Review: The Color Purple

The Color Purple (2023)
PG-13 ‧ Musical Drama ‧ 2 Hours 20 Minutes
Written by Marcus Gardley
Directed by Blitz Bazawule

THE CAST

Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, and Fantasia Barrino in her film debut as Celie.

THE STORY

(In their own words). Torn apart from her sister and her children, Celie faces many hardships in life, including an abusive husband. With support from a sultry singer named Shug Avery, as well as her stand-her-ground stepdaughter, Celie ultimately finds extraordinary strength in the unbreakable bonds of a new kind of sisterhood.

THE BEST

The BEST things about the film

Performances: The cast, led by Fantasia Barrino as Celie, is ripe with outstanding performances. Each actor, including Taraji P. Henson, who plays Shug Avery, Danielle Brooks as Sofia, and Colman Domingo as “Mister,” brings depth and authenticity to their roles. Their acting abilities convey their characters’ complex emotions and experiences, significantly enhancing the film’s impact. As “Mister,” Domingo is so good at being a bad guy that you truly hate him as Celie’s lifelong antagonist/captor/abuser.
Music: Despite some songs feeling like additions rather than integral parts of the plot, the overall musical score is highlighted as a strong point. The soulful tunes effectively complement the narrative’s emotional landscape. Giving scenes a bit longer and sometimes more vital, lasting impressions than they otherwise would have.
Character Development and Storytelling: The film is commended for its exploration of deeper themes and for providing a fresh take on the story. It delves into some of the characters’ lives with more detail than the original film and explores the themes of strength, sisterhood, and resilience amidst adversity.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

Music as an Accessory Rather Than Integral: At times, the songs in the film felt more like extensions of scenes rather than essential parts of the narrative. This approach makes the music seem less integrated into the story, potentially disrupting the flow and reducing the impact that a more seamlessly integrated musical element could have had.
Comparisons with the Original Film: There’s a sense that while this adaptation adds new layers to the story, it inevitably invites comparisons with Spielberg’s classic 1980s film. For fans of the original, this might lead to mixed feelings, as some might prefer how certain scenes or characters were portrayed in the earlier version.
Emotional Intensity and Heavy Themes: The film’s focus on challenging themes like domestic abuse and racial oppression, while powerful and important, might make it a difficult watch for some viewers. While a strength in storytelling, the emotional intensity could also be overwhelming, especially for those seeking lighter, more escapist cinema.

THE COMMENTS

“The Color Purple,” a 2023 adaptation of the Broadway musical, revisits the poignant story initially brought to life in Alice Walker’s novel and later in Steven Spielberg’s 1980s film starring Whoopi Goldberg. This latest version, directed by Blitz Bazawule, offers a fresh, musically infused perspective on the tale, enhancing certain aspects of the story that were less explored in Spielberg’s adaptation.

The narrative centers around Celie’s journey through a life marred by abuse and injustice, set against the backdrop of the early 1900s South, a time and place fraught with racial and gender-based oppression. Despite these challenges, Celie finds solace and strength in her relationships, particularly with Shug Avery (her husband’s sometimes lover) and her stepdaughter Sofia.

These relationships underline the film’s central themes of resilience, sisterhood, and the enduring power of hope.

Colman Domingo’s portrayal of Mr. is particularly striking. He masterfully navigates the complexity of his character, transforming from a seemingly kind individual into a formidable antagonist.

Musically, the film excels, integrating soulful tunes that resonate with the story’s emotional highs and lows. However, the songs sometimes appear more as embellishments than essential narrative elements. While not diminishing the film’s overall impact, this approach suggests a slight imbalance between the musical and dramatic components. Songs should happen when words alone aren’t enough. This musical forgets that tenant.

The performances across the board are noteworthy, with each actor bringing authenticity and emotional depth to their roles. The film navigates its heavy themes with a careful balance of intensity and sensitivity, making the viewer’s journey through the story both heart-wrenching and inspiring.

THE LESSON

Strength in Adversity: The film powerfully illustrates how individuals can find strength even in the most challenging circumstances. Celie’s journey is one marked by abuse and hardship, but she survives. She survives a lot that other people couldn’t have.
The Importance of Sisterhood and Supportive Relationships: The narrative emphasizes the significance of sisterhood and supportive relationships in overcoming life’s challenges. The bonds Celie forms with characters like Shug Avery and her stepdaughter Sofia play a crucial role in her journey toward empowerment.
Hope as a Source of Resilience: One of the film’s key messages is the enduring power of hope. Despite facing numerous obstacles, the characters’ hope for a better future gives them the strength to endure and strive for change.

