It really is too bad that this film never got a theatre release, as was intended but cancelled due to Covid. The creature effects are great and it has fun action for all ages. I loved the lead character in this - starts out very vulnerable and awkward and grows throughout the movie. A very fun action-comedy-fantasy film!
Reviews
27 Reviews
Wild Mountain Thyme
(2020)
Sweet Little Love Story
19 November 2021
A little slow and meandering for the first half, but the last act of the story is very well done. I think that the setup could have been better. I liked the Irish setting and it's nice to watch a romantic dramedy with adult leads because it doesn't seem like there's been many new ones lately. It would have been a 5 or 6 if not for a single (but very long scene) between the two romantic leads - a long conversation that was absolutely captivating and entertaining.
Dark Waters
(2019)
An important film
20 July 2021
Based on a true story. Thank God for people like Rob Bilott (the real life lawyer who Mark Ruffalo plays). We need more people like him in the world and less greedy corporate monsters who disregard human life and health. This movie will make you angry but it will also make you grateful for the things you have and for people who fight to help the underdog who's being mistreated. An important movie that everyone should watch.
A Star Is Born
(2018)
Dreary Expose With Unintentional Real-Life Parallels
20 July 2021
A dreary expose on fame and dysfunctional relationships that lacked depth and character growth. In a strange meta-mind-twist, one of Ally (played by Lady Gaga)'s major insecurities is the size of her nose. Ally talks about how she didn't give in and get a nose job to satisfy the industry. Except, Lady Gaga's current nose is NOT big. So what kind of message does that send? Or am I supposed to suspend disbelief and pretend I'm looking at a huge nose? And, everyone knows that Lady Gaga DID have a nose job in real life, so how strange for her character to go on and on about the size of her nose and she how didn't have a nose job when the exact opposite is true: Lady Gaga DID have a nose job and now her nose is medium-sized, not large. Meta Mind Twist, I tell you.
Which in a weird way perfectly illustrates one of the themes of the film: that fame is unhealthy and creates falsehoods in one's life. Side note: please no more casting of leading ladies who have so much botox and fillers that their faces don't move. It should go without saying but in acting, showing facial expressions is important.
It does attempt in the last part of the movie to address a very serious issue (saying more would constitute a spoiler), but in a weird way, it felt like one could interpret it as a glorification of the issue, as if Bradley Cooper's character did the right thing. And sadly, he did not.
Which in a weird way perfectly illustrates one of the themes of the film: that fame is unhealthy and creates falsehoods in one's life. Side note: please no more casting of leading ladies who have so much botox and fillers that their faces don't move. It should go without saying but in acting, showing facial expressions is important.
It does attempt in the last part of the movie to address a very serious issue (saying more would constitute a spoiler), but in a weird way, it felt like one could interpret it as a glorification of the issue, as if Bradley Cooper's character did the right thing. And sadly, he did not.
Mulan
(2020)
Expected more
21 March 2021
I was excited to see this, esp. with so few new "blockbuster" movies coming out during the pandemic. However, it felt underwhelming. There is some beautiful imagery and some exciting action sequences, but it was lacking in character development. I can't put my finger on exactly why, but I felt like I was watching a summary of a movie more than an actual movie. It felt like it just didn't go deep enough. And when the end climactic action came, I felt like, "This is the big ending? But we haven't built up to it enough." The thing is, it's not too short. I was even bored on occasion. It's just lacking in something. It's still worth a watch, because you might disagree and I do appreciate female-driven action movies and the lead actress did a good job.
Hubie Halloween
(2020)
Adam Sandler, please just.... Enunciate
14 February 2021
I wanted to enjoy this as just a big, silly, fun movie, but Adam Sandler, who sometimes goes too far in his quest to play a weird character, is literally impossible to understand at least half the time. He's doing an extreme voice that 1) is pretty annoying, but 2) is just really hard to understand what he's saying. So I had to turn it off.
Above the Shadows
(2019)
Cool concept
13 November 2020
What a great concept! Invisible girl navigates the world, seen by no one, until suddenly one day... a totally hot bouncer at the club spots her. The setup of the movie really is the strongest. It loses a bit of steam as a romance and an MMA story (he's a fighter). But I was engaged enough in the heroine's journey to stay with it and find out what her resolution would be.
Tiger King
(2020–2021)
WTF Entertaining
19 October 2020
I finally caved and watched this. I'd seen clips of these crazy people circulating the internet and I thought, Yeah, Yeah, I get it. Crazy redneck cat people! But... the series itself it quite good. It delves into the psychology and murky/evil motives of some of the people. Part mystery, part comedy, part WTF trainwreck. If these characters were fictional, people would say it was unrealistic. But yet... it's real.
Alias Grace
(2017)
Good, but I wanted it to be better....
19 October 2020
Great atmospheric period piece. I stuck with all of the episodes, though it was a little slow at times in the middle section. Exploring women during the 1800s - what it means to be feminine, what constitutes mental illness, how a female may (or may not have) committed a murder and why - those are all very interesting topics. The series spends a lot of time in the psychology of it with conversations between Grace and the doctor charged with deciding if she's still a danger to society. But because Grace has reasons to hold back her feelings and memories, she's a bit of an unreliable narrator, and I do find that hard to feel things for a main character who may or may not be telling the truth, because you don't know what's genuine and what's not.
Yesterday
(III) (2019)
Great premise, likeable lead actor
19 October 2020
What a cool concept. A struggling musician wakes up to discover that the world has never heard of The Beatles. He, alone, carries their songs inside of him. The lead actor (Himesh Patel) was someone I was unfamiliar with, but he did a great job carrying the emotional weight of this story and also being subtly funny. A very good high-concept dramedy.
