'Forever 16' follows the adventures of Raven, a teenage vampire recruited by a policewoman named Mac. I liked this film overall, but a few things seemed underdeveloped. I'll just discuss the highs and lows of what appear to be the four key story lines.
I. The Raven/Mac Relationship
Surprisingly, this story line left a bit to be desired. This is the core relationship of the film, right? Two women who are alone in life -- with a few things in common -- begin forming an unlikely mother/daughter bond. I enjoyed what I saw, but I was expecting much more.
However, I liked how Mac gradually warmed up to Raven as the film progressed, embracing the idea of being there for her. These two had some nice moments of humor as well. There's also a revelation about Mac's past, which makes this relationship all the more intriguing.
II. The School Mystery
When two high school kids die under mysterious circumstances, Raven is sent in to pose as a student. Overall, the mystery doesn't exactly draw you in. Maybe the protagonists could've asked more questions and encountered more obstacles to spice things up.
There's certainly a good amount of time dedicated to the mystery, though, so I applaud the writers for making a decent effort in that regard. The resolution was fun to watch.
III. Raven's Detective Skills
I know that she's lived for a while, but Raven seemed like too much of a natural at all of the investigative stuff. Going back to my first point, perhaps the writers could've shown Mac training her more, along with some bonding moments.
Still, it was nice to watch Raven using her brain to put all the pieces together. And it's especially fun when her supernatural vampire abilities come into play.
IV. The Raven/Connor Relationship
The film's attempt at a romance. It appears that some of this story line was edited out, because it didn't make much sense to me when Raven began falling for Connor. A true romance involves more than a few jokes and pleasantries here and there.
These characters do have few nice moments, though, and the actors handle things well enough.
Overall, I count myself as a fan of this film. I'm fond of Raven and Mac's world, so I definitely hope to see a follow-up.
I. The Raven/Mac Relationship
Surprisingly, this story line left a bit to be desired. This is the core relationship of the film, right? Two women who are alone in life -- with a few things in common -- begin forming an unlikely mother/daughter bond. I enjoyed what I saw, but I was expecting much more.
However, I liked how Mac gradually warmed up to Raven as the film progressed, embracing the idea of being there for her. These two had some nice moments of humor as well. There's also a revelation about Mac's past, which makes this relationship all the more intriguing.
II. The School Mystery
When two high school kids die under mysterious circumstances, Raven is sent in to pose as a student. Overall, the mystery doesn't exactly draw you in. Maybe the protagonists could've asked more questions and encountered more obstacles to spice things up.
There's certainly a good amount of time dedicated to the mystery, though, so I applaud the writers for making a decent effort in that regard. The resolution was fun to watch.
III. Raven's Detective Skills
I know that she's lived for a while, but Raven seemed like too much of a natural at all of the investigative stuff. Going back to my first point, perhaps the writers could've shown Mac training her more, along with some bonding moments.
Still, it was nice to watch Raven using her brain to put all the pieces together. And it's especially fun when her supernatural vampire abilities come into play.
IV. The Raven/Connor Relationship
The film's attempt at a romance. It appears that some of this story line was edited out, because it didn't make much sense to me when Raven began falling for Connor. A true romance involves more than a few jokes and pleasantries here and there.
These characters do have few nice moments, though, and the actors handle things well enough.
Overall, I count myself as a fan of this film. I'm fond of Raven and Mac's world, so I definitely hope to see a follow-up.