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Review: ‘Charlie’s Angels’ is an Unnecessary Entry into a Forgotten Franchise

It’s been 16 years since the last ‘Angels’ film, and for the most part, society has moved on. The days of the hypersexualized female action star are over; Hollywood showed us that women could hold their own on the silver screen. Whether it be Daisy Ridley in Star Wars, Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman, or Charlize Theron in quite literally anything, it’s pretty commonplace now to see well made female-led action movies. This is not that. Pitch Perfect 2 Director and actor Elizabeth Banks, who wrote, directed, produced, and starred in Charlie’s Angels, fails to do anything of real meaning here. It’s the film equivalent of empty calories; seeing it or not seeing it will have the exact same effect. There isn’t anything inherently offensive about this movie or even remotely controversial, it’s just an alright B movie at its best, and a waste of time at its worst. There’s no reason to go see it during this particularly crowded cinema season.

While I wouldn’t typically factor box office into a review, as the quality and money made often have no correlation, I feel it necessary to qualify my claims. This movie was a financial disaster; no one came out to see it, and frankly, I don’t blame them. The financial failure leads me to my primary criticism, who was this for and why was it made? I don’t know anyone who was clamoring for a Charlie’s Angels movie. The script feels aimless, simply wandering from scene to scene as if the plot had accidentally taken us there. It’s not written particularly well either, with dialogue feeling robotic and contrived. For example, there is one instance where a character describes the Angels as a “Non-Governmental NGO,” and to my understanding, NGO already stands for non-governmental organization, so that just goes to show the quality of the writing here.

It is also painfully clear that Elizabeth Banks has never directed action before, as it’s extremely choppy and filled with quick cuts sloppily stitched together. Today, the industry standard seems to be wide angles that give the audience a good idea of what’s going on, showing the action in full a la Mission Impossible: Fallout. In 2019, Charlie’s Angels feels lackluster and lazy. Compared to John Wick or Atomic Blonde, this movie has nothing remotely new to offer. It’s hard to follow and ultimately not enjoyable to watch, which is a big red flag in an action movie. Save for a few scenes, all the action is riddled with these style issues.

The saving grace here is the acting, which prevents a total disaster. Where the script fails, the talent is surprisingly able to pick up the slack. The cast includes Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, Ella Balinska, Elizabeth Banks, and for some reason, Patrick Stewart. Stewart, not Jean-Luc, is really enjoyable and genuinely funny with her performance at times as “Sabina Wilson,” which comes as a pleasant surprise. The other Stewart is left with almost nothing to do, so much so that his character could have been played by literally any actor. The disappointing thing is when he was intended to be vital to the story, it was hard to care at all, as the script didn’t do any favors for these characters. Every single one is a shallow cookie cutter from a 90s action drama. Balinska and Scott deliver fine performances, doing the best they can with what little they are given. Ultimately, Charlie’s Angels feels like a movie from another time and just doesn’t have a place in today’s market of rich, plot-driven action films.

2.5/5 STARS

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Review: ‘Let It Snow’ Evokes Holiday Excitement and Nothing More

One of America’s favorite ways to reign in the holiday season is to watch sub-par cheesy rom-coms. Let It Snow is a continuation of that beloved tradition. It is a great movie for those who are fans of the holiday Hallmark collection, and it is a great movie to mindlessly watch while baking cookies or wrapping presents. However, it is not a great movie. Based off the novel Let It Snow written by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Mycrale, it follows several teens in their small town on an eventful Christmas Eve. In true holiday rom-com fashion, it is driven by absurd coincidences, best-friends that are hesitant to reveal their true feelings, and a lot of snow.

Let It Snow tries to pull off one of the classic tropes of rom-coms: multiple intertwined storylines. However, their attempt hurts the film far more than it helps. The result of of their attempt is what causes the movie to be disorganized because each storyline isn’t given the opportunity to resonate with the audience. There are three main subplots and they all feel shallow. Let It Snow would have been much better off with a narrower, less distracting focus. The lack of it leads to a lost central message of the movie. It is so busy establishing each story that is has a hurried and unimpressive resolution. The plot is over complex and yet the characters are written without complexity. The characters feel inorganic and their actions lack any motivation besides desperately moving the plot along. Overall, the screenplay was poorly written; the jokes fall flat and its attempts at comedy cause a reaction more on par with cringe than laughter.

