movie review

REVIEW: F9 – The ‘Olive Garden’ of Movies

22 June 2021 by Christian Ryan Leave a Comment

Before we begin, there are no spoilers in this review. I typically don’t watch trailers before I see a movie, but I have since gone back and watched the trailers for F9 so this review will only explicitly mention scenes that are already publicly available.

I didn’t think we’d be at the point where I would be writing a review for a Fast and Furious movie, but here we are. Up until about five days ago, I hadn’t seen any of the films, so I binged them all before watching this one. I’m now fully caught up on the Fast Saga, and ready to discuss where F9 sits in this massive franchise.

F1: THE FAMILY

(from left) Dom (Vin Diesel) and Jakob (John Cena) in F9

The family is back together on another crazy mission, provided by Kurt Russel’s Mr. Nobody – one of the best recent additions to the cast. Dwayne Johnson is absent, as is Jason Statham, presumably due to some events that transpired in Hobbs and Shaw – the one film I didn’t see before F9. Luke Hobbs has been one of the strongest characters for me personally, so that lack of presence is pretty noticeable.

Conversely, there are some great reprisals here as well: Jordana Brewster returns, as do Bow Wow and Lucas Black (my favorite character, which I’ve heard is an unpopular opinion). But this film also brings back Sung Kang as Han, a character who already died in Tokyo Drift, came back, and died again.

According to my research, this is because Tokyo Drift actually takes place after Fast & Furious 6, and he only really “died” once – though F9 reveals that even that was just another ruse. I did not gather this at all via just watching the films, but apparently Tokyo was stuck in 2006 until about five years ago.

But that’s not the only surprising character update here. Dom Toretto, the family man himself, once turned his back on his own brother (John Cena), who has now come back with a vengeance. I like to think he was actually in every previous film, we just couldn’t see him.

F2: BACK FOR FUN

(from left) Tej (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) and Roman (Tyrese Gibson) in F9

As a whole, F9 is a bit of a return to form for the series in my eyes. Not that I’m necessarily a long time fan, but this is definitely not one of the Fast Saga’s worst entries. 2017’s Fate of the Furious notably ditched some of the over-the-top stunts for a more reserved (if you could call Dwayne Johnson grabbing a torpedo ‘reserved’) spy romp. In a more devastating blow to fans, Fate also threw away one of the biggest aspects of the series: family. That is thankfully not the case with F9.

While Fate saw Dom turn against his new ‘family,’ in F9, we learn that once he did the same thing to his brother Jakob. I usually dislike the addition of family members late into a series who go completely unmentioned prior to their new introduction, but I wasn’t incredibly hung up on it here.

Story-wise, the Fast Saga has never been anything to write home about, at least not after the franchise reboot in 2009. I obviously wasn’t expecting anything grand here either, but I’ve seen worse. After the disaster of Fate’s story, the only place F9 could go was up. Fast and the Furious is the Olive Garden of film franchises – when you’re here you’re family. And this was perhaps the ‘family-est’ of them all.

The movie even has a few moments with Roman and Tej (who are both great here) that poke fun at the insanity of the series as a whole. Roman asks “Are we invincible?” to which the movie essentially answers, “lol.” It’s just a carefree action flick that is cool for the sake of cool and doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it’s way better because of that.

F3: FAMILIAR FOE

(from left) Jakob (John Cena) and Cipher (Charlize Theron) in F9

For me, the biggest hurdle for these films is the portrayal of their villains. I think to-date, Luke Hobbs was the only one enjoyable to watch, every other villain character has felt boring and dry, lacking an emotion that isn’t ‘Kill those people before they destroy my new tech-MacGuffin-weapon.’ Even Deckard Shaw, the villain that can’t seem to die, falls into this category for me, only really assisted by his evil British accent.

In F9, the family faces off against Cipher, the villain introduced in Fate of the Furious, played by Charlize Theron. While I thought her performance in Fate was one of the driest of them all, they really improved her here. She has a ‘smartest in the room’ energy that makes her almost seem like the mastermind villain in a great anime or an HBO series. She even has the same haircut!

The cast was fun to watch, the story was acceptable, and the stunts were once again out of this world. F9 wasn’t my favorite entry into the series, but it was a dang good one. I was anticipating making a reference to the F9 key – a button which these days has little to no default use – somewhere in this review, but F9 the film is worth more than that one joke.

F4: IN REVIEW

Jakob (John Cena, center) and Otto (Thue Ersted Rasmussen, right) in F9

So where does this put the series? That’s a good question. Just about every film since Fast Five ends in a way that could be the end of the series if it needed to. That’s the case with F9 as well, but they’ve already announced a tenth film, so it seems like it won’t be the true end quite yet.

In a series that’s so committed to retcons that they changed a film from 2006 to be set in 2014 to bring back an actor, anything can happen. I would like to see the films end before it just writes itself into the ground, but given how much money they generate, I don’t think that’ll be any time soon.

The past year or so has been rough for big blockbuster films, because they truly benefit from the biggest screen possible. F9 is definitely the great summer blockbuster that theaters have needed. Go see it in person to experience all the magic of a truck with super magnets pulling a car through a building the way it’s meant to be experienced.

Those interested in my ranking of the Fast Saga as a whole can check it out here. Or, check out another review I’ve done for this site.

