This time of year is always an interesting time for movieogers. It’s a bit too early for summer blockbusters (even though that’s getting earlier and earlier each year) and past the point for Oscar season. Instead it ends up a mishmash of genres and ideas and sometimes some of them end up being some of my favorite movies of the year. Today I have 3 movies to talk about and it ended up being 3 films I enjoyed.
Spy x Family Code: White
It’s always a tricky thing going into an anime film without having seen the series the movie is based on. However, some of the franchises are more stand-alone than others. Spy x Family Code: White is one of the more accessible entries (My Hero Academia is the gold standard in that department.) It’s a lot of energy for nearly 2 hours but overall I found it to be pretty cute.
It’s basically about a fake family that are living undercover executing a mission called Operation Strix. Through various contrivances they end up on the run from military antagonists who are upset when the little girl Anya eats an important piece of microfilm.
I highly doubt Spy x Family will win over anti-anime skeptics because it is big and loud and doesn’t take much of a second to breathe. That said it’s also funny and especially the last act the action is visceral and exciting. I enjoyed it but I can see that it won’t be for everyone. I could have done without all the toilet humor. That’s something you usually don’t see in anime but I suppose they were trying to entertain the little kids.
If you are looking for chases, races and some energetic animation you’ll have a good time with Spy x Family Code: White.
6 out of 10
Smile Worthy
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
I must admit I am not the biggest fan of director Guy Ritchie. Often his stylistic choices get in the way of decent stories and entertaining performances. I particularly haven’t liked his period piece work in films like his Sherlock Holmes movies and his King Arthur movie. No thanks. It is for these reasons I was skeptical going into The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. It’s a period piece in WWII and I anticipated Ritchie’s annoying use of shaky cam and slow motion to make a good story hard to watch.
Well, to my surprise the director held back on those signature touches I don’t care for and actually produced an entertaining and engaging film. While one should not look to this film for historical accuracy it was a good, campy fun time at the cinema.
Loosely based on a true story of an underground operation organized by Winston Churchill that had the mission to stop the supply boats for the German U-boats, which were stopping American ships from getting to Europe to assist England with the war.
I really enjoyed the crew Ritchie assembles for this operation with huge charisma from the likes of Henry Golding, Henry Cavill, Alan Ritchson and Alex Pettyfer. Elza Gonzalez is fine as the femme fatale used to tempt the German officers but her scenes at times stopped the fun action which was the highlight of the film.
There isn’t much attempt to be realistic with our band of merry men wiping out Germans like they were playing at target practice but if that doesn’t bother you it’s an entertaining action romp. I liked it way more than I expected.
7.5 out of 10
Smile Worthy
Musica
And now for the new release you probably haven’t heard of but should absolutely watch it’s called Musica. If this isn’t in my top 10 of the year than we have had an amazing year of film. I absolutely loved this creative, whimsical, romantic look into a creative’s mind and heart.
Written, directed and starring Rudy Mancuso he takes you into his experience with synesthesia which is a neurological condition where you are highly aware of your senses. In the case of Rudy everything around him is a rhythm or a music. I am sure this is a highly cinematic version of this condition but it makes for some enchanting scenes of the world coming alive around Rudy through music.
Meanwhile Rudy is trying to figure out his job, his Brazilian culture and his relationship with a woman named Isabella played by Camilla Mendes (they met while filming and are currently dating which explains their endearing chemistry.)
Musica is hopeful, positive and a burst of creativity and at only 91 minutes it doesn’t outstay its welcome. I wish I had seen it at SXSW because it is not getting a theatrical release. Still, I hope you watch it on Amazon prime as it is a truly special experience. I am so excited because I am intervivewing Rudy on Wednesday. Keep an eye on Hallmarkies Podcast for that interview.
9 out of 10
Smile Worthy
So there you have it. What have you been watching? If you’ve seen any of these films let me know what you think.
If you enjoy my writing please support me on patreon and you will get some great perks along the way! I cannot do it all on my own. Please take a look at the patreon here.
Hey everyone! I hope you are all doing well. I haven’t updated in a bit because I’ve been sick and busy with taxes and other responsibilities. (Also one of these films I really struggled with my thoughts on it so have been procrastinating but I will do my best.)
First up I had a 4 movie day at the Megaplex on April 2nd so I was able to catch up on some of the movies I’d missed while at SXSW and when I was sick. I did a video review on these 4
In summary Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is an overstuffed mess, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a boring entry in the disappointing franchise with very little Godzilla! Challengers is a good sports/competition movie but not as sexy as the trailers are making it seem. Felt a little repetitive after a while but I’m not a sports/tennis person. Lastly, Luca is an underrated delight and I loved getting to see it again on the big screen (I was fortunate to see it once before at Animation is Film Festival.)
Someone Like You
Someone Like You is one of those movies that I didn’t love but I do think there is an audience for this type of film. It’s what a lot of people think Hallmark movies are like but they actually rarely are (not many dramas on Hallmark.) It’s more along the lines of a Nicholas Sparks type movie which I know can be very popular. My friend Terry and I just did a ranking episode of all the Sparks movies and that was a lot of fun. This looks nice, with beautiful people and it tries to tug at the heartstrings with lots of death and walks by the water.
The thing I didn’t like about Someone Like You is I think it is too long. It really should clock in at the 80-90 minute mark and it goes to nearly 2 hours. Also, the way they treat egg donation as on the same level as a fully birthed adoption was really strange to me. I guess that’s the way some Christians view it but they were acting like she had found her actual parents by finding out who donated the genetic material that her Mom carried and birthed into her. The way they kept talking about egg adoption was just very unfamiliar to me and not how I view the process and kept catching me off guard.
All that said, if you are Christian and like Sparksian type narratives (this is by fellow cheese-provider Karen Kingsbury) give it a try. You’ll probably like it.
