I’ve watched three Christmas movies so far this holiday season. Here is a quick review of each of them (in order that I watched them). Two ratings on two different scales of 1-10
Holidate (2020)Moving rating: 3/10 Christmas movie rating: 4/10 Reccomended: No Age Rating: TV-MA, not family-friendly Genres: romance, comedy Summary: “Fed up with being single on holidays, two strangers agree to be each other's platonic plus-ones all year long, only to catch real feelings along the way,” (Netflix). My Commentary: The idea of the movie was funnier than the movie itself. A lot of the humor depended on the cringe-factor which isn’t my favorite kind of humor. But, it made me laugh plenty. The romantic speech at the end almost made the rest of the movie forgivable (and forgettable), but that’s might just be me. It’s not the worst movie I’ve ever watched and I don’t regret watching it, but I wouldn’t watch it again and don’t really recommend it. That is, of course, unless you enjoy bad Christmas movies. Then this might just be up your alley. Starring: Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey Other actors I enjoyed in this film were Manish Dayal and Kristin Chenoweth. Director: John Whitesell Screenplay: Tiffany Paulsen Producers: McG, Mary Viola Christmas Catch (2018)Moving rating: 5/10 Christmas movie rating: 5/10 Reccomended: Sure Age Rating: TV-PG Genres: romance, drama, crime thriller (sort of) Summary: “A cop working undercover to trail a possible diamond thief gets caught in a tricky spot when she finds new clues — and new feelings — for the suspect,” (Netflix). “Detective Mackenzie Bennett is hot on the trail of Carson, a suspected diamond thief, and goes undercover to catch him in the act. While working, Mack not only falls for Carson but begins to suspect that he's been framed,” (Google knowledge panel, unclaimed). My Commentary: Definitely cute and a little different from other Christmas movies I’ve seen. Then again, it wasn’t particularly Christmasy. It took place in December and the MCs loved Christmas, but that is about it. One thing I loved is that both main characters loved Christmas to a ridiculous extent, the spirit of it, and especially decorations. I found it a nice reprieve from the characters (especially female-leads) who want Christmas to die until they meet Santa or something. I recommend it more as a sweet romance and light mystery than a Christmas movie™. It’s not going to win any awards, but there are things like that the female-lead is supposed to flirt and is so bad it had me in stitches. As if that wasn’t good enough, her mother (also her captain) and her (cop) partner KNOW she’s terrible at it and tease her pretty mercilessly. It’s hilarious. Starring: Emily Alatalo, Lauren Holly, Yanic Truesdale Director: Justin G. Dyck Screenplay: Patrick McBrearty Producer: Myles Milne Christmas Chronicles (2018)Note: A sequel came out this year.
Moving rating: 8/10 Christmas movie rating: 10/10, it had Santa, kids, decorations, reindeer, music, everything Reccomended: Absolutely! Age Rating: TV-PG, family-friendly Genres: comedy Summary: “After accidentally crashing Santa’s sleigh, a brother and sister pull an all-nighter to save Christmas with a savvy, straight-talking St. Nick,” (Netflix). My Commentary: Even though this is the movie I liked best on this list, I don’t know what to say about it. It was super sweet, funny, and fun. It had the most original Santa (character) I’ve seen. I did not stop laughing the whole movie, I don’t know where to start. The kids, Santa, the elves, the normal people they interacted with and their reactions to Santa- all priceless. Everytime you think you know what is going to happen next- you are wrong, haha. I definitely recommend this movie for the whole family! Starring: Kurt Russell, Darby Camp, Judah Lewis Director: Chris Columbus Screenplay: Chris Columbus, Matt Lieberman Producers: Kurt Russell, Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe, Michael Barnathan
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Have you ever stopped to wonder if there was a comedy about cannibalism out there, waiting to be enjoyed? Probably not, but if you have, I am here with good news. Delicatessen (1991) is a French film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amélie, 2001) and Marc Caro (The City of Lost Children, 1995). It takes place in the future, in a post-apocalyptic France (although there's a certain timelessness about it), focusing on a single apartment owned by The Butcher. It is full of interesting tenants, all of whom share one, dark secret. And it’s the reason they keep needing to hire new handymen. Some of the tenants...