After this week I can say that these movies have changed me. I am truly a member of la familia. I am secretly Dom Toretto’s first cousin twice removed. I am played by Timothee Chalamet but he’s incredibly ripped now. I drive a Toyota Prius with a V12 engine and helicopter blades on top. I will be introduced in F13: Revenge of the Cars, a movie that was filmed in 1983 but will be released in 2024 with zero context.

REVIEW: Look At This PHOTOGRAPH

13 February 2020 by Christian Ryan Leave a Comment

There’s a new great romantic classic to watch on Valentine’s Day this year. The Photograph is one I’m excited to review.

Regardless of me being graciously invited to this screening, I would have no doubt made plans to see this film on my own. The Photograph features Issa Rae and LaKeith Stanfield, two stars whose work has never been shy of amazing in my eyes. That fact alone was enough to sell me on it.

Luckily there was so much more in store.

A NEW ROMANCE

If you’ve seen any trailers for The Photograph, then you’ll know the basic plot – a reporter profiling a man in Louisiana finds there’s more to the story than he initially thought.

I’ll cut right to the chase, The Photograph isn’t anything incredibly groundbreaking. But it doesn’t necessarily need to be. For someone who’s always enjoyed this type of movie, The Photograph really worked. It’s the kind of movie that helps you remember what’s important, what’s worth committing to, and what’s worth sometimes leaving behind.

The romance genre is ready for another powerhouse like The Notebook, and I think The Photograph could fill that position. If nothing else, I at least appreciate the growing list of romantic films named after everyday items.

Of course it wouldn’t be a review by me if I didn’t mention the soundtrack, and this one was nice. There’s not very much in the way of a score (though what was there I did enjoy), but the actual songs used throughout really add to the overall mood. It’s something to get you in the mood that you can just vibe to, and felt very natural.

A GRAND PERFORMANCE

As I hinted at before, I’ll see literally anything with LaKeith Stanfield. And I’m a big Issa Rae fan too. Their performances in this were top notch.

The connection they had was genuine, and you felt as if they had actually been through this, and were experiencing this in real time. I honestly would not have been surprised if I had walked out of the theater, opened twitter, and saw they were actually dating. They felt that real.

And they weren’t the only ones! Rob Morgan and Chanté Adams have great chemistry too. Their characters add a surprising amount of depth that I didn’t anticipate, but certainly appreciated.

To top it off, when the movie was funny, it was funny. The whole cast felt like they had experience in comedic roles for the stage – that is to say, the pacing of the comedic moments felt really great, which is something that usually I can’t say for mainstream comedy.

THE PHOTOGRAPH

Overall, expect to laugh, expect to cry, and expect to enjoy it. There are some movies I see where I just get to enjoy them, and writing a review for The Photograph was one of those times. January is always a fun time at the theaters because it’s right after the heavy awards season, and movies can just be movies for fun. And this one was certainly fun.

REVIEW: Last Christmas – The Gift We All Need This Season

7 November 2019 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

My daughter Sophia and I have somewhat of an addiction to bad Hallmark movies. Luckily for us, there’s not one but two whole channels devoted to playing them year round. There are Halloween and fall-themes, generic romantic ones, and of course, Christmas love stories. Now, having said that, I will admit, probably about 97% of our viewing is so we can poke fun at it. I mean, they’re fun to set a mood, but the tropes are always the same. Straight woman can’t find love with straight man of same race, because she’s either a “career woman” that never had time for love, or has to to back to her home town to help take over a family business that’s failing, or about to be bought out by a big, mean, business man (who also happens to be single and her same race). Every now and then the main characters will already be in a relationship, but it’s all wrong, and the right person is just waiting for them back home…

So while I’m sure there are folks that take these movies very seriously, we are not those people. However that does not mean we aren’t hopeless romantics! One of my favorite movies is Love Actually, and I was thrilled when Sophia finally watched it a few years back and also fell in love. We also share a love for Moulin Rouge, so we aren’t scrooges I promise. Having been exposed to both really good and really bad romantic movies, we had high hopes for Last Christmas given the cast and story behind its creation. We were not disappointed.

The premise behind Last Christmas is taking George Michael’s famous Wham! song of the same name, and creating an entire movie around it. Sounds like a short movie, right? But really, that was just the impetus. The idea for this movie came about 10 years ago, and George Michael was approached and actually liked the idea, insisting on Emma Thompson’s involvement. They met several times and went over story ideas before his untimely death on Christmas day in 2016. It took a long time to get the story right, with Emma Thompson and Greg Wise writing treatments together. The development grew and evolved from there to what is sure to become an instant classic. Last Christmas has all the side character development and charm of Love Actually, where you actually care about the people on the screen and are glad you get to know a little more about them. It has all the important messaging of It’s a Wonderful Life (the inspiration for the director’s desire to make a classic Christmas movie) without being heavy handed or feeling like the audience is manipulated.

Kate used to feel special, but got sick and now that she’s better, her life is a shambles. She works in a Christmas shop and auditions as a singer/actress on the side. Suddenly Tom appears and things start to “look up.” He helps her realize that life is about more than just trying to make yourself happy, it’s about helping others be happy too. I won’t reveal more than that, but the story does have a twist, which Sophia and I both guessed, but it didn’t make it any less powerful.

The rest of the film is full of beautiful London scenes and quirky characters, along with some real world issues to confront as well. George Michael’s compelling music is woven throughout, acting like another character in the story, a literal chorus with a message to share. It’s truly a multi-level gift, the movie itself, the wonderful acting and story, and the music; reborn for a new audience to enjoy and appreciate. (And older audiences, as I instantly wanted to download the soundtrack on my way home, but settled for my George Michael playlist).