6 out of 10
Smile Worthy
Civil War
The new film by Alex Garland, Civil War, is the one I have really struggled on what my feelings with it are. Even as I am writing I’m not entirely sure whether I will go smile or frown worthy on it. I will try to figure it out as I write.
What’s interesting is Garland has made 2 previous films I did not like. Annihilation was ponderous with too many ideas and Men was one of the most unpleasant and heavy-handed movies of recent memory. Going into Civil War I was expecting an annoying and preachy movie that would be more of what I haven’t enjoyed in his previous films.
To my surprise instead I got a rather safe film that has engaging scenes but left me kind of hollow and empty in the end. The weirdest part is in an election year having almost no metaphors to our current politics within the civil war at the head of this movie. It might as well be in the Hunger Games for how dissimilar it is to our current situation.
That said there are some tense scenes with the journalists that are covering this dystopian fake war. All the acting is good especially a bone-chilling scene with Jesse Plemons. I said in my out of theater response that Civil War felt like one of the Olympus Has Fallen movies but with an A24 skin over it and I stand by that.
While I think that is an interesting choice, I don’t know if it is one I can really recommend. If Garland does make another movie maybe next time he can come somewhere in between this and Men and have the perfect film? Good luck to him
5 out of 10
Frown Worthy
One Life
One Life is what I like to call a Sunday movie. It’s the kind of wholesome feel-good movie I could watch with my parents on a Sunday and they’d love. I really enjoyed it and was able to watch it on VOD if you can’t get out to the theater (I was sick.)
The film tells the story of Nicholas Winton who between 1938-1939 saved thousands of children out of the now Czech Republic from the Nazis. Anthony Hopkins plays an older Winton who was reunited with the now adult children he saved in an episode of That’s Life! in 1988.
Johnny Flynn puts in another dynamic performance (underrated actor!) as the young Winton and Helena Bonham Carter is wonderful as his Mother.
Surprisingly I actually knew about this story because it was part of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas presentation they did with Sir David Suchet which I was grateful to be able to attend.
It’s nice when Hollywood occasionally makes a movie about an ordinary but good person and that’s the case with One Life. It’s a little dry in spots but I still thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it.
8 out of 10
Smile Worthy
Housekeeping for Beginners
Housekeeping for Beginners is one of those movies that the title can be a bit confusing. I knew nothing about the plot going into it and assumed from the title it was going to be a sweet family story. There’s an air of whimsy to the title but it actually is a very sad gut-wrenching family story. It’s well done but lays on the trauma narrative pretty thickly.
The film is directed and written by Goran Stolevski and was Macedonia’s submission for the 2023 Oscars. It tells the story of a woman who’s girlfriend dies and leaves her with 2 children to raise. There’s a young man that also lives with them and another man who becomes her fake (and also gay) husband to help take care of the children.
There’s lots of drama going on with all these people and personalities but I was mostly engaged. If you are in the mood for a totally different tear jerker than Someone Like You than you might appreciate it. I thought it was just ok.
6 out of 10
Smile Worthy
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Any regular traveler will tell you that some trips feel cursed or at best don’t turn out the way we have planned. This was basically my experience with the second half of my SXSW trip and in fact I’ve been hesitant to write about it at all because I didn’t want to appear ungrateful or rude. I think I made the best of things and I’m beyond appreciative of my friends and their support but it was a frustrating experience.
The main problem started a couple of days into the visit when I noticed myself dragging and starting to have the basic symptoms of hay fever. It’s weird because I’ve been to Texas twice before, including last year for the festival, without many problems but allergies can be weirdly random like that. I did take a covid test to make sure I wasn’t contagious and it was negative.
My trip was a long one at 9 days and as each day commenced I got more sickly with eventually my eye puffing up and getting swollen and red. I could get some momentary relief from medicine but then I felt tired and groggy which is not ideal for attending a film festival. It was just a big bummer and I wish things could have turned out differently but that’s life.
Even a week later I am still purging my body from the effects of the outbreak I experienced. This is why I haven’t reviewed the new Godzilla or Ghostbusters movies. I can only do so much and people don’t like when someone is sniffling in the theater.
Anyway, I say all of this to give context to the last part of my SXSW reviews. I’m not going to upload them to rottentomatoes because I felt like garbage and was sleepy and not at my best for the viewing experience. While I still think I got an overall feeling for the movies it’s not fair to those that worked so hard to give them a weakened watch.
All that said here goes:
Animated Shorts
Animated shorts at festivals like SXSW are always a bit of a mixed bag. While I enjoy supporting the animators they are often too arthouse and strange for my taste. These 10 were no exception. My favorite was probably Bug Diner and Sweetmeats but I wasn’t in love with any of them. At least they were better than most of the Academy nominated shorts this year (especially the winner!)
5 out of 10
Frown Worthy
The Greatest Hits
I really like the premise for this new film but it may have just been my fatigued condition at the time but it didn’t really draw me in like I was hoping. It stars Lucy Boynton as a young woman who can time travel through songs to different spots in her relationships especially with her ex who died in a tragic accident. At first she is trying to save her love but then things get more complicated when she meets a new beau in the present and then must decide whether going back is still wise.
The music is obviously a big draw to this film and it is fun to see David Corenswet in a few scenes as he is going to be the new Superman going forward. It just felt like they didn’t do enough interesting things with the premise and the characters kept having the same conversations over and over again. I wasn’t as engaged as I thought I would be but I plan on giving it a rewatch when it comes to hulu and seeing how I feel well rested. We will see
5.5 out of 10
Frown Worthy
Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story
Next up I got to see the first episode in a documentary series on hulu entitled Thank you, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story. This is your standard musician biodoc but I enjoyed it and it was fun to have the whole band there and then doing a Q&A. I’d definitely watch the remaining episodes which I think is a good test. I hope the other entries go more into other members of the band and not just Jon. Even so, I had a good time with this documentary.
