not a good performance in the vast cast that makes up Alice in Wonderland. Actually, I take that back. Alan Rickman voices the caterpillar. So the collective five minutes he’s in are good. Johnny Depp, by this point in his career, had already fallen down the bad performance rabbit hole, but even Helena Bonham Carter can’t make this better. All but Rickman, just bad, bad, bad. 

Alice is famously a heroine known for her curiosity and tenacity. Instead of those great qualities, we’re given the drab and emotionless Alice. Even when being practically forced to marry someone she’s just met, or battling the Jabberwocky, the dial on her emotion-meter barely goes past two. 

Oh, woe is this film. I get that it’s not technically a remake of the Disney animated feature or even a direct adaptation of the book, but even so, you hear the words Alice in Wonderland, you expect certain things. A floating cat smile is not enough to make this feel like a true Wonderland experience.

Rating: 4.5/5

Get rid of the sidekick baby, and you'd have a near perfect movie.

Kumandra has spent centuries at peace, alongside the help of magical dragons. When a legion of evil sprits called Druun begin to destroy everything in their paths, turning all living things to stone, the dragons use the last of their magic to save the remaining people of Kumandra. When the final orb of their magic falls into the hands of one tribe, all peace in Kumandra ends, and the land is divided. Years later, Raya (Kelly Marie Tran) is being trained by her father, Chief Benja (Daniel Dae Kim) on how to protect the orb. One day, Chief Benja hosts a feast attempting to reunite the tribes, but Raya is accidentally tricked into revealing the location of the orb, and the leaders' battle over it causes it to shatter and bring about the return of the Druun. Now it is up to Raya to put her faith in legend, and try to find Sisu (Awkawfina), the last dragon, bring an end to the Druun and bring the tribes together again.

I had been waiting for this movie for a long time, and then Covid derailed everything, so the wait had to become even longer. I had very much hoped to see this in theaters, but sadly I had to accept the reality, and watch it at home via Disney+. Though I imagine Raya and the Last Dragon would have looked absolutely brilliant on the big screen, the quality and beauty of the animation was certainly not lost at home. As much as the technology behind animated film has adapted over time, nothing has made that as apparent as the quality they're able to put into fur now. I really noticed it for the first time in Monster's University with Sully, but even more so in Raya and the Last Dragon with Sisu. Sisu is a river dragon, so her fur is constantly going from dry to wet, and the texture looks so real, that had someone only seen a zoomed in shot of her blue fur and not the entire scene, there'd be a fair chance they'd be fooled into thinking it was real and not animated. Really everything in Raya and the Last Dragon looked absolutely spectacular, but it was Sisu in particular that I found to be the most astonishing. 

Disney rarely seems to misstep when it comes to their stories, and Raya and the Last Dragon is another example of the skill behind the studio's writing. Raya definitely has similarities to Moana, in the sense that you have a young, brave, and powerful female leaving her home to find something to save her village/tribe, but that's where the bulk of the resemblance ends. There are definitely some other similarities scattered throughout, but Raya holds its own as a unique and engaging story. I'm almost always down to watch any movie that involves some sort of fantasy based quest, and that's exactly what you find in Raya and the Last Dragon. I was incredibly intrigued to see what dangers would befall Raya, Sisu, and the other tagalongs they collect along the way, as they made it to the different tribes to collect the pieces of the orb. No landscape looked exactly like another, making every step of their journey incredibly interesting and entertaining.

The only true negative I could say towards Raya and the Last Dragon would be it's large number of comic relief sidekicks.  Most of them were fine, but there is such a thing as too many. They all technically had a purpose when it came resolving the plot, but I really would've been ok had the bizarrely intelligent trickster baby been left out from the story. Not to mention she came along with three monkeys. For me, monkeys almost always diminish the comedy of any plot, so I just felt that they, along with the annoying baby, didn't really need to be there. Everyone else that Raya and Sisu meet throughout the movie are great, humorous, and enjoyable to watch, but the baby and the monkeys; they can go. 

I really look forward to seeing Raya and the Last Dragon again, and though I doubt this to be a possibility, really hope that it remains in theaters long enough for me to be able to see it safely on the big screen. I'm glad that studios are making it possible for movie goers to have a way to see new releases from the confines of their homes, but I for one cannot wait for the day until I can go back to the theaters.

Rating: 4/5

Though not as great as I remembered when I was younger, August Rush still boasts solid performances and fantastic music.

