Sundance Review: Mother Schmuckers (2021) Movie Review!

Issachar and Zabulon, two brothers in their twenties, are supremely stupid and never bored, as madness is part of their daily lives. When they lose their mother’s beloved dog, they have 24 hours to find it – or she will kick them out.

I’m seriously going to try my best to keep this as short as possible because as horrendous as Mother Schmuckers is, there is actually not a whole lot to say about this movie. Mother Schmuckers I only decided to see at Sundance because I heard how terrible it was when it had it’s premiere showing. As they say curiosity killed the cat which in this case the cat being myself. Mother Schmuckers is what happens if you convince a couple of edgy YouTubers from the early 2000s that they could make a movie filled with disgusting, edgy, bathroom and slight animal abuse jokes. The whole entire film is like watching someone rambling on and on about a bunch of nonsense for 70 minutes until the movie ends. Trust me those 70 minutes go by INCREDIBLY slow, the acting and writing are worthless just simply worthless. None of the jokes are smart, clever or funny it’s not even a “it’s so bad it’s good” type funny. It’s so poorly made and feels like somebody made this as a troll and Sundance for whatever reason accepted it. The movie is also very repetitive if you thought maybe they change up their humor during the movie think again, they keep doing the same tired jokes over and over again. Even one of the moderators who introduces the film that’s about to be shown and tries to hype up the movie had a very hard time trying to find good things to say about Mother Schmuckers. Which I think that sums up the whole movie words can’t describe how bad and how much of a mess this movie truly is, do not see this once it releases (who knows when that will be.)

Disgrace To Cinema F

To All The Boys: Always And Forever (2021) Movie Review

Continuing the romantic life of the teenage girl and facing her good and hard times with her friends and family.

To All The Boys: Always And Forever is a nice wrap up to the trilogy, I loved the first film, the second movie was nowhere near as good on a rewatch and this one I definitely feel fixed a lot of the problems the second had. What makes all these movies however is the cast, especially Lana Condor and that applies here. They all seem like they are genuinely having fun being in these movies which is actually refreshing to see, Always and Forever is much better written than the second movie, it has much more character moments with some development for some of the minor characters who have been on the sideline for the last two films. Sure there are some typical YA film cliches that do hold this movie back from being better than the first film, but at least the movie is charming and knows what it’s set out to do. It knows it’s serving as this finale but nothing too huge which is exactly what this movie is. It’s a wrap up that’s tying loose ends together and answer some of the big questions. The acting and writing are overall great (outside of some jokes that really don’t land at all) overall there really isn’t much else to say, it’s a very solid movie that’s a nice ending to the trilogy!

7/10 B

Barb And Star Go To Vista Del Mar and The Map Of Tiny Perfect Things (2021) Movie Reviews

Lifelong friends Barb and Star embark on the adventure of a lifetime when they decide to leave their small Midwestern town for the first time – ever.

I will tell you one thing I was NOT expecting, that I would end up liking Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar. The film was supposed to come out in theaters but like some other movies got switched to a premium VOD release, I knew absolutely nothing about this movie going into it. The film itself has this personality to it that I really like, it’s very bright and colorful with some great performances from Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig and Jamie Dornan, all three of which have quite a great chemistry with one another. However the chemistry between Mumolo and Wiig is quite hilarious, the jokes the two share are quite great and got a ton of laughs out of me. Something not many films have been doing as of late so I give huge props to that. The film is very silly but charming at the same time, which is what truly helps the film in the long run. It has a silly plot with very ridiculous villains but the film is aware of that, it makes jokes of pretty much any scene happening in the movie which is truly great. The writing gives the audience some cleverly written jokes which is again refreshing to see, but overall Barb And Star Go To Vista Del Mar is a huge blast of a movie, I highly recommend giving this one a watch!!

7/10 B

Two teens who live the same day repeatedly, enabling them to create the titular map.

