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Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Prey (2022)

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I love Predator. It is one of my favorite movies. I will watch everything that features the Yautja, no matter how bad they are. I have known disappointment so many times that my hope for the series is fleeting. When I heard about Prey, there was the bittersweet sensation of cautious excitement because the trailer looked cool, but I wasn’t ready to be hurt again. This movie has restored my faith in the series and has become one of my favorites. If you are thinking about watching this film, watch it now!

This prequel focuses on Naru, a young female Comanche warrior who is constantly trying to prove herself to the men of the tribe. The Yautja has landed on earth, searching for worthy prey to hunt. The Yautja begins to hunt the Comanche warriors. Now Naru must protect her tribe against this strange and powerful hunter.

This movie is fantastic. The action is fun, the story is great, and the acting is fantastic. Watching the Yautja hunt is tense and exciting. The film does a great job of making the fights balanced and exciting. The only complaint I have about this movie is that some of the special effects are bad. Some deaths and fights are cartoonishly bad, but not bad enough to ruin the movie. This is one of the better stories set in the predator universe. It has well-built tension that builds to one of the most satisfying conclusions. The acting is phenomenal. It goes without saying, this movie has one of the best female leads in the genre. She is cool and smart, and I believed she was capable of hunting the Yautja. I can only hope there are more movies of this caliber for the genre and the predator universe. 

 It cannot be understated, you need to watch Prey. It is available in English and a Numunuu dubbing. I wish the whole movie was done in Numunuu, and we got an English dubbing after; but we might not be there as a society yet

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Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Luck (2022)

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Luck failed to leave any impression on me. It isn’t a terrible movie, but it isn’t good enough to recommend. If you have to sit through this for your kids you won’t hate it. You will lose interest and forget you watched it, but it won’t be the worst kids’ movie you’ve sat through.

Luck is the story of the words unluckiest woman, Sam. Everything always goes wrong for Sam, but she manages to live with her bad luck. This all changes when one day she finds a magical lucky penny. Unfortunately, Sam is too unlucky even for magic, and she loses the penny. Now, with the help of a magical black cat, she must find a new lucky penny to help her friends.

The story is just predictable fluff that started as a cool concept. I liked the good and bad luck world, but I wish there was a bit more world-building. The pacing sucks. There are parts of this movie that drag so slowly that I almost gave up on this movie. I never give up on movies. The art is cute, but the animation is awkward and stiff. The voice acting is very inconsistent. Some of the actors are great, but most give very awkward line reads. This movie has its audience, and it is kids. 

If you have kids, fine, go for it. It’s cute, and you can tune out when you need to. Otherwise, I wouldn’t go out of my way for it. For those interested, you can watch this on Apple TV.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Lightyear (2022)

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Lightyear has just been released on Disney+, and after watching it, I understand why it flopped so badly. The first few minutes show promise. I was optimistic about the story because Buzz was interesting. Unfortunately, the rest of this movie turned into a disappointing and generic kids’ action movie. 

Buzz is the lone wolf archetype you are already familiar with. There isn’t much variation in his character or his journey, so why bother? His tendency to work alone causes the series of events that leave him and the colony stranded on a strange planet. The guilt Buzz feels about getting everyone stranded fuels his obsession to be perfect. Buzz makes it his mission to help get the colony into space again. His guilt and pride drive the remaining of this disappointing narrative. It isn’t a bad movie, but you have seen this story play out better elsewhere.

The voice acting was fine, but there are some awkward line readings that are hard to ignore. It can be better. I wish they would stop using celebrity voice actors and instead focus on hiring good voice actors. Good voice acting wouldn’t save this movie, but it would be more watchable. 

The characters in this movie are flat and uninteresting. Buzz is a generic action hero, the villain is a terrible trope that ruined the movie, and the side characters are one-note characters that only exist to make their one joke. I didn’t care about the movie because I didn’t care about the characters and that is a problem.

