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Reviews
Mother of the Bride (2024)
Good Rom Com
This is the typical Rom Com wedding movie except the wedding itself is just a background story. The main storyline is about the mother of the bride as the title suggests.
Brooke Shields plays the main character, and she is fantastic. I was never a big fan and never saw most of her movie, but in this she was very good. What I respect about her the most is that she has let herself age. Her face looks like an old catcher's mitt, and she has the turkey neck common among women her age. I really respect that she hasn't filled herself with botox and tons of cosmetics to hider her aging.
The movie takes the same path as every other Rom Com. I don't need to explain it. But most of the scenes and romance involve 50 somethings, not young beautiful people. But no surprises.
A particularly pleasant surprise was Linda Martin who plays Brooke Shields's character's friend. She is mid-50s and breathtakingly beautiful. She's petite and energetic. She has the energy of a 25 year old. Such a pleasant character.
Which Brings Me to You (2023)
Worst Rom Com in a Decade
This is a movie about two totally toxic people who meet at a wedding and talk all day and into the next day sharing their past romantic failures. The way they treat people is atrocious. I gave a few stars for Lucy Hale. She is an interesting, exciting actress. I hope she realizes that this was a huge mistake.
The male lead is irredeemable. The guy is unattractive and unathletic with bad hair. His legs are unstable. They showed him running in one scene, and it looked as if his knees were going to dislocate. Way back in the day, the leading man was tall dark and handsome. This guy is spindly and wimpy. The movie just doesn't make sense that this guy seems to have women throwing themselves at him. I just can't buy it.
Most Guys Are Losers (2020)
Horrible
This follows the storyline of every other RomCom. Two people are in love. Then something causes a rift in the relationship. Then they realize how much they love each other and make up. It's the same.
Except this has a unique and potentially interest twist. The girl's father wrote a book entitled "Most Guys Are Losers". So when he went home with her to meet the family, you know that sparks are going to fly. The only problem is that the movie never lived up to its potential. The writers just got lazy I guess.
And of course at the end, they have a wonderful aren't we such a wonderful well adjusted happy family dinner together, and then if that's not sappy enough, they have dance scene with a horrible song, and they all dance a happy dance. It's like the writers got together and said, "Let's figure a way to put the cherry on top toe make the ending unbearably horrible." And they succeeded.
Road House (2024)
Typical Tough Guy Movie
This is your typical tough guy movie. A guy with a haunted past who can beat up 15 armed met with nothing but a pool noodle is asked to come help save a bar from bad guys. He's a loner, but he agrees because he needs the money.
It checks all the boxes for tough guy movies. A rich guy who can hire a bunch of guys. Muscles. Bar fights. A bar in the middle of nowhere that is for some reason always packed with handsome men and pretty women.
The cast: The highlight is the female cast. All the women were likable and perfect for their roles except for the main character's love interest a 40+ year old dude whose love interest played a teenage in a movie just a few years ago. The male cast was not impressive with the exception of The Great Conor McGregor who was extremely muscled up. His first time acting outshone the other veteran male actors.
Worth it just to see McGregor. Hopefully, he'll be in many more projects in the future.
Cat Person (2023)
It Had Potential
I watched this because Liza is in it even though she has a tiny, insignificant part.
This is a movie about a girl who meets a weird guy. They always make weird people out to be horrible criminals. In this movie she started thinking from the very beginning that the guy might be a murderer. Not so. He was just a guy who happened to be weird and liked a girl.
One of the highlights is that 'stralian actress Geraldine Viswanathan has a part as a buddy. She's a young actress who is on her way. Also the actor who plays the weird guy did a fantastic job. You start feeling sorry for him from the very beginning.
¿Qué culpa tiene el Karma? (2022)
Unexpectedly Funny
I like weird, quirky, silly RomComs. Please don't tell anyone who knows me. So I watched this. It starts off kind of slow. And it doesn't really have much to do with Karma.