Last Christmas also normalized a lot of hot button issues (that frankly shouldn’t be hot button issues in 2019), like mixed race couples, same-sex couples, immigration, homelessness, and our preconceptions. It was great to see a movie come out and not attempt to capitalize or divide based on those issues, but rather just be a mirror to real life and the many people that live in it.

I cannot wait to see this movie again, and to be able to watch it every year as I do with Love Actually. Until then, I will remain inspired by the many messages of love, self-reflection, selflessness, helping others, and I’ll remember to Look Up.

Last Christmas opens everywhere Friday, November 8th – Go see it!

You can get the soundtrack on Friday too:

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

Disclaimer: I was invited to a screening of Last Christmas at no cost, but as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.

REVIEW: Avengers: Endgame, a Conclusion 11 Years in the Making

23 April 2019 by Christian Ryan Leave a Comment

Before this review gets started, I’ll say that this review, like all of my others, contains NO SPOILERS, so read away with no worries of ruining the story. These are merely my lasting impressions.

About a month ago, I wrote a pretty negative review about Captain Marvel. One of the biggest takeaways from this review was that I began to feel as if I was suffering from “Marvel Fatigue”. That is to say, I felt as if there were more Marvel movies being produced than I cared to enjoy. The majority of them were only entertaining at best, but did nothing in terms of great filmmaking. They were largely ‘popcorn films’ – something you can sit down and watch, and know you’ll have a good time watching it, even though it’s not anything groundbreaking. They all followed the same basic format, and utterly, it grew quite old to me.

That is, with one exception: ‘Avengers: Infinity War’. Infinity War to me was the piéce de rèsistance of the MCU. I find myself still watching that movie over and over again, whereas I’ve still only seen most other Marvel movies one time. But I digress – point of the story is that to me, Infinity War was the climax of the series, and left me incredibly excited for Endgame. Captain Marvel just simply didn’t deliver on what I wanted from the MCU.

Endgame did.

THE NEW PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE.

Marvel Studios’ AVENGERS: ENDGAME..Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.)..Photo: Film Frame..©Marvel Studios 2019

Avengers: Endgame is truly the thrilling conclusion we all signed up for back in 2008. None of us knew it back then, but this is what we were waiting for. I’ll actually keep my descriptions of it more brief than usual, since I know spoiling anything in the MCU – let alone a proper Avengers title – is basically a death sentence.

I was ultimately left speechless by this movie. Where the MCU typically left me wanting more – wishing that the stories would be developed deeper, that there was more of a richness or diversity to the arcs we saw – Endgame fulfilled tenfold.It truly was the Super Bowl of the MCU, the great single climax we’ve all been waiting for.

In my initial draft of this review, I listed my only ‘con’ as the runtime. I mentioned that at times, even though I wasn’t bored, I was wondering if this runtime was truly necessary. Now that I’ve had more time to think about it – yes, it absolutely was. Every aspect of this film was necessary, and the runtime was definitely a key player. I might even be able to say I find no ‘con’ in this movie,which is not an honor I throw around very lightly, and certainly not for a movie in the MCU.

There are moments that feel the same as when we first saw The Avengers in 2012, with all the giddy joy of seeing them come together on screen for the first time. There are moments that feel the same as Thor: Ragnarok, which was notable for its lighthearted fare and comedy throughout. And there are some moments that feel the same as Infinity War, with all of the depressing realism of coming to terms with the fact that you can’t win every fight.

If you enter Endgame seeking an end to the arc we began in Infinity War, you will find it. If you enter seeking a newer, bolder story, you will find it. If you enter wishing to reminisce on the nostalgia of all of your favorite Marvel characters, you can do so.It really is a cinematic spectacle the likes of which has never happened before, and might never happen again.

The most I’ll give away is this: pay attention to the score. It can often be overlooked in action movies, but I thought the soundtrack of Endgame was masterful. When utilized fully, the soundtrack can be the biggest single tool in the directors’ arsenal to help tell a story and create their masterpiece – Endgame definitely does this. There are actually a few times in this movie where the score is a big focus, and I don’t recall that being as much of an emotional moment at any other time in the MCU.

Now, while I did absolutely love this movie, I don’t think it’s the most amazing movie I’ve seen. I think initially I would be quite hesitant to put it at the same level as some of my favorite movies – The Favourite (2018), Birdman (2014), La La Land (2016), etc. But I also don’t think that’s what it was trying to be. It wasn’t your typical Oscar-nominated spectacle-of-theatre that you know will be looked back on as a classic. Or was it?

The performances were great. Robert Downey Jr. brought new depth to his role in this film alone unlike anything we’ve seen. And he’s not alone. Hemsworth, Evans, Ruffalo, the whole team were at an elevated level of performance. The storytelling was great. The music was great. The visual depth and experience were great. It’s not your typical Oscar selection, but I think it certainly manages to prove its worthiness as one.

What it did do was subvert every expectation I had of what an action movie could be. 11 years ago, I never thought I would care about what Thanos did, or who War Machine was. But Kevin Feige and the entire Marvel team have crafted a cultural moment unlike any other. I’ll be the first to say I haven’t enjoyed every stop along the way – like I said earlier, I got bored. Retaining the audience’s attention for this long was surely a daunting task, and it wasn’t always a successful one for me. Regardless, time after time, I showed up. And I’m very glad I did.