Evan Taylor (Freddie Highmore) has been an orphan since the day he was born, twelve years ago. He's been counting the days and feels in his heart that music will be the key to finding his parents. After talking to a social services worker named Mr. Jeffries (Terrence Howard), it becomes clear to Evan that they're going to try and get him adopted, so Evan runs away from the orphanage in search of his family. Though it sounds crazy to everyone he tells, Evan believes that as long as he can play the music that is coursing through his veins, his parents will hear him and they'll finally be reunited.

For younger me, August Rush was a staple feature. I listened to the soundtrack repeatedly, and watched the movie all the time. Back then, it never really bothered me or even occurred to me how implausible the entirety of the plot was; I was too enchanted by the modern fairy tale and it's music. As a kid, I was always drawn to the scores and soundtracks heard in the background of films, which was a big reason why Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame was also a childhood favorite of mine, so it made sense that August Rush was something I enjoyed so much. I distinctly remember seeing the scene where Evan, soon to be named August Rush, first picks up a guitar and plays in his very unique way. I recall being fully entranced by the music, and if memory serves correctly, even attempting this style of playing on my own, which sadly did not yield fruitful results. 

Freddie Highmore's performance in August Rush is really quite remarkable for someone so young. There isn't a second of screen time where you don't fully believe his character's love and passion for music. I have been in situations, whether it be theater or playing an instrument, where the power and excitement of hearing notes, chords, and melodies all joining together, put a beaming smile on your face without even trying; the influence of the music is just so strong, that your body naturally and effortlessly reacts. That's the way in which Highmore portrays his character from beginning to end in this film. As for the adults in August Rush, though she's not in it nearly as much, Keri Russell, who plays Even/August's long lost mother, also delivers a great performance. I've always liked Keri Russell, so I didn't expect anything less from her. Sadly, I would have to say my least favorite role in this film would have to be Robin Williams as the street performer and houser of runaway children, Wizard. Normally, Williams' over the top, exuberant performances are wonderful and add a lot of creativity and zest to a movie, but in this one, it just seems a bit out of place. 

Whenever I think of August Rush, my mind automatically travels towards the end of the film with the final concert. Throughout the movie, there are bits and pieces of this rhapsody that are peppered throughout the background score, but in this final moment, they all join together to create a stunning symphony. There's one part in this song, where at first, just the string section plays, but then slowly, more instruments join in. It gave me chills long ago, and even now, though I've both seen and heard this piece hundreds of times, it still affects me in the same way, even bringing a tear to my eye. 

August Rush is a movie that has its fair share of negative reviews, and honestly, I can see why. It's a bit corny, unrealistic, and perhaps trying too hard to be sentimental. However, it's a movie I think of very fondly, and even if I know I'm rating it too high for what it is, I don't care. The rating for the movie is just as much for its music as it is for its story.

Rating: 5/5

One of Pixar's most original features to date, Soul brings along the quality and heart of the studio's most legendary films. 

Joe (Jamie Foxx) is a part-time middle school band teacher, but dreams of being a full time jazz musician. He knows that playing music is his purpose in life, but his mother wants him to have a stable career. Thinking that his hopes of being a real musician are gone, Joe is about to accept a full time teaching position, when a former student of his tells him that, famed jazz musician, Dorothea Williams (Angela Bassett), is looking for a new pianist. After the audition goes well, Joe is so over the moon at the idea of his dreams potentially coming true, that he doesn't pay attention to where he's going, and falls down an open manhole. When he comes to, he realizes he's not in his human body, but instead is a blue, transparent, soul version of himself. Desperate to find his way back to Earth and to his body, Joe enlists the help of the reluctant Soul 22 (Tina Fey), to get back home. 

Pixar has created some of the most cherished and unique children's films to have been released within the past two decades. For awhile, there seemed to be no stopping them when it came to being heralded as the best children's films of every year in which they had a movie released. The studio did hit a slump around the time they were primarily doing sequels, but they still had some winners during that time. Soul is strongly reminiscent of the calibre one expects of a true Pixar story. To choose a film from their catalogue that it most closely resembles, it would easily be Inside Out. Both films tackle topics that may be too mature to be fully understood by the youngest of audiences, but carry a deeply important message that should be seen and heard by any viewer, no matter the age. 

With 2020 being the incredibly trying year that it has been, there has been a great need for stories that uplift the viewer. Soul is just that. In fact, this movie seemed tailor made for me and my own personal experiences throughout this past year. Joe is having to make some incredibly difficult life choices. He's having to decide if it's worth the risk to leave a job filled with stability and reliable income, to reach for he believes to be his true dream and purpose. The similarities to my own current situation is uncannily similar. So much so, that I found myself slightly taken aback by the comparisons. Even without the career similarities, it's incredibly easy to be pulled into the story of Soul. The animation is stunning, especially in that of the different beings that make up the "Great Beyond", and there's truly no other animated film Pixar has done that looks anything like it. 