IS IT REWATCHABLE?

Yes, and the music makes it more rewatchable than the original, one of my all-time favorite films.

THE FINAL WORD

I appreciate the film’s compelling performances, especially featuring Fantasia Barrino and Colman Domingo’s outstanding roles. The musical score is soulful and impactful, although there are moments where it feels more like an addition than a core part of the narrative. For me, the film stands out for going deeper into the characters and themes, more so than previous versions, effectively touching on resilience, sisterhood, and hope amidst tough challenges. While it naturally draws comparisons to Spielberg’s iconic version, and its heavy themes may not appeal to everyone, its emotional richness, top-notch acting, and a fresh take on this beloved story make it a must-watch.

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Review: The Iron Claw

The Iron Claw (2023)
R ‧ Drama/Wrestling Biopic ‧ 132 Minutes

Written by Sean Durkin

Directed by Sean Durkin

THE CAST

Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Stanley Simons, Maura Tierney, with Holt McCallany and Lily James

THE STORY

(In their own words). The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.

High-Flying Hits of the Film

The BEST things about the film

The Wrestling – They did an excellent job with the cinematography, interestingly capturing the wrestling matches.
The Brotherly Love – The relationship between the brothers was wonderfully portrayed in both the soulful writing and acting performances. You really felt how much the Von Erichh brothers loved each other and wanted to be together.
The Story – A profoundly engaging and compelling story. I was riveted to see how it all ended, which I had a minor inkling of from my life knowledge.

Match Misteps

The WORST things about the Film

Ric Flair – There’s really one moment that stands out as wrong. Aaron Dean Eisenberg plays a small role in the film as the NWA Wrestling champion, Ric Flair. Ric Flair is an iconic wrestler; any wrestling fan knows how he talks and behaves. During the movie, Flair delivers a “promo video”. A promo is a monologue that wrestlers perform to the camera, calling out other wrestlers or elevating themselves. This promo has to be the WORST Ric Flair impression I’ve ever seen. Understand, this isn’t a role that you should try to reinterpret what the character was like. It would be like someone playing Ray Charles or Elvis, but they just deliver terrible impressions of him. It was so bad for me, an old fan of Ric Flair, that it completely jolted me out of the movie. I couldn’t understand why this actor was cast in the role when there had to be dozens or hundreds of people who could do this role justice. It is a brief role, but it’s an essential character to get correct.

THE COMMENTS

The film title, Iron Claw, refers to the name of the wrestling finishing move used by the patriarch of the family, Fritz Von Erich. In wrestling, an Iron Claw is a painful grip on the head of the opponent that was so powerful the opponent would often give up the match; in this movie, it’s the grip Fritz had on his family.

I grew up watching wrestling. My grandpa was a big fan and introduced me to all the different shows he would watch. One of the lower-budget-looking ones he would frequent was this little show out of Texas called World Class Championship Wrestling. The most prominent regulars on the show were the Von Erich brothers. As an only child (at the time), I was fascinated by the idea of a whole family of brothers wrestling together. Then I started hearing about all the different things that had happened in their life and reading about the curse of the Von Erich family and how tragedy after tragedy seemed to strike the children. So, I was ready to go in, hear more details about what happened, and get the complete picture of their shared life. I wasn’t quite prepared to see how much the story would come across so sad. You could easily retitle the film “Iron Claw: The Tragedy of the Von Erich Family.”

I really liked parts of the film, like the ensemble acting between the brothers as they looked out for each other. I liked how you never got a straight answer about how “real” wrestling is. Sometimes, the film would keep kayfabe, a term that essentially means you act like the characters, and wrestling wins and losses are all real and not pre-planned. This was a good choice because the moment you acknowledge the pretend world they live in, it makes the stakes feel much lower.

The film exposes the problems when you have a father pushing a family in one direction and becoming so overbearing that you won’t let your children find their own way. The actor playing the dad, Holt McCallany, does a fabulous job as the heel father, driving his kids and his wrestling company forward in a vision he wants while pretending it’s for the benefit of his children.

It’s important to know that this isn’t as much a wrestling movie as Fighting With My Family or Ready To Rumble; it is a drama in a wrestling world landscape.