Well this was a surprise, Ian Samuels who previously did Sierra Burgess is a big loser shows a vast improvement with The Map Of Tiny Perfect Things. Remember back in my Palm Springs review where I said that Palm Springs took the whole Groundhog Day concept and changed it up to make it it’s own? Well the same applies here with The Map Of Tiny Perfect Things, although it may not be as good as Palm Springs. The movie still has a ton of charm and is very well written, Kathryn Newton and Kyle Allen have wonderful chemistry with one another and both give really solid performances. As I said before the Groundhog Day concept feels very fresh here, it’s done in a way that seems familiar yet manages to be new at the same time. The writing also feels raw at times especially when we get a ton of character moments, that’s where the movie shines the most. When it focuses on the characters and talks about their backgrounds and what they are thinking in the situation in question. Overall The Map Of Tiny Perfect Things is a well made movie that I recommend giving a watch!

7/10 B

Sundance Review: First Date (2021)

After being conned into buying a shady ’65 Chrysler, Mike’s first date plans with girl-next-door Kelsey implode as he finds himself targeted by criminals, cops, and a crazy cat lady.

First Sundance Review will be First Date for two reasons…one it’s the most forgettable out of the 33 films I saw and two I really don’t have a whole lot to say. Anyway right from the beginning the budgetary constraints hold First Date back from being decent, despite that it does have a promising start that could be interesting but it goes downhill from there. The humor itself just doesn’t work, there’s maybe one or two jokes that somewhat work. But a lot of it is the typical humor you would see in a crime comedy movie, the pacing is horrible one moment the movie goes at a decent pace and then the next it goes way too fast that it forgets to develop it’s characters and scenes. Speaking of which the characters..they really have little to no personality, outside of the main character who is at least given some sort of development, every other character feels like a walking, talking cliche. The script feels like a first draft that wasn’t checked through, which is very unfortunate. This could have actually worked if more time was put into it…outside of the lead and a few jokes this one didn’t do much for me at all.

3/10 D-

Netflix Original Movie Catchup: The Dig and Finding Ohana (2021)

An archaeologist embarks on the historically important excavation of Sutton Hoo in 1938.

The Dig is pretty great, I really did not know much about the movie before watching! It’s a straightforward movie that’s about an important excavation, the acting all around was very solid Carey Mulligan being the standout who really shows her talent here and does a pretty great job. The cinematography combined with the setting of the film gives it a beautiful look and captures the feeling of going out on a important excavation, the direction from Simon Stone is also quite great. Stone captures quite a lot in each scene and manages to make them unique in their own way, I do feel the pacing does drag towards the final act and could have been 10 minutes shorter. But that doesn’t take away how beautiful and quite great The Dig is! A very solid Netflix Original and I can’t wait to see what Simon Stone does next!!

7/10 B

A summer in rural O‘ahu takes an exciting turn for two Brooklyn-raised siblings when a journal pointing to long-lost treasure sets them on an epic adventure with new friends, and leads them to reconnect with their Hawaiian heritage.

I don’t quite understand why Finding Ohana was 123 minutes long but oh well, the movie itself is a very serviceable family movie. It feels a lot like The Goonies, ET and a few others, the acting is decent enough that gets the job done for the most part. The problem is the jokes, the pacing and the writing, the jokes very rarely hit a lot of it is the type of humor that just isn’t funny. The pacing really becomes a problem towards the middle of the film, it comes to a full stop and feels like it goes on and on. The writing is just not good, tons of cliche characters, way too predictable and feels like a chore to sit through. Which is a shame because somewhere in this movie there is a decent family movie but it’s crowded by way too many flaws that ultimately make this movie a clone of other family movies. It’s nothing particularly bad but it’s one of those Netflix originals that will be quickly forgotten about.

5/10 C

Psycho Goreman (2021)

After unearthing a gem that controls an evil monster looking to destroy the Universe, a young girl and her brother use it to make him do their bidding.