As far as negatives for Soul, I would say the only thing that comes to mind is that it may not be as "child-friendly" as some of it's other films. As previously mentioned, Inside Out tackled some weighty topics as well, but it also had scenes of humor in it that could be enjoyed by the very littlest of audience members. Soul does certainly have its fair share of funny moments, but has more serious tones and concepts, especially in that of the lost souls that are in need of rescuing. There's a scene in particular where Soul 22 is seemingly in the depths of despair, where her struggles are painfully real to any who've experienced the same feelings as her. Of the many, many important moments created by Pixar, this one is without a doubt one of the most poignant and life changing. It brings an exceptional amount of sophistication and, for lack of a better word, soul, to this phenomenal movie. 

As much as I wished I'd been able to see this gem in the theaters, I'm grateful that Disney allowed it be seen through streaming. I'd been eagerly anticipating the release of this film, and Soul definitely did not disappoint. It's really wonderful that even after being a studio for so many years, just when you start to question if the quality of Pixar's films may be slightly dropping, you're given something as special as Soul.

Rating: 4.25/5

A significant improvement from its predecessor, Ant-Man and the Wasp is action packed, and all around incredibly enjoyable. 

After helping Captain America in Germany, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has been put under house arrest until he's served the sentence for his crime. With just days to go until his time is up, Scott is determined to stay on his best behavior so he can prove to his family that he's a changed man and can spend more time with his daughter. What Scott doesn't predict however, is Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lily) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) needing his help. Suddenly, Scott is forced to secretly break from his house arrest, and once again don the Ant-Man suit, but this time Hope will be fighting along side him, and together they will work to stop a mysterious transporting foe, and to save Hope's mom from the past. 

Though it has definitely grown on me, I've never been overly enthusiastic about the first Ant-Man movie, so I didn't exactly run to the theaters to see the sequel. In fact, I didn't see it until I was able to one day watch it on Netflix. Ant-Man and the Wasp was easily the biggest Marvel surprise for me. I watched it, expecting to like it, but not be wowed by it, and ended up absolutely loving it. Ant-Man and the Wasp follows the first in style and comedy, but the fights are bigger and more creative, and the jokes definitely land better. My favorite scene in the first Ant-Man has always been the fight involving the toys in Cassie's room, and that concept is not only amplified for Ant-Man and the Wasp, but it ties in the concept of Ant-Man's ability to shrink down to the size of an ant, but also his newer ability to grow to the size of buildings. This makes for a climactic fight sequence that's full of ingenuity and is really fun to watch.

I think one of the main things that made me enjoy Ant-Man and the Wasp as much as I did was how much more involved Evangeline Lily's character was in the plot. She's definitely a primary focus in the first, but in this one, she actually gets to be a part of the action, and massively improves upon the overall story. One of her many fight scenes involves a very Ratatouille-esque type of environment. She tackles numerous henchmen in a kitchen, using anything she can find to take them down. The vantage point is from her perspective as the Wasp, so everything around her looks enormous, and it creates a really unique fight sequence, and one that is very memorable. 

The first Ant-Man was marketed as a comedy, and therefore the already typically quippy Marvel franchise went, in my opinion, a little overboard at attempting to make it very clear that the movie was meant to be funny as well as a great superhero story. For me, I found the end result to be quite forced, but that cannot be said for Ant-Man and the Wasp. This one is also very much intended to be a comedy, but the humor seems to come about in a much more organic way. Even the bits they pulled from the first movie, like the way Luis tells a story, seemed funnier to me than it had in the first film. Ant-Man and the Wasp's tie into to the rest of the MCU also appeared less clunky in comparison to its predecessor, and definitely gets you excited to watch Endgame.

Ant-Man's films seem to be following a somewhat similar trajectory to Captain America, where the first debut was perfectly adequate, but with each appearance, grew better. With the third installment for Ant-Man in the works, I can honestly say that if it it's anything like Ant-Man and the Wasp, that I am very eager and excited to see what that next film brings.

Noelle is a fun Christmas romp, but not the classic it strives to be. 

Noelle Kringle (Anna Kendrick) is the daughter of the one, the only, Santa Claus. Now that Santa has sadly passed, Noelle's older brother, Nick (Bill Hader) is slated to take over the family business, the only problem is, he isn't exactly ready. With Nick panicking about his sudden and hefty responsibilities, the ever cheerful Noelle suggests that he take the weekend off and get out of town. Nick takes her advice and leaves the North Pole, but his weekend away turns longer, and as the days before Christmas Eve rapidly approach and there's still no Santa, it will be up to Noelle to find her brother and save Christmas. 

