The Kissing Booth 2

The Kissing Booth 2 is the Netflix produced, coming of age, teen romantic comedy, sequel to 2018's The Kissing Booth. Picking up where the original left off, high school senior, Elle, is struggling in a long-distance relationship, with her boyfriend Noah, while managing college applications and figuring out what a new friendship with a handsome classmate could mean for her future. 

It is always great when the original cast all came back and it was also nice to see a bit more diversity with the addition of minorities and LGBTQ characters. It would have been nice if they casted some younger people though. A few of the actors looked well beyond the 18 or 19 year old character they were supposed to be playing so that was a bit of a distraction. Even though there was a miss with casting, the entire group did a good job interacting with one another. I especially liked the dynamic between Elle, Noah, Chloe and Marco. Played by Joey King, Euphoria’s Jacob Elordi, Maisie Richardson-Sellers and Taylor Zakhar Perez, respectively.

The script had slightly better character development than the original with the themes transitioning well from the original film to this one. They picked up again on the complexities of friendships and relationships, gowning up and discovering who you want to be in life

This movie is categorized as a comedy but I didn’t think it was that funny, there were cute parts but nothing remembered for its hilarity. It was more of a Romantic Drama to me. Even with that being said I still think that it was a pretty good sequel with some unpredictable twists and turns though out.

Jumanji: The Next Level

Jumanji: The Next Level is the sequel to 2017's Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and the second follow-up to the original 1995 Jumanji. It reunites the characters from the previous film and picks up a few years after the events in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle with Spencer, "Fridge", Martha, and Bethany planning a reunion, while all leading different lives, some better than others. 

I thought that the plot was fun with some unpredictable twists on the characters for this version. The themes of broken friendships and repairing them before it’s too late and themes of finding confidence in yourself while getting older were all relatable and prevalent throughout.

I thought that the cast was star studded and entertaining. I’m not a huge Kevin Heart fan but he was hilarious in this movie and did great staying in character. Awkwafina, Rory McCann, Danny DeVito and Danny Glover were also fun and unexpected additions to the cast. I had an issue with The Rock trying to adopt a New York Italian accent, which was terrible, and Jack Black with the Black accent, which felt a little Tropic Thunder to me, but I know why they had to do it, so I had to push past it.

Overall I thought that this movie did a good job of keeping my attention throughout, even though it was a bit corny, it was a descent sequel.

The Farewell

The Farewell is a comedy-drama starring Golden Globe winner, Awkwafina as Billi, a young working woman who is very close to her grandmother, Nai Nai. When she and her family find out Dtheir beloved matriarch, Nai Nai, only has a short time to live, they return to China under the façade of a wedding, to see her one last time and say goodbye, unbeknownst to Nai Nai herself.

I thought that the plot was easy to follow and incredibly relatable. It was interesting to see traditional Chinese customs on screen that I wouldn’t normally have known about without having seen this movie.

The script was a bit dry but the acting made up for a lot of it. Awkwafina, who is more known for her comedic chops, gave an unexpectedly great dramatic performance. She deserved the Golden Globe but not in the comedy category. Shuzhen Zhao who plays Nai Nai was actually the funniest part of this film. She reminded me of my own grandparents with her lack of filter and love of her family.

This movie was promoted as a comedy but to me was more of a drama. The comedy wasn’t my cup of tea per se; it was more of a subtle, dry humor. So with that being said, if you are into that style of comedy, then I think this film is worth checking out.

The Old Guard

The Old Guard is a group of immortal beings that are at risk of their secret being exposed after they discover and rescue another. This action drama was based off the comic book of the same name and stars Charlize Theron and Chiwetel Ejiofor. 

When I think of a traditional superhero movie this isn't what I would have thought of. This didn't come off as one of those big budget Marvel movies. It was a more low key kind of hero movie with an interesting plot, even though some of the key pieces were predictable from the beginning.

The majority of the cast were unknown to me but were a good, diverse group of actors. The script had descent character development but could have elaborated more. This is one of the few hero movies I’ve seen with clearly out LGBTQ characters which was great to see on screen. Even with the missing pieces, Charlize did well carrying this movie, she brought a lot of pain and leadership to the role and also had some really intricate fight sequences which were impressive.

The Old Guard has been set up for a sequel which I don’t particularly care to see. In the end, the movie was okay but not worth another reiteration nor re-watching.

The Half of It

The Half of It is a coming of age LGBTQ romantic dramedy about a bright high school senior, Ellie Chu, who lives a low key life with no friends. When Paul Munsky, a jock, asks her to write a love letter to his crush, she unexpectedly not only makes a friend but also falls in love with his crush.

I thought that the plot was unique and interesting. It was unpredictable, engaging and easy to follow with light touches of comedy and heart wrenching moments. The themes around the complexities of love were thought provoking and honest. The cinematography and edits were all well done and helped to evoke emotion and connection to the characters.

This was an entire cast that I had never seen before but one I really enjoyed watching on screen; they all did well playing off one another. I especially enjoyed the leads Leah Lewis, who played Ellie Chu, and Daniel Diemer, the dense yet kind and loyal friend, jock and amateur chef, Paul Munsky. They had great on screen chemistry, strong character development and were both very likeable in the portrayal of their respective roles.

As a whole this was a really great film, full of heart and definitely worth checking out.

After

After is a romantic drama following Tessa Young, an impressionable college freshman, as she discovers more about herself and her desires after meeting Hardin Scott, a British bad boy, that goes to her school. The movie is based off of the young adult novel of the same name by Anna Todd. It stars relatively unknown actors Josephine Langford and Hero Fiennes Tiffin.