Endgame manages to do something right in the MCU. That is to say, it takes every boring and action-heavy flick in its roster and kicks them to the curb. Every low moment of the MCU we slogged through for the past 11 years was worth it for seeing the Avengers come to life on screen one last time in Endgame. Whatever it takes.

As a funny bonus, this movie was so engaging that my heart rate went a little crazy.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Marvel Studios’ AVENGERS: ENDGAME..L to R: Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), War Machine/James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), Ant-Man/Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlet Johansson), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans)..Photo: Film Frame..©Marvel Studios 2019

To say that Endgame is a great movie is actually kind of difficult. First a different question must be answered; Is it truly great, or is it great only built off the success of the 22-film MCU?

I’m a big fan of Harry Potter. And I think that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is a good movie, and ended the series off in a way that I was fine with. But you certainly could not watch ONLY Deathly Hallows Part 2. I think you might be able to watch ONLY Endgame (if you somehow hadn’t seen anything else in the MCU).

Really, I don’t think I can answer that original question. In fact I would be hard-pressed to find anyone who actually could. It seems as though the entire world has seen at least most of these movies, so it would be very difficult to find someone who will watch Endgame with absolutely zero prior knowledge. So I think that invalidates the question. To ask if Endgame is good is to, by association, assume whomever you’re asking has prior knowledge already. And that actually makes this easier to talk about.

Endgame is a great movie. It certainly doesn’t make any groundbreaking leaps or bounds in terms of cinematic filmmaking. But it does completely change film history. Never before have 22 films culminated to one thrilling, rollercoaster of a conclusion. And I think something like this may never happen again, or at least, I hope it doesn’t.

While I definitely enjoyed this wild 11 year ride, I’m ready for it to end. In a perfect world, this would be the end of the MCU, and we would be able to look back fondly on this crazy journey and reminisce the time of year a new Marvel movie would come out. Unfortunately, I know it doesn’t end here. They’ve already announced films like Spiderman: Far From Home, and Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3, and who knows what else is in the works.

But if I’m being honest, after Endgame, I’m actually looking forward to whatever happens next. I’m ready for it to end, but something about the masterminds at Marvel Studios has left me curious about where we go from here. So the MCU shall continue, seemingly endlessly into the horizon, as new stories are told and new heroes are born. But for now, Endgame signifies a brief moment of rest. I no longer know what the future of the MCU holds, but I’m ready for a whole new adventure to begin.

REVIEW: Ralph Breaks The Internet…And A Lot of Other Stuff

19 November 2018 by Suzannah Otis 3 Comments

Let me preface this by saying I don’t think of this as a review that I’m writing. I usually say in my movie review posts that I’m no movie critic, so take all of this with a giant grain of salt. That said, I do like to think of myself as a critical thinker, sometimes…and thinking critically about Disney movies is about as scholarly as I get at this point in my life. Think of this more as a discussion of the movie, if we saw it together and talked about it on the way home from the theatre (because this is pretty much the conversation my husband and I had on the way home). I will also say, because I’m just going to discuss things, there probably will be spoilers. But really, there’s no “King Candy was Vanellope’s dad!” (he wasn’t – he was Turbo, remember?!) level of spoilers here, it’s pretty much the movie it portends to be in commercials, except for one part of the end, so be forewarned. If you want the kind of review that will say “It was great, go see it!” then you should probably head on over to some other blog now, I will not be offended.

I’ll just jump right in and say, I’m not really sure what I was expecting. I saw the preview at the D23 Expo in 2017, with the Disney Princesses scene, and the fact that Disney as a company allowed itself to be poked fun of in that way was refreshing. Honestly, that was my favorite part of the movie too. The problem I had with it, is that it just kind of went all over the place, with no real coherent story, or “moral” as the first movie had. I feel like the take away with Wreck it Ralph was that life is what you make of it, you can change your circumstances, it’s good to be bad, and winning is everything. Hmm, wait, I may be getting some of those wrong, but anyway…This new storyline, 6 years later (which they mention a LOT for some reason), has a very vague take away. Don’t be insecure? Don’t smother your friends? It’s okay to leave friends and responsibilities behind if you get bored in life. I dunno. I feel like my review is now also all over the place, but the point I’m trying to make is that the avenues they decided to go down in a movie that is supposed to be discovering and sharing all or parts of the internet today, could’ve been done a lot better. Or at least made more sense.

They touch briefly on the phenomenon that is “trending” and “getting likes” and how that is currency in today’s world. Then we momentarily learn about comments and how comments online are bad and you shouldn’t read them. I just felt that in today’s day and age when online bullying is still a thing and places like instagram are virtual breeding grounds for creating, fostering, and magnifying insecurities, fomo, and feeling “less than,” they fell short of actually making a statement about how bad that is and how it’s not reality. I have luckily not had my children affected by online bullying (that I know of), but I have seen a good mood turn into one of feeling like crap when my daughter just scrolls through instagram. I’ve certainly felt that myself. That’s a hard message to learn, as a child or an adult, that what you see online isn’t all there is to life – that joy doesn’t come from the likes you receive, the views you get, or the followers you have. On a personal level, I’ve definitely seen that what it takes to be “successful” in this online world is creating a brand and being that non-stop forever until you don’t really know where that ends and you begin. Sure, some have been able to balance it, but it is a harsh reality that some people may never find a way out of. Certainly I didn’t expect or need an animated documentary on the pitfalls of the internet in 2018 and how to combat them. I just thought more care could’ve been taken with a platform as large as this, about the downside of instant internet fame of today. That said, I guess the Disney synergy of countless online presences might prevent that message, since they want you to buy the things and wear the styles and eat the cute foods (or take photos of them anyway).