I love Christmas. Every year I look forward to bringing out my collection of holiday movies and working my way through them as the season of winter festivities unfolds. I always have my go to staples that I must watch every year, but I am also always eager to find new movies to add to that collection. I saw Noelle for the fist time last year, and wasn't overly thrilled by it, but it was also right after the launch of Disney+ and the streaming system wasn't smoothed out yet, so the film kept buffering throughout the entire run. Therefore, I couldn't really count that as a viewing where I could adequately judge the movie. This year however, I was able to watch it from beginning to end without interruption. Unfortunately for Noelle, my overall opinion on the movie didn't entirely change. I still found it mostly entertaining, but just not as great as I'd have liked it to be. I did enjoy it, but the acting by some, corny dialogue, and the rough around the edges effects made it hard to truly love Noelle.

What Noelle cannot be faulted for, however, is the performances of its two Kringle siblings. I've been a fan of Anna Kendrick for as long as I've known about her, and it's not just because I find it really exciting that she is one of the handful of celebrities to hail from my state of Maine, though admittedly that is slightly part of it. I'm a fan of her's mainly because I've really grown to love her performances. Even with the pun filled, cheesy dialogue she's given, Kendrick is able to make her bright and cheerful portrayal of Noelle be enjoyable, and not irritating, which it most certainly could have been if put into less capable hands. There's a scene in particular, where its sentiment is seemingly borrowed from concepts found in Miracle on 34th St. (either version), where Noelle begins to realize her Santa potential. It's a semi-sappy scene, but sweet nonetheless, and Kendrick's performance shines rather bright in that moment. Bill Hader, though not in as many scenes as Kendrick, does an equally entertaining job at playing his role of reluctant Santa. Billy Eichner is another performance that's fun to watch, but aside from those three, the rest were basically forgettable. 

Though the plot is quite predictable and the special effects are seriously lacking, Noelle still brings a unique spin to the typical Christmas tale, even if it's message is a little heavy handed. As I think back on all the Santa based movies I've seen, I can't really think of many, if any at all, that are female focused. This particular selling point was anything but subtle, but then again, it is a film intended for young audiences, so subtlety isn't always the primary goal. 

I've seen Noelle thrice now, and though I wouldn't call it a new Christmas favorite, I still think it may be one I decide to bring out of the holiday vault every now and again.

Rating: 4.85/5

Easily my favorite film starring the teen superhero, Spider-Man: Homecoming is a gem in the MCU. 

Since working alongside Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) in the battle against Captain America (Chris Evans), Peter "Spider-Man" Parker (Tom Holland) has been not so patiently waiting for his next assignment from Mr.Stark. He tries to help with the crimes around New York, but being overly eager to catch bad guys makes it hard for him to get the saving the day concept right. When dangerous weapons powered by alien wreckage start appearing on the streets, Peter thinks it's the perfect time to prove to Tony Stark what Spider-Man is really capable of, but he may be in over his head. 

My first ever memory of seeing any superhero film was back in the early 2000s when I first saw Toby McGuire in Spider-Man. It was my first taste for the genre, and I absolutely loved it. Now, as much as I enjoyed that particular big-screen adaptation of the famed web-slinger, I have to say I find Spider-Man: Homecoming to be the best so far. For one, I really appreciate the fact that the creators decided to pass on including the Uncle Ben part of Peter's origin story. It has been done twice over now, so it was an incredibly smart decision just to move beyond that and jump into a timeline where Peter already had his powers and was a bit more well versed in them. This brought a new angle to the typical Spider-Man movie, and breathed some much needed life into a story that had been told multiple times. 

There are a myriad of reasons Homecoming reigns the supreme Spider-Man film in my book, but it is primarily due to Tom Holland's brilliant performance as Peter Parker. For one, he is the first actor to play the character who actually looks like he should be in high school, but he also spectacularly captures the emotions and reactions that a teenager would have if they had not only newly developed spidey senses, but had also recently participated in a huge battle with the world's most famous heroes. The opening to this movie masterfully captures that concept. Like a fawn learning how to walk for the first time, Peter is still getting the hang of his new abilities. He has some of his powers down pretty well, but others are still majorly in the learning stages. Holland exhibits Parker's moments of excitement and discovery in a way that's incredibly humorous, but also endearing. As the phrase so famously connected with Spider-Man states, with great power comes great responsibility, and Peter is learning that throughout the film. Tom Holland expertly portrays Peter's struggle to tackle these challenges that are well beyond his years, and makes you truly believe his character to be real. 

