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Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Chupa (2023)

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I almost gave up watching Chupa because it has such a weak start. While the movie did get better, I still find it difficult to recommend. If you are watching this with your kids, there are worse movies you could be sitting through. Chupa isn’t a bad movie, but it is a little too cheesy and slow for its own good. If you don’t have kids, I wouldn’t bother watching it.

Alex has a hard time dealing with the death of his father. He also has trouble fitting in at school because of his race. Alex is lonely and ashamed of his race. Despite his protests, Alex is sent to Mexico to spend the summer with his grandfather. In Mexico, Alex and his cousins find a chupacabra. Through their adventure together, Chupa will become more than just a monster. He will become a friend. 

The story is what you would expect from any other friendly monster kids movie. The plot is predictable, but I did enjoy the Mexican flavor sprinkled throughout. It was nice to hear the familiar dialect, and I enjoyed the luchador backstory. The actors are easily the best part of the movie, and they give the film its charm. The performances may not be award-winning, but it saves this movie from being terrible. It also helps that the chupacabra is adorable.

I liked that this movie tries something different with the genre. Instead of Alex finding a friend and getting the girl, he becomes close to his family. Chupa also attempts to tackle heavy subjects like grief and loneliness, but it doesn’t go deep enough. What hurts the movie is its pacing. It has a very slow buildup and then rushes to the end. It may be fine for a kids’ movie, but it leaves a bit to be desired.

Chupa is an okay kids’ movie. I didn’t hate it, but I wouldn’t have watched it otherwise. It’s a bit too slow at times and boring at others, but it is never bad. Unless you have kids, I wouldn’t bother watching it. If you have kids, you have better options, but it is an option. You can stream it on Netflix, but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it. 

Image By 26th Street Pictures/Netflix – http://www.impawards.com/2023/chupa.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73289413

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Murder Mystery 2 (2023)

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I liked Murder Mystery, so I was excited about this sequel. I wasn’t expecting a comedic masterpiece, but I at least thought it would be entertaining. Murder Mystery 2 is a lazy sequel and a waste of time. It was clear that this movie was made for a paycheck because it lacks any of the charm or humor to make it work. If you want to sit through a boring and predictable mystery, go ahead and queue this up.

The Spitz find themselves in the middle of another mystery. Someone is framing them for a kidnapping they didn’t do, and now the race is on to piece it all together before they are sent to jail. Can they do it in time? Yes, they do, and it is boring.

There isn’t much to say about this movie because no one is trying. The writing is lazy, the mystery is predictable, and the acting is okay at best. As a comedy, this movie is rarely funny. The jokes that did make me laugh aren’t worth sitting through this movie. The mystery is so poorly written that you can solve it in the first few minutes without even trying. You will know who did it as soon as they walk into the scene.

This movie is so uninspired and unremarkable that I have already forgotten what it was about. It was such a waste of time that I considered turning it off after only thirty minutes, but I powered through it knowing it wasn’t going to get better. If you liked the first one, rewatch that instead. If you are curious about this movie, don’t be. It isn’t good You can stream it on Netflix, but I wouldn’t waste my time.

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

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I know we were supposed to boycott Honor Among Thieves because of how greedy Hasbro is, but my wife wanted to watch it. I couldn’t miss out on the rare opportunity to nerd out with her. She doesn’t care much for my love for D&D, so I was hopeful that this would be my chance to bring her into the hobby. I am still working on convincing her, but at least she enjoyed the movie.

Chris pine is a charismatic bard who turns to a life of crime when his wife is brutally murdered. On his last job, he gets captured and sentenced to jail. On his release, he discovers that the man he trusted his daughter to has taken her. It is now up to him and a band of misfits he has gathered to go on an epic adventure and get her back. Do they have what it takes to overcome the evils this world has to offer?

