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Reviews
The Princess Switch (2018)
Another Cheesy Netflix Movie
Netflix Christmas movies may be cheesy, predictable, and repetitive but they are enjoyable. Vanessa Hudgens plays double, Stacy the baker and Margaret the Duchess, in the Princess Switch. After winning a chance to compete in a baking competition in a fictional country, she travels to the country with her sous chef and long time best friend Kevin and his little girl Olivia played by Alexa Adeosun, a great actress who steals every scene she's in with her adorableness, quick wit, and smarts. After a baking rival ruins her apron, she runs into Margaret, her lookalike and who is engaged to a handsome crowned Prince Edward she only met twice in her life. Margaret convinces Stacy to switch places with her for a couple of days so Margaret can get a chance to be normal. There's a cute montage where they teach one another how to act and behave like the other. Hudgens does a great job of making you believe she's two different people like Lindsay Lohan did with the Parent Trap remake which this movie sneakily added a small tribute t if you catch it. It's a cute romantic Christmas movie where both ladies find love. I also love that Nick Sager, an Indian British man, was cast as one of the romantic leads Kevin and gets the girl instead of being the token friend of color or Duckie who watches his dream girl go off with the rich, handsome white guy. Even though the movie was mediocre, predictable, plugged a Christmas Prince like it's twin Christmas movie The Holiday Calendar did, and took a few elements from a Christmas Prince too especially with the second to final scene with Stacy and Edward, like the Holiday Calendar, it's an enjoyable movie to watch. I did appreciate in the ending Netflix did to save us from a sequel like the Christmas Prince Sequel still coming out. But I did enjoy this movie and Holiday Calendar and will add them to my annual Christmas movie list.
The Holiday Calendar (2018)
A Mediocre Predictable Christmas Movie
It was an okay Christmas movie that was saved by the great acting of the cast like Kat Graham and Quincy Brown. It had elements of Holiday in Handcuffs starring Melissa Joan Hart and Mario Lopez, but I will not fault it for that since most Christmas romance movies are predictable and copy off one another. One of the most annoying elements in this movie and the other one that came out too, The Princess Switch starring Vanessa Hudgens, was the Netflix plug to promote The Christmas Prince which was another mediocre, predictable movie. Yet, on the plus side in a movie about a down on her luck photographer with dreams of owning her own photo studio one day is the amazing acting talent of the cast, great chemistry and the cute relationship and friendship between leads Quincy Brown and Kat Graham. I also like how they didn't demonized the other love interest into a one dimensional jerk and the nice way they resolved Kat's character's relationship with him. It also does a great job of showing the passage of time for an hour and half movie about a holiday calendar predicting an event over the course of the twenty-five days of Christmas. It's a cute Christmas romance movie to waste a lazy Christmas holiday watching. Like Gramps said, whether you believe it's magic or fate, it still leads you to the same destination.
A Hologram for the King (2016)
I liked it
I really liked this movie, but I understand it is culturally distasteful and Hollywood's way of mocking the Saudi Arabian culture. Your common sense tells you there would be not bikinis in a store's window display. No Saudi Arabian woman, married or otherwise,would go snorkeling topless when the risks of getting caught is death. So even though the SA doctor and Tom Hanks have chemistry and a cute romance, it's completely implausible. As far as the Embassy party scene, the illegal booze, drug use, and business professional hooking up in private, that happens behind closed doors yet it was insulting to Muslims for them to include it even though I thought the scenes were interesting. Yet, I enjoyed this movie and seeing middle aged love besides a sixty year old man hooking up with a bubbly twenty something. Hank's character struggle is realistic like many Americans are facing now trying to keep their head above water drowning in debt,dwindling job opportunities, stagnant pay, lack of job security, outsourcing, and constant of uncertainty. His character was very relatable struggling with the disappointments in his life and trying to continue to feel alive in an ever changing world. I loved the scenery of Saudi Arabia, the exotic deserts, the beautiful women even covered up in their hijabs, the beautiful white sand beaches, large spacious homes, it's like their living like kings in the desert. It was a beauty movie to watch with exotic locations and one of my favorite scenes is when he meets the SA businessman giving him a taste of the SA wealth. No it's completely accurate and devout Muslims will find this movie insulting because of the vices shown. Yet, I enjoy this fantasy of a movie mixed with reality of living in a global unpredictable world.
It (2017)
Pretty Good
This movie is It meets Stranger Things. The movie was amazing and tons of fun. There are a few big jump scares from here to there, but overall it was a coming to age story. The kids were hilarious and amazing and each stood out in their own way. Stan, the Jewish kid, and Mike, the black kid, were pushed to the back burner. I think Mike had like six lines in the entire movie. The actor who played Pennywise was amazing creepy and scary. I also liked how even the adults in the movie were scary too. One guy I thought was It in the trailer was a regular character in the movie. I loved the actress who played Beverly because her storyline was the scariest because it was real life horror. And anyone with common sense knowing the movie was going to modernized knows what the writers changed with her storyline. I loved the cute little love triangle which was kid friendly. My only dislike was the kids' filthy mouth and constant profanity. I was able to show my nephew the original It as his Introduction to Horror because it was scary and clean without the dirty jokes. This one is laced with funny jokes that aren't appropriate for kids spoken by kids. I overall enjoyed this version as I did the 1990s It starring Tim Curry. Both are amazing but this It is only a different interpretation of the same story. This movie also has rewatchability like a fun horror ride at an amusement park you want to get back on to ride again and again. Amazing movie, great standout characters, great casting, great cinematography,and a creepy atmosphere. This movie is like going on an adventure you want to go on again and again. Yes, you can love the book, the original movie, and this version too. An amazing fun movie you will enjoy and think about the scary fun you had afterwards. It sticks with you like a great childhood memory.
