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Spirited (2022)
Our new holiday tradition
What's not to love? Will Ferrell is in his charming mode, funny, but tender and restrained. I knew Octavia Spencer could act, but who knew she could sing?! And I love Ryan Reynolds anyway, with his lovable smarminess that only he can pull off without the cringe, but here he is doing that while tap dancing!!! Heartstrings are tugged just enough to give you all the feels, but not so much that they gag you. They knew how to take sentimentality right to the line without crossing it - Reynolds has a lot to do with that. And the songs are REALLY GOOD - take that from a musical perfectionist! This is more than just a rehash of a Christmas Carol, it's tears and laughter, excellent dancing, and a good story, all wrapped in a beautiful package. And did I mention how good the songs are?! Watching this will be our new holiday tradition.
Meg 2: The Trench (2023)
Sink sank sunk
When one of the female characters pointed at a creature and said, "What is that?" I thought, "That's what I've been wondering this whole movie, sister." The only thing worse than bad dialogue is bad dialogue delivered poorly. The only thing worse than bad CGI is bad CGI that is the title of the movie. The only thing worse than wooden characters is wooden characters that you don't care about.
Close-quarters, will-they-make-it-or-not scenes are only engaging if you become attached to the characters first. I didn't. I always knew who was next to "bite it" (I kept turning to my son every time someone gave a telltale line, and said, "Bye...") When I saw the commercials, I thought, "Well now I know he dies... and she dies... and they die." And those were the best kills in the movie, so they blew that (did they think I would forget and be surprised?) The inconsistencies in tone (Is that guy a serious scientist or a clown? Is that woman a tough hero or a scaredy cat?) coupled with really bad non-humor, and bad caricature (let's give the sassy black man more sassy lines) was often cringe-worthy. Even actors with some chops - I'm looking at you, Cliff Curtis - wandered around looking like they wished they were somewhere else.
I love a good, brainless popcorn chomper once in a while if it is fun, or silly, or outrageously unbelievable, or cool to look at. This wasn't consistently any of these. It was like they put all the ideas in a bag, shook it, and pulled them out randomly. Now let's have an explosion. Now let's have an escape. A chase where the outnumbered pursued turn the tables on their pursuers. Now mercenaries on a boat. And how about throwing in some odd-buddy bumbling and fumbling, that will be hi-LAR-ious!
When they threw in the old trope of a fight on a mining conveyor belt with the rock splitter at the top, I was done.
So why two stars and not one? The relationship between Statham and the young girl was sweet, and made me smile. The rest of the movie had me grinding my teeth.
Project Bakeover (2021)
Bingeabable and heart-warming
I binged season one of this series and hope there will be more. I think that Steve Hodge is a terrific teacher and really cares about the success of these struggling bakers. And Tiffany is a quirky and colorful burst of energy, who seems at first like she would not be able to design cohesive spaces, but really brings life and beauty to some really downtrodden cafés. Really enjoyable show!
Baking It (2021)
Great except for the canned bits
I love cooking shows, and this one is no exception. The grannies are terrific! The contestants are fun to watch and interesting. Andy and Maya are best when they are spontaneous - especially Andy. I took points off for their canned comedy routines, which were not funny, and I think brought the whole vibe down. But otherwise the show is enjoyable to watch, with teams worth rooting for.
Between Worlds (2018)
Absolute crap
Bad script, bad acting, bad everything. Tried to be a comedy sometimes but not funny. Tried to be a thriller at times but not thrilling. Not horror, not sci-fi. Really the only word for it is crap.does Cage need the money or something? Why would he make something like this?
Cruella (2021)
Not perfect but lots of fun. Are you missing the point?
