I just watched A Tourist’s Guide to Love, and it is as cheesy as you’d expect. While I prefer it to Ghosted, it is a hard movie to recommend because the writing is terrible. This movie is another lazy generic romance movie, but one with decent actors who give solid performances.
Amanda finds herself trapped in her boring routined life. When her boyfriend of five years breaks up with her, she goes on a work trip to Vietnam. Amanda intended to do research for her job, but she discovers something more meaningful. She finds love. Her charming handsome tour guide shows her more than just the sights; he shows her how to be her truest self. But will this adventure give Amanda the courage to follow her heart, or will her business get in the way of love?
A Tourist’s Guide to Love is a bad movie, but the actors save it from being terrible. I commend the actors for doing their best with what they were given, but they deserve a better script. The plot is generic, lazy, and forgettable. There isn’t much to say about this movie because it doesn’t do anything you haven’t seen in other generic romance movies. If you enjoy the genre, you might appreciate it a bit better, but I am not sure anyone can stomach how cheesy this movie gets. The best bits of this movie is when it occasionally flashes bits of the beautiful Vietnamese scenery.
This movie has me in a weird place because it is bad, but I’ve seen a lot worse. That said, I already forgot I watched it. Don’t watch this movie unless you enjoy watching cheesy romantic movies. Even then, I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it. For those still curious, you can stream it on Netflix.
So I Uninstalled Pokemon Go Today
Pokemon Go has been a staple on every phone I’ve gotten since the game launched, but today, I’ve finally decided to uninstall it. The recent drama surrounding the game and Niantic have helped me realize that this game isn’t fun anymore. So it is with a heavy heart that I finally put an end to an era that has meant so much to me.
If you haven’t been keeping up with the news, Niantic recently doubled the price for their remote passes. These passes allow players to join raids without being near the gym. This change makes the game a bigger grind for free-to-play players, and more expensive for those who spend money on the game. Unsurprisingly, this change caused an uproar in the community. In response to the complaints, Niantic responded with an insensitive joke that they quickly deleted from their Twitter.
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Thor Love and Thunder just released on Disney + and while I wouldn’t go out of my way to go watch it, you won’t hate it if you have to sit through it. This isn’t the worst movie on the platform, but it is a mediocre superhero film. It certainly has some solid moments, but there are too many issues with it that make it hard to recommend. If you have nothing better to do, want a family movie night option, or just need some background noise, this can certainly fill a hole.
The movie deals with a Thor who has lost much of his purpose. With his homeland destroyed and his relationship over, Thor roams the universe with the Guardians of the Galaxy in search of a new purpose. This all changes when an entity begins to hunt down and kill the gods of the universe. With the aid of some new and old allies, Thor must put a stop to this new evil before the universe is robbed of all of its gods. Will he be able to save the universe once again? Probably.
This movie was fine, but it is hard to ignore its issues. The acting is good, the music is fantastic, and the villain is great. My issues with this movie are with some of its stylistic and narrative choices. This movie is desperate for a laugh, but not all of the jokes land. It’s hard to sit through a comedy that’s not funny, but at least it is not a Kevin Hart movie.
Another issue I have with this movie is how much it tries to be meta. This isn’t Deadpool, but I did enjoy Matt Damon putting on a play recapping the events of the last movie. That said, it gets old, and it feels out of place. There is an overbearing narrator that only comes in to completely destroy all the tension or change the tone of the movie. There is way too much comic relief in this movie when all I want is cool epic Norse mythology. As a result, the movie will feel slow because nothing happens or the jokes just aren’t funny. They made a mistake trying too hard to make this movie kid-friendly, and the narrative suffers for it. There is a kid-friendly way to tell this story without it being for toddlers. I don’t even want to touch the nauseating moral of the movie that someone believed would be a clever tie-in at the end. It is not.
This movie isn’t all bad though. I loved the villain of this movie, but they didn’t do enough with him. I wish this movie were darker and serious because it plays around with a lot of seriously dark mythology. Instead of leaning into a lot of what makes these gods and mythology cool, they traded it for a goofy overtone that never really works. I wouldn’t mind this movie being a comedy if it was actually funny.
If you have nothing else to watch, sure, why not? But your time is better spent elsewhere. But if you don’t believe me, you can watch it on Disney+.
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Movie Review: Don’t Make Me Go (2022)
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 Review: Love and Monsters (2020)
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.
Movie Review: Last Holiday (2006)
Queen Latifah proves once again that she can be good in anything. This isn’t a very good movie, but I can’t deny that her performance gives this movie its life. I liked it when I watched it long ago, but watching it again came with the uncomfortable realization that Last Holiday has not aged well. It is a bit too cartoonish, and I can never be comfortable with the tokenism.
Last Holiday is about Georgia, a woman who lives a very restricted life because she is waiting for a perfect moment that might never come. She saves her money, clips coupons, only eats lean cuisines, and never makes any unnecessary waves in the world. This changes when she is given only three weeks to live. She spends those three weeks fulfilling everything in her book of possibilities.
As far as bucket lists movies go, this one will always have a special place in my heart. I am biased. I like the light-hearted tone mixed with some very valid criticism about life and greed. It does get a bit preachy at points, and some scenes are difficult to watch, but it isn’t unwatchable. While her performance is amazing, there are some actors that lack the ability. The plot is a bit on the wacky side and some of the bits aren’t as funny as they used to be. I loved the scenes where she talks to the French chef. It was in these moments that the movie wasn’t trying too hard to be funny and wacky, and although the performance wasn’t great, it was a real and authentic exchange. I wish the rest of the movie carried this tone, but then it wouldn’t be a comedy.
You can watch this movie on YouTube for free. My only suggestion is that you throw this up in the background while you work on other stuff. There are a few scenes you can skip. Last Holiday is average at best, but Queen Latifah is as fantastic as always.
Movie Review: Dog (2022)
Dog is a road trip movie that makes important commentary on the effects war has on soldiers. It also makes some valid criticism about how America treats its veterans. Although the movie is presented as a comedy, be aware that it is a serious movie.
As far as these road trip movies go, this is one of the better ones. The acting is great, the dog is cute, and the story is fine. What sets this movie apart is its commentary about the effects war has on veterans. Throughout the movie, Briggs and Lulu struggle to live outside of combat. The movie does a great job at showing how hard it is for soldiers to deal with depression, anxiety PTSD in healthy ways. The film is very creative in how it presents these lasting effects. Life seems to move on for everyone else, but the veterans have continued dealing with the effects of war. It is powerful commentary shown through meaningful imagery. The movie keeps it light, but it is hard to ignore the struggle.
I recommend this movie to everyone because it is well made and creative. The plot is a little slow and sad in parts, but the overall experience is very heartwarming. Plus, the dog is really cute.