Something Borrowed (2011)
I understand the hate
I understand the hatred for this movie by both sexes, but I love this movie. It's one of my favorite romantic comedies of all time. Emily Griffin, the author and screenwriter of this movie, bravely tackled areas in her stories that others don't and I enjoy many of her stories and the universe she created where all the characters are connected somehow and you can see the progression of the characters in different stories. Most of the hatred from this movie comes from the Darcies of the world whether you're male or female. Yes, Darcy, the best friend,did knowingly take Dex, the object of desire, from Rachel six years ago, but most of the audience is on the side of Darcy. Because even though Darcy was obnoxious, Rachel broke the girl code by sleeping with her best friend's man and in a way taking him back from Darcy six years later. The majority of the viewers dislike the characters of Rachel and Dex because Rachel betrayed her best friend and Dex cheated on his fiancée with her best friend. These are two things frowned upon in our society. And then add more dislike if you had this happened to you in real life. This movie draws you in and depending on what side you're on whether you relate to Rachel or Darcy determines whether you like this movie are not. I never had the close female friendship like Darcy and Rachel had in the movie. Most of the girls I befriended or try to always stabbed me in the back or took advantage of me like a Darcy. So I relate more to Rachel's character and even though Darcy played wonderfully by Kate Hudson was so much fun, I rooted for Rachel like Ethan ( John Krasinski) did. Ethan was a combination of two characters from the book and represented more of the audience's viewpoint about the relationship of Darcy, Rachel, and Dex and helped move the plot forward since both Dex and Rachel acted passive aggressive about their predicament. Every Rachel needs an Ethan in her life for motivation to move forward.
The movie was well done and very much like the book since it was written by the author with only a few alterations, which is why I took a point off. The editing and music were amazing. The casting was perfect and looked and acted just like the characters of the book. Kate is the perfect Darcy along with Ginnifer as Rachel, Colin as Dex, and John as Ethan. I loved the locations. New York and the Hamptons became characters of the story too. I loved this movie so much and watch it on repeat.
The only things I didn't like was coming towards the end when Ethan declared his love for Rachel. It wasn't in the book, came out of left field, and made absolutely no sense. It weakened a perfect character. The other part was the ending when Darcy turns and smiles at Rachel like all is forgiven. Another part that weakened a nearly perfect movie. Darcy doesn't forgive Rachel until the second book Something Blue. I'm disappointed that since this movie has received so much hate and six years have passed, the second movie is unlikely to happened. The actors are now in the forties and all were on board for a second movie years ago, but the critics trashed the movie. I actually like Something Blue as much as I like Something Borrowed. Something Blue would have been about the redemption of Darcy's character and her and Ethan getting together which is why the final scene is of Darcy running after Ethan in London. Yet, I loved this movie, loved the friendship between Darcy and Rachel. I have so many favorite scenes in this movie but one of my favorites was the Salt and Pepper dance scene when they did all the popular hip hop dances. A coworker was the one who introduced me to this movie and paused the movie to break down the name of each dance step. Anyway, I enjoyed this movie. If you're a Rachel of the world who sits back and let someone else take everything away from you, you''ll like this movie. If you are a Darcy and hate when someone breaks the girl or bro code, have been cheated on or betrayed by your close friend, you're going to hate this movie and it will make you mad.
The Arrangement (2017)
Love the show
I really like this show. I thought it was going to be another Harlequin Romance novel from the promos, but I was wrong. I screamed in shock when I finally realized they were sneakily doing a show based off of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' relationship and Scientology. I loved the main character. The actress who play her does a phenomenal job of making you feel and care about Meghan. Because this show is ultimately about the story of Meghan, a struggling actress trying to break into the industry with hardly any luck. Right before she is about to on vacation with her boyfriend of two years,she finds out he cheated on her with a potential baby on the way and ends the relationship. After getting a hangover after a wild night of partying with her friends to drown her sorrows the same day she breaks up with her boyfriend, she gets a call to addition for new movie the following morning called the Kill Plan, starring Kyle West, the hero of the show. She audition reading lines with her and he is immediately smitten with her and take her out for a romantic date leaving him to offer her contract marriage. I love how realistic Meghan reaction are to being offered a $10 million dollar contract to be the perfect wife/girlfriend after a 24 hour rendezvous, being thrown into the glitz and glamour of Kyle ' s life, dealing with having a boyfriend being apart of a religious cult - like institute with agent/mentor/stalker-like best friend Terrance played perfectly creepy by Michael Vaughan, betrayal by friends, and being haunted by the past. You root for her character and how she has to play along sometimes to survive the craziness her relationship with Kyle brings her. There were times I worried she was going to get suck into the cult because she played the characters and the audience so perfectly. Season one had me holding my breath the entire time wondering if she had joined the cult and the final scene left me speechless.
Another thing I liked about this show is the analysis of the fakeness of Hollywood. How image is everything and sometimes manufactured to promote a show or actor even relationships. If everything is beautiful and glamorous to us, the regular folks then I am glad I'm not apart of that lifestyle because these beautiful people with photogenic good looks and beautiful clothes and fancy lifestyles are only walking advertisements of an illusion. I don't know if Season Two can surpass Season one, but I look forward to seeing the inevitable showdown between Meghan and Terrance.
This show isn't for everyone. You're either going to love it or hate it. I enjoyed it, love the heroine of the show and look forward to next season.
