The Monkey King is a forgettable take on Journey To The West.

A Monkey and his magical fighting Stick battle demons, dragons, gods and the greatest adversary of all – Monkey’s ego.

The Monkey King is inspired by the classic Ming Dynasty novel Journey to the West. A novel which inspired one of the most popular franchises in the world Dragon Ball (and personally one of my favorites!) I’m not going to compare the two for obvious reasons, The Monkey King and Dragon Ball are two completely different takes on the iconic story. I will say that I was genuinely interested to see how this movie was going to approach the story and unfortunately it’s a very bland approach.

I’ll start with what worked because the movie does have it’s positives, the animation is actually not entirely bad. While yes it does get a bit repetitive as it goes on, early on in the movie there’s some genuinely great moments in the animation that do standout. The character designs while not anything to write home about get the job done and do have a bit of charm to them.

With that said however what hurts this movie mostly is the writing, despite being inspired on such an iconic story the movie really doesn’t do anything special with it. The characters get very little character development, the jokes are incredibly unfunny and the movie plays out exactly how you think it’s going to. While Jimmy O. Yang can be very fun at times voicing Monkey, Monkey is a very one note character both in how he’s voiced and especially how he’s written. He’s the very typical underdog protagonist who’s cocky (also a jerk to everyone around him) and wants to reach his goal, it’s a type of character who’s been done far better before.

It’s a shame because I do think introducing this influential story to kids is quite an interesting idea but it completely lacks the execution and interest from the viewer, It’s definitely not the worst out there but it’s definitely one of the biggest missed opportunities.

The Monkey King is available on Netflix.

3/10 D-

You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah is a cute coming of age film!

It follows Stacey Friedman as she prepares for her Bat Mitzvah, but her plans comedically unravel and threaten to ruin the event.

You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah is a cute little film that is basically a Sandler family project and that’s definitely not a bad thing.

Adam Sandler’s daughters Sunny and Sadie Sandler are both incredibly charming, plus Adam Sandler’s wife Jackie Sandler is here as well (although Idina Menzel plays his wife in the film) Together the four really bring such a charming and quite passionate movie that is truly heartwarming, the performances are all around quite great especially from Sunny Sandler who definitely has a bright future career that is truly going to be interesting to watch.

There’s tons of beautiful moments that really show these characters connect to one another, the movie’s raw depictions of these characters is truly beautiful to see and is a very down to earth coming of age story. There’s truly a lot here that is genuinely touching and has much heart poured into it.

The film might struggle a bit when it comes to it’s comedic moments, a lot of the jokes simply don’t land all that well. However the movie does stick the landing when comes to the more dramatic moments and the coming of age elements, there are some genuinely touching family bonding moments that really bring the viewer closer to these characters.

Overall You Are Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah might not have anything really new to say when it comes to coming of age stories, but this is definitely one of the more authentic feeling ones to come out of Netflix in recent years.

You Are Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah is available on Netflix.

7/10 B

Quick Review: Vacation Friends 2 (2023)

Marcus lands an all-expenses-paid trip to a Caribbean resort, and he and his wife, Emily, invite their uninhibited besties, Ron and Kyla. But when Kyla’s incarcerated father is released from San Quentin and shows up, things get out of control.

Vacation Friends 2 is the sequel to Vacation Friends which came out in 2021 and I’m over here scratching my head on why they decided to make a sequel. While the first movie wasn’t anything horrible it was certainly not anything to write home about either, Vacation Friends 2 is the very definition of an unnecessary sequel.

The cast really tries here to make it work but there are very few laughs that land, in particular Lil Rel Howery and John Cena really try here but it’s not nearly enough to save this movie. Steve Buscemi (who plays John Cena’s father-in-law) is added to the cast and he plays the very generic father-in-law character who does not get along with John Cena’s character, antics ensue and there’s suddenly a drug/crime plot in the movie.

Steve Buscemi really doesn’t add anything great here, his performance is very flat and really doesn’t do anything to help the movie really stand, as far as the crime plot is concerned it’s about what you expect. Very predictable and does not have any funny moments going on that make it worth it in the end.

Overall there really isn’t a whole lot else to say about Vacation Friends 2, it’s a terrible sequel to an already forgettable movie.

Vacation Friends 2 is available on Hulu.

3/10 D-

They Cloned Tyrone is a fun take on the Sci-Fi genre.

A series of eerie events thrusts an unlikely trio onto the trail of a nefarious government conspiracy.

They Cloned Tyrone is a very interesting film that I really can’t help but respect, even if the movie’s ideas are not executed perfectly and it does slip up a bit during the middle of the film. There was clearly a whole lot of creativity, passion and fun put into it.

