The live-action version of The Little Mermaid has awesome music as expected but the film itself is way too long at 135 minutes. Ariel (Halle Bailey) finally comes to the screen in live-action. The studio might call it a reimagining but they keep the basic gist of the story. Ariel is the adventurous young daughter of King Triton (Javier Bardem). Much like the 1989 film, she is a free spirit and always rebelling against the…
"The Little Mermaid: Awesome Music But Too Long"Tag: Awkwafina
From the outside looking in, The Bad Guys might be about bad guys but there’s a redemption story at the core of the film. Is there some sort of clause in Sam Rockwell’s contract where he is required to play characters with a redemption story? We’ve seen this so far in a few films now. Mind you, it’s been a few years since the last redemption story starring Rockwell. Maybe it’s the whole animation thing…
"The Bad Guys Is A Redemption Story"
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings makes its arrival on home video as the second post-blip feature in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Before you read any further, the film features both a mid-credits scene and an end-credits scene. In theory, this is the second feature film of Phase 4. However, Black Widow was first but it takes place during the Phase 3 era. This film is noticeably post-blip with its references (signs or…
"Shang-Chi Arrives On Home Video"
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings makes its long-delayed arrival as the second post-blip feature in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Before you read any further, the film features both a mid-credits scene and an end-credits scene. In theory, this is the second feature film of Phase 4. However, Black Widow was first but it takes place during the Phase 3 era. This film is noticeably post-blip with its references (signs or a line…
"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings"
Disney has done it again as the cast and crew of Raya and the Last Dragon take viewers on another heartwarming adventure. One thing I love about this film is that it is authentic in every sense of the word. While the film itself takes place in the fantasy world of Kumandra, it is inspired by the Southeast Asian culture. This also includes the fighting styles that we see on screen. We can see this…
"Raya and the Last Dragon is Heartwarming"
Jumanji: The Next Level appropriately raises the stakes as the game takes all the major players to the next level upon their return. If you read nothing else, please do not immediately leave as the credits begin to role. There is a mid-credits scene. It’s been two years since the previous adventure. While some things have changed, the core four have remained friends. So what happened to lead us to where we find ourselves today? …
"Jumanji: The Next Level Raises The Stakes"
The Farewell is a very intimate look at one family as they go about saying goodbye to a loved one while never letting them know the truth. Billi (Awkwafina) joins the rest of her family in Changchun to say goodbye to her grandmother (Shuzhen Zhao). As a cover, the family is planning the wedding for her Japanese-raised cousin. It’s one of the best cover ops ever when you think about it. What other way can…
"The Farewell: An Intimate Story for Lulu Wang"
There’s no doubt that Paradise Hills has a lot of ambition with a strong feminist story it wishes to tell but manages to miss the mark somewhere along the way. The film starts with Uma (Emma Roberts) getting married to a mysterious man that we hardly know anything about. Almost immediately as any action takes place, the film jumps straight to two months earlier. This allows us to dive into the backstory of how we…
"Sundance 2019: Paradise Hills"
Crazy Rich Asians is the big screen flick that injects some new life so desperately needed in the romantic comedy genre. If Netflix had their way, you wouldn’t be seeing the film in theaters. This means that my Netflix-free parents wouldn’t see it at all. Thank G-d a studio wanted to release this film in theaters because it’s a lot of fun. NYU economics professor Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) had no clue what she was getting when…
"Crazy Rich Asians Injects Life In Rom-Coms"
Ocean’s 8 is just entertaining enough to pull off a heist but the film doesn’t really up the stakes in the franchise. Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) has been planning the Met Gala heist for five years, eight months, and twelve days. Or so she says. Pulling it off won’t be easy. It’s going to require the aid of her partner, Lou Miller (Cate Blanchett). By Debbie’s math, it’s going to take seven people to pull…
"Ocean’s 8 doesn’t change Status Quo"