What Let It Snow did do right was the casting of Shameik Moore. With Shameik’s stellar performance in Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse, there is no question Shameik has talent. This talent easily makes Shameik’s character, Stuart, the most outstanding character in the movie. Stuart is a pop-star who takes a detour in an unassuming small town in the film. His run in with with Julie (Isabela Merced), is largely what drives his storyline in the film. In addition to Shameik, the only other substantial performance in the film is from Liv Hewson and her character, Dorrie. In her storyline, Dorrie handles solving her issues with her best friend and her crush on a cheerleader. What makes Dorrie’s character stand out is that she is level headed and thoughtful, in contrast to the otherwise emotional and irrational characters in this film.

Let It Snow evokes an excitement for the holidays, but unfortunately, nothing more. The coherency of Let It Snow is missing, but the holiday cheer is not. For those who are just looking for a movie to usher them into the season, this is the movie for you. However, don’t expect it to be the next Love, Actually.

2/5 STARS

Review: ‘Waves’ Packs A Punch of Emotions in an Original Vision

A wave is the perfect metaphor for the feeling with which Waves leaves you. It feels like a sudden crash of emotions; the highs and lows of life are all experienced through the lens of an African-American family living in South Florida. Primarily, we are taken inside the lives of the son, Tyler, and daughter, Emily. Throughout the film, they experience hardships that send ripple effects through their communities. Ultimately, the story explores ideas about how to love and forgive in the face of hate.

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Review: ‘Unlikely’ is Not Here to Entertain, But to Educate

Unlikely is playing at Northwest Film Forum at 7:30pm on November 22nd, 7:30pm on November 23rd, 7:30pm on December 4th, 7:30pm on December 5th, and 7:30pm on December 6th.

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When news of the “Varsity Blues” scandal broke out earlier this year, a spotlight was shown on the elitist and catering industry that is college admissions. Though multiple wealthy celebrities were found to have been directly bribing admissions officers and test proctors for their children’s benefit, it’s still no surprise that, even without cheating, students from wealthier families have statistically higher standardized test scores, and by extension, higher chances of college admission and graduation. Unlikely attempts to unpack this discrepancy and the reasons behind it with testimonials and statistics, while also offering plausible ways to address the issue on a national scale.

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Review: Don’t Expect ‘Noelle’ to be a Christmas Classic

Noelle, the most recent Disney+ addition, is written and directed by Marc Lawerence and features Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader as Noelle and Nick Kringle, Santa’s children. The story follows Noelle as she finds herself having to bring Nick back after his leaving the North Pole for a so-called “vacation.” There, Noelle and her aunt Elf Polly (Shirley MacLaine) discover the real world that we human beings live in, as well as learning the true meaning behind Christmas. The important question about Noelle is, has Disney created something of a classic or something that no one will remember fifteen years from now?

Kendrick and Hader’s portrayal as sister and brother is interesting, given the Christmas cliche of the film. At first, it seemed too good to be true, but it lived up the hype. Anna Kendrick’s performance was brilliant, especially her interactions in the real world, from understanding what (out of all things) sunscreen was to why there’s nice and rude people in society. As for Bill Hader, he gives a great performance that’s blended well with comedy. His character has a straightforward backstory and we can easily understands why he, as Santa Claus’ son, must take on the role of Santa Claus in the present time.

Even though this film is a Disney+ exclusive, there are a couple of downfalls, the first of which is the excessive branding. Typically there is one brand strategically placed so that the audience may catch or recognize it. However, in Noelle, almost every real word scene Anna Kendrick is in has product placement. It gets annoying because this is supposed to be a Disney film, not an hour and a half long commercial ad for Christmas. It just ruins the film experience because you’re looking at brand after brand and just waiting for the film to be over instead of enjoying the film from start to finish. Another letdown is that Noelle doesn’t feel like a Disney movie, but more like a cheap, Hallmark TV movie. If you don’t know anything about the Hallmark channel, it’s a channel that churns out a lot of forgettable Christmas, romance, comedy, and family made to television movies that probably no one has heard of in their lives.

