Flash Movie Review: The Idea of You
“AGE IS JUST A NUMBER” HAS been my motto as long as I have been able to understand what it means to me. When I was a small kid, I played with older and younger kids in the neighborhood. None of us questioned anyone’s age; all that mattered was if you had an enjoyable time playing together. With my schooling, from elementary through college, I always befriended students who were not of my year. In college, when I was a first-year student, I became good friends with a graduate student. In fact, I mentioned him in an earlier review about the college friend who taught me how to play ping pong. We were friends all through my college years and after. It is more important to me to have a faithful friend who is trustworthy, loyal, and supportive than someone who is not but the same age. Some years ago, I had a good friend that asked me to be the best man at his wedding; he felt that close to me. All was good since we had been friends for almost ten years. A year after the wedding the whole wedding party met up at the same place the wedding took place. The only difference was I and one other member of the bridal party brought the people we were dating at the time. My friend took an immediate dislike to my partner because they were fourteen years younger than me. He never came out and said it that way but made rude comments about them being immature to understand what was going on. I was so offended, especially when I asked them to explain their behavior and they simply said they did not like who I was dating. Our friendship ended on that trip. THOUGH THAT RELATIONSHIP DID NOT LAST past five years, age was never an issue between us. Our tastes and interests were similar, we loved each other and always had a fun time when we were together; age was only an issue for those around us. I just remembered something else about that relationship. We were at a family function and a relative made the comment “act your age.” We looked at each other and wondered if she was referring to us, but my relative was saying that regarding a different issue. However, that saying has always annoyed me because I never understood what it meant for someone to act their age. Is a seventy-five-year-old riding a roller coaster acting their age? Is a fourteen-year-old going to college acting their age? I find that saying has no relevance to anything anyone chooses to do. Plus, I would like to know how someone doing something that a person feels is not age appropriate, affects that opinionated person. In my dating history, I dated people who were 19 years younger than me and twenty years older. I never saw it as being odd and that is why I had no issue watching this dramatic, comedy romance. FROM A CHANCE ENCOUNTER, A FORTY-year-old single mother begins a romance with the lead singer of a band, who is twenty-four years old. Not only would the press have a field day with the age difference, the pressures of being in the spotlight would have an affect on the mother, daughter, and everyone else around them. With Anne Hathaway (The Witches, Locked Down) as Solene, Nicolas Galitzine (Purple Hearts; Red, White & Royal Blue) as Hayes, Ella Rubin (The Rewrite, The Sweet East) as Izzy, Annie Mumolo (Bad Moms, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar) as Tracy and Reid Scott (Veep-TV, Wildflower) as Daniel; this film had its moments. I thought the acting was good and appreciated how the writers put a spotlight on the age differences. With a steady hand of directing, I only wished the script would have dug down deeper into feelings and emotions. It would have helped with the chemistry between the two main stars and added more punch to the story. Though I thought the way the writers wrote the characters of the ex-husband, and his girlfriend were typical, I liked how it showed the prejudices between males and females with younger partners. Overall, I enjoyed this film because of the acting and more so for the topic.
2 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Iron Claw
IF I HAD BEEN THE REFEREE and had seen the parent yelling at his son after the game, I would have banned him from all future games. I have been to enough sports games to watch the children of friends and family, and there is always at least one parent who is the aggressive one close to the action. This one father was yelling at his kid throughout the game but did throw out a couple of barbs at the umpires. For me, it simply makes the experience of watching the game uncomfortable. I do not know about you, but I do not want to hear parents reprimanding their children during a game. Even after the game, what could their child have done that warranted such ugly behavior. It is only a game and if the kid is trying their best then that is all that matters, at least to me. It is not like there are scouts in the audience or television deals waiting to bestow riches upon the young child. The dad was tugging at the boy’s jersey while telling him what he did wrong; I found it disgusting. I mean really, talk about an embarrassing moment in one’s life. That father should be ashamed of himself. As you would imagine, it looked like tears were rolling down the boy’s face. I USED TO WORK WITH A woman who pushed her daughter into theater, because it was something she started to do when she was young but could not sustain it. It always made me wonder if there are many parents who try to live their lives through their children. Was that father yelling at his child during and after the game, wanting his son to be just like him; or even better? The person I worked with was constantly driving her daughter to