6 out of 10
Smile Worthy
How Music Got Free
Back in the late 90s I got super into the whole Napster/music thing. At the time I didn’t view it as serious. It was no different than borrowing an album from my friend which I did all the time. However it obviously had insane repercussions. This documentary, How Music Got Free, goes through the impact on the industry with interviews from the people involved. It’s all quite interesting and one people around my age should enjoy.
The only major problem with this documentary is the narration was really corny and hurt the overall flow for the film. It made it all have a cheesy and cheap feel to it. Still, it was interesting enough to recommend.
6 out of 10
Smile Worthy
The last one is called The In Between and this has some things going for it. I like that it was made by 2 siblings after their bother died and chronicles the life of various citizens in Eagle Pass, Texas. The problem was most of vignettes felt pointless and I kept wanting them to get back to the siblings and how they were dealing with their grief. That was the most interesting and poignant aspect. Not watching random people play soccer or run a parade. I get you need some of that to establish tone and atmosphere but the ratio was off.
5 out of 10
Frown Worthy
So there you have it. Those are the films I saw at SXSW Film Festival. Make sure you check out part 1 where I was less sick for those films. I hope you all are avoiding most of the allergies this season and having a wonderful spring!
Thanks to the Chandlers and Whitmans for having me and helping me when I wasn’t feeling great. Sure love you all
If you enjoy my writing please support me on patreon and you will get some great perks along the way! Especially for things like festival coverage I cannot do it all on my own. Please take a look at the patreon here.
Many people are shocked to find out I have never seen any of the John Wick movies. The first one came out in 2014 and as I’m not the biggest fan of strong violence and wasn’t a critic then I didn’t watch it. Then by the time I was reviewing films as a professional critic it was 2019 and the 3rd movie was coming out. It’s overwhelming to catch up on so many movies so I just never watched them. Now for this blind spot series I have seen the first movie from 2014.
I think the biggest asset you can take away from John Wick (2014) is the old adage to keep it simple stupid. Action movies these days have often gotten increasingly convoluted with AI, staring at screens and other mumbo-jumbo. This makes something like John Wick appealing. It’s a simple revenge story where a hitman is on a rampage after his wife is killed as well as their beloved puppy. We don’t get deep inside John or learn much about who he is or what he wants out of life. His motivations are simple, pure and easy to understand.
The one thing did surprise me, however, is how much of the movie takes place at night or in dimly lit night clubs. This is no doubt due to the small budget of 20-30 million as dark scenes camouflage a lot of flaws. For the most part this works with the overall aesthetic as John Wick is the hitman in black with a gun but it did negate some of the wow power of these scenes for me at least.
You could also feel the budget in the cheap stock footage they use for the transitions of New York City but all that doesn’t matter because John is a compelling character and has a simple yet satisfying arc. I mean they killed his beloved dog! Who can’t root for such a man?
7 out of 10
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It’s always fun when we get new rom-coms both in streaming and the theaters. Even if they don’t entirely work I like to see more content coming out in the genre and more risks being taken on different projects. So today let’s talk about 2 of the recently released films: Irish Wish and French Girl.
First up we have the new comedy starring Lindsay Lohan entitled Irish Wish. This is the second time Lohan has worked with Michael and Janeen Damien. The first time being 2022’s Falling for Christmas. In both movies the team capture a comedic energy that hails back to the old age of screwball romantic comedies. I can see why some critics say these movies are too silly or unrealistic but that is decidedly missing the point of this type of comedy.
In Irish Wish we have Lohan playing Maddie an editor who wants to become a writer but she has her heart set on marrying an author named Paul Kennedy who has taken her editing and writing skills for granted. When she is in Ireland for his wedding to her best friend she makes a wish that she is marrying him instead which when it comes true causes all kind of pandemonium.
Meanwhile Ed Speleers plays a photographer named James who meet-cutes it with Maddie before the alternate reality and who she is actually supposed to be with.
Like I said, what makes something like Irish Wish work is how it embraces its screwball comedy roots. We have Lohan diving into convertible cars and doing flips around Ireland. We have weddings being interrupted and over-the-top chases and races. It makes for a very amusing and enjoyable 2 hours of television and it doesn’t hurt that Speleers and Lohan have terrific chemistry.
My only qualm with the movie is they make it seem like her proposing instead of Paul in the alternate dimension is a huge red flag. It’s perfectly acceptable for the woman to propose these days so they probably should have gone with something else. Also Jane Seymour is used strangely as Lohan’s Mother.
Still I had fun with Irish Wish and look forward to what Janeen, Michael and Lindsay have in store for us next.
6 out of 10
Smile Worthy
FRENCH GIRL
While screwball comedies are a type of romantic comedy I typically enjoy supposedly elevated rom-coms like French Girl are decidedly not. The problem with movies like this is it attempts to tell a more complex or realistic love story but in so doing it ends up unpleasant with a lead couple we aren’t even rooting for- or at least I wasn’t.
French Girl tells the story of a schleppy teacher Gordon (Zach Braff) who is in love with a French-Canadian chef named Sophie (Evelyne Brochu.) When she goes back to Quebec to test with her former flame Ruby (Vanessa Hudgens) Gordon is riddled with all kinds of insecurities and jealousy and the whole thing is tedious and unpleasant.
So much of the conflict between Gordon and Sophie could be resolved by a simple conversation but instead they immediately start making out on the waterbed. Sophie ends up having more chemistry with Ruby but they are never really shown outside of a work setting which makes their interactions awkward.
They try to have some slapstick with Gordon and Sophie’s dead grandma but none of it lands and he becomes more needy and unlikable as the movie progresses. You honestly have no idea what Sophie sees in this sad sack guy.