Overall, this film was a bit of a let down due to its Hallmark similarities and the boatload of ads. On the bright side, it was indeed a Christmas movie, largely thanks to the performances of Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader, along with its family friendly Christmas message regarding why people (good and bad) should celebrate Christmas with their families and friends. That being said, Noelle is meant for those that are interested in watching a quick and fun Christmas movie or just want to witness Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader in a family-comedy film. Just don’t expect this film to be a Christmas classic.

2.5/5 STARS

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Review: ‘Lady and the Tramp’ is an Inoffensive Take on the Original Film

Lady and the Tramp is the latest Disney live action reboot, based on the original 1955 animated film and directed by Charlie Bean. It stars Tessa Thompson and Justin Theroux as the classic characters of Lady, an American cocker spaniel, and Tramp, a street-smart, stray schnauzer, as they embark on an adventure together. Interestingly enough, while it is now regarded as a classic, the original Lady and the Tramp wasn’t initially well received by critics.

Firstly, Lady and the Tramp is an excellent choice to remake and debut as a part of the Disney+ launch. It is a beautiful film that manages to look high budget while also looking like a mix between a TV film and a theatrical release. It’s perfect for the family couch viewing experience and the small scale adventure does not warrant a big screen adaptation. However it’s still basically the exact same story, with very few deviations from the original, but you can also say that about 90% of Disney’s live action slate. Thompson and Theroux were well cast and really work to maintain their characters’ charm and classic feel, just like in the original. Sam Elliot was also the perfect casting for Trusty, an elder Bloodhound. One new thing Tessa Thompson’s portrayal of Lady adds to to film is a small amount of spunkiness to Lady’s character, which was not present in the original. This particular change was both believable and easy to embrace.

While the filmmakers did use real dogs combined with a little CGI on their faces when they talked, every time they spoke, it just seemed too weird. During every dialogue sequence, every dog looks at whoever they’re interacting with, then away from the camera, and then back again. It is unnatural and repetitive, and gets to a point where you don’t want to see these dogs on camera anymore, let alone their awkward mouth movements whenever they speak. It would’ve been better if Disney had used CGI to capture the animals’ full body movements, especially when speaking, to avoid the unnatural and repetitive nature of the dialogue sequences. The main human protagonists of the film (Kiersey Clemons and Thomas Mann) were fine portraying Darling and Jim Dear, but they also were ultimately unimportant due to their short screen times, which makes them seem like a talking shadow that the audience only sees for a little bit before immediately forgetting.

The story is very familiar and though it’s not great when they attempt to add new styles to shake it up, it’s a good first viewing with Disney+. It doesn’t add much in the way of new and doesn’t boast anything that makes it a worthwhile watch, but if you want to take a few hours out of your day to watch some cheap entertainment, it couldn’t hurt. Being the first Disney live action not to have a theatrical release, and besides the pacing issues, animal voice-overs, and the human appearances, this film was cute, fun, and a completely inoffensive take on the original film.

2.5/5 STARS

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Review: ‘Ford v Ferrari’ Doesn’t Slow Down, Doesn’t Blow Us Away

There’s something incredibly alluring about the racetrack. Mercy to their instincts, drivers neglect caution for speed as they engage in a marathon of death-defying dances. Each one focused only on the next turn. Each one motivated only by a need to finish first. It is a near-complete metaphor for our very existence, an eternal fight for perfection, though necessarily improvised and victim to chance. In the words of Steve McQueen’s character in 1971’s Le Mans, “When you’re racing, it’s life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting.”

It’s this spirit that Ford v Ferrari so desperately tries to embody. The idea that at the highest speeds, one faces the ultimate test of character. Who are you to tempt the gods with your throttle? Who are you to go so fast? There’s magic in the question and ambition dripping from the answer. Such are the elements we live for. Unfortunately, the film never quite fills this glorious potential.