THE LESSON

Find your own path; don’t take what other people want for you.

Success won’t erase the pain of the past.

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes

THE FINAL BELL

“The Iron Claw” is a dramatic and engaging biopic that tells the powerful story of the Von Erich brothers in 1980s professional wrestling. Featuring a strong cast and beautiful writing, the film brilliantly captures the essence of brotherhood and the pursuit of fame, tempered by personal and family struggles. While most of the movie deserves high praise for its compelling storytelling and authentic portrayal of wrestling, the horrible impression of wrestling legend Ric Flair is a notable misstep. Overall, “Iron Claw” is a poignant and captivating exploration of ambition, familial bonds, and the enduring impact of the past.

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It.

The Iron Claw gets a Like It.

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Movie Review: Wish

Wish (2023)
PG ‧ Fantasy/Musical/Animated ‧ 1 Hour 35 Minutes

Written by Jennifer Lee and Allison Moore

Directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn

THE CAST

Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk, Angelique Cabral, Victor Garber, Natasha Rothwell, Jennifer Kumiyama, Harvey Guillén, Evan Peters, Ramy Youssef, and Jon Rudnitsky

THE STORY

(In their own words).

Young Asha makes a wish so powerful that it’s answered by a cosmic force, a little ball of boundless energy called Star. With Star’s help, Asha must save her kingdom from King Magnifico and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things can happen

THE BEST

The BEST things about the film

Nostalgia – It is an Easter egg-filled, Nostalgia-laden, Disney-fest.
Songs – Very catchy, perfect tone for the film, sung from moments where words are not enough to express the feelings.
Animation – There is a perfect blending of an older animation style with a new technology that simultaneously makes it feel familiar and like something fresh.
Voice Acting – The voice actors did a tremendous job throughout the film. Chris Pine is probably the most recognizable voice. I prefer when I can get lost in the film and not think about the actor voicing the script. Most of the time, I think – “hey, that’s Chris Pine.” Which I will say I find distracting.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

Predictable – There wasn’t much in the film that went in unexpected directions.
Villain – The villain of the film is pretty flat. I could have enjoyed seeing him fleshed out more as a character.

THE COMMENTS

There is a lot to Disney’s newest animated feature, Wish. The more time I have to think about the film, the richer I realize it is.

Wish is about a King who “takes” and “protects” people’s wishes like they are collectible Pokemon cards. The wishes live in little bubbles in a castle room. The people then forget the wishes they had and can move on with their lives until/if the king grants them the holy blessing of making their wishes come true.

Wish is fast-paced.

Wish is full of memorable music, which is exceptional for me as someone who takes a while to warm up to musicals.

Wish is a love letter to all past Disney animated films.

Wish is an origin story to all the Disney stories we’ve come to love.

Wish skillfully blends what we love about past Disney films while moving the stories forward to modern audience sensibilities.

Wish made me feel good.

Wish made me care.

Wish felt like it’s always been there. It fits so perfectly into the Disney catalog that I wondered how it didn’t exist before. I can see it fitting perfectly into Fantasyland in Disneyland. I can see the songs being sung during the parades.

We’ve all made wishes and experienced the hope that comes from that. Hope is relatable.

I wish more films made me feel the way Wish did.

THE LESSON

Your wish belongs to you.

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes. And if you have children, you’ll probably see it thirty times.

THE FINAL WORD

Wish is delightful, fast-paced, and entertaining. Wish is a love letter to all other Disney animated features. Wish is the most meta of all Disney movies. It’s an ultra-Disney movie. The only way this film could be more Disney is if Walt Disney himself had appeared in it. Wish’s music is first-rate. The music takes you on a journey where the words alone aren’t enough to express your feelings. If you are a fan of the Disney animated film catalog, you’ll easily add this into your collection and will be delighted with multiple viewing, picking out all the Easter Eggs they spread throughout the film. Wish doesn’t disappoint in any way. You’ll wish they had come out with this sooner.

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It.

Wish gets a very strong Like It.

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Review: The Marvels

The Marvels(2023)
PG-13 ‧ Action/Adventure/Superhero ‧ 1 Hours 45 Minutes

Written by Nia DiCosta, Megan McDonnell, Elissa Karasik

Directed by Nia DiCosta

THE CAST

Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Samuel L. Jackson

THE STORY

(In their own words). Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. However, unintended consequences see her shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with two other superheroes to form the Marvels.