Steven Kostanski is quickly becoming a director to look out for, I really loved The Void and I thought Leprechaun Returns was a solid comeback for an overall bad franchise. Psycho Goreman takes elements from The Void and does something a lot different, imagine a Power Rangers like show but with gore and a monster as the main character….you have Psycho Goreman! It strangely works as well, there’s a lot to praise about the film! First off the designs of the monsters and the gore is incredible, it really brings you back to the 80s and it’s very much appreciated. They have great detail and the designs of the characters help describe them as well, the story is simplistic and goes toward the “what the hell am I watching?” route but in a good way, the film itself feels like a Saturday morning cartoon but in the best way possible. Matthew Ninaber does the voice for Psycho Goreman and he does a fantastic job, his voice combined with the character give really great results. The major flaw I do have with this movie is Mimi played by Nita-Josee Hanna she’s a truly annoying character and the lines given to her are just not that great. I get what the film was going for however since it does feel like a Saturday morning cartoon I’m guessing they were trying to go for having an annoying character like a lot of cartoons are meant to have. But that really does not translate well into live action, that’s only my guess of what I think they were trying to do but either way the character really does hold back the movie. The humor is also a hit or miss at times the movie is genuinely funny with some clever jokes and then other parts the jokes really don’t land quite as well. But overall Psycho Goreman is some of the most fun I’ve had with a film so far this year, it does have it’s flaws that do hold it back at times. But the film is definitely something I recommend checking out especially if you are looking for something really fun to watch.

7/10 B

The Ultimate Playlist Of Noise (2021)

Marcus, an audio-obsessed high school senior, learns he must undergo brain surgery that will render him deaf, and decides to seize control of his fate by recording the Ultimate Playlist of Noise.

This was a surprise, while it might not be nowhere near as good as Sound Of Metal, The Ultimate Playlist Of Noise does a pretty solid job of telling a heartfelt story, Marcus played by Keenan Johnson learns he has to go under a surgery that will make him deaf. There’s some teen movie elements in the movie that at times work and at other times don’t, some of the characters aren’t very well written. They are stock characters you would see in a lot of teen movies, the writing does kind of take you out of the film at times. But what makes this movie actually decent is mostly the acting, the heart of the movie and the last 10 minutes. It’s a very heartfelt movie that does become pretty powerful at the last 10 minutes, the build up was quite good and felt very raw. Overall The Ultimate Playlist of Noise is a very straightforward movie and for Hulu’s first original movie of the year it’s quite great! Give this one a watch.

7/10 B

Soul (2020)

A musician who has lost his passion for music is transported out of his body and must find his way back with the help of an infant soul learning about herself.

Soul is once again another beautiful film by Pixar, there is so much here to talk about it’s overwhelming so let’s just work our way down! First we have the characters which are pretty great, we explore a lot about our main character Joe who is a man that is obsessed about Jazz music, Soul takes a very simple premise and manages to do something extremely beautiful with it. You also have some simple but gorgeous writing, there’s some genuine great humor in there that really works. Then you have a ton of moments where the movie hits you with a ton of bricks that are full of emotions, the film itself makes you ask a lot of questions about yourself such as “what is my passion?” “What do I see myself doing 10 years” this is some of the most real questions Pixar has asked in quite awhile, which says something considering a lot of their other films. The animation is stunning there is no other way to put it, it has this photorealistic look to it and the characters look incredible as well, the storytelling is magical it really hits you with question after question while throwing in some genuine comedic moments as well. Which leads me to my next point the film balances comedic moments with the serious moments, it’s the type of balance where you really appreciate it to the point where it feels like a very real film. I think that’s part of the reason why Pete Doctor’s previous film “Inside Out” didn’t work as well as it did for many others, it was a great film but a lot of the comedic moments really took away a from the film. In Soul that doesn’t happen anywhere in the film, it truly delivers on every single level. The barbershop scene is a huge highlight of the movie showing genuine conversations in the film, something you don’t see very often in a lot of animated movies. With a lot of animated films it’s always about being over the top and making 20 different variations of the same joke. But luckily Pixar (they have messed up in the past) strives to create some of the most beautiful and meaningful films out there and Soul just might be one of their crowning achievements. The film feels like a very human movie like it was made for the audience, which is a very beautiful film and quite special as well. Overall Soul is one of the most beautiful films of the year and truly a fantastic way to finish 2020! I highly recommend giving this one a watch! Just be prepared to cry your eyes out because it is a very emotional film!