It’s definitely quite an entertaining picture. From the opening shots we are promised adrenaline and high stakes. It’s racing, after all. Director James Mangold doesn’t shy away from humor either, letting Christian Bale play the loosest, most expressive role we’ve seen from him in quite a while and generating a fair number of laughs in the process. Matt Damon, alongside him, doesn’t have the opportunity to do anything spectacular, but he’s solid in his role, nonetheless. Indeed, such is the general theme of the film. No one element is particularly unwelcome (save for a handful of puzzling sound cues), but little feels particularly impressive or worthy of note. For the most part, Ford v Ferrari is a traditional biopic with a little bit of racing.

Perhaps its biggest fault comes in its pacing. It is here that the film never takes its foot off the gas pedal, and clearly for worse. Mangold seems to insist on constantly operating at the highest level and with the most possible drama. As a result, we’re left with little to no time to reflect on emotional peaks and narrative climaxes. Despite a 153-minute runtime, we reach the end breathless and exhausted, no longer moved by the film’s most important scenes. Though such narrative pace and breathlessness is not inherently faulty, and works well in films such as Dunkirk, this film lacks the subtle mastery required to execute it well, and equally fails in providing a sufficiently satisfying ending to pull it all together. We’re unable to spend time with the emotions the film wants us to feel and we’re forced to always focus on the next bend in the story. It’s an unfortunate fault that cheapens a film otherwise ripe with potential.

All things considered, however, we’re still watching “life” on the screen. It’s an easy film to watch and an easy one to enjoy. If nothing else, it’s worth your time for Christian Bale’s fantastic command of classic English expletives. Enjoy it, then spend an equal amount of time afterwards ruminating on how much more it could’ve been.

3/5 STARS

Review: ‘Playing With Fire’ is Not Fun For the Whole Family

One of the problems with family movies these days is that there’s too many that have nothing to offer. Andy Fickman’s Playing With Fire is exactly that – it’s ludicrously lazy with nothing to offer aside from cute kids and wasted talent. It’s a “family” movie in the same way that things like Paul Blart: Mall Cop and Daddy’s Home are – it’s a combination of common tropes found in family movies with absolutely zero of the authenticity and reliability of families that made a few hits in the genre stand out. For a good amount of its runtime, the film throws in a bunch of adult jokes that go over all the kids’ heads but make all the adults cringe – and that just adds to the film’s uninspired nature. Movies are able to overcome familiar frameworks, that of the “family” movie with adult jokes, if they offer up anything interesting like good acting or satisfying messages. Unfortunately, Playing With Fire doesn’t.

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Review: ‘Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Song’ Will Cause You to View Films Through Fresh Ears

Although most people are familiar with the fact that Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, most are also unaware that he was also instrumental in the creation of the motion picture in his quest to visually enhance the phonograph’s auditory experience. Unfortunately, the technology of the first quarter of the 20th century was not able to sync picture and sound, but the fact remains that the visual and auditory components of a film were tied together from the birth of cinema, and sound has always played a huge yet under-appreciated role in one’s movie-going experience. Making Waves, the documentary debut of acclaimed sound editor and USC professor Midge Costin, is a simultaneously entertaining as well as highly educational film that highlights the often-overlooked work of sound design, and attempts to place sound back in its proper place as the equal counterpart of picture.

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Review: ‘Honey Boy’ Paints a Portrait of a Troubled Child Star

Shia LaBeouf is no stranger to public self-reflection. In 2012 it was his being the lone observer of a performance specifically dedicated to implying his purported underlying cannibalistic tendencies. Now, he shows us the story that made a young actor into the polarizing pop culture sensation in his latest feature, Honey Boy. What’s more impressive is LaBeouf’s unbiased recounting of the events preceding his time in rehab. It is during this time that the character based upon LaBeouf, Otis Lort, is given the space to explore his alcoholism and how it is tied to his childhood growing up in the spotlight with a contentious relationship to his father.

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