In the end French Girl felt long, drawn out and just not very romantic or exciting. it’s a shame because it had potential but it goes unrealized.
4 out of 10
Frown Worthy
If you enjoy my writing please support me on patreon and you will get some great perks along the way! Especially for things like festival coverage I cannot do it all on my own. Please take a look at the patreon here.
Now that we’ve got the non-festival films out of the way let’s talk about what I’ve seen so far at SXSW. I wish I could do full posts on each of these films but I just don’t have the time right now. Perhaps I will down the road but here goes:
We Were Dangerous
I was a little nervous going into We Were Dangerous that it would be too intense for my taste (especially as the start to the festival) but it actually balances its competing tones quite well.
I don’t know if it is based on a true story but it is about a group of New Zealand teens in 1954 that are sent to a reform camp run by a cruel and sadistic matron. Eventually they plot their escape and the whole thing becomes quite thrilling and empowering.
All the girls are great and their chemistry feels natural and lived-in. Rima Te Wiata is unbelievable as the matron. There are so many times when I thought she was going to break and show some humanity and then she would double down on her cruelty. It is a very well calibrated performance- one could call her the New Zealand Nurse Ratched!
We Were Dangerous was a strong start to the festival, and I highly recommend checking it out when you get a chance.
8 out of 10
Smile Worthy
Whatever It Takes
The title Whatever It Takes doesn’t really sell the wild story of this documentary well. It should be called Stalked by Ebay or something like that. Anyway, it tells the story of an internet blogging couple who begin getting stalked by angry commenters online but it goes beyond online. They receive bizarre packages like cockroaches and a pigs head and are followed around their town. It was crazy and as the investigators start looking into it they find it goes way high up the Ebay chain of command.
I don’t know if we needed the complete lesson on the history of Ebay. going back to the 90s but when it is focused on the investigation it is gripping and as someone who has faced much milder internet-based violence I related to it quite strongly. People hide behind a screen and it can be terrifying.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
Diane Warren: Relentless-
Last year I had the privilege of covering the red carpet for the Disney Plus show A Small Lightat SXSW and I was hoping to have a similar experience this year but at first no opportunities came up. Then yesterday I got a surprise chance to cover the new documentary about song writer Diane Warren and I raced over to the venue in record time!
If you didn’t know Diane Warren is a song writer who has written some of the biggest pop hits of the last 30 years and she has been nominated for Oscars 15 times without a win (she has an honorary Oscar but no competitive.) I am working on the red carpet coverage video as we speak but it was a cool experience to get to meet Diane and she said my question was a good one (I’m not a trained journalist so that felt good!)
Anyway, the documentary Diane Warren: Relentless is a serviceable biodoc about her life and unlikely journey to become a hit-maker. I like these kind of Behind the Music style documentaries so I enjoyed it. However, I was surprised how focused on the Oscars she was and how the movie having an original song felt like a bit of a cheap ploy for her to finally win. Things like that have to happen organically. If it feels forced she will be less likely to win but this doc was entertaining enough for music and movie fans.
6 out of 10
Smile Worthy
Monkey Man
Next up we have the world premiere of the new action film starring (and directed/written) by Dev Patel called Monkey Man. I am probably the only person in that audience who hasn’t seen any of the John Wick movies so this isn’t exactly a genre of movies I’m super familiar with. However, I still found this to be a well made and exciting action movie.
I’ve been a big fan of Dev Patel for a long time and he is so charismatic and strong her in the lead. He said his goal was to be an underdog on a mission and he succeeds with this goal. There is almost never a moment where it doesn’t feel like his character is outmatched by his opponents but he keeps going. He was clearly influenced by The Raid but this had more mythology and story attached to it with the myth of the Monkeyman giving him confidence to go after the crooked people who killed his Mother.
Monkey Man is very well shot with long kinetic action sequences that are very exciting. I do wish from time to time he had widened the shots to give more scope to the fights but I’m sure especially action fans will have a blast with this movie. I also loved his use of color and creative camera techniques to tell the story. If you’re an action fan I highly recommend this one.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
The Fall Guy
Now for an action movie I did not like we have The Fall Guy starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. I was very excited to see this film. In fact, it was my most anticipated movie of 2024. Perhaps my expectations were too high but the trailer really sold me on their chemistry and I was hopeful for a new action romance in the vein of Knight and Day or Romancing the Stone. Sadly it did not deliver on this potential and I left extremely disappointed.
The main problem with the movie is director David Leitch gives little purpose to much of the action he throws at us for nearly 2 hours (it felt much longer than that.) This makes it feel like we are seeing a stuntman highlight reel rather than an actual movie and I can do that on youtube for a couple of minutes of my time not hours.
The other big mistake is the movie is sold on its rom-com elements but then Leitch separates Blunt and Gosling for most of the movie! It makes all the mindless inane action dividing them feel all the more frustrating because they do have good chemistry- if only they were actually together on screen more!
Again I wanted to like The Fall Guy but instead I left bored and underwhelmed. What a disappointment!
4 out of 10
Frown Worthy
So there we have it. That’s SXSW so far! I hope the rest of the festival has more gems hidden in there. I will make sure to tell you about them in my next update.
If you enjoy my writing please support me on patreon and you will get some great perks along the way! Especially for things like festival coverage I cannot do it all on my own. Please take a look at the patreon here.
Hi from Austin, Texas! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying your Spring Break. I am busy attending the SXSW Film Festival in Austin and naturally have a lot of movies to catch you up on. Before that post I have a couple films outside of the festival to post my review on that both happen to be inspirational true story films. Here goes:
Arthur the King
I’m not sure why the studio is hedging on Arthur the King but I saw this back on March 3rd and have been embargoed all that time. It’s too bad because I loved it and could have promoted it to my followers.
