Archives for : Fun
SIRENS Interview: Julianne Moore, Meghann Fahy, Milly Alcock, Glenn Howerton, Felix Solis, Bill Camp
The first “Accountant” surprisingly charmed and entertained audiences. While I did not expect a sequel, I certainly don’t mind getting to see Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal team up again. Though it’s hard to beat the refreshing plot of the original film, this second installment adds up to a solid watch.
Ben Affleck returns as Christian Wolff, an unusual accountant with a brilliant mind that can calculate far more than tax returns. Read the full review here.
Rating: B
“The Accountant 2” opens in theaters April 25, 2025
Ryan Gosling takes on his most thrilling role yet in Universal Pictures newest comedy, The Fall Guy. It’s best not to take this film too seriously, it’s based on the 1981 television series and pays tribute to stunt work, taking full advantage of any opportunity for high-flying tricks. To say this film is action-packed would be an understatement.
Gosling plays Colt Seavers, a retired stuntman, who quit the industry after a severe injury. He is pulled back into the job with the hopes of rekindling a romance with his ex-girlfriend, Jody, who is now the director of a blockbuster film. The only problem is the star of the movie is missing and Colt must find him before Jody’s film is canned.
At first, “The Fall Guy” throws a lot at you at once. It takes a minute to find the groove of the film, but once the film finds its footing, audiences are in for a non-stop, electrifying, good time filled with humor thanks to the witty dialogue by writers, Drew Pearce and Glen A. Larson. Through all the explosions and fight sequences, there’s a gripping story about the typically unrecognized hard work of stuntmen and women. We’re shown how they are repeatedly put into life-threatening situations for a quick “magical” shot that’s pivotal to a movie. But director David Leitch takes this premise one step further by adding a romantic comedy element that only elevates the story.
Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt dazzle on-screen. The two of them surprisingly convey enough heart to charm audiences even while they make you burst out laughing from their several comedic scenes. “The Fall Guy” is an exciting moviegoing experience, providing jaw-dropping action, loveable leads, killer soundtrack, and ridiculous chaotic fun. Making it the perfect popcorn flick.
Rating: A
“The Fall Guy” opens in theaters May 3, 2024.
It’s rare these days to not be able to predict the end of a movie, especially one that appears to be formulaic, but I can assure you, you won’t know what to expect from Universal Pictures’ new, surprisingly funny thriller, “Abigail”.
After a group of criminals kidnap the ballerina daughter of a powerful, wealthy man, they must wait 24 hours in an isolated mansion to collect their 50-million-dollar ransom, but things quickly go awry when the group discovers they are locked inside with no normal little girl. What proceeds to happen is an entertaining, creatively shot blood bath that will shock and humor audiences.
The plot is straight-forward, but the production and performances elevate what could have been a bore. Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett film a balanced narrative that flows much like a ballet performance. There’s a good rhythm at the start and engaging theatrics throughout with Abigail’s random, but impressive dance moves right before she remarkably lands her bait. And while the band of crooks do a fine job, it’s our young star, Alisha Weir who steals the show. She’s natural at playing an angelic scared little girl, who in an instant can flip the switch to a terrifying demonic tiny dancer.
But “Abigail” does have its flaws. Towards the end, the film does waver and stubble over its steady beat with too many betrayals and inconsistent character identities. Which prevents it from providing the depth that was potentially there. That being said, there is still more positive than negative here, especially from the comedic timing of the entire cast. It’s very much M3GAN meets Ready or Not, just nowhere near as good. But, if you’re a fan of the horror genre, then “Abigail” is satisfying, mindless bloody fun.
Rating: B-
“Abigail” opens in theaters April 19, 2024
This week I review “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”. After 15 years, Harrison Ford returns as everyone’s favorite archeologist for one last adventure. Did the film provide the closure fans have been wanting? Watch my review and find out!
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” opens in theaters June 30, 2023.
Rating: B
After so many Marvel misses, this one might be their first hit in a while. This week in Feature Flix, I share my thoughts on the highly anticipated third installment of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”.
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” opens in theaters May 5
Rating: A
After so many heavy award contenders, it’s nice to have a fun palette cleanser like the new sci-fi/thriller, “M3GAN”. January is known to be dump month. So going into this film, I had no expectations but to hopefully have a good time. Luckily, the film turned out to be a whole lot of deadly fun.