13 Reasons Why (2017)
13 reasons why I love this show
It's honest, brutal, unique, original, beautiful, ugly, realistic, diverse along with great cast, great plot, great writing, multi-layered characters,and visually stunning. The characters are memorable. I remember Clay Jensen, Hannah Baker, Marcus, Justin Foley, Jessica, Jeff, Courtney, Zach, Tyler, Alex, Tony, Bryce, and Sheri. The story about a high school girl named Hannah Baker, who stuns everyone by killing herself. Before she died, she created a set of cassette tapes telling the thirteen reasons that led her to end her life. The names I mentioned above are among the thirteen reasons that led her to end her life. I can relate to this story because I was the unpopular kid in high school who didn't fit in. I was bullied and attempted suicide several times. Even though I am a lone wolf and enjoyed my solitude most of the time, I must admit that I too get lonely sometimes and it's those connections with the people around us that keeps us here when it seems like everything around us is falling apart and suicide is the glowing, bright light at the end of the tunnel. Hannah also said there are thirteen sides to every stories. There are many reasons that leaves one to thinking that suicide is the only way to stop the pain. No one wakes up one morning and say, "Hey, I want to kill myself." No, they try their hardest to try to find a reason to live and deal with the pain. We are programmed to live. It's against our nature to kill ourselves and there is usually one moment that sets us over the edge, we forget, and then we end our lives. One of those thirteen reasons broke Hannah's spirit so badly that she died inside before she physically ended her life. You see that moment on screen when she gives up. Sometimes you can look at someone and tell they are depressed. Others are like Hannah and I and keep a smile on our faces despite the pain inside. Some people who are outgoing social butterflies, easily make friends, enjoyed high school, and sail through life with lifelong friends and family would see Hannah's actions as selfish and call her weak and stupid. Others, who have been in Hannah's shoes, understand completely what led her to end her life.
I really enjoyed this show and watched the entire season within three days. I related to all the characters and even the characters I didn't think I could relate to or liked being a former nerd and loser in high school, I understand them too. You can't judge someone from the outside who seems like everything is perfect for them because you don't know what they have to deal with at home or dealing with on the inside. None of us are perfect. All of us has fault even the ones who pretend to be perfect and never want anyone to know of their fundamental flaws. This show was interesting in the way that some of the characters you should have hated for their actions had good qualities within them too. One character did something horrible and unforgivable to another character. I understood their reasons for doing the irredeemable act, but also understood why the other character had every right not to forgive them for their actions. You're faced with that dilemma a lot in this show.
I really enjoyed this show. I am watching it again and can see things differently. It's like watching a scrambled puzzle and putting the pieces together one by one. At first, it seems confusing which makes you want to keep watching to find another piece and then once all the pieces are put together everything makes sense. Then you want to unscramble the puzzle again, start over from the beginning, and see things with a different perspective. I think the message of the show is to be there for each other. Even a simple smile or hello can make someone's day better. I know everyone is not going to agree with Hannah's decision and judge her especially those who never dealt with depression and not fitting in. But the key message of this show is to understand and not judge. You make not agree with Hannah's decision to end her life, but she allows you to understand the thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life.13 Reasons why is a great thought provoking show with great, compelling characters playing a role in a bittersweet, tragic story.
It doesn't need a season two, because this is one of those rare cases where season one was so perfect and complete by itself. Hannah told her story and that was the main point. If you haven't guessed, I would definitely recommended this show for the popular, the inbetweeners, and the misfits. Each of you will probably finished this show with a different perspective.
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Eh?
If you saw the animated version, then you have seen this movie. It's the same as the animated movie only live action. There was absolutely no reason for this movie to be made besides as an easy cash cow for Disney cashing in on the nostalgia of fans of the original. This movie brings nothing extra to the table.It took no chances and pandered to feminists and LGBT members when it wasn't necessary. There was no need to make a big deal of the blink and you miss it gay scene. There was also no need to make Gaston's sidekick gay or in love with Gaston. As far as the ballroom scene, it wasn't as mesmerizing as the original. I'm not a fan of Beauty and the Beauty. It's not my favorite Disney movie, but I must admit the ballroom scene was a masterpiece by itself and the best part of the original. I think the movie should have taken a chance and used the concept of the moral of the story and use it in a new twist like the numerous adaptions of the Cinderella movies do from the cheesier ones to the better ones like Ever After or Ella Enchanted.I checked it out. I loved the ending especially the clock's reaction, which caused me to actually laugh. I really wish they did not CGI Dan Stevens' Beast. So it wasn't a bad movie, but you can't mess with perfection. Love or hate it, the original was a masterpiece and this one does not compare.
Iron Fist (2017)
Been There, Done That
I am giving it the rating it deserves by default. I think this is my first time highly rating a show I found boring. I struggled over three days to get through ten episodes. Episode eleven watched me. Episode twelve I skipped. And the season finale I enjoyed only because characters admitted their own faults and the fault of others to those individuals. Despite the controversy warning me to steer clear, I decided to give this show a chance anyway. If you have seen Arrow, Batman Begins, Dr. Strange or any other superhero show about a rich, white guy everyone believed is dead that goes off to a foreign land, which is usually an unnamed or make-believe Asian country, then comes back with Eastern marital art skills or mystical powers to protect his city, then you have seen this show. Besides "been there, done that" yawn syndrome it has, it also suffers for being too white. When you hear the premise of Iron Fist, you automatically assume it is an Asian guy. Instead of making history and casting an Asian actor to play Iron Fist, Netflix dropped the ball and chose the safe route for a superhero origin show that has always been controversial since its conception. White is the default. You can flip through hundreds of channels on cable and find hundreds of shows starring white leads and only a handful starring a person of color. Because it is so rare to see a person of color in a starring role, that's why people gravitate towards those shows especially if the characters are compelling and the show has stellar writing.