Last Seen in Idaho
(2018)
Really Like the Story
28 March 2020
Fascinating plot. Woman sees her kidnapping - and then her murder - BEFORE it happens. The directing is a classic style that gives us the moments that we want to see - because seriously I get sick of some of these indies staying in these long wide shots for entire scenes - I don't know if that's budget issues or chosen for art, but I want to see someone's eyes when they're having an important moment and this film lets you. This is obviously and independent film without a huge budget, but it's still a good thriller.
Great archival footage
23 March 2020
Awesome historical footage of Linda Ronstadt (what a powerhouse voice) and interesting interviews. The directing could have been stronger though - it didn't do a good job of anchoring you in the timeline or the progression of her career. The through-line was non-existent and it lacked a solid story backbone. But it still had great footage and is worth watching for that!
Spinning Out
(2020)
Ice Skating is gritty!
3 February 2020
I really like this inside look at the ice-skating world. The lead actress has a "girl next door with issues" appeal, and the guy who plays her skating partner is hot. This is the best I've ever seen January Jones, and her scenes of unraveling are fantastic.
Miss Americana
(2020)
Inside Look
3 February 2020
This documentary gives you a great inside look into some of Taylor Swift's songwriting and business decisions. She is smart and savvy, but it also shows how lonely being a mega-celebrity can be. While it brushes against some pretty serious topics - her self-imposed isolation, her mom's cancer, and her body image/eating issues - it doesn't go as deep as I would have liked. Clearly, Taylor is pretty protective of her privacy, which is understandable. One of the parts of the documentary that goes the deepest is when she discusses how her people-pleasing personality had led her to validate herself by the approval and praise of strangers. The best part of all though was her frank discussion and an inside look into why she chose to become publicly political. It's a brave move, and you can only applaud her for it, whether you agree with her politics or not.
The Knight Before Christmas
(2019)
Fluffy cute
27 December 2019
Better than many other movies of similar fare - the fluffy light Hallmark-y kinds. (Even though this is a Netflix Original, it feels like a Hallmark film). A fun premise about a medieval knight who's transported to current times. But it does start to wear thin eventually. Vanessa Hudgens is a good actress though, and the lead actor is cute.
Get Naked!
(2017)
Bizarrely funny movie
14 November 2019
This movie is has really silly, bizarre comedy in it. It's set in the future when nudity has been outlawed. At times, it feels like an SNL skit. But it also has other deeper themes about politics and social issues and censorship and the media. At times, it's really effective at delivering those messages while making you laugh. At other times, it's jarring and even a little confusing as to what is going on in the plot. The confusing aspects are helped by the fact that the main character visits a therapist to tell her what's going on (his "assignment" by some government official to catch a naked woman who's on the loose). The therapist is hilarious. Those scenes are throughout most of the movie and were some of my favorites. Overall, an indie comedy that has some highs and some lows. Worth a look. If you like the first 15 minutes, you'll probably like the movie. If you don't like the first 15 minutes, move on to something else.
Vice
(I) (2018)
Funny and Disturbing
28 October 2019
It's hard to enjoy a movie about American politics with the knowledge of how most of our politicians are owned by corporate America and have an unhealthy zest for power - at any cost. This film definitely showed that about Dick Cheney, but despite how disturbing it all was, it also managed to deliver a good amount of humor to make it more palatable. Well done.
Murder Mystery
(2019)
Classic Comedy
23 October 2019
It was fun to see Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston together again, in another classic comedy. Good situational comedy and funny lines. They have great chemistry and this was very good for a Netflix movie. I found the first half funnier than the second half when it moved away from witty lines and awkward situations into more of an action-comedy caper.
Wine Country
(2019)
Fun SNL reunion!
23 October 2019
So fun to see some of the SNL actresses back together again. Those ladies have comedy chops and this movie reminds us of that. Overall, Wine Country is funny, and it is also has touching messages about friendship and again. I think it will be most appreciated by women 40+ years old.
Inside Look at the ballet world
22 October 2019
In all its beauty and all its grueling pain, this is an inside look at the ballet world and veteran dancer Wendy Whelan, who managed to stay a professional ballerina an entire decade longer than most dancers. And that is what makes this documentary more interesting than your usual ballet fare, in that you're following a dancer who is atypical in the world. An anomaly. And you'll become her biggest fan in the process!
Home Again
(2017)
Reese, you're better than this!
21 October 2019
Come on, Reese. You have a book club with like a gazillion books optioned for movie rights, so why are you still making blah rom-coms without substance? I'm all for a good love story, but this is just cheesy and not even funny in the parts that are supposed to be funny. Disappointing. I'll give it a 5 because I'm a Reese Witherspoon fan, but I'm being generous!
Icarus
(2017)
Inside View of Russia Doping its Olympians
21 October 2019
Wow! This documentary about doping has a slow start as the filmmaker sets out to show how doping with testosterone will boost your athletic performance, but it turns into some real crazy stuff as Russia falls under investigation for doping its Olympic athletes and the filmmaker finds himself literally right in the middle of it. I'll say no more, just watch what happens.
Hereditary
(2018)
Disturbing with some original scenes
7 February 2019
I'll be generous and give this a '7' based on the fact that there were some extremely creepy and/or disturbing scenes that felt unique to the horror genre. Toni Collette and the young male actor were also powerhouses. As for the story, it doesn't make a lot of sense. After I watched it, I read the articles analyzing and breaking it down, and that's all fine and dandy, but I don't feel like I should have to read a long article to understand what happened in the movie I just watched. '3' for story. '8.5' for scares. '10' for acting.
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