One of the other subplots was the concept of a virus; how a virus exposes an insecurity in a system and can destroy it from there. A very interesting way to explain that and make it have “real world” consequences. (And really, viruses are one of the easiest and most preventable dark sides of the internet – I mean, get virus software and don’t click on links you don’t know, ya know?) Translating it into a literal “insecurity” and showing the effects of insecurity on friendship and self-worth was a strange way to go, in my opinion. I guess the overarching message was, it’s okay to have friends with different interests, and just because they have other interests/friends, doesn’t mean they don’t like you. And that makes sense, that’s great. But it took a lonnnng time to get there, with a lot of random winding roads along the way (which I guess could be a metaphor for the never-ending distracting nature of the internet itself, but that would be a stretch…). At the end of the day, it had a lot of overlap from “Haha this is just characters from a game discovering new things” to “Wait, is this reality? Did a video game character just buy something on ebay? And did another video game character just leave her game never to return, cause she was bored?” I should know, however, from dealing with the Cars universe and Pixar, not to over-analyze things or read too much into things, or try to make logical sense out of an animated film primarily made for children.

Which brings me to my next point, I really don’t know if young kids will find this entertaining. There is quite a bit of waxing philosophical from the main characters and while I guess young kids could miss that and just think “haha that guy has big eyeballs and a funny name” or something, it just didn’t have the same entertainment value in my mind, and most kids aren’t going to make the connection from computer insecurity to human insecurity. I will definitely be interested to hear what my 10 year old thinks when he sees it.

Again, the Princesses part was funny, as a commentary on Disney characters as well as I guess a dig at millennials, when all the princesses get new “costumes.” Maybe just I saw it as a dig at all the “Disney instragram uniforms” you see in stylized photos with carefully placed branding. I am reaching the “get off my lawn” age of internet usage, so it could be that. I’d love to see Disney turn that scene into a series of shorts like they’ve done with the new Mickey Mouse cartoons. Any time a giant corporate entity can see the smart humor to be found within its own walls, that’s a good thing.

I also really enjoyed the post-credit scene as well, so stay tuned for that. It was cute (but I also expected it to end sooner than it did and really leave us hanging).

Overall, it was a fun but very very generic glossed-over look at the internet. Many internet horrors were of course not mentioned, as I wouldn’t expect in a family film, but I don’t know, maybe more of a warning about how you shouldn’t actually try to make a ton of money doing stupid things on video, and how that hard truth isn’t necessarily a good thing would’ve been wise to add. The fun innocence of the first film definitely lost its luster, which again, could be a metaphor for the real internet. I’m not sure it would be a multiple-viewing title in our house, which is our usual mark of success.

I’d love to know what you think! If you have seen Ralph Breaks the Internet, did you love it or agree with anything above? Let’s discuss!

Disclaimer: I attended a complimentary screening, but my opinions are (obviously) my own.

REVIEW: All the Buzz About Ant-Man and the Wasp

3 July 2018 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

I will admit, I could watch Paul Rudd read the latest tax code updates and be totally content. I’m a fan. (And my husband reminds me of him as well, so I really lucked out there.) That said, I wasn’t super excited about the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp. It just didn’t look that intriguing to me, especially after the action-packed Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, and Avengers: Infinity War in recent months, this seemed like an afterthought. However, as usual, Marvel came through and made me eat my words. It was a fun romp, just the type of levity needed after the dare I say it, super depressing Infinity War ending. I’m sure many of us are still recovering after that killer ending (no pun intended). What AM&tW did was fill in the blanks and connect the dots to what was going on in the rest of the world while those last movies were happening, and also primed both Ant-Man, and the Wasp, to be a part of the continuing Avengers storylines.

I don’t want to give anything away, and this review will be spoiler-free, but I must say, I love how Marvel can just connect everything with a sentence or two, or even just one visual shot, and make you go “Ooooh, okay!” I’m not versed on the original comics, so I go in to all of these movies blind, but I am a nerd at heart, so I appreciate subtle links that lead to huge backstories and a wider universe of relationships and connections for our storylines.

Ant-Man and the Wasp does not disappoint with comedy and hi-jinx, heartwarming family ties, and a few jaw-dropping moments as well. I love that Ant-Man isn’t afraid to say what we all are thinking as an audience, “Are you guys just adding quantum before words now?” and isn’t afraid to be a “real guy.” We learn more about Scott Lang and his bad-guy-gone-good personality. We understand more about Hope van Dyne and her family, and how little we actually know of what else is out there in the universe.

I walked in not a huge fan of Hope, as I found her so reserved and not really endearing in Ant-Man, but this film does make strides in that department and she really is the yin to Scott Lang’s yang 😛 Other fun performances are from of course, Michael Peña as Luis, Randall Park as FBI Agent Woo, David Dastmalchian as Kurt, and Bobby Cannavale as Paxton, who picks right up where he left off in Ant-Man. I really enjoyed Laurence Fishburne’s Dr. Bill Foster, and hope this isn’t the last we see of him. Scott’s daughter Cassie, played by Abby Ryder Fortson is a breakout star of the film, as is the city of San Francisco itself, which I love. Another thing I like about this storyline is the fact that things don’t always go as planned with Ant-Man or his suit. They may not have access to perfect Wakandan or Stark-tech environments, but work with what they have, and figure out how to make it work and fight for what’s right.