THE BEST

The BEST things about the film

Character/Actor Chemistry: The main three characters of Kamala, Rambeau, and Captain Marvel have great chemistry together.
I liked how we just got dropped into events. Too many movies lately spend a lot of time introducing characters’ backstories so that we know every detail about them before they get into the story. I liked that this film trusted us to figure out what was happening or that maybe I didn’t need to know the minutiae of each moment. While my experience was enriched by seeing the origin story of Ms Marvel and Rambeau, I didn’t need to see those to figure out what was happening.
I like that they spent time developing the good guys in this film and letting us see the origin of this “team.”
Film length – Finally, a director confident enough to tell a superhero tale in a brief hour and forty-five minutes. It moved quickly; it was funny, told a good story, and gave me long enough to get invested in all three characters.
Story: It was nice seeing a superhero film back to the basics of fighting some cosmic world-ending threat, but it is still mostly about the characters coming to terms with something in their lives. Too often, these films want to be so grandiose that they forget the little things that bring us back to each film. We want to see why a relationship got broken and how they will mend it. It’s important to see that superheroes are also still human.
It’s possibly the best post-credit scene in a very long time.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the film

The villain. The villain, Dar-Benn, is not very developed, resulting in us not having hard feelings about them other than a surface-level, “let’s stop that evil woman” type of feeling. I’ve often said that you need a great villain to have a great superhero film.
Inconsistent tone. Sometimes, the film felt like it should be on TV, and then it would get grand for the big screen.

THE COMMENTS

What helps this film is the same thing that hurts it. The villain, Dar-Benn, is too underdeveloped for the audience to get huge stakes into seeing how the film turns out. However, by removing the time to develop Dar-Been, director Nia DiCosta has room to create a visible relationship between the three main characters of the film, Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Captain Rambeau. Seeing the discomfort between Captain Marvel and Rambeau through the film’s first part makes us realize this is about far more than just stopping a villain.

Where The Marvels succeeds is making a fun story that just happens to star three women. Their gender doesn’t play much of a role in the film, which is the perfect choice. I think it is the perfect fight against the misogyny of criticism this film is receiving before anyone has seen it. There are people worried that Marvel is trying to send agenda messages by casting a film full of women and non-white actors. Then you see the film and realize the only agenda was making a good story.

A big question people have is whether they need to have watched Ms Marvel or WandaVision to enjoy the film, and the answer is no. Yes, you have to pay attention to the movie. But all the info is there for you to receive directly or to infer. I liked how they dropped us into the story without feeling the need to over-explain every detail about each character’s relationship. The answers are there, whether directly said or between the lines. Sure, I think it’s even better if you know the full Ms Marvel story, but we get enough to enjoy this film.

What else can be said about this film? It has great special effects, it’s funny, and possibly even the humor is on the younger side, but I think that is appropriate as this film might be the closest we’ve seen to handing the torch to the younger Marvel characters.

THE LESSON

Don’t let embarrassment over your actions stop you from keeping your word to your family.

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes.

THE FINAL WORD

A good Marvel superhero film. It’s not outstanding, but it does not stand out as bad. It’s a real shame that it is currently tracking to lose money. It has a nice plot, a good story, funny, and some great surprises in the film. This should be seen as a step in the right direction. It’s probably a lot better from a basic storytelling angle than the last few Marvel films that have come out. The first and only, post-credit scene is as simple as ‘must stay” for post-credit scene.

THE VERDICT

My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It.

The Marvels gets a Like It.

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Interview: 7 Questions with David Lewis

Interview with David Lewis, director of the Seattle film Fantasy A Gets A Mattress. Available as a video from our YouTube channel and audio-only podcast.

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Review: Blue Beetle

Blue Beetle (2023)
PG-13 ‧ Action/Adventure Scifi ‧ 2 Hours 7 Minutes

Written by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer

Directed by Angel Manuel Soto

THE CAST

Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine, Adriana Barraza, Damián Alcázar, Raoul Max Trujillo, Susan Sarandon, and George Lopez.

THE STORY

(In their own words) Jaime Reyes suddenly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology called the Scarab. When the Scarab chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he’s bestowed with an incredible suit of armor that’s capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero Blue Beetle.