It was very clear that the MCU had high hopes and aspirations for this film. Unlike some of the other late stage origin movies, Spider-Man was filled with references to other Marvel movies. Unlike Ant-Man, which attempted to make that connection but mostly failed, Homecoming sees the likes of Captain America and Iron Man, but also shows how the escapades of the Avengers have impacted the people after their great battles, and also how their fanbase have influenced a younger generation. Where many of the MCU films take place in other galaxies or focus primarily on the heroes themselves, this one gives you some insight into the "real world", making the whole concept of superheroes seem much more rooted in reality. You see the fallout of the cities impacted by the battle debris, the ways in which young teens obsess over their favorite hero, and just in general, the way the Avengers have impacted the day to day lives of typical people. A fantastic way to slightly change the narrative of a film in a superhero franchise. 

The only reason I wouldn't give Spider-Man: Homecoming a 5/5 would be due to some of the over the top high school portrayals, but that's honestly me being quite nit-picky. I genuinely love this movie. Whenever I'm doing a Marvel rewatch, it's always one I'm very excited to get to. It always makes me look forward to the later films that feature Tom Holland as Spider-Man, because he is truly fantastic. 

Rating: 4/5

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a solid sequel filled with colorful action, humor, and an excellent soundtrack. 

Since saving an infinity stone during their first outing as a team, the Guardians of the Galaxy now find themselves battling a massive beast in order to get Anulax Batteries for the Sovereigns. If they obtain the batteries, they will make a trade with the Sovereigns and get Gamora's (Zoe Saldana) sister Nebula (Karen Gillan) back and turn her in for a bounty. Unbeknownst to the team, Rocket (Bradley Cooper) has stolen some of the batteries, causing their ship to be chased by a fleet of Sovereign drones. Desperate for an escape, the Guardians find themselves on a nearby planet run by a being named Ego (Kurt Russell). Soon, Peter "Star Lord" Quill (Chris Pratt) learns about his past and gains more knowledge than he bargained for. 

The first Guardians of the Galaxy was probably the Marvel film that surprised me the most. I genuinely didn't expect to like it nearly as much as I did, so that gave me very high hopes for its sequel. Though I wouldn't say Vol. 2 is better than Vol. 1, it definitely does a great job at matching its standards. For one, right out the gate, this film starts out with a fantastic opening credit sequence. The guardians are battling what appears to be a gigantic phosphorescent yellow lizard monster, yet, the camera's focus is on Baby Groot dancing to Peter's new found mix tape. We see the battle happening as members of the team are thrown near Groot as he enjoys his music, but almost all of the fighting happens in the background. It's incredibly funny and a stellar way to be propelled into the tone and energy found in the rest of the movie. 

Based on the ending credits of Vol 1. the most recognizable figure to come from that film was Baby Groot. That popularity clearly influenced the way in which the comical living tree was used in this film. Of course the main point of the movie is Peter learning more about his past and coming to terms with who he is, but there was definitely a large portion of screen time dedicated to the adorable twig voiced by Vin Diesel. This is absolutely not a criticism, it is a compliment. I enjoyed numerous aspects about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but it was Baby Groot that stole my heart. I know that's probably a very mainstream response, but I don't really care. Baby Groot trying to retrieve an object for Rocket while they're incarcerated is still one of my favorite scenes from the movie. It's predictable, yet there's still plenty of humor to be found within it. 

I mentioned this in my review for Vol. 1, and I'll say it again here. It is absolutely ludicrous that these films didn't receive any Academy Awards for their makeup work. For a major example of the prowess behind the makeup, just look at the entire sequence with the Sovereigns. I could be wrong in my stating of this, but it appears to be all practical makeup that turns every actor making up that group into being entirely gold. If you think of the painstaking amount of time it must have taken to do this, along with the Guardians themselves, and all the different looks of the Ravengers, it's incredibly impressive. Even though superhero movies don't typically receive a lot of recognition at the awards ceremonies, and less so with their sequels, this film and its predecessor most certainly deserved a win for makeup. I know the first was nominated, but this one wasn't and it is equally as impressive. 

With filmmaking for big budget movies still appear to be at a stand still due to the COVID19 pandemic, there's little known about what the third installment in the Guardians franchise will bring. If it's anything like the two that came before it, it's sure to boast great music, highly impressive visuals, and a whole lot of laughs. 

Visually creative and boasting an interesting origin story, Doctor Strange is an all around solid addition to the MCU. 

Steven Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a renowned surgeon, one who's let his ego and reputation get the better of him. When his reckless driving causes him to get into a horrible accident, he wakes to find his hands damaged beyond repair. Desperate for any solution that could allow him to operate again, Strange travels to Kamar-Taj looking for a miracle, but finds much more than he anticipated. He's soon thrust into a world filled with sorcery, multiple dimensions, and a man named Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelson) who's dead set on destroying the known world. 