Speaking of what’s right, there are many times when you wonder, what is right, who is right, and who is the bad guy or the good guy. I appreciate this element because it mimics real life and what you might think is the obvious “good guy” or “villain” just may not be the case. And of course, even the worst villain may be redeemable (e.g. Loki).

All in all, I now view Ant-Man and the Wasp as a necessary chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it has, of course, led me to want more, and get ready for Captain Marvel and upcoming Avengers (4 – to be named later), which really can’t come too soon. As always, stay for the 2 post credit scenes – the first is a MUST see, the second is lighthearted. The end credits themselves are also super fun, for all those Marvel fan boys and girls out there who wish they could run home and recreate the entire movie…with their action figures at home.

Ant-Man and the Wasp opens everywhere Friday, July 6 and is the perfect summer flick to see again and again! I’d love to hear your thoughts on Ant-Man and the Wasp. Who’s your favorite character? What are your MCU theories?! Share in the comments below!

REVIEW: Zootopia is a Whole New World of Disney Animation

3 March 2016 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

I will admit it, when I first heard about and saw snippets about Zootopia, I wasn’t super excited. “Another movie about animals that can talk,what will make this one any different,” I thought. I then saw the sloth DMV scene at the D23 Expo, laughed, and thought it had some promise. I do love Jason Bateman, and hearing him as the voice of Nick Wilde for over an hour couldn’t be too bad, right? Once home from the D23 Expo over the summer, I kind of forgot about it until recently, when I was able to attend a screening. I had seen a few little promo pieces about it, and saw that they were trying to make the Zootopia universe relatable by changing common things we were used to with “Z” words (zoogle rather than google, zuber rather than uber, etc.) I was then worried that it would be too corny, trying too hard. But really, that’s only in the marketing. In the actual movie, I was relieved to see, the gags and puns are little rewards for keen-eyed observers.

As a side note, I’ve found, in recent years, Disney marketing does tend to go a little overboard on the jokes of site gags found within its animated films, as if trying to ensure these things catch on and “go viral.” While I totally understand this is a necessary evil of marketing on this scale, it’s no less annoying, to me personally, and really makes me wish I could just watch things sight un-seen and make my own judgments from there. But then again, I’m not a typical movie-going Disney fan. I don’t laugh at all the jokes I’m supposed to, and do tend to like more subtle attempts at both humor and any moral-of-the-story lessons. So, maybe it’s just me.

In any event, I was proven wrong in my pre-judgment of Zootopia. Very wrong. I loved it and I think it has the true distinction of being engaging and relatable to everyone and every age. In addition, the universe created for the film and the city of Zootopia is absolutely amazing and so infinitely detailed, I want to live in each of the distinct little areas of their world. The opening scene of the movie tells all the backstory you need to know about both our main character, Judy Hopps, and the world of Zootopia itself. The different neighborhoods are perfect homes for the various types of animals best suited to that environment; Sahara Square for desert animals, the Rain Forest District for those used to jungle environments, Tundratown for polar bears and other cold-weather animals, along with Bunnyburrow, where Judy is from, and Little Rodentia, for the tiniest mammals (the scenes in this area are among my favorite in the movie), while the downtown area Savanna Central, is a bustling city environment where animals from every climate and environment come together to work and live.

Judy Hopps is, at the end of the day, a glass half full kind of bunny. She is an eternal optimist, not only in life, but in her own self-confidence. Despite the motto of Zootopia being “where anyone can be anything,” there is a sort of unwritten rule that in certain situations (when bunnies want to become police officers for example), that isn’t really the case. Judy is determined to prove them wrong, and most importantly, prove to herself that she can be and do anything, and do it well. What follows when Judy does graduate as the first bunny from the police academy, is, at the heart of it all, a buddy comedy. I can actually picture the storyline of Zootopia (minus some animal-specific aspects) translating to a live-action film with humans rather than animals, and that’s perhaps the best compliment for the writing and strength of the plot.

Another major-yet-more-subtle subplot to the movie is the idea of prejudice, profiling of different types of people (or animals in this case). As mentioned above, the animals in Zootopia may claim to be evolved and accepting of all different types of species and allowing them to be anything they want, but there are several lines and situations within the film that directly correlate to our own real-world racial profiling and embarrassingly stereotypical actions – “other bunnies can call each other cute, but other animals can’t call a bunny cute” for example. This may go over the average kid’s head as a funny throw-away line, but adults watching know where it’s coming from, and if it sparks conversation among parents to their kids, all the better. In any event, I love when “kids movies” don’t pander to kids and leave modern and important themes out of the mix. It is possible to have a fun story, animated characters, and important life lessons in one film. Zootopia does that with ease.

I won’t drone on with (much) more analysis of plotlines and characters, but I will say (again) that I loved Zootopia, I loved the message that it tells, and how it tells it. There was not a princess in site, and there was absolutely no feeling of “oh, this is a female empowerment theme” because the whole point of the story is literally, anyone can do anything, and that they should, if they want to. That we shouldn’t judge others based on preconceived notions, and although someone may do something differently than us, it doesn’t mean it’s any less right or valid. And I loved that take-away. I took my 7 year-old son to the screening I saw, and I love that he was exposed to those messages probably without even realizing it. Judy Hopps failed a few times, but kept going, learning all along the way. Nick Wilde lived his life one way because he thought that’s how he had to, and learned that he could and should do more. I hope it sticks in his little sponge-like brain to – as pop sensation Gazelle (played by Shakira) sang in the movie – “Try Everything.”

