Flash Movie Review: Star Trek: Section 31
ONE OF MY EARLIEST SOLO TRIPS was to Las Vegas solely because a new, I do not know what they called it, attraction, exhibit, ride, or business had opened in a large, aged hotel. In the era where a deluge of new properties was being built up, this hotel wanted to remain relevant and competitive against the new establishments. I booked my flights six weeks after they had opened, just in case they needed time to work out any kinks to, what I had seen in advertisements, the elaborate production they had created. I chose to stay at a different hotel because the rooms were cheaper, but I mapped out that I could easily walk to the new exhibit. Once I landed, got to the hotel, and unpacked, I headed out to see the attraction. The first part of it was a bar/nightclub. Walking around were individuals dressed as Klingons, Vulcans, and the Borg; I had to immediately get a photo of them. Luckily, they were all gracious and willing to pose. The bar area had the same look as the one in Star Wars, except this one had characters associated with Star Trek. I wandered around, ordered a soft drink, and just took in all the sights which were plentiful. There were glass cases everywhere with Star Trek paraphernalia inside. I kept snapping picture after picture until I covered all the cases. WHEN I LEFT THE NIGHTCLUB AREA, there was a sign pointing to what I knew to be a virtual shuttle ride. There was a mockup of one of the ship Enterprise’s shuttles. Guests waited in line and were eventually ushered into the ship eight at a time. We each strapped ourselves in before the attendant gave us final instructions. Upon leaving, the doors whooshed close, the cabin’s lights dimmed, and the bay doors opened to reveal the universe. Over the loudspeakers a male voice announced he was captain and explained our mission. It felt like we were rising and moving away from earth. The announcement of full thrusters made the ship tilt back as it appeared we were picking up speed. I could not get over how realistic everything felt; I was pressed to the back of my seat as it felt like we were soaring higher and higher. The ride lasted two to three minutes but in that time, we had to navigate through a meteor shower, fight a Klingon Bird of prey ship, and do evasive maneuvers. By the time we were done, I was feeling a little dizzy. But it was worth it; from the very first episode of Star Trek, when it aired on television, I became a huge fan, and this place was nirvana for me. When I saw this film being advertised, I was equally as excited to see it and experience my beloved Star Trek universe again. Little did I know what was waiting for me. WHEN SEVERAL STARFLEET OFFICERS DRESSED AS bar patrons showed up to her nightclub, Philippa Georgiou, played by Michelle Yeoh (Crazy Rich Asians, Wicked) knew something was up. She did not know it involved something far back in her past. With Omari Hardwick (The Mother, Army of the Dead) as Alok Sahar, Sam Richardson (Velma-TV, Mulligan-TV) as Quasi, Robert Kazinsky (Hot Pursuit, EastEnders_TV) as Zeph, and Kacey Rohl (White Dog, The Magicians-TV) as Rachel Garrett; this science fiction action, adventure drama was shocking to me. It was nowhere near the caliber of any of the previous Star Trek films. It felt like this was hastily put together to fulfill a contract. I thought the script was poor, the story line was weak, and the special effects were dull. I enjoyed watching Michelle because her character seemed so out of character for her; but it was not enough to save this picture. It almost felt like the production company who put this all together had never seen a film or episode of Star Trek. Being so disappointed, all I can say is this film needs to be transported to a far, far galaxy; never to be shown again.