This film has romance, it has action and suspense, and it will surely make you laugh out loud. Story aside, the cinematography and audio are incredibly clever. You can find English subtitles, but even without understanding the dialogue, you can figure out a lot. The story comes alive on its own. It is a crazy and even ridiculous story at times, but always intriguing. I highly recommend this movie (rated R). I wouldn’t consider it true horror, but still suggest not watching it right before bed or while you eat. When my mother was 18, the movie “When Harry Met Sally” came out. She loved it, of course. She said she’s pretty sure it was always playing somewhere in the all-women dorm. 31 years later, I am 18, so she showed it to me. And I’m so glad she did. Because it was beautiful. And hilarious. And heart-wrenching. And I loved it, too. There are many enemies-to-friends-to-lovers slow burn romances out there, but few as phenomenal or as iconic as this one. And few with so much hair. If you don’t know the movie, here is the basic premise: Sally (Meg Ryan) drives Harry (Billy Crystal) from the University of Chicago and New York City, not because she likes him, but because they were going to the same place. It was both the practical and the kind thing to do. I believe she later describes the drive to a friend as “the longest night of [her] life.” When they get to the city, she drops him off at his new apartment and drives away. This was first time I wanted to squeal. They said goodbye as if that were it! “They don’t know,” I’d said to my mom then, “That this is only the beginning of their movie.” Of course, they meet again. And again. And again in another random place by coincidence. And soon they become friends, best friends, even though Harry has always claimed that men and women can’t really be friends (the sex part always gets in the way). This movie made me laugh so hard I couldn’t breathe while also leaving me teary, clutching my heart. The beauty is in the details. The writing, the dialogue especially, was incredible. The characters were in the most interesting situations, including setting and activity. And it all worked perfectly. The conversations were incredibly clever in both the writing and the delivery. I don’t know what more I can say about it. I had to write this down before I could go to sleep. It was simply too good to wait. I 100% recommend this movie to any romantics, for I think it will please your hearts. And for anyone who doesn’t usually watch romantic comedies, I still recommend it. It is that good. Oh, one more thing, I do not know if I am in love with Sally or if I merely relate to her very much. Either way (maybe both), I think she is a fantastic character. Director: Rob Reiner Writer: Nora Ephron Fantasy/ Action Directed by Joachim Rønning Written by Linda Woolverton, Micah Fitzerman-Blue, and Noah Harpster. A sequel to Maleficent (2014). Both movies are based on the story of Sleeping Beauty, focusing on the evil witch. LOTS OF SPOILERS FOR BOTH MOVIES (sorry, I couldn’t help it) If you haven’t watched the first one, stop right here and go watch it. It’s amazing. People laugh, but I’m serious about watching and reading stuff in order! I think it matters. I loved this movie, and as soon as it ended I thought I was ready to write a review. But, it’s taken me a while to finish it because I haven’t quite figured out how to explain why I love both Maleficent movies so much. I wanted to do them justice. IThey are fun, action-packed movie that ended up holding a deeper message than I was able to explore all at one. The sequel did not disappoint. SummariesMalificent (2014) The first movie shows a cheerful, kind young woman with big, powerful, and beautiful wings and magical powers. She was a fae named Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) who lived among a other fae in the Moors, a magical forest. One day, a human man named Stefan (Sharlto Copley) discovered the forest and met Maleficent. They fell in love. Then, humans begin attacking Maleficent and the Moors. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone, but must protect her kingdom and the fae. Humans see her self-defense as an act of war, as aggressive. The king offers his throne and the hand of his daughter to anyone who could cut off the wings of Maleficent and bring them to him. Stefan was a poor peasant and his greed and stupidity were stronger than his love and humanity. He visited Maleficent as though everything was normal and lovely. He cut off her wings in her sleep and took them.