For starters the cast is excellent, John Boyega continues to show how incredibly talented he really is with tons of memorable scenes here that really drive home the point of how fantastic he is. Jamie Foxx is of course really strong here and Teyonah Parris is incredibly fun especially the interactions between her and Jamie Foxx their presence is fantastic and really gives the characters so much more power when it comes to writing.

The film is beautifully shot and directed, They Cloned Tyrone really serves as a quite strong directional debut for director Juel Taylor. Who really gives these three characters some striking character development that really is beautiful, the film definitely has some inspirations from Get Out (although this one is a lot more comedic) and A Clockwork Orange, Juel Taylor makes these inspirations into his own and brings some creative ideas to the table, on top of that he brings the sci-fi genre into the mix which while does get a bit overstuffed at times is executed quite nicely.

Criticisms are mostly the middle of the movie being a bit too predictable and draws out a bit, the story can get a bit convoluted with combining too many ideas at once. However when the final act rolls around the movie gets back on track with tons of fun moments and some more great character development as well.

They Cloned Tyrone might not be one of my favorite films of this year but is a quite solid one and one that I do recommend giving a look.

They Cloned Tyrone is available on Netflix.

7/10 B

Elemental has charm but is lacking in making it’s ideas stronger.

In a city where fire, water, land, and air residents live together, a fiery young woman and a go-with-the-flow guy discover something elemental: how much they actually have in common.

Well Elemental was definitely an improvement from Peter Sohn’s previous Pixar movie The Good Dinosaur, a few almost immediate noticeable changes are that Elemental is at least trying to tell a story that is a bit more layered (keyword being try which I’ll get to) and the characters are far more interestingly designed as well as being actually written a bit better as well.

The voice acting wasn’t too bad here, granted nobody really hits it out of the park but at least the character models really reflect on the emotions of the cast. The character models despite being mostly very common fire and water elements you see in a lot of different types of media, are still interesting to look at. They have tons of emotions and the characters do have some spots where the writing does make them very likable to the viewer. The music and animation are very well done and during scenes actually can get the viewer emotional, there’s some really strong scenes here with such great voice acting combined with the music that really does feel like Pixar at their best.

Honestly the main problem comes down to the writing, while it’s not anything bad and while I do respect Elemental for trying to go for a more layered story it ultimately doesn’t fully come together as it starts to repeat plots from other movies that have done them far better. First we get an immigrant story setup which really ends up mattering less and less as the story goes on, then we get a follow your dreams long story short these plots don’t mesh well together and really don’t say anything new or aren’t done in a fresh way to get the viewer fully on board.

Despite that however I don’t think Elemental is a bad movie, it’s definitely a harmless movie that I think younger audiences will love and there is a lot of charm here. It just could have been written in a much stronger way to fully execute it’s ideas.

Elemental is available on all VOD platforms.

6/10 C+

Puppy Love is a charming romantic comedy featuring dogs.

After a disastrous first date, Nicole and Max vow’s to lose each other’s numbers until their dogs find a love match. Hilariously mismatched Nicole and Max are forced to become responsible co-parents, but end up finding love themselves.

I watched one of two dog movies that came out this weekend and it wasn’t Strays, anyway Puppy Love is exactly what you sort of expect. It’s a romantic comedy with dogs in the mix, maybe it’s because my expectations were so incredibly low but I actually found this to be cute and enjoyable for what it was.

What makes the movie is Lucy Hale and Grant Gustin while they are both not exactly pulling out very strong performances (although both still do a solid job here) it’s the chemistry that really makes the two work really well together, there’s a genuine amount of charm to the bond Nicole (Lucy Hale) and Max (Grant Gustin) build over the course of the movie.

The dogs are of course adorable and there’s actually a few jokes here that did get a few laughs out of me, with that said there’s also humor that doesn’t work (the scenes with the vet in particular are very very strange.) The relationship between Nicole and Max feels much more grounded than it does in some other romcoms, for one thing we don’t have a cliche break up scene where the relationship was based on a lie or misconception. We get one because both characters actually do have issues and they try to work it out. It’s a very surprisingly grounded approach that I certainly was not expecting.

Overall Puppy Love doesn’t have a whole lot to it, if you like dog movies and romantic comedies you will probably like this one. It’s a quick and easy watch that’s genuinely fun!

Puppy Love is available on Freevee and on all VOD platforms.

6/10 C+

Medusa Deluxe is great in the technical departments but lacks story.

Talented and cutthroat hairstylists at a competition find one of their own murdered before judging can begin. Winding through neon-lit halls, competitors unspool long-simmering resentments and lies as they search for the killer among them.

Medusa Deluxe is an interesting and actually an ambitious one, there’s a whole lot to like here especially from a technical standpoint but as far as a narrative one? It’s very uneven that really fumbles the ball during the final act.