Aside from Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange comes off as one of the more unusual and out of the ordinary installments into the Marvel film franchise. Most of the MCU takes place in some recognizable location, and though Doctor Strange does have scenes in known cities, the multiple dimensions and bending of reality make it very different from anything else Marvel has done. With that in mind, the look of the film is really its main strength, as its love story and villain fall a little short. 

Marvel is famously criticized for having antagonists that are either forgettable or quickly disposed of, but aside from the Mandarin in Iron Man 3, I'd never found any major problems with Marvel's villains, until I saw Doctor Strange. The fault I find with Kaecilius is not that he's a bad villain, on the contrary, he's great and fantastically portrayed by Mads Mikkelson, but it's that he almost appears as an afterthought. In my personal opinion, Mikkelson is a phenomenal actor and one who is often forgotten about, so when I heard he was going to be playing a villain in the Marvel franchise, I was very excited, but then quickly disappointed by the lack of screen time his character received. He really only has one and a half good fight sequences and then quickly disappears. Where this is an origin story, I know there needs to be a strong emphasis on the hero and getting to know all about them, but I really do wish they'd used Mikkelson's talents for a greater amount of time and purpose. 

Doctor Strange is a film where I can't imagine what the preplanning process looked like when it came to thinking up how all the inter-dimensional scenes would appear. Skyscrapers bend, time is reversed, spirits travel through walls, it is all incredibly impressive. What I find the most astounding about it, is how it is so easy to forget that what's happening on the screen isn't actually real. Of course, deep down you know it is all a matter of movie magic, but the effects are so convincing, that you're effortlessly able to be pulled into and discover this mystical world almost in the same way that Doctor Strange is. It's films like this where you really see the incredible journey that cinema has taken since its inception. 

Doctor Strange has never been in my top five for Marvel, but it's certainly not at the bottom. Benedict Cumberbatch's performance and its visuals make it impossible for it to ever find its way so low on the list. With the end credits scene portraying what it did, I am very eager to see what the next installment has in store.

Rating: 3.75/5

Though not my favorite in the Muppet franchise, the one that started it all still stands the test of time as a witty and unique movie for all ages. 

Kermit the Frog (Jim Henson) is living his day to day life in his swamp, with no real plans for any change, but when a man approaches him and tells him that Hollywood is looking to hire frogs, Kermit decides to take a chance and head out to La La Land. Along the way, Kermit meets a myriad of new faces and friends, and soon, it's not just Kermit going to California, but a whole bunch of creatures, both big and small. All seems well, but Kermit accidentally catches the eye of Doc Hopper (Charles Durning), a man who runs a frog leg fast food chain, and now Kermit and company aren't just driving west for a chance to make it on the big screen, but to out run Hopper and his devious plans. 

I've been a fan of the Muppets for as long as I've been able to remember watching movies. I grew up with The Muppets Christmas Carol and Muppets Treasure Island, but it recently occurred to me that, though I have loved these puppets all my life, I'd never seen the film that started their movie careers. In all honesty, I have to say I was a little disappointed with the movie, but overall, still found it to be very charming at times. Upon reflection, I think there were two main reasons that I didn't love The Muppet Movie as much as I thought I would. One, I believe I put much too high expectations on it, and two, the main Muppets it featured, aside from Kermit, Fozzie, and Miss Piggy, weren't necessarily some of the ones I loved the most. 

Even though there were segments of The Muppet Movie that I didn't find as intriguing as I'd expected, what this movie, and really almost every other Muppet film strives on, is it's use of the cameo. I knew of a few of the celebrities that made appearances in this film, but certainly not all of them. Every time they showed a new human character from the back or you heard just their voice, I was always super excited to see who it was going to be. Of the many cameos that were featured in this film, I have to say Steve Martin and Mel Brooks were the one that stole the show. There were definitely some other great celebrity surprises, but none that I found to be as humorous as those too. However, having Orson Welles show up towards the end was a real treat. 

Something that really sets The Muppets apart from other children's movies, aside from the majority of the characters being puppets, is its ability to include genuinely clever humor. The comedy in these films are always very well balanced. Whether it's an intelligent joke or a piece of physical humor, the stories always come off as quite well rounded. I found myself laughing out loud on numerous occasions during The Muppet Movie, mostly from puns or Mel Brooks' crazy antics, and for me, audibly laughing during a movie or show is usually quite the rarity. 