This was a movie I instantly wanted to see again, and cannot wait till I can do just that. The animation itself is gorgeous, robust and detailed. The character acting is great too, Idris Elba as the Chief of Police is so fun to listen to, as is J.K. Simmons as the mayor, and Nate Torrence as the lovable police station cop, Clawhauser.

I’m excited for Zootopia to be released and have a presence in Disney parks. A meet and greet has already been announced for Disney California Adventure, and Judy and Nick will join the “Move It! Shake It! Dance & Play It!” Street Party at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, both happening this spring. My son has already asked for a Zootopia backpack and lunchbox, so that means the movie has reached Star Wars level approval ratings in our home.

I’d love to hear what you think if you see Zootopia this weekend!

Disclaimer: I attended a free screening of this film in order to write this review. As you can see, my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review: Guardians of the Galaxy’s Surprising Fit in the Marvel Universe

31 July 2014 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

I had avoided most of the previews and trailers of Guardians of the Galaxy, other than a short trailer at last year’s D23 Expo out in Anaheim. Basically, what that trailer told me was that it was sci-fi, not your average superhero movie, and there was a raccoon and a tree involved. So walking into the theatre last night, that’s pretty much all I knew, other than it had been getting great buzz online from those who had seen screenings. And rightly so, as I found myself loving it from frame one.

I don’t want to give away too much from the film, as I like to think of the Marvel Universe as a giant puzzle, so when you get these little pieces from the various films or after-the-credits tags, it’s quite satisfying (for me anyway) to be able to say “ohhhh, that’s what that means.” or “that’s who that is!” I am certainly no comic book expert, other than reading Donald Duck, Casper, Richie Rich, and Archie comics on summer vacations in Maine. But Guardians of the Galaxy made me want to read Marvel comics. And I really think that is a testament to the storyline and fun of this movie. It was not so much about any one character like Iron Man and his anxiety issues or Captain America trying to fit in to today’s society, it was more about a group of unlikely friends and heroes who did great things despite their background and issues. And can’t we all relate to that in some way?

The movie was filled with amazing visuals, music and special effects that are everything you want in a summer action film. I really loved the various costumes and color choices throughout the movie. The space flight and fight scenes are enough to keep any Marvel fan happy too. I started out worrying that I wouldn’t be able to keep all of these new characters and their place in the Marvel world straight, but by the end, it all made sense and of course, made me wanting more and I can’t wait to see where the story takes us next. Best of all, at the end of the film, we are promised that “The Guardians of the Galaxy Will Return” which is a win win for everyone!

The special effects were spot on…I never thought “Oh, that’s just computer animation” and it was totally believable that there was a talking raccoon and a walking and sort-of-talking tree on screen. Everything just fit seamlessly and I loved every minute of it.

Parents Guide: Parents should be aware that there are a lot of non G-rated words in this movie, some crass humor and lots and lots of space fighting and real fighting. But nothing too graphic or gory. If your little person enjoys the other Marvel films or Star Wars movies, you should be fine.

Run, don’t walk to the theatre to see Guardians of the Galaxy, you won’t regret it! It opens today in many theatres and everywhere on August 1.

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Review: Frozen Took Me By Surprise and Melted My Heart

26 November 2013 by Suzannah Otis 3 Comments

I will fully admit, as I saw the endless promotion for Disney’s 53rd Animated Feature, Frozen start to begin, I was less than interested. Olaf the Snowman, clearly designed to appeal to the youngest of Disney fans, didn’t excite me at all. I wanted to know more about the story of Frozen: the sisters, their background, what happened to them and why. Not watch a lop-sided snowman chase his carrot nose for an hour. Adding in Sven, the reindeer who seemed like a carbon-copy of Max the canine-like horse from Tangled, and I didn’t hold out much hope for Frozen. I was given some images from Disney showing background animation and concept art, and that excited me a bit. It was what I was most looking forward to when I attended a screening a couple of weeks ago, but little else.

Then, the theatre darkened and the music began. Rich, hearty Norwegian chanting. It made me sit up and take notice. What followed was me being glued to the edge of my seat, soaking up every pixel of gorgeous animation, every word of enticing story, every note of exquisite music and lyrics. I was, in short, in love. I walked out thinking “This is my new favorite Disney film.” and “I must have this soundtrack.”

Without giving major plot points away, I want to convey how refreshing it was to see this storyline unfold. Not knowing anything about the movie other than there was a silly snowman and a reindeer, I was completely taken in by what I thought was happening and really couldn’t guess the end at all. I loved how the sisters were portrayed, loving each other, caring for each other, and when unable to be together, missing each other. Unlike most previous Disney animated films, the first real main character song fits in so well as something that is really happening, vs. just breaking into a nice song that helps propel the story but seems a little out of place. We learn so much about the sisters’ upbringing in “Do You Want to Build a Snowman” and it’s a beautiful song to boot. We then learn more about Princess Anna in her subsequent songs and really begin to feel for her, as well as Elsa. The whole soundtrack is very Broadway-esque and I instantly thought of Rent when I heard Princess Anna and Hans singing “Love is an Open Door” it’s this kind of refreshingly good music that makes the difference here. Princess Anna is pretty identifiable (at least personally) – she may be a princess but she’s clumsy and even a bit gullible and clueless (which could be called trusting and innocent too), and most importantly of all, she wakes up with bedhead. How many other Disney princesses would admit to that? I instantly loved her. While we don’t know much about Elsa after she was hidden away as a child, what we do know is that she was a loving, caring sister. This sisterly bond above all else is an important message of the film.