I had a ton of fun with this movie. The characters are charismatic, the D&D references are fantastic, and the balance between comedy and action is perfect. There was a fear going into this movie that it would sacrifice tension and suspense for one-liners and dumb gags, but I was surprised by how well this movie did. Honor Among Thieves knows when to break the tension with a joke, but it also knows when to be serious to build its suspense. The fight scenes are tense and epic, and I dare you to sit through this whole movie without laughing.

 The actors are great. The chemistry between the characters is fantastic, and they play off each other so well. I think this movie works so well because of how well the actors play their characters. If nothing else, they look like they are having fun with this movie. Instead of a generic comedic action or fantasy movie, it felt like a D&D campaign adapted into a film. 

If you know nothing about Dungeons and Dragons, you don’t need to. I enjoyed all the references to spells, monsters, and rules, but I didn’t find it necessary to understand what is going on. My wife doesn’t know anything about the game but enjoyed it tremendously. The movie is just a fun adventure with magic and maybe a dragon or two. My only complaint is that the movie is a bit predictable, but it is fine for what it is.

If you are thinking of watching Honor Among Thieves, watch it in theaters. This movie is at least worth a discounted ticket, but I understand the need to boycott it. 

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Movie Review: John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

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If you’ve seen any of the movies in the John Wick universe, you have probably already watched 4 in theaters. If you haven’t, now is the perfect time to buy those tickets. John Wick: Chapter 4 delivers on its promise to be a more epic action-packed sequel, but one that brings its charm to the franchise. This time Mr. Wick wages his war against the secret organization behind it all, but will this war finally bring the peace he’s been after?

The story of this movie doesn’t matter, but the film attempts to develop its lore a bit more. Don’t expect deep character development or storytelling. Most of you are watching this movie for the death and destruction Mr. Wick leaves behind. This movie doubles down on its violence, but I will be the first to admit that it could have been shorter. Don’t get me wrong, there are some fantastic action scenes, but some go on for too long. It isn’t enough to ruin the movie, but three hours is a long time to sit in theaters. Don’t be afraid to take breaks between the main characters; you won’t miss anything critical.

John Wick 4 has amazing choreography. This combined with its creative camera works makes for some epic action sequences. You need to watch this movie in theaters at least once to appreciate the work that went into making this movie as epic as it is. I love the colors, the scores, and the costumes that make this a beautifully vibrant and violent fantasy.

What I enjoyed most about this movie are the unique characters it introduces. While it isn’t without its faceless hordes, some villains will stand out and give this movie its charm. My favorite character in the series is Cain, played by the talented Donnie Yen. Cain is a refreshing take on the genre’s villains while also introducing an interesting dilemma for Mr. Wick. I won’t spoil what it is, but it added some of the depth the movie needed. In an interview, Donnie Yen told reporters that he worked hard to make Cain into something that wasn’t a traditional Asian stereotype. This work has paid off, and you need to watch this movie to appreciate it. 

I can’t stress this enough, if you haven’t watched this movie, go out and buy the tickets. It may not be perfect, but it is home to some of the most epic action sequences put to film. 

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: The Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

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Puss In Boots: The Last Wish is the first and only movie I’ve seen from the spin-off. I am honestly surprised that The Last Wish wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. If you have to sit through this movie with your kids, you won’t hate it, but it won’t be one of your favorites. As it stands, this film is a decent kids’ movie that you can stream on Peacock.

Puss in Boots finds himself on the last of his nine lives. Facing his newly discovered mortality, Puss becomes afraid of death for the very first time in his life. Instead of facing his problems head-on in his usual arrogant way, Puss decides to spend the rest of his life hiding as a normal cat. But the quiet life doesn’t stick, and Puss finds himself on another adventure with a pair of unlikely companions as they look for the wishing star. Can they make find the star before Death claims the Puss in Boots?

The plot is silly and as simple as you would expect from a kid’s film. The voice acting, art, and music are fantastic. I love the art style in this movie, especially for the fight scenes. The action is well-choreographed, but it isn’t without its moments of silliness. There are a lot of sight gags and body humor that didn’t always land, but they never got obnoxious. I loved all the cat jokes a bit more than I should have. 