Now, I haven't seen every Muppet movie, but that is something I'm aiming to do, so I can't say for sure what my favorite or least favorite in the franchise would be. That being said, I don't feel that this first film would rank incredibly high on my list, but that isn't because I think it's a bad movie, it's honestly just a matter of personal preference and which Muppets are highlighted as the prime focus. I'm not a huge fan of Animal and the rest of the band, so this particular story didn't engage me as much as another story featuring a character like Rizzo might. However, there's no denying the fun and creativity to be found in this film and it's a must watch for any Jim Henson fan, though that probably goes without saying. 

Rating: 5/5

The best of all three Captain America movies, Civil War is action packed and filled with unique and innovative fight scenes. 

The Avengers, though famous for their heroic acts and the many cities they've saved, are being called upon to pay for the lesser known devastation they've caused along the way. Some of the members, especially Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) feel the team should be controlled by the government in order to add more structure to what the Avengers do, but others, including Captain America (Chris Evans) and his childhood friend Bucky "The Winter Soldier" Barnes (Sebastian Stan) don't agree with Iron Man and the government, causing a major rift to form between them. Now, the famed Avengers aren't fighting a mutual enemy, but each other, potentially causing an irreparable tear to form within the team. 

I've said it in my previous two reviews for Captain America, but I'll say it again here, the Cap is hands down my favorite Avenger. What's interesting, is that what I first loved about him was his World War II, 1940s persona, and even though that old fashioned sense of character is all but shattered in this film, I find I don't enjoy his character any less. In Civil War, instead of being the All-American hero, Captain America is on the wrong side of the law, yet his devotion to his friends and what he believes is right is unwavering. That's one of the many reasons he's always been my favorite Avenger. 

In many reviews and summaries for Captain America:Civl War, it is dubbed "The Avengers #3", this is due to how many old and new characters are brought to the story. Though at its core, Civil War is a Captain America movie, there's still a large amount of Avengers focus in the plot as well. We are introduced to Black Panther, played to perfection by the late Chadwick Boseman, Ant-Man makes a return and feels more included in the MCU, and we meet Tom Holland's Spider-Man for the first time. Each addition brought to the fold enhance the mounting anticipation and excitement for the coming films in the MCU. 

Every Marvel movie shows they are masters at crating impeccable action, but Civil War is one of their more impressive installments. There's one scene in particular, towards the end, likely the film's most famous one, where the width of the shot, combined with the choreography of the fight, creates an absolutely stunning piece of cinema. It's here where you see why these films are so beloved. They don't just produce cookie cutter repeat action, they go through the effort in creating new ways or showing fight sequences that the audience hasn't seen before. When I rewatch this movie, I always look forward to two scenes, and that is definitely one of them. 

Of all the original Avengers, Captain America has been given the best arc. The first film was good, but the ones that followed steadily got better with each sequel, culminating into this phenomenal finale. Though the Captain's Marvel journey doesn't end here, Civil War is a beautiful sense of closure to his trilogy. 

Rating: 3.25/5

Though it can't hold a candle to its novel source material or Hitchcock predecessor, 2020's Rebecca is a decent effort at a beloved classic. 

While traveling with her employer, a young woman (Lily James) finds herself quickly falling for the mysterious, handsome, and newly widowed Maxim de Winter (Armie Hammer). They soon marry, and the new Mrs. de Winter is now to be the head of Maxim's family estate, Manderly. Not being raised in a wealthy family, Mrs. de Winter feels quite out of her depth, but when she begins to learn more about Maxim's deceased wife Rebecca and the housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers' (Kristin Scott Thomas) refusal to let her beloved former employer go, things begin to get very tense for her. Though constantly ill at ease, Mrs. de Winters isn’t in fact being haunted by a ghost , but by the mere memory of her predecessor, which proves to be far more chilling and perilous than any spirit or phantom. 

It’s been years since I’ve seen Hitchcock’s masterfully crafted Rebecca, but if memory serves correctly, his rendition of Daphne du Maurier's classic embodies every haunting and mysterious facet of its source material. Sadly, the same can not be said for this adaptation of de Maurier's novel. This film, though seemingly faithful to the book for the most part, seems to just be going through the motions of the plot rather than breathing life into the pages. There were some scenes from the book that upon reading it, have stuck in my mind for years, and I really wish Rebecca (2020) had spent more time on them, rather than just rush through. To be specific, I very much wish the movie spent more time on the infamous masquerade scene. I remember this part in the book so clearly, it's as if I were witnessing it right in front of me. The anticipation and excitement Mrs.de Winters feels when preparing her costume, how much she looks forward to the ball, and the emotional fallout she experiences when her costume is revealed to be anything but celebrated. Unfortunately, this momentous segment from the novel goes by far too quickly, leaving out any of the build up needed to have that scene of the story pack the punch it deserved.

