Movies in Review: "Solo: A Star Wars Story"

I think I say this every time I'm sitting here writing a review for one of these films, but again, I'm not the biggest Star Wars fan, although I have enjoyed that last few films over the last couple of years. My enjoyment for the last few films was likely the only reason I went to see this Solo film, that and Donald Glover...ijs. Unlike the other previous Star Wars film, was I the only one who wasn't that impressed with the trailer for this standalone Hans Solo film? I think I was discouraged by the young actor they cast to play Solo (originally played the remarkable Harrison Ford). Was anyone else feeling Ford's character was miscast looking at the trailer? I was hoping his performance in the film would be better than the trailer, although I wasn't banking on it.

It seems I wasn't the only one who had issues with the you actor Alden Ehrenreich (Han Solo) during filming producers hired him an acting coach because they were unhappy with his performance...smh. Sooooooo...why did he get cast? Anyway, in the film he was ok. However, it was hard to see him as Harrison Ford, making him feel a little out of place...eh. Ehrenreich doesn't ruin the film as there were great performances to be had around him, especially from Glover. I swear they couldn't have cast a better actor to play Lando. I was truly like watching a you Billy Dee Williams. He had the voice and mannerisms on point. I just wish he had more screen time. He was one of the more entertaining characters. I feel like other Star War's films have stories that have more depth than this one, however this one shined with a faster pace and some action sequences that will have you on the edge of your seat. This film had a number of issues during filming, even changing directors over halfway through filming. With scenes having to be filmed again, there were some parts of the story that had to be cut. Michael K. Williams was supposed to have a part in this film but was unable to reshoot his scenes due to scheduling conflict. I would have love to see what he would have brought to the film ~shrugs.

I liked this movie, but I know I would have loved it had they cast the lead better. I enjoyed the pace of the film and found it entertaining, but the plot lacked the depth of other Star Wars films and made this movie feel like its own separate entity with the Star Wars name attached to it...ijs...B

Movies in Review: "The Gospel According to Andre"

I was lucky enough to catch the trailer for this film the week before it was released. I think I came across the theatrical poster for the film first, and it immediately caught my eye. Andre Leon Talley is an eye-catching individual, so no surprise that a poster with his face on it would have me stop on the street and gaze. I have not seen or heard much from Talley in a few years. When I watched the trailer an overwhelming feeling of emptiness in the fashion industry came over me. I forgot how I have always been in total awe of this man, and he is one of my inspirations for pursuing a fashion career. He is inspiration that the industry is now lacking, and I didn't realize this until after seeing the trailer, which gave me chills. Yaaaaaassssssss...we need to see this story. I was ready.

I cannot tell you how much I loved this movie. To just get an inside glimpse of what this man was about and how he made his career what it was, was truly inspiring. I love that he was unapologetically Andre. I love that he understood his roots and that he was a black man, but always represented himself as a man first. He took his passion by the reigns and made himself who he was. I am inspired by his intelligence for his art, and his true love of beauty and fashion. It's in his blood. It's hard these days to find anyone with that much passion for what they do. A true passion for anything is the spark that makes the flame and lights the fire...I need that. His life from the outside looks amazing to us, and what dreams are made of, and he says throughout the film that he was totally focused on his career, it was his everything. However, we also see that because of this passionate focus he missed out on other parts of living. The last scene in the movie is the best picture of what he sacrificed to have the life that he had.

The Gospel According to Andre is a must see. This film had me enthralled and I wasn't ready for it to end. You will smile, laugh, and may even shed a tear. It will inspire you and also shed a light on what it takes to become an Andre Leon Talley...A!

Movies in Review: "Deadpool 2"

Marvel is killing the game right now! I'm sure this was the film that most of you (myself included) were waiting to see this weekend. With the surprise hit of the first film and everyone riding the highs of Black Panther, and most recently, The Avengers: Infinity War, we are more than happy to keep this superhero high going right!? I know I was, although we all know Deadpool is like the anti-superhero we just love with his action-packed R rated films. They have been teasing the release of this movie since last year, and now it's finally here. I'm always afraid for sequels, especially if the original film was amazing. I definitely felt this way about Deadpool 2. I was afraid it might not be able to meet the standards of the first film, but I was at least hoping it was in the ball park.

Deadpool 2 was definitely in the ballpark. It didn't shut out the first film but was a great competitor. Some of the antics of the first film, lost that bit of element of surprise in the second film. The opening scene in Deadpool was EVERYTHING and did a great job of grabbing your attention out the gate.  I felt DP2 started out a bit slow and it took me a minute to really get into it. To be honest, the first 20min of DP2 I was feeling really disappointed, but don't worry, it got a lot better. I loved the introduction of new characters like Cable, played exceptionally well by Josh Brolin. There was also a character called Yukio, who had a very small role, but I still found the small scenes between and Deadpool very entertaining. My favorite new addition was definitely Zazie Beetz as Domino. I don't think they could have picked a better actress to play this character. She was badass without even trying. I loved every scene she was in. I wasn't really a fan of the young actor they had playing Fire Fists. In my opinion, he was kind of awful ~shrugs.

