Review: ‘Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar’ is a Wonderful, Chaotic Experience

It’s hard to believe that Bridesmaids, one of the funniest movies ever made in my opinion, is 10 years old. I watched the film with my parents around five or six years ago, around the time I first watched SNL and instantly recognized Kristen Wiig from it and remembered I loved everything about it. The Bridesmaids powerhouse pair, Wiig alongside ex-Groundlings star Annie Mumolo, are back now, with Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, a new comedy celebrating female friendship in the same way as the prequel. Continue reading “Review: ‘Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar’ is a Wonderful, Chaotic Experience” →

Review: It’s Hard to Understand What Exactly is Going On in ‘Bliss’

In the press notes for his new movie Bliss, I Origins director Mike Cahill states that it’s “your typical sci-fi story, but it’s also a love story, but it’s also a father-daughter story at the same time.” That is probably as good and as efficient a summary as you are going to find for this sometimes engaging but wholly frustrating and incomplete Amazon Prime release. Starring the always-appealing Owen Wilson (who unfortunately never says “wow” in this movie) and Salma Hayek, Bliss is an unusual cinematic journey, in that has a decent premise and story but slowly descends into a strange rough patch-filled madness that even the cast and crew themselves don’t seem to understand. Continue reading “Review: It’s Hard to Understand What Exactly is Going On in ‘Bliss’” →

Review: ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’ Invites the World to a New America

A few years ago, the idea of a Borat sequel releasing days before a major election seemed unthinkable. The first film set itself up for a sequel with that ending, but it’s been years. 2020, however, has hardly been the realm of the expected, and of course we had Sacha Baron Cohen come back as the titular Kazakh “reporter.” Continue reading “Review: ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’ Invites the World to a New America” →

Review: ‘My Spy’ is Fun Enough for Your Self-Quarantine

It seems like every Hollywood fighter-turned-actor is getting their own kid-team-up movie. The Rock had The Game Plan, Arnold Schwarzenegger had Kindergarten Cop, Hulk Hogan had Mr. Nanny, Jackie Chan had The Spy Next Door, John Cena had Playing With Fire, and now Dave Bautista has My Spy. There’s just something appealing to directors about seeing these macho movie heroes paired with an adorable kid – it’s the kind of film that would appeal to a more general audience, not just those who love violence and explosions. Continue reading “Review: ‘My Spy’ is Fun Enough for Your Self-Quarantine” →

Review: ‘The Aeronauts’ is a Fun Adventure, But its Head’s in the Clouds

It’s one thing to have a bad biopic, but it’s a completely different thing to have a fake biopic. The Aeronauts, directed by Tom Harper of Peaky Blinders fame, is the latter, even if it’s a good film. The Aeronauts, advertised as a biopic, is based on the record-breaking flight of British climate scientist James Glashier (Eddie Redmayne), famous for reaching an altitude of 12,000 feet in a hot-air balloon. He is aided by a pilot friend of his, the flamboyant pilot Amelia Wren (Felicity Jones).

Continue reading “Review: ‘The Aeronauts’ is a Fun Adventure, But its Head’s in the Clouds” →