Chucky, you’ve met your match. It’s the model 3 generative android, aka M3GAN for short. She is a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally. She’s a life-like doll that listens, teaches, and looks after the child she has bonded with. However, when it comes to protecting her owner, M3GAN may go off program and leave a bloody mess behind.
In the film, Allison Williams stars as Gemma, a brilliant roboticist who is obsessed with her job and perfecting the AI for her company’s new toy. Unfortunately, a terrible accident leaves her responsible for her 8-year-old niece, Cady (Violet McGraw). She rushes her newest project so that M3GAN can take on the responsibilities of a guardian that she doesn’t want to be bothered with. But soon M3GAN takes her role to the extreme, and Gemma must do everything she can to deactivate the AI for good.
This hilarious, campy horror is written by Akela Cooper and James Wan; and directed by Gerald Johnstone. It has all the makings for an instant horror classic. The film provides the similar thrills and humor of “Child’s Play”, while adding its own original spin. “M3GAN” is self-aware and embraces the silliness of its premise. Though, the plot is ridiculous, the film also has a lot of heart by exploring grief and its impact on children, as well as people’s dependency on technology. There is a reason why these AI’s shouldn’t replace parents, and at some point, children need to outgrow their toys.
“M3GAN” is a comical story with some foolish scenes, but man, is it one hell of a good time! From her random dance break to her creepy spider crawl chase, you’ll be laughing and shuddering at the thought of M3GAN as your new best friend.
Rating: B+
It’s kind of hard to say no to anything with George Clooney or Julia Roberts. But when they team up for a rom-com, I’m sold!
“Ticket to Paradise” tells a predictable story about a divorced couple, David (Clooney) and Georgia (Roberts), who can barely tolerate sitting next to each other at their daughter’s law school graduation. But, when their daughter, Lily (played by Kaitlyn Dever) goes on what was supposed to be a summer trip to Bali and falls in love/gets engaged to a native named Gede (Maxime Bouttier); David and Georgia put their differences aside to stop the wedding.
Like most romantic comedies, I’m sure you see where this story is going. When it comes to rom-coms, it’s not the predictability that is the issue, it’s whether or not we are served a fresh perspective and/or a handful of laughs. “Ticket to Paradise” offers nothing new story wise and, sadly, not a whole lot of laughs.
The film’s runtime is around an hour and 40 minutes, but the pacing is a lot slower compared to other films in that genre. This is due to the lack of comedy. The best moments are when Clooney and Roberts are at each other’s throats. Their disdain for each other is funny, and the audience will crave more bitter banter as the two have wonderful comedic chemistry. I’m just shocked they didn’t utilize their humor more. We have seen Roberts go much bigger in past rom-coms, and it’s always a joy to see. That being said, it seems that, Director/Writer, OI Parker’s intentions with this film were to have more serious conversations with subtle humor verses the typical slapstick comedy tropes. I absolutely respect this choice, but also seems like a missed opportunity with these two stars.
What “Ticket to Paradise” does offer, is a stunning setting that’s its own character, and a charming, talented cast you can’t help but fall for. Dever and Billie Lourd team up again since “Booksmart” and continue to shine on-screen. Bouttier and the rest of the actors playing island natives are also a joy to watch. And of course, the whole purpose of this movie– George Clooney and Julia Roberts are magnetizing. I think we’d be entertained watching these two have a conversation about drywall.
There’s nothing wrong with the film, but in a year where there have been some fresh romantic comedies like, “Bros” or “I Want You Back”, it’s hard to get excited about this one.
However, with such a lovable cast, and beautiful location, “Ticket to Paradise” can be an enjoyable, lighthearted comedy to escape all the madness in our lives.
Rating: B-
Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures’ “Sing 2” may still play a familiar tune, but this time around, they crank up the music and add a few new beats to the story.
In the first film, koala bear, Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey) was on the brink of having his theater shutdown until an open casting call (American Idol style) brought in various animals who were hiding their musical gift. The theater was saved! The group created a bond and a re-occurring sold out show in their small town.
The theme in “Sing” was about following your dreams and taking chances. Well, in “Sing 2”, these beloved characters are faced with the question of whether or not they are worthy of something greater.