There is nothing interesting about this show. There are a few surprises here and there, but it's dampened by the fact that you saw that same surprise before in another show or saw that character in another Defenders' show. But as a standalone, nothing is interesting about the main character or those around him except one. Danny Rand, the main character, is a spoiled, white privileged young man who thinks he is helping out but makes a mess of everything in his path. He represents the white millennials or Generation Z of today who suffers from white guilt but is not willing to give up their white privilege in order to make a difference. His actions are selfish but he disguised them with Eastern philosophy to give his character depth. Many times his actions caused me to roll my eyes because he was so annoying such as when actions he believed were noble led to him and his childhood friends being ousted from the company. He was so full of himself and too busy doing his own thing to help them fix the mess that he caused when it was ultimately his friends who helped him regain his status and identity back. Hell Kitchen needed Daredevil. The victims in Jessica Jones needed her to defeat the bad guy. Harlem needed Luke Cage. But no one needs Iron Fist, especially when you have other Defenders handling the same bad guys he is dealing with, but much better. Honestly, all the drama and conflict in the show is caused by him pestering everyone and him deciding what is right and what is wrong and who is good and who is bad. No one else's opinion mattered but his own.
The only character in the entire show that was interesting was the person of color, Colleen Wing.She should have been cast as Iron Fist and every character connected to her is interesting. She is the character that you root for. The other interesting parts were the cameos from characters in the Defenders' universe like Jeri, Claire, and mentioning of Jessica Jones and Karen Page. Madam Goa as a villain was awesome. She's quite the cunning old lady who you don't want to cross or fail. I also like that the majority of the females on the show were strong characters except the damsel in the distress he had to save do to another situation he really did not have to get involve in. I have to give Joy Meachum props for being a hell of a business woman and one of the strong female characters I mentioned.
But overall even though I personally found the show boring and not as compelling as The Great British Baking Show, it's not a bad show. I just seen the same scenario a dozen times before and found it uninteresting after the umpteenth time. The weakness of the show is the main character. I don't know whether it's the actor or how the character is portrayed but it makes him annoying and unlikable. Netflix needs to come back for season two by making his character more likable, get rid of those awful sideburns and messy hair and make him look more debonair like a leading man. I mean Matt from Daredevil is blind and he looks sharp. Also, take chances and make the story more interesting, original, and unique. With all the superhero shows flooding the movie theaters and small screen every year, they are all starting to look the same and everyone has become used to and exhausted of the safe formula for every Marvel movie and show. Change it up to make it interesting. If seeing the appropriation for the umpteenth time of another's culture by a white person doesn't bother you or you are not jaded by the numerous superhero shows with the same plot over and over again, then I think you can sit back and enjoy this show. Don't let the critics decide for you. Check it out yourself and form your own opinion.
Get Out (2017)
Get out and go see this movie!
I dragged myself to go see this movie because I thought it was going to be stupid or Wayans Brothers bad spoof from watching the trailer. But I was totally taken by surprise. This movie mostly drew out two reactions from me. One of laughter and the other of fear. Not like a slasher film like Halloween or Jason, but the atmosphere and music as creepy and haunting as the opening scene from the Shining. It's a different kind of fear. The fear of paranoia knowing something isn't right in your gut but you can't prove it because you can't see it but you can feel. I'll admit I didn't find the leading actor, Daniel Kaluuya who played Chris attractive at first and thought he'll be a buffoon in the movie. But I had to retract those feelings after first seeing his talented artwork in the opening scene, his well built body, his presence, his cute dog, his commanding voice, and his intelligence all kicked up the attractiveness of this man in my eyes. I won't spoil the movie because it is an experience you should witness for yourself. The less you know the better even though the movie has rewatchability and it's one of those movies that the more you watch the more you discover or pick up on. The entire cast was perfectly cast, the script was amazing, and Chris was a smart in how he handled situations. He was a smart character that you symphatized with and wanted to succeed and be happy. I think everyone's favorite character the TSA agent and Chris' best friend played by Lil Rel Howery because he represented us, the audience in the movie and constantly kept us laughing especially when the movie became serious at times. Jordan Peele did an excellent job with this movie. It's Who's Coming to Dinner meets Rosemary's Baby meets the Stepford Wives. As the ending credits rolled and I was leaving the theater and stepping back out in the real world, I was still creep out and paranoid. I love horror and comedy movies, but as I drove home I wondered what was it about this movie that creep ed me out. It was not scary like a good slasher film, but it was the atmosphere the movie created, the haunting music, and the paranoia. It finally dawned on me that paranoia I felt from watching this movie is how I feel like in real life simply being black in the world. I found out that Jordan Peele cleverly made a horror film about racism and turned something that is abstract into something that is concrete as a movie. I loved this movie and had a good time watching it. It didn't have me on the edge of my seat afraid, but some scenes were laugh out loud funny. Go see it if you haven't seen it. It is an experience and a movie like this has never been made before. It was very risky career move for the actors to make this movie, but the risk payed off well and the movie is amazing.