It starts with Aislinn who was a loser in high school but had one friend whom she adored. She struggles to find her footing in adulthood never really having much success in business or love. Then she finds out that the guy her little sister is engaged to is her old high school crush and best friend who she hadn't seen in ten years. Little sister brings her novio to meet the family, and the sparks fly along with the laughter.
Aislinn is a beautiful model. I didn't know who she was. But in the beginning they made her look very plain. She's actually quite breathtaking. But then in one scene she starts rapping along with a song she and her friend liked in high school, Big Boy's Mis Ojos Lloran Por Ti. It just changed the pace of the movie for me right there. I started cheering for her.
Fun movie.
The Valet (2022)
Eugenio Derbez
Precious doesn't like Eugenio Derbez. He's arrogant. And who can forget the little Indian girl coming out of the Mexican jungle and rebuking him. But I can't help it. I like every movie that he's in. He's just funny. I saw a movie with Aislinn, and I liked her too.
But this is a take on the age old story line where two totally different people are forced together by circumstances, and they clash at first, but then they eventually come to respect and, truth be told, admire one another.
Derbez plays a Mexican born valet who rides his bike to work and lives with his mom. He works hard. He has a heart of gold. Tears came to my eyes as I recalled the many people I know who work hard for little money. But somehow a turn of events puts him with a blond starlet, and the laughs just keep coming. It's a funny movie. Eugenio Derbez is a funny guy. I saw it I think last year. I'll put that on my list to see again.
The Time Capsule (2022)
Original Story Line
You know how they reuse the same story line over and over again. The super spy who can beat up 15 armed men with nothing but a pool noodle. The RomCom where they accidentally meet, some sparks fly, then a disagreement separates them but in the end they get back together? There are so many storylines that are so played.
This is original. Two teenagers fall in love. Then one goes on a intergalactic voyage. She comes back and everyone has aged 20 years but she hasn't aged a day. Then she finds her old flame, now close to 40, and they rekindle their romance.
Ok, it's pretty stupid. I agree. Bring back the guy with the pool noodle. One star for originality. Six stars for Brianna Hildebrand. She is a talented actress, and I'm looking forward to seeing her work for many years to come.
Time Is Up (2021)
Changed My Outlook on Bella Thorne
I used to say that I'd see any movie with Bella Thorne in it. She's cool. She's a good actress. And she plays interesting roles. In this movie she plays and extremely ordinary overdone character.
It's supposed to be a high school romance. I think they're in high school. You never see them going to any classes, but they talk about getting into college. Bella is dating one guy, and yet another guy captures her attention. You know it's going to end with one of them holding hands as they walk into the sunset. But which guy will she be with?
She has an accident an is in a coma. When she awakes she has forgotten some events including a key outing with one of the young men. Will she remember?
I will never watch a Bella Thorne movie again just because Bella is in it. From this day forward I will check to see what the movie is about, read the reviews and carefully consider whether I should watch it.
Semper Fi (2019)
Horrible
This is a horrible film. It's a horrible story line, and it portrays otherwise honorable marines as murderers and law breakers.
It's about a group of young men in the reserves. They're called to duty. Before their departure one guy gets in a fight, the other guy hits his head and dies. So he's convicted of manslaughter and sent to the slammer. Meanwhile the other guys go to Iraq where one of them callously murders a civilian. Sticks his weapon right in the man's face and pulls the trigger.
Then after their tour, the guy in prison is not happy in prison so they devise a plan to break him out risking their own lives and risking being imprisoned themselves. And this is all portrayed as a good thing.
I watched this because I like Jai Courtney. I give an extra star for him.
AlRawabi School for Girls (2021)
Jordanian Mean Girls
This story is like Mean Girls whereby a group of popular girls bully other girls but with a Jordanian flavor. After they beat a girl unconscious, she devises a plan for revenge. She gets a couple of friends to go help her with her plan.
One thing that is interesting is the attitudes towards women and girls. One girl is beaten up by her father, and no one raises any concern or objection. Oh, your dad punched you in the face. Teachers see a girl with obvious facial bruises and act as if nothing happened. Then one girl is harassed by an old man, and the teacher scolds the girl as if it's her fault for walking around showing all that skin.
