Cinderella (2021) fails at being a good adaption and fails at being a decent movie.

A modern movie musical with a bold take on the classic fairy tale. Our ambitious heroine has big dreams and with the help of her fab Godmother, she perseveres to make them come true.

Cinderella (2021) did manage to do one thing…unite all sides or Twitter to absolutely destroy it, that aside this new adaption of Cinderella truly feels like a complete waste of time. Billy Porter (who is barely in the movie) and Idina Menzel (at times) are the only two positives I can give this movie, the rest of it is a huge mess. First off Camila Cabello’s performance is one of the most nothing special about it performances I’ve seen so far this year, I just didn’t buy Camila as Cinderella had this been some other performance than maybe. Almost all of the songs were covers….bad covers, trying to combine songs like Rhythm Nation into a Cinderella story just feels way too out of place and completely takes you out of the movie. Don’t even get me started on the jokes, if I have to hear James Corden talking about how proud he is of his “front tail” ever again I swear I’m going to quit reviewing films. The jokes in this movie are some of the most unfunny and painful I’ve listened to in recent memory, which only shocks me because Kay Cannon who directed Blockers is the director. While I’m not one of those people who found Blockers hysterical i at least found it to be one of the better modern comedies. Then there’s the whole look of the movie, it feels very cheaply made (the CGI on the mice look like they are from a very early PS2 game). I appreciate at times the movie was trying to do something a little bit different but the problem is the movie fails at that as well, this version of Cinderella also tries to shoehorn this whole “girlboss” narrative into it but that falls flat as well. There’s no build up, no character development or any really growth. Overall Cinderella (2021) completely misses it fails as an adaption of Cinderella (can we please stop with Cinderella adaptions?) and it fails at being an actual decent movie. You are better off watching any other Cinderella story that came before this one.

Cinderella is now available on Amazon Prime Video!

1/10 F

The Green Knight (2021) Movie Review!

King Arthur’s headstrong nephew embarks on a daring quest to confront the Green Knight, a mysterious giant who appears at Camelot. Risking his head, he sets off on an epic adventure to prove himself before his family and court.

It took me awhile to review The Green Knight mainly due to how much I had to think about the film and I mean that in the best way possible. David Lowery is at his best when he does independent films or art house films take A Ghost Story (2017) for example (which was one of my favorite films of the 2010s) so when I heard that he was directing The Green Knight I got really excited and I’m seriously glad this didn’t disappoint! It should be noted that if you are going into this film expecting a Lord Of The Rings type adventure with a bunch of action scenes you are going to be very disappointed. Because that’s just simply not what the film is, first let’s get the obvious out of the way the cinematography is absolutely beautiful. It’s some of the absolute best so far this year, it completely takes you into the film’s world and presents itself like you are actually there. The color palette really matches the tone of the film with each scene it sets the tone of the tale that’s being told, the performances are all fantastic but the two that stood out to me the most were Dev Patel and Alicia Vikander, Vikander having a smaller role yet when she’s on screen delivers such a fantastic performance that is at the same time surprisingly haunting at the same time! Dev Patel does such an incredible job as the lead, it truly shows how talented Patel is as an actor his performance is raw into which he shows a ton of emotions on how he feels about his journey. Which leads into my next point the character development, Patel’s character Gawain isn’t your typical super powerful Knight sure he’s had some experience but inside and out he’s a young man who slowly realizes the truth of what made a knight during the time a true hero which makes his character all the more interesting and realistic it’s a very clever plot point that David Lowery did such a fantastic job with. The writing is fantastic there’s a lot of symbolism in the film that’s written and shown in a very clever way, plus it all comes together at the end of the film as well! The direction from David Lowery is absolutely outstanding, he takes an adaption of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight and completely makes it his own, his direction is truly unique and really delivers on every single level, he creates an atmosphere that puts you into the film and it also makes you feel that anything can happen at any given moment. The Green Knight highlights why I love film so much, it shows so much creativity, storytelling through symbolism and atmosphere, incredible character development attached to a raw and interesting character. Overall The Green Knight is incredible and definitely a film I highly recommend, it’s certainly not going to be for everyone but if you are fan of anything that I talked about you will most certainly love this film, oh and technically this is a Christmas movie so watch this during December too!!

The Green Knight is now available in Theaters!

10/10 A+

Tribeca Review: Settlers (2021)

Mankind’s earliest settlers on the Martian frontier do what they must to survive the cosmic elements and one another.