Medusa Deluxe is done in one take which sounds pretty crazy and it almost works, the problem is a lot of it is a bunch of long takes stitched together that aren’t really particularly interesting. The acting is quite good all around, everyone turns in a very solid performance especially Clare Perkins who got a few laughs out of me.

The filming is very well done thanks to cinematographer Robbie Ryan who’s worked on a number of films such as American Honey, Marriage Story and C’mon C’mon (director of photography for the latter two). There’s an incredible amount of detail here that really sticks out and combined with the one take really makes for some great exploration for the eyes of the viewer.

What holds Medusa Deluxe back is the writing particularly with it’s characters and story, when you take away the technical aspects that make the movie standout. You are left with a very basic whodunnit with characters that really never get explored. We barely get to learn anything about them the movie just introduces these characters and expects you to know everything about them, this becomes incredibly noticeable when the third act rolls around where the movie starts to lose it’s charm and you are just waiting for it to be over.

There’s no denying that a lot of effort went into Medusa Deluxe but without well written characters and a murder mystery that really does not do anything differently it’s only worth watching for the technical parts.

Medusa Deluxe is available on all VOD platforms.

5/10 C

Red, White & Royal Blue is a charming romantic comedy.

Alex Claremont-Diaz, the first son of the United States, and young Prince Henry fall in love. However, considering their high-profile public lives, they must keep their relationship a secret at all costs.

Red, White & Royal Blue is based on the 2019 novel of the same name by Casey McQuiston. I got to say I really did not expect much from Red, White & Royal Blue, I’m always down for a gay romantic comedy but the trailers really made this one look like it was going to be a very formulaic romantic and comedy and nothing more. Luckily this was a surprise and it ended up doing a lot more than just that.

Red, White & Royal Blue has a lot going for it, particularly the cast who all do a pretty fantastic job here Nicholas Galitzine and Taylor Zakhar have fantastic chemistry between one another. There’s so much heart put into their performances and this down to earth type of feeling that you can’t help but love. Uma Thurman is also quite fun here and gives a very exciting performance.

What really helps the film is the amount of love and heart that’s put into it, the performances are genuine and while a bit formulaic is at the very least entertaining when it comes to the execution. The movie does go on for a bit too long in some areas with a 1 hour and 58 minute runtime the pacing towards the end does get rough.

But at the very least what’s consistent is the performances, chemistry and a handful of very touching moments that are genuinely effective.

Red, White & Royal Blue are available on Amazon Prime Video.

7/10 B

Quick Review: Love in Taipei (2023)

Ever Wong’s summer takes an unexpected turn when her parents surprise her with a trip to Taipei for a cultural immersion programme.

Love in Taipei is a romantic comedy and Paramount+ original that sure does exists, there really isn’t a lot to say here outside of a few positives.

The main one being the performances from Ashley Liao, Nico Hiraga and Ross Butler, all three give decent performances that actually do have a few heartfelt moments that are genuinely touching. It’s just such a shame outside of maybe Ashley Liao’s character Ever Wong, we are given not a whole lot information about the other characters.

Everything else here however is done in a very harmless but uninteresting way that really doesn’t bring the viewers attention to the screen, the movie is supposed to be a self-discovery type of story which sure is done quite a lot but could still be interesting. Unfortunately Love in Taipei sticks to playing way too safe and by the numbers that it starts to hurt it in the end. There’s cute moments and Liao’s character having decently written interactions with other characters, but that’s all you are really going to get with this movie.

Love in Taipei just exists, fans of romantic comedies may get something out of this one. But for anyone looking for anything different you will be disappointed.

Love in Taipei is available on Paramount+

4/10 D+

Biosphere is an interesting little movie that takes a very surprising direction.

In the not-too-distant future, the last two men on Earth must adapt and evolve to save humanity.

Biosphere is definitely an interesting one both in it’s premise and the direction it ends up going, I’ll give credit where credit is due it’s quite different for sure.

Sterling K. Brown and Mark Duplass are quite hilarious here and are the strongest parts of the film, there’s tons of genuinely charming jokes and dialogue between the two and you quickly grow to really like the both of them.

The story is mainly up to the imagination of the viewer, we really don’t get to learn much about the world building or the cause and even nature of the environmental apocalypse. However that doesn’t stop the movie from being genuinely entertaining and quite a lot of fun for what’s given to the viewer.

The direction it takes is quite interesting which I won’t spoil here, however some viewers might be able to get a pretty good idea of where it’s going early on. That doesn’t change the impact of when it actually does happen, Biosphere is a creative little movie that I do recommend giving a go.

Biosphere is available on all VOD platforms.

6/10 C+