The girls gossip and talk about Zac Efron. One girl has a bedroom that is like entirely pink. You start to feel like it's almost a western society, and then the crazy comes. The final revenge is unbelievably intense so shocking so insane.
Borg McEnroe (2017)
Great Story Told Well
I was a McEnroe fan. I even shaved with Bic. A lot of the tennis action in this movie is just as exciting as when it happened, and the acting is outstanding. The young man who plays Mc did a fantastic job with the behavior as well as the accent, and he really put a soul into the spoiled brat that Mc was seen as.
I enjoyed seeing a little of the behind the scenes stories. That was an intense rivalry.
The Wonder Years (2021)
Good Cast
I saw Laura Kariuki in Black Lightning so I googled her to see if she was in anything else. She plays the big sister in this show which isn't a huge part, but she's so pretty.
Anyway, the show is what it is, a copy of the lame Wonder Years from decades ago. But the cast are all so lovable. The mom is a wonderful woman. Every boy and girl should have a mom like her. And the dad is the coolest mo fo who has ever played a dad in a show. These are all likable characters. You'd like to have them as neighbors.
So I watch.
There's Someone Inside Your House (2021)
Same Old Same Old
This is just like every chop-em-up movie that's ever been made. Teenagers getting butchered one by one with plenty of blood and gore. Then the main character who is always a female gets attacked, the attacker is revealed and she escapes and/or kills the bad guy. A yawn fest.
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Same Old Same Old
Am I the only one getting tired of hearing this story? If you pay rapt attention, you'll notice that there are common themes and story lines in many, many movies. This one is the Romeo and Juliet storyline. Two young people fall in love, but their families don't approve of them. In this case the rich person's family doesn't approve of their child marrying a commoner.
Another thing is the crazy friend or the crazy relative. They have that character in here two, twice.
And then of course don't forget the public proposal where the guy proposes in front of a crowd, and the crowd cheers and encourages the girl to say, "Yes."
Just one lame theme after another. They change the names and change the setting, but you've seen this movie time and time again.
Southpaw (2015)
One of the Most Predictable Movies in the History of Film
Spoiler Alert - not so much
This is exactly what you guessed. A boxer is champion. He has personal problems and hits rock bottom. He gets himself together. Resumes training and then gets a title fight. He wins the title fight, and the last image is him hugging his daughter. The fighting cinematography is good though.
Yawn.
Clinton Road (2019)
Already Been Done
This movie has been done over and over again. A group of people get lost or go into the woods or some other unfamiliar place and start disappearing or getting killed. They try to get out with their lives. They don't know what mysterious thing or force is chasing them, but it's certain that they're being chased for absolutely no reason at all.
Will they survive? You have to watch to find out.
I watched this because of Erin O'Brien. I have a schoolboy crush on her.
Unforgettable (2011)
Mystery/Crime Show
This is your typical crime solving show. They try to put a twist on it in that the main character has the ability to recall past events vividly and reliably like she's watching a movie. At the end of each episode her strange ability manages to identify the bad guy. Yawn
But whether you like a show depends on whether you like the characters. I don't like her. She's arrogant. She has a partner with whom she converses, but she talks down to everyone else. Even the production is arrogant. After the first season they just sacked all the non-main characters. Those were actually the more likable characters, but the producers evidently just considered them expendable and sacked them. That I don't care for.
Rust Creek (2018)
Oh Come On!
This movie has been done so many times. It's about a young woman who takes a wrong turn, and she is in a place with which she is not familiar, and some bad guys come and harass her, but she gets away, and the bad guys chase her and want to kill her for no apparent reason at all.
Does she get away? You'll have to watch the movie to find out. But I wouldn't waste the time.
Julie and the Phantoms (2020)
Formula Movie
This show is based on at least two easily identifiable formulas. First, it's based on an attractive girl who is going through an emotionally tough time whether it be bullies or shyness; in this case she's still grieving the untimely passing of her mother. She has a supportive father and a best friend. At some time she has a spat with said best friend. Then she overcomes whatever is oppressing her to gain her confidence back.