It is based on the true story of adventure athlete Mikael Lindnord who befriends a scrappy dog (he names Arthur) during his endurance race in the Dominican Republic. Obviously this is a movie that manipulates the viewer and is very sentimental and sweet but it totally worked in that regard for me. Particularly what happens at the end I felt such relief and gratitude it’s not ‘that kind of dog movie’ if you know what I mean.
There is also a scene involving a zipline that had me at the edge of my seat. Arthur the King is an inspiring story for the whole family that I highly recommend.
8 out of 10
Smile Worthy
Cabrini
I feel like in the world of film critics I’m one of the more open-minded individuals when it comes to faith-based films. I know the genre has a lot of weaknesses but it is improving and Angel Studios is a big part of that. They are making quality projects with good acting and impressive production values. Last year they had the massive hit The Sound of Freedom, which I did recommend, and now they have Cabrini.
Unfortunately I’d say this is more of a mixed bag. I’m right on the fence on it. Production-wise it’s very well done convincingly recreating turn of the century New York City all around. The acting is also good with Cristiana Dell’Anna standing out as the lead playing Francesca Cabrini.
The problem is because the lead is a literal Saint they don’t do enough to flesh her out and make her a vulnerable character we can all relate with. It’s a long movie and I wish I was more invested throughout that runtime. After all, even Saints can have flaws!
Still for its target demographic Cabrini is worth a watch but maybe wait until a rental
5.5 out of 10
Smile Worthy
If you enjoy my writing please support me on patreon and you will get some great perks along the way! Especially for things like festival coverage I cannot do it all on my own. Please take a look at the patreon here.
DreamWorks as a studio is in a very weird place. Where their rival Disney is having a decidedly low moment DreamWorks is a mess of high and low quality releases with no seeming through-line between the movies and what they are doing with their brand. This was never more true than this week when we got 2 widely diverging sequels- both which nobody really asked for in the first place. Plus, we got Orion and the Dark a couple of weeks ago which they dumped on Netflix with hardly any publicity as if it was garbage (it wasn’t.) And who can forget last year when Ruby Gilman: Teenage Kraken was treated terribly by the studio and even Trolls: Band Togetherwasn’t given the publicity campaign you’d expect with that franchise (and it was terrible.)
Well let’s talk about the 2 sequels from this week:
Megamind vs The Doom Syndicate
Everyone knows I am a big fan of the original Megamind. I’ve always felt it got unfairly lost in the wave of Minionsand Despicable Me hype even though it is the superior of the two films. I even have the artbook for the original Megamind. I find it funny, inventive with great vocal performances.
Unfortunately DreamWorks did not live up to the legacy of the original with this terrible sequel. It fails in pretty much every respect and isn’t even enjoyable as a cheap introduction to the upcoming Megamind Rules television series.
It’s admittedly tough to craft a hero story around Megamind but what they come up with is so bland that the 85 minute runtime felt punishing. It isn’t funny and the loss of our original voicecast is not only obvious but a clear sign of a lack of investment by DreamWorks. I rarely use the word cash-grab but it is accurate in this instance.
I know some will say ‘but it’s just a direct to streaming movie. You shouldn’t have expected much.’ I review TV movies for a living and some of them are great. Just because something is cheap doesn’t necessarily mean it is devoid of creativity or laughs- an engaging script is very cheap! If I was laughing I wouldn’t care about the different voices or the weak animation. Heck I’m someone that LOVED Son of Bigfoot and that looks like a direct to dvd animated film from the outside but it’s actually great!
The fact is DreamWorks took Megamind and made junk and that offends me as an animation fan, critic and lover of the original film. How dare they!
0 out of 10- this sucks and I’m mad at them about it!
Frown Worthy
Kung fu Panda 4
If there is a franchise from DreamWorks that is underrated it has to be Kung Fu Panda. I recently saw the first one on the big screen at Maven Cinemas and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s funny and Po isa very likable character.
In my opinion all of the Kung fu Panda movies have been solid and I think I even enjoyed the last one more than most. I loved the story of Po and his 2 Dads and what it had to say. Now we have a 4th movie and once again they’ve made a solid entertaining entry in the series.
In this situation Po is asked to successor to him as the Dragon Warrior and he isn’t comfortable in the teacher/master role. He doesn’t like change, which I think all of us can relate with. Then he meets a fox (who looks like a wolf) named Zhen voiced by Awkwafina and they confront a villain named The Chameleon voiced with gleeful abandon by Viola Davis.
This is not a plot that will surprise or blow anyone away but it’s sweet and entertaining. I liked the way it was able to bring in the previous 3 films in both subtle and non-subtle ways and the script provided a good mixture of laughs and sweet moments. The animation and music are also up to the standards of the series. I really couldn’t ask for much more from a Kung fu Panda 4.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
So there you have it. The crazy thing is we have another DreamWorks film coming out later this year called The Wild Robot. It’s wild!
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Hi everyone! I hope you had a great January and that some of you got to enjoy the experience of the Sundance Film Festival both in person and online. I had a terrific time and saw 28 films this year! I also got to be on KSL Movie Show twice- once on their live show and once on the podcast edition.
Overall, I’d say the lineup was pretty good this year at Sundance. There wasn’t that much I disliked although last year was perhaps even better but there were a lot of good films.