There isn’t much more I can say about this movie because it is another movie where the brooding, edgy protagonists learn the value of friendship. The villains aren’t dynamic, and the story is basic, but I wouldn’t expect more from a kids’ movie. The Last Wish is cute, fun, and perfect for your next movie night. It might not have the lasting power of Shrek, but it won’t be the worst kids’ movie you’ll have to sit through. You can stream it on Peacock.

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023)

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I just watched Luther: The Fallen Sun and thought it was fine. I haven’t watched the series that comes before this movie, so I won’t be able to compare the quality. As a standalone movie, it works well enough. I might have missed a few references here and there, but I never felt lost by the plot. I’d be curious to know what fans of the series think of the movie.

John Luther is a disgraced detective who has been locked away for his use of unethical practices for catching criminals. While in prison, a serial killer terrorizes London. But no prison can hold Luther. Luther escapes, and now the race is on to catch the killer before he causes too much damage. Can Luther decipher the few clues left behind before it is too late?

As far as detective thrillers go, Luther: The Fallen Sun is fine. My biggest issue with this movie is the pacing. This movie gets slow in parts. It will sit on pretty scenery for longer than it needs to. While I appreciate how well-shot some of these scenes are, this movie didn’t need to be two hours long. As a result, it is missing some much-needed tension. There are moments in this movie that don’t have stakes. It doesn’t matter how quickly Luther solves the clues because he’s got more than enough time to do so.

The acting is fine, but the writing is a little awkward. Some of the dialogue feels sloppy, and some plot points don’t make sense. While there are fun parts of this movie, there are enough parts that aren’t that make this movie difficult to recommend. I am sure people who are fans of the series will have stronger opinions about this movie, but as someone who hasn’t watched it, I thought the movie was okay.

If you have nothing else to watch, it’s not the worst way to spend two hours. At the very least, Luther: The Fallen Sun has made me curious about the series. While I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch this film, you can stream it on Netflix. 

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Triangle of Sadness (2022)

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Triangle of Sadness is one of the most pretentious and shallow movie I have seen to date. I am glad I didn’t see this in theaters because this would have been a waste of money. Nothing happens in this movie.

A cruise ship full of the wealthy and elite shipwrecks on a deserted island. Here on the island, their wealth and status are meaningless. The survivors now must earn their survival, casting aside the excessive luxury they were accustomed to.

The acting is easily the best part of this movie, but the writing is terrible. There is nothing subtle about this movie. Triangle of Sadness wants you to know that capitalism is bad and will take the entirety of its run time artistically and redundantly making this point. This movie could have been shorter. Maybe if this movie spent less trying so hard to be artistic and actually told a meaningful story, I could have recommended it. Instead, my recommendation is that you spend your time on better content.

I don’t have much more to say about this movie because nothing happens. There were a few interesting scenes, but nothing worth sitting through this movie for. You can stream it on Hulu, but I wouldn’t bother. 

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Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Cocaine Bear (2023)

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Cocaine Bear is one of those dumb movies that you shouldn’t take seriously. While it fared better than I expected, it isn’t worth the trouble to watch it in theaters. If you are curious about this movie, wait for it to come to streaming so that you can skip all the boring bits. It isn’t a bad movie, but it isn’t worth the price of a movie ticket.

Cocaine Bear is a horror comedy about a bear addicted to cocaine that terrorizes a forest in Tennessee. The story focuses on three unsuspecting groups trying to survive the sudden bear attack. This movie is as dumb as you’d expect.

The acting in this movie is solid. The actors have great chemistry, and the bits of the plot that aren’t serious is a lot of fun to watch. The bear looks a bit cartoonish, but fitting of the movie’s tone. I loved the bear, and every scene that involved the cocaine bear was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, when there is no bear, this movie is boring. One moment you are crying from laughter as you watch cocaine-induced carnage, the next you will sit in silent disappointment as you have to watch boring development for characters you won’t care about. There clearly wasn’t enough for a movie, so there is a bit of filler you can skip past. This movie needed more bear. 