THE BEST

The BEST things about the film

Comedy – The film is very funny. There are some excellent comedic moments, especially in the scenes involving George Lopez’s character, Rudy Reyes, Jaime Reyes’ (Blue Beetle’s) uncle. While I enjoyed his character, I wish they didn’t make him such an obvious comedic conspiracy theorist trope right in the beginning. The style of comedy he uses also makes him taken less seriously. There are many ways to make this kind of character funny without a verbal slapstick style of humor.
Diverse Representation – I appreciated finally seeing Latinx representation in a superhero film. I like seeing how different families interact and how different types of families are at home. This is very good for creating variety in these movies.
Themes of Family – The themes of family are heavy in this film, and it helps ground the characters to be more relatable.
Xolo Mariduena as Blue Beetle – Xolo did exceptionally well carrying the movie. He’s charismatic and believable, making me believe he wants what is best for his family. He should be proud to have led this movie, despite everything I’m about to say about the film itself.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the film

Susan Sarandon – I am a huge Susan Sarandon fan. Adding her into a big-budget superhero movie as the central villain would give it a huge level of acting gravitas. However, this must be the worst performance she’s ever had. Her acting was stilted; her delivery sounded like she had just barely memorized the lines before stumbling on set. She deserves a hefty paycheck after spending so much time in more independent, artful movies, but…it would have been nice to have her elevate a film rather than keep pulling it down.
Stupid Moments – I just don’t know how to express how disappointing it was that there were two to three idiotic moments for every nice moment in the film. I’m fine with plot holes in action films, you need suspension of disbelief, but these were just stupid, obvious ones that I didn’t get covered up or glossed over quick enough that I’m taken out of the movie. Let me give an example that sums up the film. At one point, we have a character that needs to sneak into a secured lab room, so when a worker comes out, she steals his badge and uses it to get into the room. Then she leaves with the badge. Minutes later, he comes back into the room. The secured room that he needed his badge to get into. HOW DID HE GET BACK IN WITHOUT THE BADGE?! That moment happens a lot in the film.
Bad Writing – Bad writing results in me not caring much about what is happening in the film. I don’t think you need to follow a formula to make a good superhero film. I want and appreciate different ways of doing things; I like experimentation and seeing stories from other points of view. However, a superhero story needs a few basic things: a great villain, a motivated hero, and a clear mission. We need to understand the villain, we need to know why they are doing the things they do, and we need to care. We don’t have to like them, but we need to care. Blue Beetle writers decide to make the villain more of a CEO head with giant plans of greed that could endanger the world with more deadly weapons. While not much different than Lex Luthor, with Lex, at least I know his “why,” there are personal stakes with him. Villain Victoria Kord (played by all-star actress Susan Sarandon) offers no explanation behind the villainy in this film. She’s a villain for the sake of being a villain. With Jaime Ryes (The identity of Blue Beetle), we take too much time early on talking about how he loves his family without learning his “why.” Why does he love his family? What do they do for him? The focus is so much on the results without seeing what brought him to that result.

THE COMMENTS

Representation is really important, but so is good writing. I hate when a film comes out that is supposed to decide whether Hollywood will make more movies featuring particular identities of actors. Blue Beetle seems to be determining whether or not more Superheros of Latinx descent will be made, much like Black Panther was pivotal in showing that you can have a predominantly Black Hollywood blockbuster. The difference here is Black Panther was solidly written. I want to pull my hair out when people expect a lackluster script to do well and hinge on the future of Lantix/Hispanic lead films on such mediocrity. Produce a solid movie! Don’t expect communities to show up just because you put their faces on a film. That is unfair.

THE LESSON

Grieve when you finish your business.

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yeah. Look, it’s not like this is Morbius-level bad. There are moments in the film I enjoyed. There are some excellent special effects, and it is a film that is trying to be something more significant than it is.

THE FINAL WORD

Representation matters, but so does a good story. I only knew a little about The Blue Beetle character before I went to the movie, and I still don’t know much after I left it. And that really bugged me. The film attempts to show how his family is at the core of The Blue Beetle’s strength, but we don’t see him building those muscles. We get the results without the work, leaving me feeling unsatisfied.

THE VERDICT

My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It.

The Blue Beetle gets an unfortunate Lose It.