After a talent scout dog, Suki (Chelsea Peretti), attends Buster’s reimagined “Alice in Wonderland” show; she tells him, he and his cast don’t have what it takes to make it in the big city. But that won’t stop an ambitious Buster. He gathers his crew to Redshore City (essentially Las Vegas), and they manage to sneak their way into an audition with the head of Crystal Entertainment, an intimidating white wolf named Jimmy Crystal (Bobby Cannavale). They surprisingly impress Jimmy with their spur of the moment sci-fi musical idea and mislead him to believe they know the reclusive rock legend Clay Calloway (U2’s Bono). Jimmy allows them to move forward with the show, but during rehearsals everyone seems to be facing their own obstacles. Housewife pig, Rosita (Reese Witherspoon) has to find the courage to take on the highflying stunts that come with her lead role. Rugged gorilla, Johnny (Taron Egerton) must stand up to a bullying dance teacher and prove he’s got the moves. And shy elephant, Meena (Tori Kelly) has to pull off an on-stage romance while managing her crush in real-life.
Director/writer Garth Jennings returns to make a sequel that doesn’t veer too far off from what we enjoyed about the first film, which was lovable characters performing sing-along dance numbers. “Sing 2” has a little more depth behind the melody.
As someone who is still trying to follow her dreams, this story struck a chord with me. When following any challenging career path, one of your greatest fears is that you will come to find out “you’re not good enough”. It was interesting to watch how everyone navigates this insecure thought in the movie.
One of the most endearing things about these films is the heart of its characters. Through their internal struggles they have formed a supportive friendship, and even though Buster is the most fame hungry of them all; his care for them comes first.
And U2 fans can rejoice in the moments whenever Bono is on screen. He makes a great addition to the cast and might even move audiences to tears during a heartwarming duet.
Sadly, I can’t say there’s much suspense or originality in “Sing 2”. It’s incredibly predictable. However, I don’t care! The film is much better than its predecessor. No, it won’t be able to compete with the more complex animated films this year like “Mitchell’s vs. The Machines” or “Encanto”, but it is just as fun. With so much crazy continuously going on in the world, “Sing 2” is the musical distraction the whole family can dance to.
Rating: B
Jurassic World: The Exhibition is coming June 18 to Grandscape in the Colony, the 20,000 square-foot immersive experience based upon the 25 year old family favorite cinematic blockbuster.
Guests will walk through the world-famous “Jurassic World” gates, encounter life-sized dinosaurs, and explore richly themed environments. Then, they will have an up close look at a Velociraptor, stand under a towering Brachiosaurus, and encounter the most fearsome of them all, the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex. You’ll have the unique opportunity to imagine what it would have been like to walk among these breathtaking creatures and even interact with new baby dinosaurs, including “Bumpy” from the popular animated Netflix original series, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous.
The Jurassic World franchise has been entertaining generations of fans around the world with thrilling and awe-inspiring stories and characters for more than 25 years – from films and TV series, to video games and toys, to live action experiences and rides at Universal theme parks. Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure will welcome the new Jurassic World VelociCoaster on June 10th, creating a new species of roller coaster where guests will feel the rush of the hunt as they race alongside these nimble predators, twisting and soaring above the land and water. At Universal Studios Hollywood, guests experiencing Jurassic World – The Ride will come face-to-face with an all-new, extraordinarily realistic dinosaur – the Indominus Rex, injecting intense new thrills, excitement and intrigue into an already dynamic ride.
To celebrate the Exhibition launch, fans will get an exclusive opportunity when playing Jurassic World Alive – thepopular location-based ARmobile game. Starting on June 18, players who visit the Exhibition in Dallas and open the game on their devices can locate an exclusive JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION incubator, which are capsules that contain valuable resources, as an in-game reward. Players with AR-enabled devices can then snap a picture or take a video of a dinosaur using the game’s AR feature and post to their social media channels using the #JurassicWorldAlive hashtag.
JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION will be at Grandscape from June 18 through September 5. Tickets start at $29.50 for adults (16 years +) and $19.50 for youth (3- 15 years). Children two-years-old and younger are free with an accompanying parent. VIP packages are available, as well as special pricing for Senior citizens and military.
During the exhibit’s run, the operation and management teams will continue to implement enhanced health and safety procedures for the operation of JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION. All Exhibition activities will be in accordance with CDC guidelines. Visit the CDC website at cdc.gov/covid19 for the latest guidelines.