The story is a generic action movie. Buzz wants to work alone, but this one mission helps him realize that he can’t do everything alone. I was excited when I watched the trailers because I remember liking the animated series. Unfortunately, instead of the epic space adventure, we get a recycled story we have seen too many times already. This movie needs a compelling villain, a better lead and side characters, and a unique story. 

I am glad I didn’t spend any money on this movie because it isn’t worth it. It isn’t the worst movie on the platform, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it. If you are forced to watch this, you aren’t going to hate it, but you probably won’t watch it again. I know I am not. But if you don’t believe me, you can watch it on Disney+.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Don’t Make Me Go (2022)

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Don’t Make Me Go is a fantastic movie, and you should be watching it. The acting is amazing and the story is great, but keep in mind that it is sad.

Max is a single father who finds out he only has a year to live due to bone cancer. In an effort to spend his remaining time with his daughter, and leave her with the only family she has left, he takes her on a road trip to meet her birth mother. Will this trip be the perfect goodbye, creating the lasting memory it is intended for?

This movie is sad, but it has enough cute and heartwarming moments that make up for it. While the story brought me to tears, I wasn’t depressed after. It won’t ruin your day if you watch this. The ending is cheesy yet satisfying. The story is well done and made better by its cast. 

This movie has some amazing leads. You need to watch this performance. They are amazing, and the chemistry they share is unparalleled. For a movie like this to work, you need a believable father-daughter relationship, and they are able to create a cute one. You will laugh when you need to laugh, but you will also cry when you need to. The performances are that moving. 

You can stream this on Amazon if you have a Prime membership. 

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Anything’s Possible (2022)

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I thought this movie was fine, but it isn’t something I would watch again. There is an audience for this movie, and I am not it. If you are the target demo, you will have a  deeper appreciation for this movie. If you aren’t in the demo, the story and acting is fine enough where you won’t hate it.  

Anything’s Possible is about a trans girl Kalsea and her relationship with a sis boy Khal. While the movie does touch on some trans issues, the movie focuses on their blossoming relationship as they try to survive high school. This is another teen movie at its core, but one that fairs a little better than the rest.  

This is a teen movie that suffers from a lot of the same problems that exist within this genre. The narrative exists in a bubble. As a result, there are no real stakes.  The issues Kalesa deals with are resolvable, although the movie will create drama to move the plot forward. You know everything will work out at the end, but I didn’t mind it much this time because the story and the characters are interesting enough. I loved the chemistry between each character and loved the fact that this movie doesn’t try too hard to make characters hip and cool. 

As far as tween movies go, this one fairs a bit better. I enjoyed that the relationship builds at a more natural rate, although there is still some ex-machina involved. It makes sense why they are together and I wanted them to be together. I liked that they don’t make her a symbol for trans kids. She wants to just be treated normal and doesn’t want the fact that she is trans be the only important part of her identity. It is hard being part of a disenfranchised group because there is the unfair expectation and pressure to be the spokesperson for the group. I liked that this is addressed, although she does ultimately become the spokesperson at the end. Tween movies aren’t known for having the soundest logic.  

I also liked how it wove the different narratives together. You get both the lead’s perspectives as they try to figure out who they want to be while facing the pressures of society that try to mold them. It was very well edited and it all felt like one cohesive story. The way they blend streaming, texting, and social media is very well done. It doesn’t feel fragmented or like a cheap attempt to pad the time, but rather adds to the narrative in a meaningful way. I love how story telling is evolving with technology and they are starting to get it right.  

If you are the target audience, it’s a cute teen movie with a trans lead that doesn’t get too preechy. We need more positive trans leads and this is a step in the right direction. For eveyrone else, I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it, you won’t hate it if you have to sit through this.  

While I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch this movie, it’s not a bad one. You can stream it on Amazon if you have a Prime membership.  