Logan (2017)
Awesome Movie
When I left out of this movie, I hated the ending. Then when I was driving home, I was still thinking about the movie and it hit me that the entire movie was excellent including the end. If you take Jackson's Wolverine from the beginning in 2000's X-Men to all his movie until 2017's Logan, it's the warrior's journey from dawn to twilight and the ending was a perfect fit to this great warrior and a perfect sendoff to the phenomenal Hugh Jackson who did an excellent job in portraying Logan with so many dimensions. I can tell he had a blast playing Logan over the years, but like Logan coming to terms with his mortality and Jackson dealing his numerous cancer scares over the years, it was time put the claws back in once and for all. I loved this movie. It had a very strong cast. There were no weak links. The little girl who portrayed Laurie was amazing. Not only did she kick-butt as a little Wolverine herself in some brutal action scenes, but she was able to emote so many emotions without speaking and you cared and sympathized with her character. My favorite scene was when she was eating cereal so calmly watching the bad guys on camera arriving to kidnap her. This movie was also a wonderful sendoff to Sir Patrick Stewart. I watched on the Graham Norton as he announced seating next to Hugh Jackson that this would be his last X-Men movie. He said it was perfect sendoff to his character and he was absolutely correct. I loved this version of Stewart and his father-son relationship with Logan who are like a father-son who obviously loved one another but constantly bicker with one another. Professor X, as I will always call him whether he runs the X-Men school or not, was awesome and his instability with his powers led to some of the best scenes in the movie. I even liked the Albino who took control of his destiny. The movie was excellent. Great script, great villains, great cast, great action scene, great storytelling, and scenes that will rip out your heart and shock you. You care about ever character in the movie even the minor characters. But I really enjoyed this movie and even as another pass, I still am thinking about how great this movie is. It is a perfect sendoff to Logan and Xavier. And yes, it is bittersweet but it was the perfect ending to great characters.
The Lego Batman Movie (2017)
Pretty Awesome movie
I'm a Batman fan and this movie is enjoyable even I'd you're not a fan of Batman. This movie is like a bunch of fifth graders explaining the history of Batman and creating their own plot that is much better and easier to follow than the atrocious catastrophe of Batman vs. Superman. This is like watching the roast of Batman and Batman doing an hilarious honest trailer or cinemasins' everything wrong with Batman of himself. One of my favorite moments was Alfred reminding Bruce of his continuous flashbacks/similar episodes of his parents' death that occurred in 2016, 2008, 2005,1997,1995,1992,1989, and in the 1960s There are a lot of insider jokes in this movie about the Batman universe. I hate to admit this since I love Jared Leto,but Lego Joker kicked Suicide Squad Jokers butt. This movie was awesome. You can tell the creators of this movie had fun making it and decided to go completely opposite of the dark and gloomy DC universe Zack Synder is creating. The movie has heart and a good message. It's like a Batman comedy that doesn't take itself too seriously like the dark knight trilogy or batman vs. Superman. It's fun and lighthearted. And most importantly,it has rewatchability. You're going to have to watch it again to catch all the jokes and zingers you missed the first time around. Great for the entire family.
John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
A Chick Flick for Guys
This is a love letter to the fans who love action movies done right. Your prayers have been answered. Both John Wick1&2 is equivalent to a chick flick for guys. Beautiful scenery,locations, great action scenes that you can follow along and are not all shaky camera and choppy. The world of John Wick is breathtaking and amazing. You're dragged right back in the opening shot of the first scene. I love the fact that he actually takes time to reload the gun and he gets his butt kicks a lot and still fights. He's not a superhuman like Tom Cruise in MI movies or the Fast and Furious franchise. I really enjoyed this movie from beginning to end. The climax of course was seeing Morpheus and Neo reuniting on screen for the first time in nearly 20 years on the rooftop scene. I feel so bad for John wanting a simple life and being forced back into this world. There's one scene in the movie where John shouts that you wanted be back and now I'm back. And I wondered was that John talking to the antagonist or 50 something year old Keanu breaking the fourth wall and talking to us, the audience, for wanting this sequel so bad. And my goodness, Keanu, the writers, the directors, and the studio heard our prayers and created a movie that lived up to the hype of the original and complemented it perfectly. It wasn't too big or too small. It was just right and I think that a lot of times that successful movies sometimes forget the magic formula that made the original so special and overdo it in the second movie.The directors of JW2 did it exactly right. Can't wait until John Wick Chapter 3 is released so that we can give this man some peace. Definitely recommend.
Fifty Shades Darker (2017)
Watch Psychopath and Plain Jane Date the movie
If you are a basic looking chick looking a movie about a rich, hot dude dating a plain chick, then this the movie for you.It doesn't matter whether he is a psychopath, controlling, possessive, dating you because you remind him of his dead mother, and gets off on abusing you. As long as he is rich and good looking, then it's worth it to you and you will enjoy this movie. This movie is designed for you. There is nothing special or interesting about these characters or the one dimensional background cast. You're watching them date for an hour and a half with an vanilla sex scene for every ten to fifteen minutes of talking. There is no conflict or problems in this movie. All the scenes of potential conflicts of the trailer are resolved within minutes after they happen. Anastasia has no backbone in this movie. She gripes and complains about not doing what he wants, then go ahead and do whatever he wants anyway.So if you want to see a movie about Anastasia and Christian date for two hours and have sex, then this is the movie for you.Pros: I liked the first movie because it was so bad it was funny and the soundtrack was good. This movie is literally the two of them getting back together and dating and the soundtrack was okay.