10/10 A+

Sylvie’s Love, We Can Be Heroes, Death to 2020 (2020)

A woman working at her father’s record store in Harlem in the late 1950s meets an aspiring saxophone player.

Sylvie’s Love could have certainly tried to play a little less safe, but the film itself is still quite great. It’s a throwback to classic romance movies, what stands out about the film are a couple different things, the performances from Tessa Thompson and Nnamdi Asomugha are both fantastic, both give raw performances that lead to several beautiful moments in the film. The film also feels like a time warp back into the 50s. from the scenery and the feel of the movie it’s all there. It’s a genuine love story that truly is beautiful. Sure it may not have a lot to it but it’s a simple one that is truly worth checking out!

7/10 B

When alien invaders kidnap Earth’s superheroes, their children must team up and learn to work together if they want to save their parents and the world.

When I heard they were making a Sharkboy and Lavagirl sequel I refused to believe that the movie would actually happen, well turns out it did happen and sort of came out unexpected too! It’s no surprise that the movie itself isn’t good but I will say, that this is completely harmless for kids. I can definitely see kids loving this movie to death the way many kids loved Sharkboy and Lavagirl. There’s a few jokes in here that do work and Pedro Pascal saves the movie with a entertaining role, the jokes that do work end up being the ones that poke fun of the superhero genre, besides that everything else is just sort of there. I’ll give the movie credit it was a lot better then I expected and it’s definitely better than Sharkboy and Lavagirl however I don’t think it’s going to be as memorable due to the movie being very below average. It’s fine for kids not so much for adults.

5/10 C

As the year we all want to end finally does, take a look back at 2020’s mad glory in this comedic retrospective from the creators of “Black Mirror”

Death to 2020 really does not have much going for it. It’s basically a summary of what happened during 2020 with Samuel L. Jackson (by far the best part about it) and a few others making commentary. There’s some jokes here that work, where I found myself laughing at them. But then there’s the moments where it’s trying way to hard to feel relatable and try to become some sort of meme. It’s a fantastic idea in concept and I truly do think something like this can work. Death to 2020 just wasn’t that movie, it really does not have much in it and overall feels very empty, you are pretty much left with a very below average mockumentary that doesn’t offer that much.

5/10 C

The Prom (2020)

A troupe of hilariously self-obsessed theater stars swarm into a small conservative Indiana town in support of a high school girl who wants to take her girlfriend to the prom.

I can perfectly understand why one would not like The Prom, the movie does have it’s heavy flaws mostly James Corden. Who is easily the worst part about this movie, his singing voice is awful and his acting it’s pretty poor. Aside from a few pacing problems (mostly at the beginning) I really enjoyed this movie. Jo Ellen Pellman and Ariana DeBose for me were the highlights, both actresses are actually gay which I respect this film for casting actual actresses who are gay (although James Corden’s role should have went to a gay actor). This is Jo Ellen Pellman’s debut role in a film and for her first performance she did incredible, her chemistry with Ariana DeBose was really strong and hit all the notes it needed to. The music I have to say was really strong, there were a lot of notable songs that stood out. A lot of the songs matched the mood of the movie and the scenes that are taking place, something that quite honestly surprised me was Keegan-Michael Key’s singing voice, it was actually not too bad! The writing led to some really strong moments that gave some of the characters a lot of likability. I do wish the movie focused on Jo Ellen Pellman and Ariana DeBose more because for me that’s where the movie shines. But overall The Prom is a very solid musical that I quite enjoyed, I recommend giving it a watch!!

8/10 B+