You can listen to my recap with Louisa Moore (and the 50th episode of Female Film Critics Panel)
But here are my ranking and reviews of all 28 films I saw:
28. Seeking Mavis Beacon-
I was intrigued to watch this documentary, Seeking Mavis Beacon, because I learned how to type using Mavis Beacon software and thought it might be interesting to learn about her backstory. Unfortunately it was clear the research behind Mavis didn’t come to much so instead of just abandoning the project we were subject to their landlord disputes, attending parties and an occasional interview from one of the game developers. I realize it’s got to suck when your documentary topic proves fruitless but sometimes it happens and you have to move on. Don’t do whatever this was…
1 out of 10
Frown Worthy
27. Little Death-
Little Death is the kind of film I despise at Sundance. So shallow and annoying yet so full of its own virtue you can’t stand it or at least I couldn’t. Everything it does or says I’ve seen a million times and yet I’m supposed to be shocked. For example David Schwimmer’s director character has to change his character into a strong female woman and he goes on a rant about how every character is a strong female character. I’ve heard this so many times. What would actually be interesting is if someone commented on how most of these strong female characters aren’t actually made to appeal to women or for women. That would be insightful. Instead it’s more drivel pretending to be brilliant. Every character is unlikable and the animation and other artistic choices are the most basic of Sundance chic. No thank you! The dog is the only thing I liked.
2 out of 10
Frown Worthy
26. Between the Temples-
Sometimes a director, particularly at Sundance, can’t let himself get out of the way of the story. Such is the case with Between the Temples. Director Nathan Silver has a bunch of good ingredients with a funny story and charismatic performers but unfortunately I couldn’t enjoy the film because of the terrible filmmaking choices he makes. Silver has a love of extreme closeups for no reason, which is distracting to the overall narrative and the sound design was frankly bizarre. Whenever someone is eating we hear the food masticating in their mouth. We hear them scratching and slurping up tea. It’s unpleasant and doesn’t add anything of substance to the story. In the end, Between the Temples was a chore to get through and I couldn’t wait for it to be over.
2 out of 10
Frown Worthy
25. Handling the Undead-
There might be something in Handling the Undead that could make for a piece of a good movie but as presented it’s an extremely frustrating watch. It’s definitely the most lethargic and slow zombie movie ever made. In it we have a zombie uprising where there’s a lot of meaningful staring and sad faces, which sure you’d feel that way in a zombie apocalypse but there might also be some urgency? The cinematography and music are beautiful but almost nothing happens for 98 minutes. We are literally watching people stare longingly for over an hour. No thank you.
3 out of 10
Frown Worthy
24. Love Lies Bleeding-
It’s always interesting when a project or director has a lot of hype going into the festival. It feels like they almost never live up to expectations and that is definitely the case with Rose Glass and her new film Love Lies Bleeding. She had a big indie hit in 2019 with Saint Maud, which I finally watched before the festival (I don’t tend to like possession movies) and it is very well done. Unfortunately Love Lies Bleeding can’t decide whether it wants to be an erotic thriller or an over-the-top revenge fantasy. The performances are good by Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian but each new plot development got more ridiculous by the minute until the end is full-on absurd fantasy. I can see some will embrace the madness but it was too much for me and didn’t manage its tone well enough.
4 out of 10
Frown Worthy
23. Winner-
I like an inspirational true story as much as the next person but with Reality Winner’s story the filmmakers have the unfortunate task of making someone heroic who does something incredibly stupid. I’m not sure how the other bio-pic of her story fares but Winner feels extremely mediocre and would make more a home as a movie of the week on channels like Lifetime- but they’d make it more salacious and fun. Emilia Jones is good in the lead role and Connie Britton always adds gravitas to whatever she is in but the movie can’t get around the fact what Winner did was at best misguided and like I said stupid.
4 out of 10
Frown Worthy
22. And So it Begins-
Documentaries are tricky because so much of the entertainment value is unpredictable and depends on the charisma of the subject being profiled. Unfortunately And So it Begins is not able to make the Filipino presidential candidate Leni Robredo interesting. It has a few stirring speeches but most of it feels like watching the dry and dull goings-on of a campaign. Most frustrating is I didn’t feel like I actually got to know Robredo and instead was shown the busy-work and bureaucracy in setting up events and talking with the media. It just wasn’t interesting.
4 out of 10
Frown Worthy
21. Didi-
Didi is where we start to get into the more mixed bag experiences of the festival. There are some positives here. Director Sean Wang has captured authentic moments of a Taiwanese American family in 2008 with the awkward interactions between a teen b0y and his friends and family. Unfortunately the tone is all over the place and the teen is very unlikable at times. He’s not just rebellious but outright mean to his Mother and sister and even rude to his friends without a clear motivations for his behavior. It just made the whole thing kind of unpleasant to watch. Coming of age stories are already a tough sell for me and in the end I couldn’t vibe with this teen.
5 out of 10
Frown Worthy
20. Reinas-
Lately it seems to be a favorite theme of indie films to take on relationships between fathers and daughters- usually divorced Dads with their daughters. Aftersunwas a good example last year and this year at the festival there were 2 films, both in the Spanish language that were almost identical, Reinas and In the Summers. Unfortunately for Reinas, In the Summers was the better film so it gets higher on this ranking. I honestly don’t know what they were thinking having such similar films in the same category at the festival. The girls are cute in this one but not much else to find compelling.
5 out of 10
Frown Worthy
19. 10 Lives
10 Lives is our animated entry for the festival and I honestly wanted to like it more than I did. The animation is fairly generic cheap CG and the story feels played out. It perhaps hurts that it is similar in structure to Puss N Boots: The Last Wish (at least the very beginning of that film) and you all know how much I loved that one. In tphis case our cat comes back to earth as different animals which could have been funny but it again felt played out. It’s harmless for little kids but pretty generic.
5 out of 10
Frown Worthy
18. Rob Peace-
Next up we have Rob Peace and this is a tricky situation because it is a well made film. The acting is solid throughout and it is based on a true story so I don’t know how much room they had to work with for the story. However, every beat felt so predictable and played out it was frustrating to watch. As each part of the story unfolded I kept saying to myself what was going to happen and then sure enough it did. It just would be nice to get more stories from the Black experience and to tell them in more cinematically unique ways. This one is what I would call serviceable but totally unmemorable.