various auditions, photo shoots, and a multitude of stores to find unique items for her to wear so she would stand out. I can still remember the day she told me her daughter decided she did not want to act anymore; this woman was despondent. She walked around the office with such a sad face and as if she had nothing left to live for (my own observation). There was a time afterward where her daughter was in the neighborhood and wanted to take her mother out to lunch. I was hoping in a way that there would have been a moment I could ask the daughter if she had grown up wanting to be an actress, but I decided it was not my place to ask her. I am afraid I do not understand this desire or need for parents to live out their dreams/fantasies through their children. And this dramatic sports biography certainly proves my point. HAVING A SET OF SONS WAS all former wrestler Fritz Von Erich, played by Holt McCallany (Fight Club, Nightmare Alley), needed to finally reach his wish of building a legacy. His desires, unbeknownst to him, also set up a separate more emotional legacy. With Zac Efron (Ricky Stanicky, The Greatest Showman) as Kevin Von Erich, Jeremy Allen White (Fingernails, The Bear-TV) as Kerry Von Erich, Harris Dickinson (Beach Rats, Where the Crawdads Sing) as David Von Erich and Maura Tierney (Beautiful Boy, ER-TV) as Doris Von Erich; this film based on a true story was riveting to me. I had never heard about this family until I saw this movie. I thought the acting was excellent and felt this was one of Zac’s best roles. I still do not know if his body was real, or CGI enhanced; it was so bulked up. The story was an emotional one; I, at times, could not believe some of the scenes I was watching because they had that same air of uncomfortableness I was talking about earlier in this review. After seeing this picture, I am curious to find clips of the actual wrestling family that made a name for themselves in the early 1980’s.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: If
I DID NOT HAVE AN IMAGINARY friend growing up, unless you count my special stuffed animals. My first was a monkey that was handed down to me from generations before. When I had him, his name was Zippy, he got a new set of red overalls, but there was nothing to be done about his missing finger. Everywhere I went I had Zippy by my side; we were inseparable. Though he was a good listener, he never solved any of my questions; however, he was such a good companion who never woke me up at night when we slept together. He also was never jealous because I had received other stuffed animals who after time wound up sleeping with Zippy and me. When I look back at this time, I guess I can say these animals were my first friends. One other thing I distinctly remember is I never introduced or let other kids play with my stuffed animals. You could say I was very possessive of them. Where I never carried them out of the house, I had a neighbor friend down the street from us who brought his imaginary friend with him whenever we were outside playing. The only time where it was challenging having his imaginary friend play with us was during a game of tag; otherwise, my friend usually kept his friend always by his side. THE STRONG CONNECTION I HAD TO my stuffed animals gave me the opportunity to explore and appreciate more the things around me. Many a time I would have Zippy with me when I saw something new and exciting outside my bedroom window or even on the television. Sharing that moment together, I believe, solidified my sense of wonder with the world. I do not know if I was braver because of him, but I do know I enjoyed sharing new experiences. That sense of wonder has stayed with me for all these past decades. Visiting the only palace on US soil and discovering it was the first place in the United States, four years ahead of the White House, to have electric lighting; or visiting a butterfly sanctuary and discovering all different types of butterflies were moments that filled me with such wonder that I still remember them to this day, many years later. I hope I never lose that sense of wonder. Because of it, I succeeded in seeing all fifty US states, where I always found something that brought me a sense of wonder and excitement/joy. Having had experience with imaginary friends when I was incredibly young, there was no way I wanted to miss this animated dramatic comedy. HAVING ALREADY LOST ONE PARENT, WITH the other needing a major medical operation, a young girl must stay with her grandmother who lives in an apartment building in the city. Early on, the young girl discovers there are other residents that only she can see. With Cailey Fleming (Peppermint, Star Wars franchise) as Bea, Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool franchise, The Adam Project) as Cal, John Krasinski (A Quiet Place franchise, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan-TV) as Dad, Fiona Shaw (Harry Potter franchise, Killing Eve-TV) as Grandmother and Liza Colon-Zayas (The Bear-TV, Naked Singularity) as Janet; the idea for the story was great, but the script needed a couple of rewrites. With beautiful animation and an all star cast of voices, I was disappointed in the blandness of the script. For the first half of the film, I was bored. It really was a shame because I thought Cailey and Ryan did a wonderful job of acting. With a good dose of imagination and its touching story, this movie could have been better. I had to wonder if it was because John was both writer and director, besides his acting role that it was too much to manage, causing for a thin story line. Maybe because I still have such a keen sense of wonder, I was expecting more from this picture. There was a brief non-verbal scene honoring the late Louis Gossett Jr at the end of the closing credits.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Suncoast