Settlers was the last movie I saw at the Tribeca Film Festival and unfortunately it wasn’t a strong way to end it. There was definitely a lot of care and effort put into the movie but a lot of it just does not come together at all, it starts out strong with some very intense scenes as well as some great acting from Ismael Cruz Córdova and Brooklyn Prince who throughout the movie give fantastic performances. Plus the visuals combined with the cinematography were absolutely beautiful, the main problem is the rest of the movie. While it’s definitely not bad it’s nowhere near as interesting or investing as the premise makes it out to be, it’s sadly one of those sci-fi movies that have a ton of ideas but never executes them very well. The story doesn’t go anywhere, the movie itself feels like it starts to drag on for far too long and the last act falls into cliche territory. It’s a very frustrating movie because this could have been something great it has everything it needs but fails to uses it. The writing while not bad could have been better, it feels surface level at some parts. Overall Settlers is not a bad movie but it’s a very frustrating one, one that could have been really great had this been worked on better.

Settlers is available July 23rd on VOD!

5/10 C

Undine (2021) Movie Review!

Undine works as a historian lecturing on Berlin’s urban development. But when the man she loves leaves her, the ancient myth catches up with her. Undine has to kill the man who betrays her and return to the water.

Undine is a fantastic film that really hits it out of the park, between Christian Petzold’s hypnotic direction that is seriously beautiful in every single way possible and the underwater shots that are captivating the film leads to several incredible results. The acting is quite great as well combined with beautiful writing that feels incredibly raw, Paula Beer is a standout here she gives one of the best performances so far this year that truly feels raw and quite beautiful. The film itself is like a beautiful painting that surprises you with every moment, the cinematography is absolutely beautiful and brings the viewer into the film. The chemistry between the characters is top notch and delivers in every single way possible, overall Undine is something I highly recommend as it’s one of those films that definitely needs to be seen!

Undine is now available on VOD!

8/10 B+

Quick Reviews: Blue Miracle and Skull: The Mask (2021)

To save their cash-strapped orphanage, a guardian and his kids partner with a washed-up boat captain for a chance to win a lucrative fishing competition.

Like a lot of Netflix Original movies Blue Miracle is very forgettable, it’s based on a true story which is very nice. But the main problem comes in when you realize this is just another underdog movie only that it’s a true story. The acting and writing are alright, there really isn’t anything mind blowing here. This is the type of movie where you see it once and then almost immediately forget what you just saw. Really have nothing else to say here.

Blue Miracle is now available on Netflix!

5/10 C

A supernatural serial killer based on pre-Colombian mythology hunts for revenge in the metropolis of São Paulo.

Skull: The Mask is one of those movies I wanted to love so badly but the flaws really stick out like a sore thumb, it’s very unfortunate because this movie does have some great qualities. The gore being the highlight with some pretty creative kills that do add up to being quite incredible, the major problem here is even at 90 minutes long the movie feels WAY too long. The pacing absolutely destroys the movie and brings things to a slow halt, the acting and writing aren’t too bad but they aren’t great either. Skull: The Mask I think would have worked far far better if it was a short film, because while the premise is interesting as the movie goes on it gets very tired and less interesting. Definitely not a bad movie but not something I would recommend!

Skull: The Mask is now available on Shudder!

4/10 D+

Mortal Kombat (2021) Movie Review!

MMA fighter Cole Young seeks out Earth’s greatest champions in order to stand against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe.

Mortal Kombat (2021) is one of the few video game adaption movies to actually be a great movie, the characters are pretty well done although some were very underdeveloped such as Mileena, Raiden and a few others. The character who were developed or had a lot of screentime really made up for it, Sub-Zero played by Joe Taslim was badass and just an overall perfect. He really perfected Sub-Zero’s character from his abilities to his actions and so on. Jax played by Mehcad Brooks was a favorite of mine, while Jax doesn’t get a ton of development Brook’s performance makes it work, Josh Lawson as Kano is easily one of the highlights of the film, he’s hilarious, does something very interesting with the character and is a ton of fun throughout the film. Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion is also pretty badass he’s not in the movie very long but when he does show up it’s one of the best moments of the film. Finally there’s Ludi Lin as Liu Kang who’s easily one of my favorites, every scene he’s in is just great and like some of the other actors I mentioned gives a very strong portrayal of one of the most iconic characters from the series! The writing is definitely not always perfect, there are some very cheesy lines but at least the movie embraces that it’s cheesy and has a ton of fun which leads to the gore. The fatality scenes are absolute perfection, if you go into this movie wanting a ton of gore this movie will deliver. It’s truly everything a Mortal Kombat fan would want from a fatality, combine that with some really satisfying action scenes and you have yourself an incredibly entertaining movie. In terms of story like the writing it doesn’t always work, there’s some very familiar elements that the main character Cole Young (Lewis Tan) goes through, but it’s ultimately nothing terrible just something we have seen a bunch of times before that I do feel is a bit out of place. Overall Mortal Kombat is some of the most fun I’ve had with a movie so far this year, it’s truly a satisfying adaption that I highly recommend giving a watch especially if your a Mortal Kombat fan!!