5 out of 10
Frown Worthy
17. In the Land of Brothers-
In the Land of Brothers tells 3 stories of Afghan refugees living in Iran which is a people and situations I know nothing about so it was intriguing on that level. However, all 3 stories werevery depressing and it might have been nice to throw in 1 with a little bit of hope for a little bit of variety. My favorite was the last which was about a marriage in a tough spot. They are all slice of life type stories but are well made and it would be interesting to see what these directors could do with a feature.
5 out of 10
Frown Worthy
16. Brief History of a Family
A lot of people at the festival were comparing Brief History of a Family to Saltburn but I didn’t see Saltburn so perhaps that helped in my enjoyment. It’s an impeccably well made film with a beautiful look to it and great performances but I don’t know if I totally got what it was going for in the story. It’s about a young man in China who begins to be attached to another set of parents (everyone only has 1 child because of the one child only policies) and this causes conflict with the couples actual son and with his parents. Still it’s one that I would be interested to watch again outside of the festival.
6 out of 10
Smile Worthy
15. In the Summers
Like I said, of the 2 films In the Summers was the better father/daughter journey over Reinas so it gets the higher placement. Like all of these stories, you have a flawed father who is abusive and angry but still loves his daughters in the best way he can. You have different actresses playing the girls over the years and they do a good job with the young performers and making them all feel like the same characters. I don’t know how I feel about how much Spanish they chose to not translate or subtitle in the movie. I feel like I missed out on a lot of the dialogue and important character interactions because of that choice. My response after I saw In the Summers is that it is ‘very sundancy’ and so I’m not surprised it won awards. It’s just strange they pitted it against another very similar film.
6 out of 10
Smile Worthy
14. Freaky Tales
This anthology of 80’s themed horror shorts got a ton of buzz at the festival and while I enjoyed them I don’t know how buzzworthy they really were. My favorite were the first and fourth. The first is about a group of punk kids who decide to fight the local skinheads (literally in a battle style combat scene) and then the fourth was about an NBA player who takes on some of those same thugs who try to steal from his house. He’s known as Sleepy Floyd but he does anything but sleep on them! These shorts are very bloody and they have a nice sense of humor. There’ s also a really fun cameo that everyone will get a kick out of in the 2nd short. These are enjoyable enough with a nice style and sense of humor to them but nothing outstanding.
6 out of 10
Smile Worthy
13. Frida-
Next up is a documentary Frida about the painter Frida Kahlo who was quite the personality. When I first saw this on the schedule I thought maybe it might be destined for the PBS Masters series but Kahlo has quite the tongue and isn’t afraid to use it! It was funny and surprising but does make you wonder where this can eventually land. They did all they could in this documentary to add animation in Kahlo’s style and make it as entertaining as possible but it still felt a little dry. Still, if you are interested in Kahlo and her art it’s a must watch.
6 out of 10
Smile Worthy
12. Girls State-
Girls State was a fun way to start off the festival especially because I saw Boys State a few years ago at the festival. I also got to give my review to the KSL Movie Show, which was a fun surprise. This is similar to Boys State but it isn’t quite as cynical. They did a very good job picking the girls to be featured and they try to show the differences between the 2 organizations. There is even one girl who starts doing an investigation into the differences between Boys State and Girls State. However, I did start to feel manipulated as I know so little information about both programs- perhaps the boys programs has a lot more applicants and interest? There could be reasons the programs are different besides just sexism. Still, it’s interesting to see the type of rhetoric effective on young girls and what is of concern to them right now.
6 out of 10
Smile Worthy
11. Skywalkers: A Love Story-
Next up we have another documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story that is about 2 legitimately crazy people and their love story. It’s too bad it is going straight to Netflix because these daredevils and their stunts are incredible to watch on the big screen. This tells the story of a couple Angela Nikolau and Vanya Beerkus who climb to the tops of high buildings and post about it on their social media. The pictures they get hanging off of poles and rooftops are unbelievable. Don’t watch this one if you have a fear of heights! Fortunately it is also a compelling love story as the title suggests. Think Free Solo but with actually nice people at the lead.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
10. Suncoast-
Starting the top 10 of the festival we have Suncoast which is another moving coming of age story. This time about a mother and daughter but it is also a story of loss and the burdens of caregiving. Nico Parker is excellent as a teen who has a terminally ill brother who has moved to the same hospice care center that Terri Schiavo was at in 2005 when her family battled whether to take her off of life support. Laura Linney lays Parker’s mother and she is a very flawed character but it is understandable under such a stressful situation.
We also have a Schiavo protestor and activist played by Woody Harrelson that I kept thinking was going to be a more untrustworthy character but he wasn’t. It was just unusual to have an adult man be so interested in a teen like Parker. However, the less compelling part was her various interactions with a new cooler group of friends who are actually quite accepting and kind (not the mean girls you think they will be at the beginning.) Still, this one is worth seeing for the good performances and a few very effective moments that got the tears flowing. It’s on hulu now and I think definitely worth a watch.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
9. Will & Harper-
Next up we have a sweet documentary most anyone will love called Will & Harper. It follows Will Ferrell as he takes a roadtrip with his longtime friend Harper Steele who has recently transitioned as a trans woman. It perhaps has 2 stops too many and is a bit too long at 114 minutes but I love stories about friendship and so I really enjoyed this one. It warms the heart.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
8. A New Kind of Wilderness-
When I first saw the blurb for A New Kind of Wilderness I didn’t know if it would be for me because there have been a lot of ‘living off the grid’ documentaries at Sundance and usually they aren’t for me. However, I’m really glad I saw this one because that’s actually not what it was about. It follows a family in Norway who have to transition away from their idyllic homeschool-led off the grid lifestyle when the Mother and primary breadwinner of the family dies of cancer.
