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Reviews
Cheaper by the Dozen (2022)
Entertaining, but drowns in its ambitious storytelling
If you are looking for an entertaining movie to watch with the family or use as background noise, this film works. It has some sweet moments and is watchable, but from a critical standpoint, this movie is very flawed. The biggest issue is that this film has too many subplots and not enough time to adequately tell those stories or develop the characters.
The film tries to address racism, classism, Paul expanding the restaurant, life as a multicultural blended family, and the events going on in some of the kids' lives after the move. This results in some of the family getting lots of screen time while others barely get any, and we hardly know some kids' names or anything about their personalities.
Also, some of the monologues about racism in the film feel shoehorned into places where they didn't fit, and change the tone abruptly from comedy to after-school special. While there is a time and place for social issue discussion in cinema, these felt tacked on as though the writers used the characters as a mouthpiece for their own opinions. The speeches also seem to come out of nowhere, with no big event in the film prompting the discussions.
This story becomes hard to follow because of all the material the filmmakers packed in while failing to flesh out the details. This comes up particularly in Paul's scenes about expanding the restaurant. It's difficult to understand how some of the business meetings came about because so much of the backstory is missing.
If this film had narrowed its focus, it would've been much better. Having a clear story is something that the 2003 version of the film got right, and it's unfortunate that the reboot couldn't do the same. The film gets swallowed up by its own ambition to tell too big a story into little time.
Life-Size 2 (2018)
A huge missed opportunity
I loved the first Life Size and had high hopes for the sequel, but it was very disappointing. This film's biggest flaw is that it's not sure which audience it's aiming for. The writers seemed like they were trying to appeal both to a new audience of teens and to adults who watched the original Life Size as kids, which led to an inconsistent plot and flip-flopping writing styles. However, the sequel has none of the heart and positivity that the original film had. It's also hypersexualized to an unrealistic amount and the characters are unlikeable. The jokes are lazily written so the attempts at humor fall flat.
It would've been better if they cast Lindsay Lohan is the CEO and showed her trying to market Eve dolls to a new audience so the film could still be family friendly and feel tonally similar to the first film. It's too bad this film wasn't better. It could've been great if done right.
Spin (2021)
Wonderful wholesome, refreshing DCOM!
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this film. Yes, the general plot has been done many times before, but the strong acting, great cast, elements of Indian culture, and heartwarming story make Spin feel fresh. Avantika (Rhea) is so natural in her role and carries the film with ease. The cinematography is excellent and the acting and writing are much sharper than a typical DCOM.
It was wonderful to see an Indian American family portrayed well and without tired stereotypes. I hope Disney continues to cast more diverse actors in lead roles, and continues to let diverse screenwriters write the scripts, too.
Retro News (2006)
What I think of the show
This show is educational and fun. I think it's easier for kids to learn from this show because the news is actually coming from other kids, and not an adult that kids would find "boring." The show covers "retro" and historic events from the past that wouldn't always be shown on a regular news program for kids. I admit that when I first saw the opening theme, I thought that this would be a show catered to young audiences between 5-8. I was definitely wrong. I'm a high school freshman and I still find myself learning new things from watching "Retro News." I really hope that they will do another season when this one is up, and I hope that they keep the same hosts.