When Idina Menzel as Elsa, newly crowned as Queen, finally gives in to her icy powers, the resulting “Let it Go” song is perhaps the most powerful moment in the film. The accompanying animation here is beyond amazing as well. You’ll wish you could hit repeat on this section of the movie, it’s that good. THIS is what Frozen is about. Family, secrets, struggles, love, and figuring out how to combine them all and be happy. While I understand the gigantic marketing machine that is the Walt Disney Company and how they must promote and sell merchandise with every movie they produce, I truly wish they could find a way to give the audience some credit and showcase the real highlights of their talented animators work. This film is so much more than has been advertised so far. That said, Olaf is less annoying than I thought he’d be. His song, “In Summer” is pretty classically funny without relying on toddler humor. It reminded me of Josh Gad’s stellar performance in Book of Mormon. It is also refreshing to see Disney working with the guy that wrote the music for Book of Mormon and Avenue Q, unafraid to take risks and push boundaries. Now the marketing team just needs to catch up!

The only disappointments in the film for me were the unnecessary troll characters which were as annoying as I mistakenly thought Olaf would be. They served no real purpose and their song was unmemorable and pointless. However, in listening to outtakes on the Deluxe Edition of the soundtrack, we learn a bit more of the trolls role, which made me wish some of the eliminated songs were actually used. Oh well. The other sad thing was that the talented Jonathan Groff was only given one very short song in the film. I can understand why; the film is really female-focused with the sisters, their bond and how they grow and learn, but I do wish we heard more Jonathan.

All in all, I walked away from this film proud of Walt Disney Animation, amazed by Kristen Anderson Lopez, Robert Lopez and Christophe Beck’s work with the soundtrack, feeling like Princess Anna was my spirit animal, and ready for more Frozen. It is definitely a must-see and a must-see again and again. Disney’s Frozen opens tomorrow, 11/27 and is the perfect way to spend some time during the Thanksgiving holiday. The wonderful soundtrack is available now and I highly recommend investing in the Frozen Deluxe Edition for even more insight into the film-making process with the songwriters commentary before the outtakes and additional pieces of the score. Idina’s “Let it Go” has been on repeat for 24 hours straight here and I don’t see an end in sight. Frozen will melt your heart!

I’d love to hear your thoughts below when you’ve seen the film!

Spoiler-Free Review: Iron Man 3 Changes the World

3 May 2013 by Suzannah Otis 4 Comments

I’ve said before that it is very difficult to choose a favorite Avenger movie; I do love Captain America and his storyline (and am excited for part two to come out soon), but I do believe Iron Man holds the biggest place in my heart as far as the Marvel movies go. I never really got into super hero movies until Iron Man came out. I had always been a fan of Robert Downey Jr. and when I saw that he had imbued the role with his famous RDJ charm and wit, I was hooked. Of course, the storylines and action were a plus too. So, when I saw the first trailers for Iron Man 3, I was absolutely thrilled with how it looked; so many visual ‘wow’ moments and it truly left me excited to see more. And more is definitely what I saw, earlier this week at a media screening of Iron Man 3. My review of the film follows, but given the almost crazy amount of twists and turns within the plot, my review will be safely major-plot-point-spoiler-free for your reading pleasure!

I think part of why I love Iron Man, and Tony Stark so much is that at the end of the day, he’s just a man. He has no super powers when the suit is off, he’s just a guy trying to figure life out too. And those human struggles are where Iron Man 3 begins its story. Tony Stark has been having difficulty dealing with “New York” -as the events of the Avengers film are referred to in this movie. Just as he is at his breaking point of handling the stress, a villain appears on the scene and gives him no choice but to get back into action, save the world, and in the process, save himself.

What proceeds from there on in Iron Man 3 is a series of events that you could never see coming and challenge your belief that it will all be okay in the end. We see Tony Stark pretty much at rock bottom and being forced to rely on others as well as returning to the most base elemental components that make up “Iron Man” and Stark as a human being – he “fixes things.” I loved it from start to finish and really enjoyed the humor throughout the film, even poking fun at traditional villains, and of course, Iron Man himself along the way. It really humanized the super human, and made me feel for all of the characters within the film. The theme here is rebirth, reinvention, and getting back to what you know, and it’s a message that so many can relate to, myself included.

Here is the latest released clip, showing some of Tony Stark’s struggles

I will say one thing, there is a sub-plot within the film where Tony interacts with a young boy, and I thought this was a great addition to the movie and story. The scenes may have worked just as well without this character, but what this young actor brought to the screen was wonderful, and as a parent, even heartwarming to see. It was a great counter-point to the non-stop action going on around the rest of the story. In addition to this, the entire cast works so well as an ensemble, it’s great to see more of Don Cheadle and Gwyneth Paltrow in their respective roles.

I can’t really say too much else without giving things away, so I’ll end my brief but no less heartfelt review here. As I said on twitter after seeing the screening, “Iron Man 3. Amazing. That is all.” And really, that’s all the review you need, go out and see this movie – today! (And stay past the credits as always!)

Iron Man 3 is open today in theatres everywhere! I was provided a free media screening of the film, but my opinions are my own.

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