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Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)
PG ‧ Animated Action/Comedy ‧ 1 Hour 40 Minutes

Written by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg & Jeff Rowe and Dan Hernandez & Benji Samit

Story by Brendan O’Brien and Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg & Jeff Rowe

Directed by Jeff Rowe Co-Directed by Kyler Spears

THE CAST

Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Hannibal Buress, Rose Byrne, Nicolas Cantu, John Cena, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Natasia Demetriou, Ayo Edebiri, Giancarlo Esposito, Post Malone, Brady Noon, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Maya Rudolph.

THE STORY

(In their own words). After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.

THE BEST

The BEST things about the film

The humor/comedy – It’s a hilarious film. I caught a couple of callbacks to previous films, I’m not an expert in TMNT, and I’m sure there were a lot more, but I’m sure there is a lot more that I didn’t catch.
The writing – Quick, witty…dialogue flows seamlessly.
The updates – One thing that always scares me about bringing back long-time characters into the modern world is how they decide to update it. They flawlessly updated it to modern times. They reference pop culture as if they are just normal teen high school kids. April, the Turtles’ sole female ally, is modernized to be a young black/biracial budding journalist from previous iterations.
The Story – This was a tremendous first TMNT film for someone like me because it is an origin story that thankfully only wades a little bit into how they got to where they are, just enough to get the idea and feel like I completely understood the backstory. Most of the story involves the deciding to “go public” and let people know they exist. They set up the protagonists well with clear motivations for revenge over humanity, which is understandable and diabolical.
The Acting – The voice acting is top-notch.

THE WORST

The only thing I didn’t like about the film I would ruin a significant plot point by telling you. So, if you want, message me, and I will tell you after you’ve seen it.

THE COMMENTS

I confess I am not a huge animation fanboy. I usually have trouble connecting emotionally with animated films (aside from UP, I’m not a monster). But I found myself really getting into this film, which especially surprised me because it is full of gnarly-looking mutant creatures that are the foils of the Ninja Turtles. They don’t look believable as living creatures, and that kind of thing really takes me out of this type of film.

THE LESSON

Sometimes you gotta trust a stranger.

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes, I see kids especially replaying this a lot.

THE FINAL WORD

The popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back in animated form in a film that offers a fresh, fun adventure that is sure to be the start of a new series of adventures. This action comedy film centers around a brief origin story of the quartet and a journey of discovering who they want to be after being raised by a fearful, human-hating father figure. Excellent voice-over acting draws the audience into the film, almost making you forget you are watching animated turtles with all these emotions. A good family film with lots of action and minimal scares serves up a solid introduction to the Ninja Turtle universe.

THE VERDICT

My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem gets a Like It.

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Review: Haunted Mansion

Haunted Mansion (2023)
PG-13 ‧ Comedy/Fantasy ‧ 2 Hours 2 Minutes

Written by Katie Dippold

Directed by Justin Simien

THE CAST

LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Owen Wilson, Danny Devito, Tiffany Haddish, Chase Dillon and Jamie Lee Curtis

THE STORY

(In their own words). A woman and her son enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters.

A scene from Disney’s live-action HAUNTED MANSION. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

THE BEST

The BEST things about the film

Lovely easter eggs for fans of the theme park attraction, like the use of chairs to make the characters leave. The same type of “chairs” are used in the ride. Many little easter eggs all about the ride are sprinkled throughout the film. It’s definitely seeing the ride come to life in a new way.
The last third of the movie is excellent.
The characters in the film are interesting. They came up with good ideas for characters but needed to learn how to use them.
There is some decent comedy in the film. Owen Wilson has some good moments in the movie.

Jamie Lee Curtis as Madame Leota in Disney’s HAUNTED MANSION. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

It felt like a made-for-TV movie about the first half to two-thirds of the movie. Just bad writing, bad acting, just…..not very good. Luckily, the film’s final third picked up in quality and dimension. I’ve said I liked the last third, but I don’t think the rest of the movie earned it.
I don’t think they made a clear decision on the level of ‘scary” this film should have. I don’t know what age this film would be good for. It’s too scary for little kids and too dull for older kids. So maybe right at that 12-14 age is suitable for it.
The writing – Flimsy plot, lack of moments or motivations for the characters in dealing with each other. The characters are so focused on dealing with the situation that they are in, that they don’t take time to relate with each other, which is what would draw us in to like them. And for a ghost story, I wanted to get drawn in more to the characters. Also, the main character, Ben Matthias, they don’t really write him to make sense. We need to learn more about him to understand why he is actually still doing the profession he is in. There’s a pivotal point where they make him do something criminal, which doesn’t make sense for what we know about him. Just poor writing in a lot of areas.

