film

🎬 Spirited 🤩🤩

film

I’m not sure what happened here. Granted, my friend talked through half the movie, so I may have missed some critical elements, but overall, I thought this film was a disaster and was unable to keep my attention or interest. I’d just watched Elf earlier in the day, which had me laughing in stitches, like always. But, Spirited felt like a waste of talent for both Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds. I just couldn’t buy into Ryan Reynolds’ character as the villain, whereas my friend couldn’t buy into the idea of Will Ferrell as Scrooge. And, the opening songs about capitalism and corporate culture were cringeworthy. The only saving grace of this film were the remaining musical and dance numbers, which by and large, were quite good. Overall though, this film couldn’t decide want it wanted to be. Drama, comedy, musical? And, all the jumping around in time made my head spin. Will definitely not be watching this one again next Christmas.

Trailer

Genre: Comedy, Family, Musical
Released: 2022
Running Time: 2h 7m
Studio: Apple Original Films
MPAA: PG-13
Starring: Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds, Octavia Spencer
Director: Sean Anders
Writer: Sean Anders, John Morris

Related Reviews & Articles

IMDB Rating: 6.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 69% Tomatometer, 80% Audience Score
Roger and Ebert: ⭐️⭐️✨

IndieWire / VARIETY / Hollywood Reporter / New York Times / NPR

Where to Watch: Apple TV+

🎬 King Richard 🤩🤩🤩 ✨

film

The Will Smith-Chris Rock Oscar slap aside, King Richard is an incredible true story of the two Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, who grow up in Compton and go on to make tennis history, in no small part due to their father’s grand plans for them. Will Smith’s character, Richard Williams (the king himself) is one of a kind, and clings on with stubbornness to his own peculiar ways, despite all professional advice to the contrary. Unlike most sports films, there are few pump-em-up training or music-driven championship scenes. Instead, the film focuses on character building and family dynamics. At its core, this is a story about discipline, putting family first and overcoming adversity against all odds. The film drags a bit in the middle, and missed several opportunities for heightened emotional intensity, in my opinion. Overall though, it’s definitely worth a watch.

Trailer

Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Released: 2021
Running Time: 2h 24min
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
MPAA: PG-13
Starring: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Jon Bernthal
Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Writer: Zach Baylin

Related Reviews & Articles

IMDB Rating: 7.5
Rotten Tomatoes: 90% Tomatometer, 98% Audience Score
Roger and Ebert: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
IndieWire / VARIETY / Hollywood Reporter / New York Times / NPR

Where to Watch: HBO Max, Apple TV, Amazon, YouTube