Final Girl (2015)
SO Bad it's good
This has to be Abigail Breslin's worst movie. I saw it on Netflicks and clicked on it because I like Abigail Breslin and Wes Bentley. Final Girl is mediocre, badly written, predictable and the plot is very thin. It's like playing a video game and killing off characters to advance to the next level until you get to the final boss or level. You already can guess what is going to happen next. I have liked Wes Bentley since Firefly and think he is handsome. I like to give him the benefit of the doubt when it comes to criticism about his acting, but I have seen him in three films and he is wooden in all of them. His wooden acting was perfect for this film since all the characters were one dimensional including Breslin's. Besides the two female characters bonding over their boy troubles and one of the guys imagining that his best friend and girlfriend were messing around, the characters have no layer and you don't care what happens to any of them. The first ten minutes of the movie was laughable along with the training scene. I didn't know that all it took to decide if a kid would make a good assassin was to have them complete a maze worksheet with a pencil.I did manage to finish the film. I kept counting the minutes til the mediocre ending which Breslin's character summed up perfectly with her final line.This is not a film that I would watch again. Abigail Breslin was great and beautiful in a crappy film. The closeup shots of her was amazing. She was the only good thing about the film. Everyone else was mediocre including Wes Bentley.
The View (1997)
It's time for the View to End
I was ten-years-old when the View first came on. I enjoyed watching the show as a kid with my mother and loved seeing a show about a group of accomplished women having intelligent discussions about current events. Lucy Lui, Merdith Veira, Rosie O'Donell, Star Jones....even Joy was good too. Now 18-years-old, it lost it's voice a couple of seasons ago and doesn't know where to go. The Rosies couldn't save it. Joy's return can't save it. And Whoopi doesn't care anymore with her constant belching, farting, and use of crude language. You went from having an intelligent group of women to having a bunch of radical liberals who over-talk one another and dislikes anyone who disagrees with them. When the addition of the beloved child star actress, Raven Simone and her idiotic thoughts and immature behavior. It is the nail in the coffin. Is it possible for the View to turn around and be the great show it once was in pop culture. Yes, it can be. But I realized that it does not want to be and it really does not care about their audience anymore. It's all about targeting the coveted 18-49 demographic who don't watch the show. The show used to be balanced with both conservative and liberal voices. Now, it is completely liberal and the interviews with their guests especially those whose views they don't agree with, all like lightning round being bombarded with questions and the guests are constantly cut off when speaking if one of the co-hosts doesn't like the answer. The show is horrible and it makes you want to stab yourself in the eye with how horrible and overly biased it has become. This is an Old Yeller that needs to just be put out of its misery even the Chew, which is a show about a bunch of gay and pregnant people cooking, is much better than the crappy show the View has become. If you never watched it, don't. If you want to listen to a bunch of women bickered and over-talk one another, go home for the holidays and spend some time with your family, at least it'll be more entertaining.
Between (2015)
The First Season was Meh!
The first season was mediocre. The only two characters that I really liked was Adam and Frances. The show is about a town called Pretty Lake and all the citizens over the age of 22 dying from an unknown virus leaving only the children under 21 alive in town to fend for themselves when the government quarantined the small town with no connection to the outside world. The acting was mediocre. The plot was weak. Most of the actors acting is wooden and weak to be honest. Yet, the concept is good. The show has its moments like when Gord, Frances' big brother, leaves his kid sister Frances on the farm alone. A tiger escapes its cage and comes to the farm. Frances kills the tiger with a shotgun by herself. Adam is a likable character because he is the smart one trying to find out the answers about the virus and keeps the plot going while the rest of the cast play like they are trying to survive life after the apocalypse. The rich kid and his friends plays cops. The good church daughter creates a school and daycare for the now orphan children. Gord plays the voice of reason and gives food to the church girl to feed the children. The Creekers are siblings that are the black sheep of the town and always causing trouble especially Ronnie who is caught with guns, steal drugs from the pharmacy and tries to rape Wiley (Jenette McCurdy from the Nickelodeon's TV shows ICarly and Sam and Cat) who plays the knocked up, bad church sister. Yet, I stuck with the show because the plot is promising and the show has much potential. Even the final two episodes was amazing but that was mostly due to Adam actually searching for the answers and moving the plot forward. As the show progress, some characters grew up and develop like Wiley after giving birth to her child she was about to give away for adoption. Chuck, the rich kid, realizing that the world was not bad and white. Brooke Palsson who played Melissa is also a likable character and her character helped matured Chuck. Ronnie, the bad boy, is also a character who begins to realize that he doesn't have to be the bad boy or delinquent everyone label him as. Yes, the show started off weak and not the greatest cast but the show has promise. Do I think this show will make it to Season 2? Probably not. But if it does, the show can go in any direction and probably stronger than Season 1.
Update:Season two is worst than season one. I'll give it a one out of ten. I am struggling to make it through the final couple of episode. Watching season two is equivalent to forcing yourself to study for a subject you're no longer interested in. This show is for stupid people not for people with brains. I may not be Einstein but I know there is more to hacking than typing in a password. The thing that irks the most is all the stupid things they do to prolong the plot and makes all the characters annoying. I want to like this show because the cast is likable. The only interesting storyline is the virus, its effects, and the vaccine. But even that plot becoming annoying because you have five episodes of people doing dumb stuff to the point you no longer care if they live or die. I may finish but my intelligence is struggling to finish watching this stupidity.
Stonehearst Asylum (2014)
Simply Amazing!