In the end it becomes a story about grief and loss and how it can wound us not just emotionally but practically as well when a person is suddenly gone- especially someone as important as a Mother. It was neat to have the entire family there at the screening and the whole thing had huge heart. I cried my eyes out.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
7. The Greatest Night in Pop-
I have to admit I am not the biggest fan of the 1985 anthem “We are the World” but I saw The Greatest Night in Pop because it fit into my schedule and I’m so glad I did. This is an extremely entertaining and well put-together documentary that is more about capturing a moment than this particular song.
Director Bao Nguyen does a wonderful job combining new and archival interviews along with footage from the recording studio to bring the night of the recording to life. Getting together so many stars of the day was a feet and managing to make a listenable song is pretty impressive. One of my favorite moments is when Stevie Wonder helps Bob Dylan have the confidence in his solo and When Stevie helps Ray Charles find the bathroom- the blind literally leading the blind!
This is just extremely well done. I highly recommend it.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
6. Your Monster-
If any of you saw the recent Lisa Frankenstein and were disappointed you might find Your Monster to be more your cup of tea. It combines elements of romantic comedy and horror more successfully and makes for a fun campy wathcing experience. Melissa Barrera plays a recently dumped woman who finds a monster (Tommy Dewey)in her closet who just might be the key to her getting over he breakup.
This film doesn’t take itself too seriously and the two leads have an odd but effective chemistry. Some of the antics with the best friend and ex get a little old but still I had a great time with this and if you can handle some blood particularly at the end I recommend it.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
5. Thelma-
Readers of my reviews know I love movies about old people- the crankier the better so Thelma had my name written all over it. June Squibb plays a 90-year-old Thelma who goes on a revenge outing with her best friend played by Richard Roundtree to retrieve money scammed from her. The story gets very ridiculous especially by the end but everyone involved is so charming you cannot help but have a good time. I loved Parker Posey and Clark Gregg as her daughter and son-in-law and Fred Hechinger as her insecure but loveable grandson. Thelma also doesn’t overstay its welcome at only 97 minutes. Watch it with your Grandma. They will love it. I wish I could watch it with mine.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
4. A Real Pain-
A Real Pain is an interesting film because it has a lot of elements that might normally turn me off. Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg (who directs and writes) play cousins who go on a Poland Holocaust tour to honor their beloved Grandma. Culkin’s character is a lot of personality and a little of him goes a long way but the movie knows that and gives us enough breaks to make it palatable. It’s also mercifully short at just 90 minutes so we don’t get too sick of him.
The part I connected with most was the love both men have for their Grandma, who we never see, but that love spoke to me and was something I could relate with as I was very close to my Grandma Wagner. In the end, A Real Pain is a heartfelt and poignant film anyone who has an annoying cousin or loved their grandma will be able to connect with.
8 out of 10
Smile Worthy
3. Luther: Never Too Much-
Next up we have the biggest surprise for me at the festival in the documentary Luther: Never Too Much. I went into it knowing nothing about the singer aside from a few of his songs especially “A Whole New World” from Aladdin but I left really relating with his story and journey as a human being. There’s nothing particularly special about the structure of this documentary. It’s your standard bio-doc of a musician but they did an excellent job of showcasing Vandross’s work but also his internal struggles and challenges.
I connected most with his being a singer of cheesy love ballads who had never fallen in love himself. As someone who covers cheesy romantic movies for my job but have never fallen in love I could relate to this story. We never talk about the people who never fall in love in this world but there are lots of us who it never happens to and I appreciate this documentary addressing that honestly. Of course, it may be that Vandross was closeted gay man but he never came out in his lifetime so that is an added layer.
Again this is not any great feet of filmmaking but I just connected with Luther Vandross as a person and so it was a special experience at the festival for me.
9 out of 10
Smile Worthy
2. Hit man-
Hit man was definitely one of my most hyped films of the festival. Having had big runs at other festivals and coming from director Richard Linklater I was pretty sure I would like it and I did. It’s one of his more lighthearted romps compared to something more serious like Boyhood but it is slick and extremely well put together.
It tells the fictious account of a real life undercover hitman in Texas played by Glen Powell and what happens when his undercover persona becomes his real persona. Powell is incredibly charismatic and he has terrific chemistry with Adria Arjona (and some very sexy scenes!) This is not to be realistic or tense but zippy engaging little comedic thriller. It’s just a shame it is going straight to Netflix because its very entertaining and theatergoers would love it. Stupid Netflix
9 out of 10
Smile Worthy
1.Ghostlight
Finally we have a movie practically made for me, Ghostlight. It tells the story of a family deep in grief who are struggling to move on with their lives. The father stumbles into a community theater production of Romeo & Juliet which starts to change this rough and gruff construction worker. What’s really special about this film, aside from the pitch perfect script, is that the family (Mother, father, daughter) are played by an actual family- the Kupferer family. This allows them to have natural chemistry and we really feel like we go on a journey with these people as drama and community helps them cope with tremendous loss.
It’s also not a downer but can be quite funny and charming with Dolly de Leon playing our older Juliet actress who is paired with the gruff father. I know it is a bit on the nose, but it all worked for me. I was moved to tears multiple times and it made me immediately want to recommend it to friends and family- particularly all my theatre friends! I would be shocked if Ghostlight doesn’t end up in my top 10 of 2024 films (although I have no idea why it is called Ghostlight).
9 out of 10
Smile Worthy
So there you have it! I know it took me over a month to finish this ranking but I sincerely had a great experience at the festival and saw a bunch of films I’ll not soon forget. Which ones look the most intriguing to you? I would love to hear what you think. Happy movie-watching!
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