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Master (2022)

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Master is psychological that is in an interesting spot in the genre. Where some might make their monster more symbolic, Master is clear that the monster is racism. This movie is uncomfortable, and it is not because it is a ghost story. It is uncomfortable because it is an experience that people have had and continue to have despite years of progress. It is very well done and well worth your time.

Master is the story of two African-American women at a prestigious New England university. Gail is the newly appointed Dorm mother and a tenured professor at the school, while Jasmine begins her freshman year there. The film shows how both have trouble fitting into the school’s culture, and it makes important criticisms about race and society.

This movie made me very uncomfortable because it reminded me of a lot of what I went through growing up as a person of color. Being different in a school where most people are white is draining. There is a lot of pressure that is unfairly put on people of color, especially when they try to join a culture that was historically created for white males. The depression, paranoia, and sense of not belonging are real issues that come from the inevitable culture clash. Although my experience wasn’t as bad as what is in the movie, a lot of the emotions and pressures are ones I am familiar with. 

Jasmine and Gail are used as mirrors to show that no matter how much one has accomplished, or the amount of progress society has made, racial discrimination continues to be an issue. As much as they try to fit in by changing how they look or talk, they will always be outsiders. Nothing changes. The movie does a fantastic job recreating this sense of isolation and pressure. It perfectly creates monsters out of something so mundane. This film is frightening because the experience and feelings depicted are real. 

This is a fantastic and important narrative told by some great actors. Some of the parts do get preachy, and the film slows a bit, but it is an important narrative told properly. Go watch this on Amazon with your Prime Membership. 

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Movie Review: The Gray Man (2022)

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Netflix continues its trend of releasing disappointing star-studded films that don’t deserve your time. You are better off not watching Gray Man because even with its amazing cast, it fails to make a tangible impression. This might not be the worst movie on the platform, but I have already forgotten I watched it.

The movie is about a secret agent who magically stumbles onto a McGuffin of a conspiracy. The film is a series of action movie tropes strung together by awkwardly rendered chase scenes, all building up to a very disappointing ending.

The acting is easily the best part. The only exception would be Regé-Jean Page’s terrible American accent, but his accent isn’t what ruins the movie. The quality of the rest of the movie falls flat in comparison. There are a few moments of competence, like the phone conversations written in creative code to hide from surveillance or when Ryan Gosling refuses to throw a gun because it is dangerous that shows promise. There are even attempts at symbolism, but these efforts are wasted because the rest of the movie isn’t good.

Gray Man is a movie without a plot. There is a giant disappointing Mcguffin, an uninspired villain, and too many plot holes. The villain kills for the sake of killing, and the hero chases because it is in the script. There is no tension because Ryan Gosling has the ungodly ability to sense danger before it happens. I wouldn’t mind the lack of plot if the action was better.

The action here is unintelligible. If the fights aren’t poorly rendered, they are stiff and boring. There is a terrible fight scene on a plane that gave me motion sickness. Chase scenes don’t fare any better as they suffer from the same afflictions. Gray Man is an action movie that forgot to add its action.

If Netflix continues this trend, it won’t survive the streaming wars. The service is losing subscribers because it can’t secure content people want to watch, and the original content it has been releasing has been subpar. There are a few exceptions, but there aren’t enough good Netflix originals to give the service the lasting power it is desperately grasping at. 

Don’t watch this movie.

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Movie Review: Love and Monsters (2020)

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Love and Monsters is a lighthearted movie about surviving the end of the world. If you haven’t seen it or are thinking about it, think no more. Go watch it! This cheesy fun movie is a delight and you can watch it on Amazon if you have a Prime membership.  

Humans are once again the catalyst for the world ending events that drive the narrative of this film. Animals have mutated because of the radiation, killing off most of the human population. The survivors now live scattered across the globe in small colonies. The movie focuses on Joel, an average guy who is incapable of taking action. Joel freezes at the sight of danger and as a result is left to cook and repair stuff for the colony he lives in. Joel is done waiting around and decides to venture out into the monster infested world to find his long lost girlfriend. Will Joel find the strength and courage to survive in a post apocalyptic California, or will the monsters make a meal of him? 