THE COMMENTS

You know where I could see this movie playing, Friday Night PTA, at the Elementary School. It’s pretty safe for that kind of event, though a little scary for the younger kids that would be there. Recommend it for the fifth graders.

(L-R): Chase Dillon as Travis, Rosario Dawson as Gabbie, LaKeith Stanfield as Ben, Owen Wilson as Father Kent, and Tiffany Haddish as Harriet in Disney’s HAUNTED MANSION. Photo by Jalen Marlowe. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

THE LESSON

Deep sadness stays with you, but you must learn to let go.

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Meh. Maybe. With kids. It’s not the worst thing in the world, but I wouldn’t stop on the channel to watch.

THE FINAL WORD

I don’t know if I should even be disappointed by Haunted Mansion, a theme park ride being the motivation to write a film isn’t the best way to create art. Disney just did a Haunted Mansion movie 20 years ago, and it was a financial success. Strange that this film has zero connection to the first one, or why they thought this flimsy script was good enough to try again so soon. The film suffers from poor writing and poor execution in the first half of the film. The last 30 minutes of the film are actually really well done, but they didn’t earn it. It at least makes you leave the theater thinking you had a great time, then you try and remember how they got there and wonder how you lasted that long. And it’s a shame because they had so much potential for this story, and it’s like they knew they did because the ending was so fun, but they squandered the first half when they could have made an excellent spooky adventure for the whole family. Instead, we end up with something like a made-for-TV movie where commercial breaks help you traverse the film. I will say the easter eggs for fans of the Disney Haunted Mansion ride will be delighted with many of the ride elements and characters that are incorporated into the film. Many of those made me laugh.

Lindsay Lamb as The Bride in Disney’s HAUNTED MANSION. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

THE VERDICT

My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It.

Haunted Mansion gets a Lose It.

THE TRAILER

THE MEME REVIEW

Review: Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer (2023)
R ‧ Biographical Drama ‧ 3 Hours 0 Minutes

Written by Christopher Nolan

Directed by Christopher Nolan

THE CAST

Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, and Kenneth Branagh.

THE STORY

(In their own words). The story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.

THE BEST

The BEST things about the film

The Score – I truly believe this film lives and dies by the score. Nolan uses the film’s musical score with extreme precision, constantly ramping up the tension in the scenes to their extreme and making the silence in some scenes exceptionally dramatic. He uses the music extremely well. I will go even further; many of these scenes would be boring without the score. This was sorcerer-level magic, tricking the audience into believing they were actually watching an interesting dialogue scene when it was just a lot of high-level science talks along with the mediocre dialogue that doesn’t move the story along very well.
The Pacing – The film has a rapid-fire pace, which is necessary to get through this three-hour-long film. It needs to be fast because otherwise there aren’t enough interesting things happening to stay with the film.
The Acting – This is a truly exceptional cast of actors doing some of the best work of their careers.
Directing – Christopher Nolan is obviously a master filmmaker. This film is extremely well made and will probably win many awards for people involved.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the film

It’s almost there – This film always felt like it was “almost there.” Whether that was in “making a point,” “making sense,” “making it exciting,” or “making me care.” Three hours filled with the Oppenheimer character, and I didn’t care much about him. Basically, because I never really understood his motivations or his cares. I didn’t know why he was motivated to do things he did, to risk the things he risked, to lie about the things he lied about, or to love the way he loved. They would circle the rim discussing his motivations but wouldn’t dive into it.
It’s long. It’s really much longer than it needs to be.
Too many stories. It lacks focus; it goes all over the place in the name of art, not in the name of better storytelling.

THE COMMENTS

I have no doubt that most critics will love the film. Its good technical filmmaking. I feel like I’ve seen all these tricks from Nolan before, and it has gotten a little old. Hard, fast music, some good actors, lots of non-linear edits, special effects, slow down of camera speed … .just lots of tricks. Tricks that hide a fundamentally mediocre story. Sure, there are lots of interesting things about Oppenheimer, but I never discovered the core of him in this film. I don’t know why he ticks; I don’t understand his motivations. He’s not particularly likable, not that he has to be, but I at least want to know why he is doing things that I have problems with.

