Jungle Cruise

 

Jungle Cruise is an original story inspired by the Disneyland theme park ride, of the same name, where riders are on a riverboat going through a jungle filled with dangerous animals. The story is set in 1916, during the World War 1 era and follows Dr. Lily Houghton, played by Emily Blunt. She is in search of the Tears of the Moon, a tree whose petals hold the power to heal; which would be a revolution in modern medicine and would help in the war effort. After being rejected by the Royal Society, she and her brother reluctantly enlist the aid of a shady skipper, Frank Wolff, played by Dwayne Johnson, to take her down the Amazon in search of the ancient tree.

I thought that the story was fun, family friendly and easy to follow. The script was funny and the fight choreography was clever and cheeky at times.

I liked the costumes and thought that they were perfect for the era.

The casting was great. Dwayne Johnson churns out a lot of content and not all of it is that good but thankfully this wasn’t one of those roles. He was complex and likable as Frank. I think he and Emily had a great banter and chemistry that even played well off screen, when they promoted the move. I didn’t know much about Jack Whitehall, who played MacGregor Houghton, Lily’s brother, but thought that he was hilarious and played so well off of the larger than life personalities of Johnson and Blunt.

For me this was a very enjoyable film. One that I think would have been great as a stand-alone movie but unfortunately it has been greenlit for a sequel. Hopefully, it will live up to the quality of the original.

Bruised

 

Bruised is the Halle Berry directed and starring story of a former professional MMA fighter who has fallen from grace. When her son, that she gave up as an infant, comes back into her life, she has to figure out how to pick herself back up for both of them.

I thought that the plot was original and though a bit slow moving and predicable at certain points, was interesting and realistic.

The soundtrack was perfect for this film; it was just as raw and gritty as the movie. I also liked that they meticulously choose all female rappers for the score.

The script was well written, full of great life lessons, but I would have liked a bit deeper character development for the entire cast.

The fight commentary was pretty corny but I thought that the fight choreography was well researched and rehearsed. Halle did a great job looking like a MMA fighter and I enjoyed the cameo from UFC Women's Flyweight Champion, Bullet Valentina, although I was confused as to why they made her character Hispanic. They should have changed the script so that she could represent her own country, Kyrgyzstan. Also after hearing that Cat Zingano was the original choice, I would have preferred that.

I remember a few years ago when this movie was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). It sold out so fast I wasn’t able to catch it, but I have been eagerly awaiting this release ever since. I can now say the wait was worth it. This movie was a heartfelt, near tear-jerker and in my opinion was one of Halle Berry's best performances to date.

Eternals

 

Eternals is the latest Marvel blockbuster staring Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, and Angelina Jolie. It takes place after Avengers: End Game and follows a race of immortals, living in secrecy on Earth, defending its population from the Deviants, while shaping its history and civilizations.

This was yet another well-made Marvel movie with great CGI, cool costumes, and sharp fight choreography.

Academy Award winning director Chloé Zhao's work on this movie was superb. She directed and wrote a very easy to follow story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It was a 2 1/2 hour movie full of great content but didn't feel long at all. 

With all-star casting it wasn’t really a surprise that the acting was superb. Everyone played well off of one another. I also loved the diversity in the casting, not just race but also disability and age. Zhao's methodology in broadening casting representation was seen throughout this film. I especially appreciated seeing Lauren Ridloff, a deaf woman of color, play Makkari, a hearing white man in the comics. The casting made Ridloff the first deaf superhero in the MCU.

Overall this was a great film. Thought provoking, action packed and fun to watch. It’s already primed for the next one and I’m looking forward to it. Also, don't forget to wait for the two post-credit scenes at the end!

King Richard

 

King Richard is the biographical drama of Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams. Set in the early 90s, Richard had a very carefully crafted plan, that he would not allow anyone to deter him from, to ensure Venus and Serena’s success in tennis.

This plot was full of so much interesting detail surrounding the Williams family. It was great to see the dynamics of the parents, Richard and Oracene Price, all the sisters and how it was not just the support of their father, but their entire family, that got Venus and Serena to where they are today; two of the greatest tennis players of all time.

The themes around never giving up, standing up to the face of adversity and being able to defy all the odds placed against you, were such important life lessons that are still relevant today. It was also so great to see a Black father on camera lifting up little Black girls and giving them the confidence to take on the most difficult of obstacles.

This up an coming all star cast of Saniyya Sidney who played Venus Williams and Demi Singleton who played Serena Williams not only were superb actors but they also played tennis very believably.

In the end, King Richard was an enjoyable surprise for me. One that I wasn't originally looking forward to seeing but I'm glad I watched. It was by far one of Will Smith's best performances. The movie was uplifting, heartfelt and a tearjerker. I'd definitely recommend checking it out.

Passing

 

Passing is a drama based off of Nella Larsen’s 1929 novella of the same name. Set in 1920s New York City, it is a story of two long lost high school friends with very different lives, one passing for white, while the other lives authentically as African American. When they unexpectedly reunite it ignites a mutual fixation that threatens to destroy both of their lives.

The set design, costumes, hair and soundtrack were all perfectly curated to take you back in time. I also thought that the editing and metaphors were smart and well done.

The acting from both Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga were superb. They had an unspoken connection, an obsession, of sorts, with each other and also a deep seeded jealousy. These women did a great job leading this movie while playing opposites of the same coin. Tessa played Irene, a family focused, smart and passionate woman. Ruth played Clare, the life of the party, a fun flirty woman who uses her attributes to her advantage.

Normally I’m not a huge fan of monochromatic films but I felt like this was a really good choice for the cinematography. It played well on the phrase, "Nothing is ever black and white."  

Although the ending has been criticized I liked it and thought that it was wrapped up best by Nylah Burton for Refinery29, “Passing leans into the gray areas, refusing to give the audience anything resembling a clear answer... [it depicts the] deadliness of obsession, the dangers of covetousness, and what happens when intimacy and kinship go wrong.”

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

 

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a Marvel action drama that follows Shaun aka Shang-Chi, a young man who has been hiding from his destiny and living a life that is not fulfilling. When he is forced to confront his past with the Ten Rings he has to make the choice to fight for his family or sit on the sidelines.

This was a fun, engaging coming of age story with visually stunning and clean fight choreography. I appreciated the realistic usage of the Mandarin language throughout and thought that the script had great themes around family, friendship, and finding your passion in life.

Simu Liu, who played Shang-Chi did a really great job with leading this cast as a relatively unknown actor. He brought a lot of range to the character, physical prowess and a strong presence. I also thought that he and Awkwafina, who played Katy, had great chemistry. As Katy, she was funny and relatable. Overall I liked the diversity of the cast, they were talented and I appreciated how the writers highlighted the strong female characters. Following the Marvel playbook there were also some expected yet still great choice in a cameos.

In the end I left thinking that Shang-Chi was a fun ride. A well-made, proper Marvel movie that is worth checking out.