Hey everyone! I hope you are doing well and enjoying what has turned out to be a pretty fascinating summer movie season. The studios have tried a lot and the experimental and unusual has won over the safe and expected. Make sure you are following me on instagram because I give my out of theater reaction of every movie and live theatre production I see. Let me know what you think of these films and what your favorite of the summer turned out to be:

Blue Beetle

Blue Beetle is our latest from DC (who knows whether it is still DCEU or the first of the DCU but I don’t really care…) and after their massive flop with The Flash (which I liked more than most even with its flaws) DC needed a solid likable film and that’s basically what they got here. It’s generic but thoroughly watchable and fun. I think a big part of enjoyment of this film goes into expectations. It’s not some kind of comicbook masterpiece but it’s cute and the cast is likable.

The story is by-the-numbers superhero origin story and the villain by Susan Sarandon is lame but Xolo Maridueña is likable and charming in the lead. Sometimes that’s all you need in a movie like Blue Beetle. The family and Mexican culture give the movie warmth and character but I wish there was more of it and less of the bland goings-on at Kord Industries. Still, I think most people will have a good time with Blue Beetle and I’d watch it again without much protest, and I can’t say that about all the DC films.

6 out of 10

Smile Worthy

Strays

I rarely truly hate a movie, but Strays is an exception to that rule. I’m not exaggerating when I say I was a half second away from walking out of the theater midway through its 93 minute runtime. Naturally I know a raunchy comedy like Strays is not really made for me but I went into it with an open mind and hoping to find a guilty pleasure. The main problem was I didn’t laugh hardly at all and it’s just the same 2 or 3 jokes over and over again until I wanted to rip my hair out. It’s completely disgusting and its attempts to be sentimental feel so off-putting after the barrage of poop and dog-humping gnome jokes we’ve gotten. If you think a dog saying f*** a lot is hilarious than maybe you’ll enjoy this one. I hated it. Stay away!

1 out of 10

Frown Worthy

Talk to Me

Unlike with Strays, sometimes going out of my comfort zone pays off which is what happened with the indie horror film Talk to Me. Directed by youtubers Danny and Michael Philippou they have crafted a tight little horror movie about a bunch of stupid teens who commune with evil spirits using a supernatural hand device. This brings in themes of loss and grief naturally and anyone who has spent time with bored aimless teens will be able to relate (or been such a teen yourself.) The acting was mostly amateurish but it did the job it needed to do for this story and the scares are definitely there.

8 out of 10

Smile Worthy

Gran Turismo

Remember when Disney used to put out those inspirational sports movies like Miracle and Million Dollar Arm? Well, that’s basically what we get with the new film Gran Turismo and I loved every second of it! This is a wildly entertaining film from director Neill Blomkamp starring Archie Madekwe as young teen who dreams of racing in a real race car but has to settle for the video game Gran Turismo. Then one day Orlando Bloom’s character Danny Moore leads a team to give the best video game rider a chance at the real deal. David Harbour is great as the salty ex-driver and the racing scenes are kinetic and exciting.

The only real flaw I had with Gran Turismo is at times it felt like a commercial for the game but everything else was so well executed I didn’t mind that. This is a real winner and one the whole family will love.

9 out of 10

Smile Worthy

Puppy Love

Some romantic comedies work almost in spite of themselves and Puppy Love is a good example of that happening. It’s a classic enemies to lovers type story where 2 people that don’t get along are forced to spend time together when their dogs fall in love. What worked for me in this movie is the adorable doggies and the performance by Grant Gustin. He is charming but in a nerdy very awkward kind of way. I completely bought this man would have trouble meeting women which is refreshing in these movies because most of the time I’m like ‘sure this movie star has a hard time getting a date…) He even felt on the spectrum at times, which made his character easy to connect with and enjoy.

Unfortunately the chemistry with Lucy Hale just isn’t there and the humor falls completely flat in the film. Still Gustin is good enough and the puppies are cute enough to recommend it.

6 out of 10

Smile worthy

Have you seen any of these films? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. 

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