8/10 B+

SXSW Review: Offseason (2021)

After receiving a mysterious letter, a woman travels to a desolate island town and soon becomes trapped in a nightmare.

Offseason is a movie I really had to sit down and actually think about if I liked it or not, in my first reaction I praised the movie and while I do still stand by a few things I said it’s not as good as I first thought. I will say that the atmosphere, the location and the filming were all there and do quite a good job of doing what they were assigned to do. The atmosphere has a creepy feel to it, the location and filming both compliment each other really well and definitely do deliver at times. My problems are with the performances and how the movie is crafted. The performances while are not bad are most certainly not anything special and the characters really don’t add much either which is a shame. As far as the craft Offseason is unfortunately one of those movies that has a ton of interesting ideas but places them throughout several parts of the movie and doesn’t do anything with them. I mean sure they are there but the movie doesn’t do anything interesting or creative with them. Which is a huge missed opportunity, I can definitely see some people really liking Offseason I just find disappointing considering that I really like Mickey Keating! But if it sounds like your thing check it out when it releases.

5/10 C

SXSW Reviews: The Spine Of Night and The Feast (2021)

Ultra-violent, epic fantasy set in a land of magic follows heroes from a different eras and cultures battling against a malevolent force.

I really don’t have a whole lot to say to be quite honest, I’ll definitely have a more in depth review when the film releases. But for now I liked what I saw, The Spine Of Night is a very strange animated horror movie that’s pretty gruesome so if you love gore this is most definitely going to be for you. The voice casting was really strong as well as the animation, it has a very interesting style to it that leads to a ton of “what did I just watch?” moments, in terms of story the movie does take awhile to get going. I’m not a huge fan of the story and thought it could have been done and presented a lot better, but there will definitely be fans out there! Overall The Spine Of Night isn’t bad, as I said it’s definitely going to need a rewatch but I do recommend it especially if you are looking for something different!

7/10 B

A young woman serving privileged guests at a dinner party in a remote house in rural Wales. The assembled guests do not realize they are about to eat their last supper.

The Feast is definitely a movie I’m going to need to watch again, but that’s definitely not a bad thing! It’s a very solid horror movie that does have a very slow start, which does stop the movie from being anything better. Once the gore kicks in it is quite strong, any gore fan will absolutely love those moments as they are definitely the highlights of the movie. The acting and writing aren’t too bad either, both could have been a bit better as the story takes a bit to develop and become fully realized. The cinematography is quite beautiful and has tons of haunting moments when you mix it in with the atmosphere! Overall not too bad, I recommend seeing this one when it comes out!

7/10 B

SXSW Review: Witch Hunt (2021)

In a modern America where witches are real and witchcraft is illegal, a sheltered teenager must face her own demons and prejudices as she helps two young witches avoid law enforcement and cross the southern border to asylum in Mexico.

Witch Hunt is a film that’s been on my “movies with no release date” list for quite sometime now. So when I saw that it was playing at SXSW I took the opportunity to see it. While I originally did praise it with my first reaction I’ve thought about the movie more and more and realized how flawed it really is. Gideon Adlon and Abigail Cowen are both really great and definitely have great chemistry plus they are the standouts of the movie. The problem is how much Witch Hunt feels like a prequel to a YA movie that doesn’t exist, I completely get what the movie was trying to go for however the horror elements just don’t blend well together at all. It’s very unfortunate because I do find witch movies to be interesting and the whole premise sounds like a very good idea, but between very awkward pacing and being way too predictable the movie just doesn’t add up to much. The filming is at least pretty decent especially when you mix it in with the setting and the movie does have it’s moments, but as I said a lot of it feels like a YA adaption that is trying to be horror but it really isn’t. I don’t recommend this one..

5/10 C

SXSW Review: Gaia (2021)

On a surveillance mission in a primordial forest, a park ranger encounters two survivalists following a post-apocalyptic lifestyle. The boy and his philosophical father seem to have their own religion, and a mysterious relationship to nature. There are many suspicious aspects to their existence, but when the cabin is attacked by strange, post-human beings one night, she learns that there is a greater threat in this emergent wilderness.

I liked Gaia quite a lot, it felt like a huge mix of The Last Of Us (the video game), The Blair Witch Project, In The Earth and parts of The Green Inferno all mixed into a very interesting movie! It’s use of body horror was really great and slowly gets under your skin as the film progresses. The acting from Monique Rockman was really great and the writing gives this creepy feel as well. Combine that with the atmosphere and you have yourself a genuinely haunting movie that is very effective, especially when the writing is cleverly written! The location and the filming is also another one of this film’s strong points, combing them both gives beautifully haunting results that end up being intimidating and creepy as well! Gaia is most definitely not going to be for everyone and it’s very easy to see why, but for fans who have been dying for an actual really good recent body horror movie I highly recommend to check this one out when it releases over the summer!

9/10 A