Love and Monsters is a lot of fun, especially if you are a fan of Zombieland. It shares a similar style, but not as edgy. It is light hearted and cute, but there are real dangers lurking around the landscape. I loved the monster design, and each monster encounter was thrilling despite the overall tone of the movie.  

Joel is played by a fantastic actor who brings this movie to life with his quirky nervousness. It is fun to see his character develop as he faces and overcomes adversities. He is also has some amazing chemistry with every actor he interacts with, including the dog. Joels charisma and chemistry with his costars create the tone necessary to make this movie work. With narratives like this, you need a lead with enough charisma to drive the plot and make the audience care.  

As far as stories go, its fine. You’ve seen movies like this before but it’s done well. It is a little cheesy but the cheese gives this movie its charm.  

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Movie Review: 1UP(2022)

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1up is possibly the best modern video game movie out right now. The story is great, the characters are fun and memorable, and the acting is solid. It might be a low-budget film and a bit on the cheesy side, but it is a fun story that you are sure to enjoy. If you have a Prime Membership, you should be watching this movie.

V and her friend Sloan are the only girls on their college’s esports team. As a result, they deal with the constant discrimination that comes within the misogynistic world of gaming. They are pushed to the sidelines, not because they lack the skill, but because they are women. Fed up, the girls quit and decide to form an all-girls team. Now they must learn to work together to prove to the world that girls can be gamers too.

I have grown to be wary of video game movies because most of the time dialogue is just a series of gamer terms strung together in a desperate attempt to be hip. Worse yet, women in these movies tend to be very one-dimensional and quirky in the worst way. I am tired of poorly written female leads designed to fit males’ obsolete image of women. 1UP does a better job than most movies. The girls are still archetypes, but at least they aren’t characters. I like that they have real tangible goes, and they work towards them. Best of all, they feel like a group of friends who just want to play video games.

This movie is a fun underdog story. The characters are silly and lovable. The pacing is perfect as it builds up to a satisfying conclusion. It does follow a lot of the tropes and themes that are common in the genre, but I had enough fun with this movie where it doesn’t matter. The way gaming is woven into the narrative is fun and exciting. I loved the dramatized fights and how intense the tournaments were even if they weren’t clicking the right buttons. Most importantly, it deals with an experience that movies about gaming tend to ignore. Being a girl who likes gaming is hard. Being a gamer girl comes with a lot of stigma and misogyny. This movie does a decent job at addressing a lot of these issues, but it does so softly. They could go a lot harsher in showing how bad it gets, but I will take what I can get. 

This is a fun movie that I recommend to everyone. Even if you don’t play video games or have never touched a MOBA, this film does a good enough job where it doesn’t matter. You won’t get lost in the jargon or the gaming, but I can’t say the same for the story. I loved this story. I urge you to watch it on Amazon. 

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Candyman 2021

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If you haven’t seen the new Candyman, what are you doing? Go watch this movie now and thank me after. This is a beautiful horror movie that is well worth your time. This film not only expands the lore of the original but gives it new life. Watching the original is not a requirement, this film does a fantastic job at providing enough context to make the narrative make sense. I remember watching the original when I was younger and remember liking it although admittedly, it did scare me. I vaguely remember the plot but I never felt lost by what was happening.

The movie follows the artist Anthony McCoy who is in search of inspiration for his next show. His search brings him to the urban legend of the Candyman. Candyman is the soul of a wronged man who can be summoned by saying his name five times to a mirror. Once summoned, Candyman kills those who summon him, becoming the monster he was made to be. Antony’s fascination becomes an obsession as now all he can do or think about is related to the urban legend. Anthony has unknowingly unleashed Candyman back onto the streets of gentrified Chicago. Will this obsession be his downfall, or Anthony be the one to lay the legend of Candyman to rest?