SOME INDIVIDUALS MAY THINK I HAVE an unusual take on death, but from where I have stood it makes sense to me. When someone suddenly dies, their death hits their loved ones harder. For example, when someone dies from a massive heart attack. When an individual suffers a prolonged process towards death, such as untreatable cancer or Alzheimer’s disease, by the time the person perishes the loved ones around them are relieved the suffering is over. I have experienced both methods of dying and despite the sudden death being such a shock, I felt it was an easier way to leave this world for the deceased. To see someone wilt or be eaten away towards their death is a painful process for all concerned. When I was younger, I remember visiting a relative who had to reside in a nursing home. Their mind was deteriorating, where they did not recognize family members or keep up with hygiene. It was sad and painful to watch how a little more of their life was being snuffed out each time I went to visit. It was during that time that I formulated my belief that there are times where it would be better if the person were dead than having to lose their quality of life and brain capacity. A relative of mine thought I was horrible for thinking such things, but after an extended period watching this individual lose everything that represented who they were, this other relative came up to me and said I was right about the option of dying. IN SCHOOL, WE WERE TAUGHT THE natural order of things meant grandparents would die before parents, who would die before children. I cannot remember what grade I was in when this was a topic for discussion. It made sense to me that the oldest individuals would die before the younger ones. I can see it for myself; when someone dies at the age of ninety-five or older, many people are sad but not heartbroken because that person lived a long, full life. When things go out of order and a parent loses a child, they are stricken with such a deep pain that can nearly incapacitate them. I have seen this for myself on more than one occasion. At a cemetery, I saw a couple whose 2-year-old child had died. The parents came to the cemetery every weekend to swap out the old flowers for new ones and sit down and have a picnic lunch with their deceased child. It was hard for me to see them suffer so. I also understand death is a topic that some people find hard to talk about. The same goes for seeing it on film; though I have to say, I thought the writers did an admirable job in this drama that was inspired by a true story. THE TIME HAD COME TO PLACE her brother in a specific healthcare facility. It happened to be the same place where a protest was taking place regarding one of the patients. With Nico Parker (Dumbo, Reminiscence) as Doris, Laura Linney (The Savages, The Miracle Club) as Kristine, Woody Harrelson (Champions, Triangle of Sadness) as Paul Warden, Daniela Taylor (Grown-ish-TV, Knight Squad-TV) as Laci and Ella Anderson (The Boss, The Glass Castle) as Brittany; I found this film to be a touching and moving experience. The performances from Nico, Laura and Woody were outstanding, with their emotions on full display. Overall, I appreciated what the script was doing, but I did feel a sense of disconnect with the characters because there was not much back story to them. The scenes with Doris and her new friends had a lesser impact on me, despite Nico’s performance standing out in them. The subject matter is a tough one to capture, but I felt the writers came close to what it feels like to experience such a situation. Because no one can escape death, it is up to us to enjoy every day of living.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Monkey Man
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG ABOUT PRETENDING to be someone else to help you overcome a situation you have found yourself in. I have done this in my past, more during my school years. My results were mixed; I succeeded sometimes but then others, it did not do me any good. Also, some of my pretending was based more on a fantasy level, which rarely offered any help. I remember one of my earliest memories of being in a situation where I felt threatened and pretending to be Superman. It was not about his strength I wanted the most, it was the ability to fly away. In the end neither one helped me, and I wound up running away as fast as possible. After I knew I was safe, I still wanted to have the ability to fly, so I could fly over the bully and drop a rock on his head. There were other times during those formative years where I pretended, I was a renowned artist, designing the best dioramas for my school projects. Because I had a relative who was a sales representative for an art supply company, I had the latest assortment of wild colors to use to highlight my art assignments; so, pretending to be an artist was easy. PAST THE SCHOOL YEARS, THERE HAVE been times where I pretended or saw myself being something I was not. After going with a friend to an aerobics class, I fell in love with the idea of working out to music. I used to pretend I was both a choreographer and dancer; playing over and over in my mind the moves I would incorporate in my future classes. I would stay in my room, working and producing different combinations of moves to see how my body felt from doing them, all the time listening to the music to make sure it was perfect to inspire participants