Malifacent: the Mistress of Evil (2019) In the second movie, Aurora , Princess of the Moors,-who grew to become like a daughter to Maleficent in the first movie- is marrying Prince Phillip (Brenton Thwaites in first movie, then Harris Dickinson) and they hope to reign over both the human kingdom and the Moors. Of course, things do not go as planned. The story paints a vivid picture of how dangerous lies can be and how easily they can spread. My ThoughtsThis was a great sequel and a great movie. It followed the story appropriately, i.e. it made sense both chronologically and the characters were consistent, but it still stood on its own. It felt different from the first movie in the best way. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Visual Effects The visual effects were breathtaking. All of it: the costumes, the set design, the CGIs, the stunts and the world-building overall were all incredible. I felt like I was there. Characters I have a range of opinions about the characters. I was impressed by the villain, Queen Ingris (Michelle Pfeiffer). She had a backstory (mentioned briefly, but solid) and a strong motive to do what she did. Also? She was smart. She didn’t get so far with her plan by sheer luck (that drives me crazy). She started a real, full-on war all by herself without anyone realizing that she was doing it. Talk about manipulative. Not only was she smart and manipulative, she was crazy evil. She hurt people in her own kingdom and fae alike without regret or empathy and proved to be ruthless. All of that is why I hated the ending she got. I feel like the writers failed her. When they could have done anything with the ending, they tried to make it funny. I’m not saying she should have been killed, but there’s a moment when she falls facedown in the dirt and looks up like a pissy girl at a party in a comedy (or something) when she stood up. It was an injustice to her character and diluted her power. Overall, the ending was pretty great, but there were parts specific to her ending that were flat out unsatisfying. Aurora and her hubby, Prince Philip’s, characters served their purpose but were very bland. It wasn’t until after I got home from the theater that I realized there was not a ton of interesting dialogue or many lines at all (definitely not from those two). It still worked. There was so much to look at that I didn’t care. But, these characters were not the draw. Maleficent was spectacular. Angelina Jolie performed this role with incredible talent and grace. The character was complex and broken and beautiful. And she managed to capture all of that. Deeper Insight - Maleficent's Important Connection In one scene, Maleficent is shot down from the sky (by orders of the evil queen) and would have died if not saved by Conall (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a fae. He was the same kind of fae as Maleficent. Remember: before this, she had never met another fae like her. So, he brings her, unconscious and dying, to a hidden nest that opens into a large cave filled with faes just like her and patches her up. She wakes up and meets them. She watches them move, flying like she does with beautiful wings. She sees them walking and talking. One thing that caught her attention came as a surprise to my mom, but makes perfect sense to me: she was mesmerized by the young children learning to fly. In the first movie, Maleficent falls in love with the young Aurora she cursed. She definitely has a soft spot for kids. Another thing from the first movie concerns the very first scenes. She grew up alone, but happy and playful, just like thee kids she saw in the cave. One night, they had a party. Some fae drummed and played music while others danced and yet others simply sat around and talked. Happily. This was the emotional turning point for Maleficent. No one can fight without having something to fight for. All of a sudden, she wasn’t alone. She wasn’t a monster to them like she spent years being told she was by humans. I love that she found her people and culture. That is what gave the movie a punch, for me. I connected to it and I think anyone who has ever felt outcasted, especially those who have been lucky enough to later find a community that accepted them, can relate with Maleficent in these scenes. Conall believes in peace. He wants to co-exist with humans so that his people can live free. She agrees fully until she meets also Borra (Ed Skrein) who has another idea. He wants to go to war with the humans that almost wiped out their species and forced the rest into hiding. It’s a hard pitch for Maleficent to ignore after she had tried to make peace only for humans to still hate her and try to kill her. She chooses peace. The question is whether she can convince others to do the same. ConclusionWatch. The. Movies. If I haven’t convinced you already, here’s my last try: The main character is played by ANGELINA JOLIE. Have you seen her jawbones? She plays a gorgeous and regal Maleficent. Romantic comedy Director: Blayne Weaver Screenplay: Patricia Harrington Can you hear the sleigh bells ringing? Tis’ the season for Hallmark Christmas movies! I think Santa Girl had a fresh take to share. What if Santa (Barry Bostwick) wasn’t quite so jolly? He has a business to run after all. His latest matter of business? Convincing his daughter to marry her betrothed, Jack Frost’s (Hank Stone) son, to save the family business. Jack Frost, by the way? Terrifying man, I mean, absolutely despicable. But, with his money and Santa’s elves and toy-making business, they would be a perfect team. Except, Cassie Claus (Jennifer Stone) doesn’t want to marry someone she’s never met. She wants to travel the world and find herself before she has to settle back down in the North Pole for the rest of her life. As a compromise, her father lets her go to college for one semester, just until Christmas, if she promises to come back and get married. Since when do things go as planned in movies? The entry into the real world isn’t a smooth ride, but she makes two friends quickly. Well, she has two boys who have crushes on her (or do they?) and, well, it’s mutual. But, she can’t date or let herself have these feelings because she’s engaged. But, neither JR (Joshua Cody) or Sam (Devon Werkheiser) are going to give up easily.
