Reviews

Gil Kenan's Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is an entertaining addition to the storied franchise. Starring Paul Rudd, the film is essentially about a powerful ghost/god trying to destroy the world. The crew responsible for stopping this ghoul features a multitude of different characters from previous Ghostbusters movies, combined with a few new faces. This film is jam packed with different characters and plotlines. It reaches a point of oversaturation, however, where the film seems to be relying on nostalgia and throwing as many recognizable figures on the screen as it can. Still, I have to say I enjoyed the film overall. With the volume of jokes, there were many misses, but also lots of successful humor. There are a few instances where dumb jokes land because of the delivery. The cast does a solid job with comedic timing, despite some of the middling writing. The film also doesn't try to be too deep. It knows its place as a fun, goofy movie about hunting ghosts, and for the most part, stays within its lane. The action is fun, and the characters are likable. All in all, I thought this new Ghostbusters movie was an enjoyable experience that left me entertained, but not overly impressed.

Adam Wingard's sequel to Godzilla vs Kong is filled to the brim with nonstop action and adventure. The film focuses primarily on Kong, as Godzilla takes a back seat until the end of the movie. The main narrative is that a team led by Rebecca Hall and Dan Stevens embark on a journey to the "Hollow Earth" to decipher a mysterious signal. Meanwhile, Kong is on a journey to find more of his kind. The cast does well, despite playing somewhat generic characters. It is, however, very clear that the filmmakers' principal focus is the spectacle, and the story is just a vehicle for the epic fight scenes. The fight scenes are indeed epic, however, as the monstrous titans engage in multiple colossal battles throughout the film. I think the film may have tried to balance too many ideas, though, including the emotional story involving Rebecca Hall's character and her daughter. There was just not enough buildup of the human storyline to make the conclusion rewarding. All in all, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a fun popcorn movie, delivering spectacular action, and nothing more.

The Idea of You is a Romantic Comedy film about a mom who falls in love with a young pop star. Together they struggle to navigate the unconventional woes of their sixteen year age gap, paired with the obsessive media. The general plot is clever, but not groundbreaking. However, some of the writing feels clumsy. This includes the fact that Anne Hathaway's character didn't think twice about walking into a random trailer at Coachella, and that her high school aged daughter conveniently went to a camp for the entire summer when Anne Hathaway wanted to travel abroad with the boy band. I also found the amount of time dedicated to watching the band perform to be excessive. On the flip side, Anne Hathaway's acting carried the film. Her concerns about the age gap and being hypocritical felt really valid and authentic. I also felt the emotion as she came to the realization that she had to put her family first. The acting from the rest of the main actors was convincing as well. The movie started a little boring, with forced plot lines, but eventually picked up momentum and kept my interest thanks to the talented cast.

Unfrosted tells the story of the creation of the PopTart, and the feud between cereal giants Keloggs and Post. Director and star of the film, Jerry Seinfeld, filled the movie with constant jokes and recognizable comedians. The movie, however, felt more like a first draft collection of unpolished short sketches, rather than a fully thought out comedy. The story felt disjointed and I thought that more often than not, the jokes did not land. I also honestly don't know how they managed to make this movie so boring. I felt like there was never a reason to be interested in what happens next. The characters weren't developed and the film just felt empty. Nevertheless, there were glimpses within this film that made me think it could have had potential. The cast did a nice job for the most part, and much of the comedy centered around seemingly good ideas. The whole movie just felt rushed and underdeveloped. Maybe I'm just too young to understand the bulk of the humor.

I was looking for a new movie to watch and didn't have much time, which is when I stumbled across The Image of You. Seeing that it is a mere ninety minutes, with a few recognizable TV show actors, I decided to put it on completely blind. At first, the movie seemed very campy. The dialogue was awkward, and the story felt forced. Nothing of substance occurred until the end of the film, where so much happened that it felt super chaotic. To pile on, Zoe is one of the most unlikable characters I have ever seen in film, and Nick is irredeemably heartless and dumb. At times, it was hard to watch. However, I pretty quickly stopped taking it so seriously and began to actually enjoy it a little bit. I was able to have fun watching the big twist, and laughing at the scenes that were outlandish. Overall, this was a pretty bad movie by all means, but it could be somewhat of a fun watch if you indulge in the campiness.

Makoto Shnkai directed Suzume as a visually beautiful film about the relentless violence of nature, and building connections through love. He skillfully contrasts the stunningly elegant Kyushu landscape with the horrific depiction of a natural disaster, symbolized through the giant worm terrorizing Japan. Though the film mostly succeeds in portraying its message, many aspects of the film feel generic. The romance is built in a forcibly cliché manner, and many of the action scenes feel very basic. The characters lack depth and a few of the tropes feel overused. Still, there are some silly ideas and funny moments that make it a somewhat enjoyable watch with a profound message.

Roman Polanski's, The Pianist, tells the story of a Polish-Jewish piano player during World War II. The haunting attraction of the film comes from the ordinariness of Adrien Brody's protagonist. He is not a hero. He is a piano player for a Polish radio station, who has a family that he loves, and a small apartment that he goes home to every night. His quality of life gradually declines in a way that makes him almost de-sensitized to the brutality of WWII, until he is placed in a hopeless and isolated state of hiding. The piano becomes merely a distraction from the extreme hunger and cruelty he faces. With the slowly paced deterioration of the protagonist, and the inability of him to do anything except run, The film portrays the Holocaust in a terrifyingly real manner.