Another formula is with some of the songs. A lot of very popular songs start off with just one soft voice and a piano, and then it gains momentum and instruments and rises and rises until the singer is belting out an epic anthem.
But it's a likable cast, and the musical performances are top notch professional. I mean, they really went all out to have the best music possible with great dancers as well as great musicians and singers. The highlight has to be Cheyenne Jackson who has been in some kid shows before. He was fantastic as the antagonist, a great singer with charisma.
Chick Fight (2020)
Good Movie; Typical Storyline and Unlikeable Main Character
This is a typical storyline. You have someone who is going through a tough time because of bad luck or bad decisions or both. They try to lift themselves up but fail. Then they get inspired, overcome an antagonist, get their life back on track and then even get the girl (or guy) at the end. This storyline is so played.
In addition the actress playing the main character has no lips and bad skin. There are thousands of actresses who would have been better including many who had smaller roles in this very same movie.
But at the end of the day it's entertaining. Isn't that what it's all about? It also has Bella Thorne as the antagonist mean girl who seems to be making a career by playing antagonist mean girls, but I'm so glad she does because she's fantastic.
The Lie (2018)
1-900 Linden
I watched this because Mireille Enos is in it. Imagine you're a parent, and you daughter makes a mistake that will ruin her life. What do you do? Do you encourage your daughter to face the music, to take responsibility for what she did? Or do you try to cover it up?
This couple decided to try to cover it up. As the cops came by, the father of the victim kept coming by, a tiny mistake, getting caught in a lie, the emotions that they experienced and the fear they had not just for their daughter anymore but fear for themselves because they'd be implicated in a cover-up.
So every parent who spoiled their child can identify with this. Then, oh dear, the movie takes a quick and extremely sharp turn suddenly getting much much worse for the couple. Surrender Dorothy.
Batsh*t Bride (2019)
Great White Savior Story
This contains a spoiler.
I'm crazy about the star Meghan Falcone. She's got great energy. So I watched this because of her. I wasn't disappointed with her. She's got a great energy level. She's a good actress. So just for her I give five stars. It's a wacky story. It's a fun movie.
Seeing the trailer I was wondering how it would end. But the ending, the last half hour, is where it really, really takes a deep dive. After her wedding was called off, she decided to make some poor Latina girl's wedding wonderful. She took all her expensive decorations, her dress, her flowers, everything, and she moved it all to the poor Latina girl's wedding making what would have been a drab wedding into a wonderful wedding with the white girl getting smiles and thank yous from the poor Latino people whom she helped.
I know that the great white savior movies are popular. What was that movie about the football player adopted by a white family? But think about it. That's so cheesy.
Extraction (2015)
This Genre Is Played
This is another one of those movies about one highly trained super spy who can beat up 15 armed men with nothing but a poo noodle. The guy is usually a rebel who does things his way while getting criticized by his superiors. Oh, and he's also a ladies' man who has trouble making a commitment. It's so played. We've seen it so many times. You know how it's going to end.
Usually the success of most movies is going to be determined by whether the characters are likable, and that is where this movie falls short. This guy is annoying. There was one scene where he was threatening to kill some guy unless he revealed the location of the bad guy. We both want something. I want to know where the bad guys are, and you want to live. I turned it off after than scene.
Big Fat Liar 2 (2017)
Dumber Cheaper Duller
It's hard to follow Paul Giamatti. He's a comedic genius. In the first BFL movie, he had us all rolling on the floor laughing. The guy who plays the BFL in this movie tries but doesn't come close to even being funny. He's about as funny as a sore throat.
One highlight, and this makes it worth it to see the movie, is Jodelle Ferland who is one of the most beautiful young women on the planet yet it doesn't seem that she knows it thereby making her seem sweet and vulnerable. She plays the Amanda Bynes character. Amanda was an exciting actress, but Jodell is just fantastic to watch.