An action-packed comedic movie, directed by Peter Segal and produced by Leonard B. Stern. This is the kind of movie (and these are rare) that both my parents and I all enjoyed. I was cracking up the entire time. It was light-hearted, but had a few sweet moments to give it some umph. The humor had undertones of a slap-stick with some physical comedy, and there were some clever lines, as well. Well-rounded on that front. Also, the lead is Anne Hathaway who is amazing, gorgeous, talented, and all around adorable, playing a badass character- the movie was worth it just for that alone. Synopsis (no spoilers) There was a spy government agency, until the bad guys blew up the building (and all their covers). The only two agents who’s covers haven’t been blown, who can do the mission, are Agent 99 and 86. Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) is experienced and one of the best in the field. She was safe because she recently had dramatic plastic surgery, so the bad guys didn’t know who she was. The second person was brand-spanking new to the job, Agent 86. Max (Steve Carell) had always dreamed of becoming an agent, and on his eighth try, he passed the field test to become one. Unfortunately for him, the boss wanted to keep him behind the desk, in analytics, because he was so good. But, in the aftermath of the explosion, in the moment of crisis, he was promoted. And, so, the two agents set off. As you can imagine, things went less than smoothly… It’s rated Rated PG-13 for “some rude humor, action violence and language” (IMDb). It was still a great family movie for us, though.
If you like movies like this, I highly recommend: Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson, 2003) and The Spy Next Door (Jackie Chang, 2010). The original came out 2004 and made up most of my childhood. I watched it again and again. Violet Parr continues to be my role model- scratch that- a goddess- scratch: everything I aspire to be. Okay, maybe not really, but her character development throughout the movie was impressive. I liked most of the women in this film. Ellen/ Elastigirl was saving the day, Velma was jaw dropping as always, and Frozone's wife even got a line! I enjoyed the fact that the most notable government official in the movie was "The Ambassador," a woman who stood strong even as her life and job were in peril. Don't get me started on Void, a newly introduced superhero who was adorable! She fangirled over Elastigirl, and anyone in any fandom could completely relate to the giddiness. My favorite scenes were the one about baby Jack-Jack because the mom is away saving the day nowadays, and dad is kind of overwhelmed. Hm hmm... who's the real super hero now Mr. Incredible? One sequel I'd say may just live up to it's original. My favorite scenes that sounds very odd out of context: baby Jack-Jack fighting a raccoon. It is crazy cute! They may have added one since I saw it in theaters, but strobe, flashing lights are in multiple scenes (where the characters are hypnotized), so, just a warning I wish I'd had! ***** (5 stars) "I like to give warm hugs." (Olaf the snowman) "Some people are worth melting for.... just maybe not right now!" Olaf next to fire. Frozen is a Disney movie, it is very good for many ages and filled with wonderful music. It's very funny and silly but also a little sad... There is a royal family who never opens their gates (since the beginning) but the parents die. The one sister has a secret and never comes out of her room (Elsa), Anna is curious and full of love and happiness. But she is loney and tired of being locked in. On the day of Elsa's coranation Anna and the rest of the world finds out Elsa's secret.... I bet they wished they hadn't. It's a wonderful story full of love and mistakes and really funny stuff. I really recomend this movie to all people. I went with my older cousins and aunt, we sat next to a 3 year old... "Am I mad?" "Yes, I'm afraid so. Insane, Bonkers, quite out of your mind. But guess what? All the best people are." "Off with his head!!" Alice in Wonderland, the one featuring Jonny Depp (as the mad Hatter). It was a very good movie, funny, intese and interesting. It was a little different from the book (I had just finished reading it), but same idea, definitely. It was different 'cause she was older (19) and she had had the dream already (at the age of 7), but now it was real. I think it was really well made with good graphics and all. ****- (4 stars) "We could be in Hawaii right now." But no, Bob's boss is counting on him to right a presentation and convince this company to work with them. Jamie (Bob's wife) and their two kids thought their summer was going to be spent in Hawaii. Now they're in an RV on their way to Colorado. On this trip they: come closer as a family, almost slip up as a family, meet the strangest most annoyingly perky family on the planet, sink a rented RV and watch their father get sprayed with poop. I recommend this for a little big of an older audience, it is rated PG. There is nothing bad in this move just some jokes younger children might not understand. It is a hilarious, laugh out loud move that can be fun for the whole family (except for one scene for mothers with weak stomachs). It is just funny and it's one of those movies you know "That will never happen." |
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