I thought this movie was a hell of a lot of fun. It's not Shakespeare, but the twists surprises me, and that's asking a lot from me. It was beautiful to watch, and Emma Thompson can chew scenery on my screen any day. I won't say anyone's criticism is wrong, you are entitled to your opinion, but if you are basing it on this movie "ruining" your favorite childhood character, I wonder if you are missing the point. This is a reimagined Cruella. If you want to watch the spiral-eyed cartoon character, or Glen Close hitting the P's extra hard when she wants those "PuPPies," go for it - I loved those films too. But those movie were really about the Dalmatians. This is a new story about a complicated woman who wears spectacular clothes and, as she points out, is also willing to wear the persona of a villain. I won't spoil anything, but I will say that a movie about someone who is pure evil just for the sake of being evil would be, quite frankly, a bore. New movie, new Cruella, enjoy it for what it is!
The Vanished (2020)
Wish the lead-up was worthy of the decent pay-off
The twist and payoff are pretty good, and I didn't see it coming, which is saying a lot for someone who is usually, sadly, too good at spotting the clues early and spoiling a movie for myself. But I have read a bunch of reviews saying that the over-the-top acting is explained by the end. That isn't good enough for me. If a style choice in acting or directing distracts you from the whole movie up until the big reveal, then it doesn't serve the film and should be reconsidered. It made for an uneven tone, and moments of wondering if it would be worth sticking it out, and ignoring improbable choices, lame dialogue, and cartoon supporting characters. Was I supposed to laugh at the National Lampoon moment when the father turned into a bumbling idiot at the sight of a pretty neighbor, only to turn around later and have a series of undeserved tantrums? The mother's behavior was equally uneven - would she really do this, and how on earth could she do that? I don't think it's a spoiler to simply say that the payoff would have packed a real emotional wallop if instead of finding out later that what I saw as weak choices were all intentional, it had all been played straight and honestly. Yes, when you know the ending, it explains the choices. Yes, it all makes sense. And I was gripped enough by the missing child story to see it through, hence the 6 and not lower. But I think the ending deserved a much better movie.
The Fare (2018)
Sweet, surprising, engaging little movie!
When The Fare started I thought, "Well this isn't going to last long." It looks and sounds like it's going to be something entirely different than it is. But once Penny showed up I was charmed. Still didn't know where it was headed, but then in a "flash" - you'll know it when you see it - I got a "here we go" moment, and it goes from being a weird Twilight Zone episode to a mystery that you care about, and two characters that you keep hoping and cheering for. It's not perfect, but the two actors have charm to spare and a great rapport and chemistry, and keep you watching and on their side for the whole ride. And with little else to look at but the inside of a cab, that's no small feat, it could have become boring or cloying or silly at any time, but they keep you wanting to watch. The story is engaging, and the twists along the way are rewarding. All in all, a lovely movie!
The Call of the Wild (2020)
Sweet, fun, a little cartoonish
I never read Call of the Wild, so I am not comparing it to the book, not that I would anyway. A movie is a movie, and it always strays from its source material. That's expected. Most of the story was enjoyable, and parts of it were even touching. I didn't have high hopes at the beginning, because it started off looking like it was going to be another one of those "huge dog ruins everything" movies. But it didn't stay in that place very long, although the bulk of the movie was quite Disney - flavored. Thankfully, the CGI dog at times had me looking closely to see if some scenes had a real dog in it, even though at times "Buck" was a little too human in his expressions. My other criticism is that the villain was a little bit too "Snidely Whiplash," down to his silly accent. But for the most part, I was engaged and entertained, and even moved at times. A young girl in the audience cried a few times, fearing for the dogs during scenes with danger or times of human cruelty against the animals (all implied or barely unseen). But it is exciting enough to keep young viewers engaged, and pleasing enough for the parents who bring them to see it.
Instant Family (2018)
Hilariously, exhaustingly, outrageously true
I saw this film as a preview at a nationwide adoption conference with a group of professionals in the field, and to a person, we loved this movie! As both an adoption specialist and a father of four young men adopted as teens from foster care, I can confirm that every note of this film rang true: the highs, the lows, the frustration and anger and times you want to give up, and the times you rise to levels you didn't know you could reach. And it's FUNNY! Between the touching moments is real laugh-out-loud humor. The director was able to find the fun without MAKING fun. Excellent performances all around too. Whether you are interested in the adoption aspect or you just want to see a good, funny family story, I can't recommend this movie enough!