1 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Companion
A RELATIVE OF MINE JUST NEEDED to vent and knows I always have an open ear. She was telling me about her son who desperately wanted to be in a love relationship. The more I heard, the less I thought her son understood what love really meant. She told me all her son wishes for is to be with someone. He uses the dating apps, goes out to bars to meet women, and has no qualms starting up a conversation with a female shopper at the grocery store. However, according to my relative, he does not want to do much of the dating and wooing part to get into a committed relationship. I asked how that was working out for her son, while keeping a perplexed look on my face. She said he scares off a lot of women because he is so quick to tell them he loves them and wants to move in together with them. I knew she knew this, but I had to say his actions were a big red flag to prospective dates and she agreed 100% with me. She said he does not take the time to really learn anything about the women he meets; all he wants is to be part of a couple. In my mind, all he wants is a companion. THE REASON I USE THE WORD companion is because I have already seen couple relationships where the two people seem more like companions or roommates instead of it being a relationship of love. Not that there is any right way, or I am criticizing someone, I am aware that love comes in all shapes and sizes. There was one couple I knew, where the woman was a long-time friend of mine. She started dating a man that I soon learned not to trust. He was a braggard and a liar. After catching him in a couple of lies, I felt compelled to tell my friend. She heard what I had to say but it did not stop her from following her heart. After one year of dating, she discovered he had been stealing tiny amounts of money from her purse. She was devastated and told me she felt foolish. I tried to comfort her, but she stayed upset for some time. Another friend of mine had been dating a woman for six-seven months. I thought everything was fine until we stopped at a store for the girlfriend to get a pair of sunglasses. We all tried on various pairs, but during that time I could overhear my friend directing his girlfriend on what he wanted her to buy. It was odd the way he said it, so I asked if he always tells her what to buy. He said he wanted her to look a certain way that he thought was flattering. It still was odd to me; it looked like he had an idea of how she should look, and he wanted her to become that image. It seemed more like he was dating a doll instead of a live human being. I thought it was strange but not as strange as what I saw in this psychological comedy thriller. A WEEKEND GETAWAY FOR A GROUP of friends turns sinister when one of them is killed by one of the others. With Sophie Thatcher (Heretic, Yellowjackets-TV) as Iris, Jack Quaid (The Hunger Games franchise, Scream) as Josh, Lukas Gage (Road House, Smile 2) as Patrick, Megan Suri (It Lives Inside, Never Have I Ever-TV) as Kat, and Harvey Guillen (The Internship, Werewolves Within) as Eli; this science fiction film was twisted fun. I thought Sophie and Jack were great together and enjoyed all the twists and turns in the script. Part of the success was the tight directing taking place; I felt engaged throughout the movie as I was exposed to scenes of dark humor, satire, tension, and fear. What helped me was not knowing or seeing anything about this picture because it increased my surprise level. I will have to say, when the movie was over, it made me wonder if we could ever get to a similar place in time. There were a few brief scenes with blood and violence. 3 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
WE WERE THE BEST OF FRIENDS from an early age. Every weekend we would be together, either at my house or his, which was only kitty-corner to mine. My house was on the northwest corner of a city square block and his was on the southeast corner. We would cut through the alley to each one’s place. We had been friends from kindergarten up to sixth grade. It was during the sixth grade, when we started having certain class subjects assigned to other teachers’ rooms, where my friend had the opportunity to spend more time with a couple of boys from a different class. What happened over the next few months was my friend started including these boys into our circle of friends that we had for the past several years. This did not upset me at first; however, suddenly there were a few Saturdays when my friend was not home when I called him. His mother said he had gone out with a couple of friends. A couple of friends? I was part of his friendship. It was not until I saw him in school that he said his friends from the other classroom invited him out. My feelings were hurt, but I did not say anything. As we were nearing the end of the school year, it seemed as if he was spending more weekends with them than me. And through the summer months, we barely got together; so, by the time we were starting the new year, I felt totally rejected. THE FEELINGS OF LOSS I EXPERIENCED made me more conscious about my relationships with my friends as I grew up. I never wanted any of my friends to experience the feelings I had back then. I may have even overcompensated by wanting to include everyone all the time. However, I soon learned not everyone wants to be with everyone all the time. So, I started making plans with friends and family members individually, creating a rotation system so no one would get left out. There was one other factor I had not counted on. Originally, I thought something was wrong with me when getting together with some of my long-term friends seemed to take on a sense of struggling for conversation. Our comfort zone was talking about the past; but nothing else talked about seemed to be interesting to one of us, or were things to which one could not relate. It occurred to me whether one of us or both were growing in different directions. I did not see this as a negative thing, it was just a part of the growing process. And as proof, as time passed more of our face to fact time converted to a series of texts and emails. With this knowledge, I