I thought that the plot was engaging and easy to follow with a very well laced and appropriate soundtrack for the movie. The themes of firsts; first loves, first heartbreaks, growing up and making your own choices during a very influential time in your life, are all themes I could relate to. My only knock on the plot was that it was predictable with a lot of details left out. It gave me knockoff Cruel Intentions vibes with a much more mature, yet still very beautiful, Selma Blair playing Tessa’s mom. She has gone through a lot personally with her health so I thought that she looked really great in this movie and did a decent job in her role. Another blast from the past was a surprise addition of the dad from The OC, Peter Gallagher, who played Hardin’s dad. I was intrigued by his dynamic with Hardin and would have liked to have seen that relationship expanded more upon in this film. The rest of the cast I had never seen before but they were all attractive and diverse. However, a lot of the characters were very one dimensional and could have used a lot more development. Perhaps that is why I found the acting from the majority group to be mediocre except that from Austrian-born Josephine who played Tessa, she brought a descent range of emotions and had an impressive American accent.

In regard to cinematography, there were too many slow motion edits to give that feeling of intensity between the two love interests, which in the end felt forced. They didn’t need it because the chemistry was naturally there.

Overall the movie was okay. It was properly prepped for a sequel, which will be dropping later this year, so I’m hoping to get more depth in the backstories and development from these characters in the upcoming film.

21 Bridges

21 Bridges is an action crime drama starring Chadwick Boseman as a NYPD detective on a time sensitive task to locate a couple of cop killers who have the entire NYPD on a citywide manhunt.

I thought that the story was interesting and engaging but predictable from the beginning. It was full of high action and suspense and ended up better than I thought it was going to be with its realistic and gritty cinematography.

The casting of Sienna Miller, J.K. Simmons, Taylor Kitsch, and Keith David was unexpected but turned out to be really great. Some of these actors I hadn't see in anything in a long time, so it was nice to see them in this film. Additionally, I am a huge fan of Chadwick who I thought did well in carrying this movie by bringing a lot of range and complexity to his character, but he had a Denzel Washington esque accent which was a bit weird.

Overall 21 Bridges was good but not necessarily one that I would seek out to watch again.

Just Mercy

Just Mercy is a historical drama set in 1989; it is the true story of a young civil rights defense attorney, Bryan Stevenson. Fresh off of graduating from Harvard Law School, looking to make a change in the very racist Alabama, he focuses on freeing wrongly convicted death row prisoners. 

The script was well written and the plot was easy to follow, powerful and poignant in relation to what is still going on in the world today.

The movie has an all-star cast lead by Michael B. Jordan, featuring Jamie Foxx and Brie Larson. The acting, especially that from Jordan and Foxx was so incredibly moving that there will not be a dry eye in the house. The character development was well done, so you will really feel connected to the people in this movie.

This is one of those stories that they don’t teach in the history books but should. It is an inspiring movie that tells you, when your back is against the wall, to never give up and to keep trying for a better world. The themes transcend time and the story is one everyone should see.

The King of Staten Island

The King of Staten Island is a comedic drama that is starring and loosely based on Pete Davidson’s life. Davidson plays Scott, a twenty something young man who has never really grown up or applied himself to anything since the death of his firefighter father. After a stream of events forces him to grapple with his grief he must decide to if he will take his first steps toward adulthood. 

I am a fan of the director, Judd Apatow. He has made some hilarious films in the past but this one is a different, it more serious tone than his previous works and the comedy is a lot darker. The themes around depression, drug use and grief were prominent throughout and were important to bring up during these though times.

I thought that the plot was interesting and unpredictable. The script however was a bit on the weak side and not as funny as I would have hoped which caused the movie to drag. About an hour and a half in, I was looking to see how much time was left in the movie. The runtime could have been cut down significantly.

The acting was okay; Davidson was just being himself and not really diving deep into a character but since he was supposed to play himself to a certain point, I didn’t find it to be too much of a problem in this movie.

The story was slow moving and didn’t give me any real closure. The conclusion was open ended, leaving us to make a choice on where it goes from there, which can work in some films, but I wasn’t a huge fan of it for this particular one. In the end, I just felt like the movie was just okay; not one I would seek out to watch again.

My Spy

My Spy is an action comedy starring Dave Bautista, Chloe Coleman and Parisa Fitz-Henley. JJ, played but Bautista, is a hardened CIA agent on his last straw with the agency. When he is assigned to surveil a family in Chicago his cover is blown by a 9 year old girl who blackmails him into training her to be a spy. While at her mercy he begins to learn not only more about those he’s sworn to protect but also more about himself. 

I thought that the plot was fun, easy to follow but very predictable from almost the beginning.

I really enjoyed the acting from the entire cast. Bautista was a strong, hilarious and very entertaining lead but doesn’t bring a lot of range. Chloe Coleman who played Sophie surprisingly brought most of the funny and charisma. She was such a good actor, full of wit and sass and did a great job co-starting with such a big presence like Bautista. Coleman along with Parisa Fitz-Henley, who played her mother, were relatively unknown actors to me and I thought that they both did a great job in their respective roles.

This film was full of heart, had great themes about not being afraid to start again and make new memories, defending the ones you care about, and being your authentic self. I thought that it was one of the funnier ones I’ve seen all year and would recommend that everyone check this one out if you are looking for a good laugh.