I have yet to watched a movie starring Jim Sturgess(21,One Day, Upside Down, that I don't like. He is just an amazing actor who picks great work and it doesn't hurt that he is easy on the eyes. Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley, and the lovely Kate Beckinsale gives this movie so much credibility. I don't know when the movie took place. I think it is somewhere in the 1800-1900s hundred. But it is about a doctor named Edward Newgate (Sturgess) who goes to Stonehearst Asylum to learn how to become an asylum doctor. The asylum is ran by Silas Lamb (Kingsley) and his right hand man is Mickey Finn (played by David Thewlis, Harry Potter). Dr. Newgate become fascinated by Eliza Graves(Beckinsale). She roams around freely but when she is nervous her hands become paralyzed. She always looks nervous and worried and warned Dr. Newgate to leave the asylum and he was in danger. Dr. Newgate knows something is not right at the asylum and refuses to listen to Mrs. Graves' warning. He finds himself in a dungeon area of the asylum and finds people locked up lead by Dr. Salt (Michael Caine) claiming that they are the true staff, doctors, and nurses of Stonehearst Alysum and Silas and the rest of the crazies, the patients, overthrew them and took over. They beg Dr. Newgate to free them and to escape but soon Silas and Mickey notices that Dr. Newgate is acting strangely. This is the type of movie you have to sit down and watch and once you watch it, it hooks you in. The movie is a mixture of a psychological thriller, love story, about ethics and morality, deception and lies, and can those we deemed incurable are really as lost as we believed. This movie is not about good versus evil. No one in the movie is completely innocence or completely good. Some characters are one dimensional while others are very complex and you questions yourself what is right and wrong. Is Silas correct or Dr. Salt correct? The introductory scene was quite tricky because Mrs. Graves was a patient because she tried to kill her husband who was about abusing her. She was brought in a lecture room full with doctors. She looked like the girl from the ring looking crazed and deranged and we hear the doctors saying that he injected her with heroin. Knowing what we know in the modern world about the effect of heroin, you feel sorry for Mrs. Graves and wondered if she is as crazy as the doctor believe she is or are the doctors treating her are the really crazies. This was a great movie with keeping you considering some many ethical questions throughout the movie. There is a nice twist at the end that I quite enjoyed. I definitely watch this movie again and if you like complex movies with great actors and story lines, this is a good one to watch. The entire cast was amazing. No weak links!
Missing William (2014)
Cute, romantic movie
I only checked this movie out because Brandon Routh was in it and wanted to see his acting outside of Superman Returns and Arrow. It was a cute, little movie about a man named James who returns to small town from his childhood after he was laid off from his job. When he was a preteen, his mother took him and fled their home because his father was abusive towards his mother. They moved to a small town where James is bullied with no friends and he meets Abby who befriends them. They spend their childhood exploring the small town and hanging out with each other even sharing their first kiss together. When James' father shows up off scene and finds them and takes them away, James promised Abby that he would return one day. Many years later, James return to the small town where he meets Abby. He finds out that she is now an artist and engaged to a man named William. The night that Abby marries William, James meets Jill, a local gym instructor,at a local bar but her character is unnecessary, adds nothing to the plot, and probably only was added to give James someone when it is quite obvious that he is still in love with Abby to both Jill and William. A year after Abby and William married, they meet James at the same bar he met Jill to celebrate his birthday. When Abby and William arrive at the bar, a drunkard sexually harasses Abby. William jumps to her defense. When the drunkard refuses to back down and apologize, James sucker punches the drunkard down to the floor and the bar owner kicks the drunkard out. When the foursome leaves the bar, the drunkard is waiting for his revenge and ends up sucker punching William and knocking him to the ground and hitting his head on a steel truck ball. He is taken to the hospital bleeding and losing consciousness. The second half of the movies focuses on William now a mute and Abby who stops living her life and painting in order to take care of William because she feels guilty about what happens to him. The final few minutes of the movie takes a cute twist that strengthen a movie that is otherwise another generic love story. I enjoyed this movie. I enjoyed the cute love story between Abby and James as both children and adults and how powerful their bond is even though years of separation. It's a cute little romantic movie to waste a couple of hours watching. Routh was amazing and so was his co-star Courtney Ford as Abby. Great movie and cute romantic drama.
Dream House (2011)
Wow! What an Amazing Movie
I watched this movies years after its release not knowing what to expect. I expected to see a horror movie, but was still engaged with the movie when I realized that it was a psychological thriller. Daniel Craig was amazing in this movie as Will Atenton as was Rachel Weisz who played his wife Libby Atenton. Craig and Weisz have amazing chemistry together playing husband and wife. The movie starts with Daniel Craig leaving his job to move to a small town in his dream home with his wife and two pretty daughters Trish and Dee Dee, age seven and five, respectively. Shortly, after moving in, Atenton noticed strange things happening in his home. Mysterious people are constantly watching him and his family. The police treat him as if he is a mad man and no one will tell him what is going on like the whole town is against him. Even his wife eventually wonders why the police refuse to do anything when someone in a car tries to run him over in front of their home. Naomi Watts was excellent in her small part as the next door neighbor Ann Patterson, who is separated from his husband Jack Patterson played by Marton Csokas. Jack obviously doesn't like his estranged wife and is trying to win sole custody of their teenager daughter. The movie has three acts. The first half is the introduction of the cute family of four. The second act is the twist when Will learns about Peter Ward, the previous owner of the home who was accused of murdering his wife and children. The final act is another twist when Will begins to learn the truth about Peter Ward, and the movie dwelves between the worlds of fantasy and reality and takes a little supernatural twist. Dream House was a great movie that I recommend if you like thrillers. I will definitely watch this movie again because it was so enjoyable and to catch the little pieces that I missed that led to the conclusion. Some of the supernatural scenes in the trailer are a flashback Will has while taking a bath. So for those of you who wanted a haunted house movie and horror and guts and gore, you're going to be disappointed. But any of you who enjoy a good psychological thriller with good actors,a good storyline,and cool twists and turns that will creep the heck out of you than you will enjoy the movie. Excellent movie!