to want to move in class. Once I had my music and moves picked out, the next thing I envisioned myself to be was one of those instructors that could be seen on television or at fitness conventions. When I first started teaching, I always had a case of nerves and kept thinking in my mind that I was a failure and a phony. I always walked into the class with this fear that someone would call me out as a fraud. By pretending I was a popular fitness spokesperson, I was able to walk to the front of the class and take the members on a musical journey of exercising their body and heart. This is one of the reasons I understood what the main character was trying to do in this action thriller. AFTER YEARS OF CARRYING RAGE OVER his mother’s death, a young man turns himself into someone who can seek vengeance on those that deserve it. With Dev Patel (The Green Knight, The Wedding Guest) as Kid, Sharlto Copley (District 9, Hardcore Henry) as Tiger, Pitobash (Million Dollar Arm, yesterday’s Past) as Alphonso, Sikandar Kher (Milan Talkies; Monica, O My Darling) as Rana and Sobhita Dhulipala (Major, Made in Heaven-TV) as Sita; this film is filled with blood and violence. Overall, it falls into the middle of the seeking revenge genre; however, with Dev who is also credited with the writing and directing of this film’s story, I was impressed with his debut. I thought the connection to his country’s lore made for an interesting interpretation. The action and fight scenes were nearly as good as other over the top sequences one would see in films like the John Wick franchise. I did, however, think the story started out slow and for most of the movie, I did not feel totally connected to any of the characters except for Dev’s role. Also, the flashback sequences that were used to tell the story felt disruptive to me, at times. Despite these things, this picture is entertaining and hope Dev thinks about making this character wish for something more.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
WHAT HE WAS TELLING US WAS something I had lived through as well. A friend was working at a place that treated everyone like one big family. The company was private, not affiliated with a large corporation. They were profitable, successful, and gave back to the community. He told us how the owners were hands on, meaning they were always stopping by to check on the store and employees. They wanted to make sure employees were comfortable with what they were doing and encouraged them to learn more about the business. There was a reason for this; they preferred to hire and promote from within. The friend had worked there for two years, and besides learning about the retail side of the business, he also was trained for the wholesale side. This meant he already had more opportunities available to him and he said he was not done. He already was established with several customers, who only wanted to deal with him whenever they came into the store. It is funny to me; when you hear someone praising their job, you remember it along with the details. I was happy for him and glad he found a niche in the employment world that suited him. IT WAS AROUND SIX OR EIGHT months later we happened to all get together again. This friend had a completely different story to tell this time about his job. The owners of the company had sold the business to a competitor. This new company’s focus was on profitability, so it was not long before changes started to take place. Our friend was unhappy with the changes. For example, they initiated a no absent work policy. If an employee had PTO, they could take a day off. However, if they did not and an employee, let us say, was out sick, they could only be out a total of three days a year, otherwise they would be terminated. He only had one day available to be out of the office for the next six months, which meant he sometimes would be sick at work. There were other changes, none that benefited any of the employees. I expressed my sympathy because I could relate to his situation. I worked at a place where things were going great and then someone new took over and made life at work unbearable. I have no issue with a company focusing on making profits; but in my experience, each time it happens there is always someone involved who becomes greedy and only thinks of themselves. I have seen this in companies, in politics, organizations and now I can see it in this action, science fiction adventure. THE APE WORLD EVOLVED INTO SOMETHING different from its past. A young ape, in search of his family, discovers what he was told may not have been entirely true. With Owen Teague (It franchise, You Hurt my Feelings) as Noa, Freya Allan (Gunpowder Milkshake, Baghead) as Mae, Kevin Durand (Abigail, I Am Number Four) as Proximus Caesar, Peter Macon (Shelter in Solitude, The Orville-TV) as Raka and Eka Darville (The Sapphires, Jessica Jones-TV) as Sylva; this latest installment in the long running franchise had wonderful cinematography and special effects. I enjoyed the actors’ work to become apes, but I did not care for Freya’s performance. It felt hollow to me; granted, it did not help that the first half of the film dragged to the point where I was hoping things would move along. Gratefully, they did in the last half. The action scenes were intense and there were a few standout moments that made up for the slow pace in the beginning of the movie. I believe this story will lay the groundwork for more films to come. My only hope is that it is a collaborative effort instead of one person controlling every aspect of the production.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Spaceman