The look of 2020's Rebecca is absolutely beautiful, but I wouldn't say it completely serves the story. Where Hitchcock’s film thrived in shadow, this one attempted to add a sheen, but it didn’t really do much for the tone of the film. That being said, the costumes in Rebecca are completely stunning. Though a bit bright for what I envisioned in my mind while reading, there's no doubting the impeccable craftsmanship and attention to detail that went into making each individual look for the characters. The one that stands out to me the most, is actually the wardrobe of Mrs. Danvers. Her clothes rarely change, but the ones you see her in the most, perfectly frame the way her character should be seen. Sleek, cold, and devoid of anything resembling kindness or warmth. 

When it comes to the performances, Kristin Scott Thomas was the clear winner for me. Armie Hammer and Lily James did a fine job, but I had a hard time really seeing them as the characters I knew, but Kristin Scott Thomas did an excellent job at becoming Mrs. Danvers. Not only is Danvers supposed to be cruel, but she's also supposed to be effortlessly cunning and deceptive. You see her manipulating Mrs. de Winters, you know what her motives are, yet part of you still finds yourself wondering if maybe she's suddenly taken a liking to the new matriarch of Manderly, but you're being deceived just as much as Mrs. de Winters is. It's certainly not an easy character to portray, because it could easily be turned into a caricature of a cliche villain, but Kristin Scott Thomas allows some elegance to remain in the famed antagonist yet make her just as vile as she was originally written.

Did I enjoy Rebecca? Yes. Was I a bit disappointed? Not really, because I already had a fairly good idea, just based on the trailers, at what direction this film was going to take with the materials. It's hard to live up to a story with such an iconic past, so in that regard, Rebecca is a perfectly decent movie with some strong performances that make it better than it could have been had the creators gone with a different cast. 

Rating: 5/5

About Time was one of the loveliest film surprises I've had in a very long time. 

One day, Tim Lake (Domnhall Gleeson) is informed by his father (Bill Nighy) that the men in their family, once aged 21, inexplicably have the ability to time travel. Thinking a great joke is being played on him, he doesn't believe this wild news at first, but when he tests out the method taught him by his father, he discovers it is actually true. The catch, he can only travel back in time through his own life experiences. His dad asks him what he plans on using his powers for, and Tim replies that he hopes to find a girlfriend. Flash forward to a short amount of time later, and Tim has met Mary (Rachel McAdams) and he knows she is the one for him. However, due to one blunder after another, Tim must keep using his powers to make sure he can hold onto his new relationship. 

About Time had crossed my radar every now and then for quite awhile, and I was definitely interested in it, but I hadn't ever felt I desperately needed to carve out some immediate time to see it. I just assumed I'd get around to it someday. Then, I saw it featured on a list of underrated romantic comedies, and I learned a bit more about it, and my curiosity was majorly piqued. I finally sat down to watch it, and since the moment the end credits began to roll, I have been raving about it ever since. If I had the power of the main character in this film, I would go back in time so I could've watched this movie years ago and have been able to enjoy it for a much longer amount of time. 

I love a good romantic comedy, and even though I get frustrated with critics looking down on them for being formulaic, I can't exactly say their comments about finding the basic patterns in romcoms to be incorrect, but that idea can most certainly not be said for About Time. About Time is a breath of fresh air for its genre. Though it is technically categorized as a romantic comedy, I would say it brings much more sweetness and whimsy to its plot rather than straight out jokes. It is quite unlike some of the more crass or excessively silly films that occasionally can be found in other movies belonging to its genre. It is much more similar to the likes of romantic gems like You've Got Mail and When Harry Met Sally; romantic comedies with a lot of wit and charm, but an incredible amount of heart as well. 

What I really loved in About Time, was its incredible feeling of unpredictably. Right up until the very end, I wasn't sure how the characters' love story was going to end. I was so wrapped up in their journey, that I could physically feel myself tensing up every time I thought Tom might mess up their relationship or a facet of their lives by going back in time. This sense of entanglement with the plot is very rare for me, especially in something labeled as a romantic comedy, but I just couldn't help myself. I fell so much in love with the characters that I wanted nothing but happiness for them, and any moment that it seemed that may be taken away, really got to my nerves. It's the happiest I've ever been to be anxious about a film's plot. 

Love Actually is not just one of my favorite Christmas movies, but one of my favorite films period, so why it took me so long to see another feature made by the same director is anyone's guess, but all I can say is I'm absolutely ecstatic that I finally got to see it. With just one viewing, About Time has rapidly made its way into my top five list of favorite romantic comedies, and it is without a doubt a movie I will be seeing dozens more times in the future.