DP2 had some great action scenes and it wasn't short on the humor like from the first film. The scene with the X-Force team jumping out of the helicopter was priceless, and also the scene when Deadpool's lower body is regenerating...Lmao #I Cant. There are some fun surprise guests’ appearances and plenty of Wolverine jokes, which are always great. If you loved the first film, then you have to keep the party going and catch this sequel...A-

Movies in Review: "Book Club"

I love a good chick flick, and it doesn't matter if it's of the geriatric kinda fun...lol. I don't know who I'm kidding, I'm no spring chicken, and I fit the target audience which were 80% female, and 88% over the age of 35 ~shrugs...lol. As this movie was released the same weekend as Deadpool 2, I'm sure this film likely wasn't on your radar, however I was very much looking forward to seeing it. I enjoyed the trailer, I found it very amusing, and I loved the actresses, although I do think if Meryl Streep would have been a nice pick to replace one of the actresses...ijs. I think my expectations were about average, I did expect a decent piece of entertainment, something I thought should be easy for this film to fulfill...

I was entertained...However, not as entertained as I hoped I would be. The film was cute and funny as I expected, but I still felt like I wanted a little bit more. The cast was great, with their own separate storylines. My least favorite character was Jane Fonda. Her storyline was a bit dull for me ~shrug. I loved the character Carol played by Mary Steenburgen as her story was more relatable and she felt the sincerest. Diane Keaton was everything and I wished her story excluded her daughters who were just annoying and took away from the magic she brought to the film. Candace Bergen was another one of my faves, but her story needed more screen time. I would have rather seen more development of her story and less of Jane Fonda's...meh.

Overall not a bad flick. You will definitely find yourself laughing, but by the end you may feel like you needed more time with these ladies. This is a great movie to see with your mom, or if you fit into this age group, make it a matinee or a girl's night. For the guys, I think you may also find a bit of entertainment, but may feel more comfortable watching it from the comfort of your home...B-

Movies in Review: "Life of the Party"

Although her last few films have been less than her best, I still love me some Melissa McCarthy, especially in comedies. I watched the trailer for this film and had a few good laughs. Although I was going to see this movie anyway, the laughs the trailer gave me had me optimistic this movie would satisfy my funny bone. There weren’t many new releases this weekend, but this was the movie I was definitely looking forward to seeing the most. I had about average expectations, I just needed a laugh.

This movie was far from great, but it did have more than a few laugh out loud moments which bumped up its value. McCartney was on one in this film. Some of my favorite moments was the dance scene, and the scene in the restaurant where Maya Rudolph's character had me pissing in my pants. Maya was a hoot in this film. Sometimes I find her comedy in films to be a little over the top, but she and McCartney really worked off each other well. As much as I wanted to hate her, the actress who played the real estate agent Marcie had great comedic delivery and got more than a few laughs from me. I thought the younger actresses in the film were just ok...eh. Although I did favor the sorority sister that was in a coma. She made some of the funniest faces on screen.

I wish I could say I loved it. I did laugh...a lot, but there were still some comedic moments that weren't as successful as others. The movie could have used stronger direction and a better script. You will definitely laugh, and be entertained, so It's at least worth a matinee???...C+

Movies in Review: "Breaking In"

There are so many things that catch my attention for any film. Most of the time it starts with the theatrical posters placed on walls or streets that catch my attention first. I'm only bringing this up because it is not usual for a theatrical poster to turn me completely off from a film, but the poster for this movie would have to be the first. I absolutely hate the movie poster. It looks cheap and corny, which only made me feel the movie would be the same ~shrug. I did see the trailer and was mildly unimpressed. The story definitely looked like pieces of other films I had seen before, however Gabrielle Union as a lead was intriguing enough for me to reluctantly watch this movie. So, with low expectations I went to see it.

Just as the theatrical poster, the movie was cheap and corny. There were so many plot holes in this movie I sat there wondering why any of it was all happening ~shrug. If the story had stronger character development, it would have been 10x's better. Although the story sucked, there were still some decent performances from the 2 young actors who played Union's children, and a really great performance from Union. I was quite surprised, but Union definitely did her thing in a movie that really wasn't worth her time. This was an action thriller with fairly predictable outcomes...eh.

I admit some scenes had me on the edge of my seat, but I think I was more excited about Union doing her thing. If you are a Gabrielle Union fan and just want to see her in action, then catch a matinee, or just wait until this one hits Redbox. Union was great, but this movie isn't anything exceptional or worth 1.5 hours of your time...C-

Movies in Review: "Tully"

When I watched the trailer for Tully I truly laughed and cringed at the same time. Seeing Theron take on a role that looked as if we would get a real glimpse into motherhood was definitely something I wanted to see. As a mother and everything that comes along with it, the one thing you want is to not feel alone in the experience. I can honestly say motherhood is not for me to try more than once and is the scariest thing I've ever done, but I'm more than happy to take a few hours to laugh about it...lol.

Wow...they held back no punches with this once. It was like a raw light into motherhood that had me reminiscing too hard with my own experience. Theron was a star in this role and shined as you would expect her too. This movie has some fun and light moments, but most women will see themselves throughout the film. I really enjoyed the character Tully and thought what a savior she would have been for me for my first few months. There was some great insight to be taken away from the film, especially for the men. Ijs...I think fathers should see this one too.

Is it bad that this movie made me laugh, sad, happy and a little depressed...lol. It felt like post-partum all over again ~cringe. I enjoyed this film, I would never watch it again, but I did enjoy it...B+