I HAD A RELATIONSHIP WHERE THE two of us did not know how to communicate with one another. The weird thing for me was that I thought I was doing it, but it was not being received. For their part, they did not know how to express their feelings. I thought things were going along fine, but then one day, something happened where we disagreed about something, and they blew up with anger. Anger that was not appropriate to the small disagreement we were just talking about. I remember asking them why they were so angry and that evidently opened the gates because they started bringing up events from the past that did not even register as if we had a problem. I was so confused and asked why, if they were upset at the time, they did not tell me. I asked them how I would know otherwise, and they said I should have been able to tell. For me, this line is a copout; I am not a mind reader and if the person especially does not wear their heart on their sleeve, there were no physical changes that I would have questioned. We tried to patch things up and move on with our lives together but there were too many emotions involved that were stuck inside of each of us. EVER SINCE THAT RELATIONSHIP, I MADE a point to always express my feelings to my partner. It would not suit us well if we could not express our feelings at the time we were feeling them. Another reason is because I do not like having a discussion where the person mentions stuff from the past that has no bearing on what we are confronting presently. If the person feels something was not worth discussing when it happened, then why keep it stored and bring it up later; it makes no sense to me. I remember early on after that initial relationship ended, I was a few months into a new relationship and asked them how they felt about something I said. It took them by surprise but kudos to them, they did reply. We wound up having a discussion that dug below the surface we had temporarily settled on, giving us the opportunity to not only be vulnerable with each other but also to form a deeper connection. Because of that, we soon became a couple and spent the next few years enjoying our life together. If I had the opportunity, I would have offered my advice, for what it is worth, about communication to the main character in this science fiction, adventure drama. ON A MISSION TO THE OUTER edges of our solar system, an astronaut discovers several months into his voyage, he is not alone on his ship. With Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems, You Are so Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah) as Jakub Prochazka, Carey Mulligan (Maestro, The Dig) as Lenka, Paul Dano (Dumb Money, The Fabelmans) voicing Hanus, Kunal Nayyar (Think Like a Dog, The Big Bang Theory-TV) as Peter and Isabella Rossellini (Death Becomes Her, Enemy) as Commissioner Tuma; I enjoyed watching Adam in this role because I prefer his dramatic work over comedic ones on film. Pair him up with Carey and what could go wrong? The answer would be the script. I thought the idea was interesting, though I was confused at first by what Adam’s character discovered on his ship. It seemed an odd choice to pick for the character. But as the dialog kept going, I soon understood what was taking place. With good visuals and a curious story, I wished the script would have had some more stimulating portions to it. It felt like the film was dragging on and at times, it also felt repetitive. I was fluctuating between feeling sorry for Adam’s character and irritated that he was not taking care of his matters. The best way I can express myself after watching this movie is to say it was just okay.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Unfrosted
I DO NOT REMEMBER WHAT AGE I became where I no longer found kids’ jokes funny. There was the constant “knock, knock” jokes, along with jokes like “Why did the chocolate chip cookie go to see the doctor?” He felt crummy. Or “What’s a pirate’s favorite class to take in school?” Arrrrrt. At some point, I had heard them so much they were no longer funny to me. Even today, I have a couple of friends who constantly tell the same type of jokes multiple times. At some point I can no longer pretend they are funny; the jokes lose their surprise element. Changing a word here and there does not change the joke. I feel the same way about food companies that introduce different variations of their best-selling items. A sandwich filled cookie where the filling changes and gets weirder does not appeal to me. I am here to say, I am not on the pumpkin spice bandwagon. When I walk through the aisles of the grocery store and see so many products with this flavor, I cannot make sense of it. Why would I want my pasta, butter, or salmon to taste like pumpkin spice? NOW THERE IS ONE FOOD ITEM I do not care what they do to it because I was never a fan of it. I was never attracted to food items that had fruit filled centers. When Pop Tarts were introduced, I was curious about them but did not want to eat one. The only time I tried them was when I was at a friend’s house. If their mother offered me one, I did not want to be rude by saying no, so would take one and try to eat it. Many times, I would eat around the edges because there was so little fruit filling there. It would be times like that where I wished my friend’s mom would have chocolate chip cookies, which were my favorite. I believe the other reason I was not a fan of Pop Tarts was because they could be toasted. In my mind, if something is going into the toaster then it is meant to be eaten for breakfast or it is bread. I could not tell if this fruit filled