Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Polite Society - I really liked this! It's fast-paced, has a strong story, and is very funny. Plus, I really like the girl from The Umbrella Academy (Ritu Arya). The entire cast is actually fantastic, but the highlight is probably Nimra Bucha as the soon-to-be mother-in-law because I *knew* she was evil, but she does it in a way that is so deliciously sweet that I second guessed myself a few times. I like that it embraces Pakistani culture but isn't about being Pakistani (which there's nothing wrong with, I just feel like there are so many stories to tell featuring different cultures and identities, but the stories don't necessarily have to be about them *being* that specific culture or identity. Does that make sense?). Instead, it's about a teenage girl who has high dreams of becoming a stuntwoman, who is convinced that her sister is marrying the wrong person and losing her own identity. I don't have a sister, but if she did, I probably would be ECSTATIC if she were marrying a wealthy man (because she would obvi buy me stuff and take me on fancy vacations with her), but Ria is suspicious of him right away (mostly due to jealousy at first). It moves really quickly and is really fun - filled with a few very well-choreographed fight sequences, I was entertained from beginning to end. There are also some very laugh-out-loud moments - the scene where they infiltrate the locker room and they try to walk with "swagger", and towards the end when they get past security by saying "heavy flow" multiple times. Overall, highly recommend. 

2. Renfield - This is another fun movie! I don't always like Nicolas Cage, but he almost always gives his all - and he truly goes for it as Dracula. Nicholas Hoult is a perfect example of an actor that has really grown with every performance, and he also found what he's good at. I really didn't like him until Warm Bodies, but even then I was sort of "meh" on him until The Great, which he is spectacular in. I just really hated him on Skins and then he got a bunch of big roles (well roles that were supposed to be big anyway) like Jack the Giant Slayer, Kill Your Friends, and the Clash of the Titans remake and he was so terrible in all of them. But NOW I pretty much love him. See, I'm very open-minded! Anyway, he's a lot of fun in this, and really plays off of Cage's energy very well. The concept is *very* What We Do in the Shadows, but I *love* that series (and the movie), so I don't mind. I wish it were a bit scarier kind of like the Fright Night remake with Colin Farrell - that felt like the stakes were higher and had some terrifying moments. This is more fun with a little bit of gore. But it's one of those movies that accomplishes everything it's trying to do - so that's a win. I laughed and I was entertained. The bar is pretty low for those two things and yet so many movies fail. 

3. They Cloned Tyrone - I saw the fairly good reviews and the cast consisting of Jamie Foxx, John Boyega and Teyona Parris and I was in. I chose to watch this on Barbenheimer weekend, instead of Barbie or Oppenheimer because the movie theater stresses me out, especially when it's busy. I'll wait a few weeks until after it dies down before I see either of these movies (I don't need to be up-to-date with the latest theater releases and I think it's weird that it seems like a race to watch movies now. Another effect of social media, I think). Anyway, this was pretty good! Not only is it a great sci-fi concept, it's also got a strong conspiracy theory/anti-government stance. It reminds me a bit of what Antebellum was trying to do (which is why I couldn't hate on that movie as much as everyone else seemed to. It had a strong story, it just wasn't told well). Also, as I'm currently watching Oz (I'm almost finished with the 3rd season), I can easily connect the two (while Oz is a more realistic take on the idea that the government is keeping black people down starting with the prison system). Racism is systemic - and we're never going to solve it unless there is a radical change from the top. The movie's biggest success, though, is that it is very quick and it is very funny. It moves very fast - almost too fast, because I found myself catching the joke a moment or two too late. I think my favorite moment is when she's trying to be low-key in the Carmen Sandiego outfit (which is already funny) and then the woman screams at her from across the street "lookin' like Carmen Sandiego". I also laughed at "they Clockwork Oranging us!!". I like that it has a retro 90s vibe, but they talk about bitcoin and have cellphones (but it could have easily taken place in the 90s). It definitely could have had a shorter runtime (could have been a perfect 100 minute movie) and the scene with Boyega in the old man makeup is awful (it restricts his facial movements so much - it's such an important reveal scene, too). Other than that though, it's a solid movie!

4. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts - I know everyone hates the Transformers movies except *somehow* the most boring and dull one, Bumblebee, seems to be highly praised (make it make sense!?), but I love them all. Yes, even Revenge of the Fallen (that's the one that everyone hates, right? I don't remember anymore). I didn't even realize that this was released already and had a theater run and everything?! I didn't really see anyone talk about it or review it, which is weird, and obviously not a good sign. I looked a little at some of the reviews and to no surprise, they were mostly bad. But, once again, I'm going to disagree with everyone. It's fine. Solid 3 star movie and exactly what I expected it to be. I like the cast a lot - specifically Dominique Fishback (I'm rooting for her hard!). I've seen Anthony Ramos in a few things (In the Heights, In Treatment), and he's never really stood out to me but I didn't not like him. He doesn't bother me in the same way that a lot of trendy actors do. He's good in this - very charming and likeable (although I was instantly sold on the character with the Mets hat and the Wu-Tang poster). I was a little confused by the timeline, but that's mostly because I have a bad memory. I guess this one is supposed to be a sequel to the Bumblebee one, right? But for some reason I don't remember that one taking place in the 90s? Hmmmm....? Anyway, I had fun with this. I think there's definitely too many needledrops - and in a row! It's very weird and distracting. I laughed hard at the line "Marky Mark is leaving the Funky Bunch!". It's so cheesy, but it made me giggle (first, because Marky Mark joins the Transformers universe, and second, because I can actually remember when that was big news! I'm old.). 

5. The Super Mario Bros. Movie - I like this movie because my husband liked this movie. I honestly couldn't care less about Mario and the gang, but he was laughing and smiling the whole way through this and that's what movies like this are about. I definitely played Super Mario Bros. when I was a pre-teen, and I remember it being fun, but it's not something that I have any passion for whatsoever. And I tried to play Mario Kart a few years ago and I thought it was boring. I'm not really a gamer, though. I'd rather watch movies. But my husband can be a gamer sometimes - he goes through phases of being obsessed with a new game and then he won't play anything for months at a time. But he was practically giddy watching this and yelled out whenever a character was introduced and when he recognized an easter-egg. It was really cute. And the movie is cute, too. I think it accomplishes what it was trying to do, which is be a fun movie for children and adults. I do think that Chris Pratt was miscast as Mario (and I like Chris Pratt, which is super uncool among film twitter) and I think Mario and Luigi sound waaaay too similar. I almost think that Charlie Day should have been Mario and someone else should have been Luigi? BUT, Jack Black is INCREDIBLE. He has so much fun with this role, and you can really tell he took it very seriously. I also enjoyed Seth Rogen - even though I think his voice is a little too recognizable. Actually it's more his laugh that is recognizable (my husband asked who it was *right before* he did his signature laugh and then he said "oh...nevermind" because even he knew who it was and he never knows anyone). My favorite part though was Blue Flame's dialogue. It's super dark for *kid's movie*, but I laughed so hard (he says stuff like "there is no sunshine only darkness" and, like, longs for death. It's HILARIOUS).