The Late Late Show with James Corden (2015)
Graham Norton For America
James Corden is way too talented for the late night. He can sing, act, improv, quick on his feet, and is very humble. Did I mentioned the man has a beautiful singing voice? The first episode was great like the Graham Norton show in the U.K. He is not afraid to interact with the guests and I like that the guests weren't just on the show promoting some new movie. Any host who goes past the generic questions and allows us to know a little more about the guests is a great host. I also liked how he did not make the interview about him. He made it about the guests and he did an excellent job of making his guests feel comfortable. I also liked how the set allows him and his guests to interact with the audience too. I think he is going to do an excellent job with the show. And if I am up past my bedtime, I will definitely check out his show again.
The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore (2015)
Keeping it 100! Love the show! Larry Wilmore is awesome!
Love the intro! Love the set! Love the honesty! Love Larry Wilmore! I am so happy Larry Wilmore has finally gotten his own show. Much deserved! He was always one of my favorite correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I love the format and that is similar to Bill Maher's hit show, Politically Incorrect from the late nineties and early 2000s. What I love about The Nightly Show is the honesty and Wilmore asks his guests to keep it real too. It is so refreshing when someone is having a funny but honest discussion on the serious issues that is going on in the world today. You laugh but at the same time you learn. Anyone who doesn't want a real discussion about the things going on the world, then they are not going to like this show. But those who want an honest, refreshing discussion, then they are going to love it. This show started off strong. If you like other Keeping It Real shows like Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, The Jon Oliver Show, Real Time with Bill Maher,and the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, then you are going to enjoy the Nightly Show.
Selma (2014)
Selma was an amazing, powerful uplifting movie!
This was an amazing depiction of a moment in the life of Dr. King. I loved seeing this side of him because we like to make our great leaders like Jesus, Ghandi, and Martin L. King martyrs. This depiction made him human with human flaws.If anyone wants to see how Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson got their activism style from,this movie will show it was from Dr. King.He met at the White House with President Johnson, you had J.B. Hoover threatened to take him out, the government wiretapping his phones, and Governor George Wallace doing whatever he could to stop him.He also knew how to used the media to his advantage and understood his mortality and his importance.The millenials, especially black youth need to see this movie so they can understand the importance of why it is importance to vote. What our ancestors went through to get the right to vote and how it was all political and about legacies. How he used the media to show the world what Black Americans went through for the simple right to vote. It is haunting how the images of 1965 are parallel to the bruality of the streets of Ferguson. How the boys killed in nonviolent marches reflects the unarmed black men getting murdered today by the cops today. I wasn't going to watch this movie thinking it was another The Help or Precious, but I was so wrong. It is very uplifting towards the African American community and is in the league of Spike Lee's Malcolm X, 12 Years A Slave, and now Selma. And the music took it to another level especially the ending song Glory performed by Common and John Legend and how Common tied the events of Fergurson today into the events of Selma. Anyway, I loved the movie. I recommend everyone to go watch it. It is a perfect example of how powerful we are when come together as one race regardless of our differences and skin color.
Annie (2014)
Quvenzhane Wallis is a star!
Quvenzhane Wallis is a star! She is a talented young actress that carried this movie effortlessly! Some of her scenes actually made me want to cry because I felt so sorry for Annie. I took my niece and nephew to see Annie today and we all enjoyed it! The movie was well-cast. Bobby Cannavale was hilarious as Guy and I loved him in every scene he was in.Boy! That man can sing and dance! Everyone did a wonderful job. Now, here is the problem with 2014 Annie compared to original Annie. All the comments about race and changing Annie from white to black are complete baloney and prejudice. Annie is not a historical figure. She is a fictional character that any orphan of any race can relate too. Annie's story can be any little orphan girl whether it is a black little girl from Harlem or an Asian little girl from China. It is the magic of Annie that makes the story so special. And unfortunately, 2014 Annie did not have that magic as the original. There were great touching moments like the ones that led Annie to start singing "Tomorrow" or when Stacks, Ms. Hannigan, and Annie sing "Who am I?" which was one of my favorite scenes. There was also a heartbreaking scene when Annie thought Stacks did not want her anymore and some other scenes too. Yet, a good chunk of the movie fell flat and I don't know whether it was the editing, the director, or transitioning. Yet, when it was good, it was good. The movie is not as horrible as people are panning it out to be. They are either comparing it to the original or despised the fact that Annie is black in this movie. But the only audience whose opinion truly matters is the kids of the 21st century. We had our Annie. This is their Annie and they enjoyed the movie. I truly enjoyed watching the new Annie. It is not a perfect movie, but the ending was pretty awesome. It lacks the magic of the original but the cast is great. Quvenzhane and Jamie have awesome chemistry and did their best with the material they were given. Annie was a fun movie. I am probably going to buy it when it comes out on DVD.
The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story (2014)
I enjoyed the movie
From seeing the previews, i thought the movie was going to be a tell all that was going to destroy my childhood memories of one of my favorite shows, and the cast looked so fake. I was so wrong. The characters were well cast and did an excellent job portraying their characters especially since the casting director from the original shoe came back to cast the characters for this movie. The movie was a homage to the cast and it made me smile, especially since I grew up watching the series as a kid. It's like all the behind the scenes things you heard over the years like Lisa and Mark dating and putting it on screen. If you like the clean image of the show, then you are going to like this movie. I think the original cast will enjoy it too. Great movie, well cast, nice pacing, and it respected the cast instead of trying to tarnish their public images like we were led to believe.