item was a dessert or snack item. Now that you know I get tired of the same jokes told repeatedly and am not a fan of Pop Tarts, what do you think I thought about this biographical comedy? LOCKED IN A BITTER RIVALRY FOR store shelves, it was a race to see which food company could come out with a completely new food item that would change everyone’s minds about breakfast and dessert. With Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld-TV, Curb Your Enthusiasm-TV) as Bob Cabana, Jim Gaffigan (Collide, Peter Pan & Wendy) as Edsel Kellogg III, Hugh Grant (Wonka, Love Actually) as Thurl Ravenscroft, Amy Schumer (I Feel Pretty, The Humans) as Marjorie Post and Melissa McCarthy (Genie, The Little Mermaid) as Donna Stankowski; I honestly thought with this cast, along with the variety of celebrity cameo roles, there would be no way this film, written and directed by Jerry Seinfeld, would not be funny. I was completely wrong. Not only was it not funny, but it was lame. I do not know if I can honestly say if there was any acting taking place. The script was so boring and ridiculous that I only kept watching because I thought it would have to get better at some point. Instead of appearing like a movie, this felt like a series of comedy bits that kept falling flat. The only time where I showed interest in humor was one exchange between Melissa and Hugh; that was it. I would have enjoyed seeing how Pop Tarts came into existence, but I believe there was only a speck of truth the script was based on, and the rest was slapstick nonsense. For viewers who grew up during that time, the retro references could be fun, but so many of the shown ones were attached to some nonsensical scene that instead it could become irritating. There was nothing fun or entertaining about this picture. Even if I loved Pop Tarts, I still would not have subjected myself to watching this if I had known what the script was going to be. This film had no shelf life and was stale from the start.
1 star
Flash Movie Review: Next Goal Wins
NO ONE I KNEW HAD A ping-pong table in their home when I was growing up. I had a couple of friends who had pool tables and one had a mini-roller coaster in their backyard, but that was it. The only opportunity I ever had was when we would take a driving trip, during my summer vacation, and the hotel happened to have a game room with a table set up. My feeble attempts at playing did not go unnoticed by me, but I was always willing to play. Though I did not play the game well, I still enjoyed it because it reminded me of a miniature tennis court. This was another game I rarely participated in because I did not have a tennis racket and with a borrowed one, I still was not good at playing it. Most of the time I was either running after balls I missed hitting; or, retrieving them after I had hit the ball into the tennis net. After a while I would get so exhausted from the running around that I had to stop playing. That is why I was curious about ping-pong; they were always set up indoors, in a room; and there was hardly any running around involved. Most of the time I could just stand in the middle, on my side of the table and try to hit the ball back. IT WAS NOT UNTIL I WENT away to college that I had the opportunity to play ping-pong consistently. The student union hall on campus was the place to go to socialize with fellow students. There was a restaurant, television room, quiet space, and other various activities available for the student population. I lived in a studio off campus where each floor of the building had a communal kitchen. Across the hallway from me was a graduate student. I would meet him in the kitchen periodically because we had similar class schedules. He helped me with navigating through first-year requirements and I would share some of my food with him. The union hall was showing a movie over the weekend, and I asked if he wanted to go. He did and as we were walking past the game room, he asked if I played ping-pong. I explained my history and he offered to teach me. From that day we would be at the union at least three times a week playing the game. For eighteen months, I lost every single game. I still enjoyed myself despite the losing results; I was determined though to win at least one game and when it finally happened, that was the last time he played ping-pong with me. Having such determination was what I found myself attracted to in this comedic, sports drama. MAKING THE HISTORY BOOKS FOR THE worst defeat in World Cup history, the American Samoa soccer team recruited a down on his luck coach, who had disciplinary issues in his past. Also, no one else wanted to take the job of coaching a team that had lost 31-0. With Michael Fassbender (The Killer, Song to Song) as Thomas Rongen, Oscar Kightley (Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Samoan Wedding) as Tavita, newcomer Kaimana as Jaiyah, David Fane (The Tattooist, Eagle vs. Shark) as Ace and Rachel Howe (Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire) as Ruth; this film inspired by true events had potential, but did not have the right mix in the script to connect with me. I did not care for the acting and cringed at some of the dialog. Also, I did not find much to laugh or chuckle about in the story. If the writers would have taken a more serious stand, I might have enjoyed watching this picture more, because the idea for the story was solid. Instead, what came across was a silly, slapstick mixed bag of emotions and feelings, with truly little for me to care about or want to invest in. There was an extra scene at the end of the closing credits.
1 ¾ stars
moviejoltz 