As an actor, of course, I’d love to be in one of Nolan’s films, but I think that comes from a self-indulgent space in my heart. He has some meaty roles; he makes people look good on camera.

THE LESSON

Extraordinary minds don’t mean they are extraordinary people.

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes, maybe. I think more in an academic/study of film kind of way than in a “what a great, fun film to watch” kind of way.

THE FINAL WORD

Loud and long. Sometimes those are good things, and sometimes it’s a Christopher Nolan film that is trying very hard to prove itself to be a good, meaningful film. Nolan is an exceptional filmmaker, and I probably would have liked this film a lot more if it was the first film of his that I’ve seen. But it’s kind of…same tricks, different movie. It’s not a bad film. With fast pacing and a score that pushes you along like an ocean wave, it flies by for a three-hour movie. The acting is fantastic, an outstanding ensemble. Story….I don’t think there’s a lot there. There’s a lot of cinematic trickery to get you to believe you just watched more than you did. I didn’t feel like I got to really understand Oppenheimer, which I think is the point of a biopic. All that being said, I can’t deny it is a well-made film and that many people will enjoy it. But I’m sure they’ll also enjoy anything else that he makes. They like the style, not the substance.

THE VERDICT

My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It.

Oppenheimer gets a Like It.

THE TRAILER

THE MEME REVIEW

Review: Barbie

Barbie (2023)
PG-13 ‧ Comedy ‧ 1 Hours 54 Minutes

Written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach

Directed by Greta Gerwig

THE CAST

Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell.

THE STORY

(In their own words). Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.

THE BEST

The BEST things about the film

The Story – A fun exploration of Barbie, the Barbie world, and the real-world attitude toward Barbie and how Barbie is perceived. The story captivates you and gets invested very quickly. It’s the most fun Barbie adventure I’ve seen, and I’ve raised two daughters, so I’ve seen a lot.
The messages – There is a lot of messaging about the weight of responsibility that women have on their shoulders. It directly addresses how the public perceives Barbie vs. what Barbie is trying to do, and it seems to empower. This Barbie movie is a feminist manifesto wrapped in pink.
The comedy – It is a really funny movie with a broad range of comedic styles. There’s lots of physical comedy in the Barbie world, all the way to more cerebral humor in the real world and everything in between. Then there are the elements of parody it has and self-awareness. It really has comedy for everyone.
The self-awareness – The self-awareness of the film and the brand is great. It allows them to tackle how everyone sees Barbie and address it. Having Mattel be an actual part of the film is brilliant.
Cameos – Fantastic cameos, if you can see them.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

I think the film is about 10 minutes too long. There was a time, I thought. Okay, I got it. Let’s move on and start wrapping these things up.
Its own internal logic doesn’t always seem to work.

THE COMMENTS

This film gave me some regrets. I had fallen into the trap of not wanting to buy my daughter Barbies. I bought her the Black President Barbie. I found that acceptable. I’ve hidden Barbie’s Mermaid Adventure DVD that some evil person gave us. As an adult, I’ve been staunchly anti-barbie for as long as I can remember. And maybe this film taught me that I got it all wrong. This film helped me put Barbie into a new perspective, understanding that Barbie was meant to be more about celebrating all the things girls could become, not boxing them into being a model. Barbie is about choice.

THE LESSON

Self-Awareness is something you can’t put back in the bottle.

People need to see you value them.

A young woman doesn’t have to fit into a box; she can be anything.

Be nice to your Mom.

IS IT REWATCHABLE

YES, YES, YES.

THE FINAL WORD

Barbie is an unexpectedly excellent film. Barbie has been called critic-proof. A lot of people will likely go see it, no matter what critics say. Turns out, they were right! It is funny, clever, and sharp script. It is wonderfully acted, skillfully directed, and manages to find a great balance between delivering a message and entertaining within one of the world’s most well-known intellectual properties. Director Greta Gerwig once again proves to be a solid director with a wonderful vision. Margot Robbie is a solid performer in the film. While the Oscars will likely snub her for this role, the MTV movie awards will hopefully remember it. This film is not just an entertainment fluff movie but a feminist manifesto wrapped in pink. At times it may even get a bit heavy-handed, but it’s easily forgiven with the absolute delight of a story it tells.

THE VERDICT

My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It.

Barbie gets a very big LOVE IT.

THE TRAILER

THE MEME REVIEW