There isn’t much more to say about this movie. It is a dumb movie that knows it is dumb. While some of the decisions pay off, not enough of them do to be worth watching in theaters. That said, you need to watch Cocaine Bear at least once to appreciate how dumb it is, but I recommend you wait for it to come to streaming.

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: The Strays (2023)

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While The Strays gives off some solid Get Out vibes, it remains an odd movie to recommend. If you are out of content to watch, give this movie a chance, at least for the experience. While it isn’t the perfect psychological thriller it pretends to be, it does enough right that you won’t hate having sat through it.

Neve lives her ideal life in the suburbs with her successful and loving husband, two lovely children, and a great job. All seems perfect until the day the ghosts from her past begin to haunt her, slowly dismantling everything she has. Will these ghosts be what sends her over the edge, or is there something more sinister in the works?

It is difficult to review this movie without spoiling it. I will try my best to be as specific as possible without ruining the mystery.

The movie has a strong start but builds up to its disappointing twist. The actors are great and give some terrifying performances, but the story isn’t good enough to take advantage of their abilities. What killed this movie for me was the sudden tonal shifts.

The first half is this creepy psychological thriller that keeps raising the stakes as Neve doesn’t seem to have as strong of a hold of her life as she pretends to. I loved the increasingly disorienting narrative as Neve’s once-sterile day-to-day becomes increasingly unhinged. Through small details like how she increases the dose of her medication, her nervous ticks, and her increasing paranoia, the movie does a fantastic job of showing Neve’s disorienting mental state. Are the ghosts real? Is Neve’s life real? It is genuinely hard to tell because of how frighteningly disorienting the narrative is presented. But whatever momentum the first half builds is lost. 

After the big reveal, the movie turns into a generic thriller. Any interesting characters developed in the buildup are lost in the worst storyline of this movie. I almost turned the movie off because of how jarring and boring the shift became. The final minutes of the movie sort of makeup for the disappointment because of how well the actors do, but it wasn’t enough to save the movie from mediocrity. This movie had potential and even proved itself with a few scenes, but it doesn’t push the story enough.

The Strays is an okay thriller, and something you should check out if you have nothing else to watch. It isn’t a movie I would rush to see, but you won’t hate it if you sit through it. Check it out on Netflix when you are ready.

Movie Reviews

Movie Review: We Have a Ghost (2023)

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I just watched We Have a Ghost, and it is a bad movie. If this movie shows up on your feed, please ignore it. This movie isn’t worth the two hours it is trying to claim from you. There isn’t even enough movie to fill the run time. We Have a Ghost was made to pad Netflix’s already disappointing library. Stay away.

A generic dysfunctional family moves to a decrepit house hoping for a new beginning. But to their surprise, there is a ghost living in their attic. The generic brooding teenager, Kevin, is the only one to discover that Ernest, the ghost, is friendly. Kevin decides to help Ernest find peace in the afterlife. But some forces want to use Ernest for their selfish goals. Will Ernest find peace before it is too late?

We Have a Ghost is a lazy attempt at rebooting Casper. The plot is full of holes and cliches. The characters are so generic that they are forgettable. It is clear who is in this movie for the paycheck because the acting is mediocre. I don’t blame them because the writing is terrible. No talent in the world can make this movie work.

The biggest problem with this movie is the lack of substance. Nothing happens in this movie. It spends two hours setting up different storylines that don’t lead to anything. All the buildup leads to the most predictable and lazy ending. There was no clear direction for this movie, just an idea and some lazy gags to pad the run time. If you cut this movie down to its most impactful story elements, you are left with maybe five minutes of the movie.

Do not watch We Have a Ghost. With how much better content there is out there, you have better ways of spending two hours. But if you don’t believe me, check it out on Netflix. 

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