certainly could relate to the feelings Gromit was experiencing in this stop motion animated adventure comedy. WHEN A NEW INVENTION WAS INTRODUCED into his master’s house, Gromit soon begins to feel jealous of everything it could do. However, when a series of strange things begin to happen, Gromit believes there is something more going on with this high-tech invention. With Ben Whitehead (Berry Bees-TV, Wallace & Gromit franchise) voicing Wallace, Peter Kay (Car Share-TV, Roary the Racing Car-TV) voicing Chief Inspector Mackintosh, Lauren Patel (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Lloyd of the Flies-TV) voicing P.C. Mukherjee, Reece Shearsmith (High-Rise, Inside No. 9-TV) voicing Norbot, and Diane Morgan (Mandy-TV, After Life-TV) voicing Onya Doorstep; this film offered exactly what fans have come to expect, a fun, sly story with a fascinating artform of animation. I enjoyed the story line and thought the writers did a wonderful job blending the two story lines. The combination of slapstick humor, thrills, suspense, and tongue-in-cheek commentary kept me engaged the entire time. The level of stop motion animation, I imagine, must have taken at least a couple of years to achieve; it was so precise, even down to the facial expressions. This was a surprise treat for the way it lit up my spirits during this gloomy winter we have been having here.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Number 24
IT WAS NOT THE ORGANIZATION’S FAULT. I was supposed to be one of many volunteers who were assigned to turn an empty warehouse space into a fantasy land. The theme of the event they were hoping to create was titled “Coming Out of the Shadows.” When I was given the assignment, I was told at the time that there would be longer hours involved the closer we got to the gala charity event. When I arrived on the first day of my assignment, I was expecting a large group to be in attendance. It was obvious to me there were not a lot of people. The coordinator addressed it immediately, telling us several individuals called at the last minute to say they would not be able to come and help. He told us he was trying to find others to help, but they had to follow a tight schedule and asked us to be patient and do the best we could. I felt bad for the organization but was willing to do whatever I could to help. After he was done speaking, the coordinator took us to a storage space that was filled with all kinds of props, lights, materials, and mannequins. Each of us was handed a sheet that had a rendering of what the room was supposed to look like. He told us different people will pop in at times to check on the progress and give any suggestions if needed; but he stressed that we should try to have fun creating what he thought was such an imaginative space. ONCE HE LEFT US, EACH OF us took turns introducing ourselves and stating what we thought our strengths were for this task. I mentioned that I have a good eye for spacing and organization. Part of my job was to haul out groups of items that were ready to be used by the volunteers who had a flair for decorating. I offered suggestions to them when I thought something was not working or would be in the way of the guests when the room was full. Later in the day it was obvious we would have to stay late if we were to stay on track to finish everything on time. Gratefully, the organization ordered pizza for us since we were going to be there late into the night. As I was taking things out of the storeroom, I discovered there were props that were too heavy for me to carry. I found someone to help, and we still struggled to get the items out onto the floor. For the entire week we had to keep this pace up, staying up late every night, eating something quick when we could, and always on the move. I was exhausted every night when I got home. By the end of the week all of us were sore and exhausted from all the work, but it was worth it. The organization was thrilled with the results. I felt good about how much we sacrificed to get things done and ready for the event. Not that it is a contest, but after seeing this biographical drama, my sacrifice pales in comparison. ON THE VERGE OF BEING OCCUPIED, a Norwegian citizen decides he cannot sit back and watch his country be taken over by Nazi Germany. What he starts to do will make him the number one target of the German forces. With Sjur Vatne Brean (Out Stealing Horses, Delete Me-TV) as Gunner Sonsteby, Erik Hivju (Max Manus: Man of War, Hvaler-TV) as the older Gunnar Sonsteby, Philip Helgar (Russebussen-TV) as Edward Tallaksen, Magnus Degpale (Cabin Crazy, Total Paranoia) as Andreas Aubert, and Ines Hoysaeter Asserson (Softshell, Heirs of the Night-TV) as Reidun Andersen; this war film told a story I had never heard in any of my history classes, which is a shame. I thought the script was going to bother me as it jumped from present time to past, but it wound up adding an extra layer of connection with the characters. The story in of itself was remarkable and I enjoyed the way the writers stuck to a straightforward story line without taking many dramatic liberties. It also assisted with keeping the moral questions on equal footing. The acting was good; they came across as real people. This was such an incredible story to watch and knowing that it was based on a true person made it even better. Norwegian, German, Danish and English were spoken with subtitles.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Presence
I WAS CONVINCED THE OUIJA BOARD had all the right answers. My friends and I went through a period when we were using the board every week. I admit I was naïve, but I thought the pointer was moving of its own volition. When we first started using it, I took the pointer and looked for some telltale sign that it used magnets or had some hidden device that moved it across the board but found nothing. Where some friends were asking elaborate questions, I kept my questions to a simple yes or no answer. I wanted to know if I would lose weight during the summer, or whether I would be a writer, or become rich. Out of those three questions I got a YES to all of them except the rich question. It still thrilled me. For several weeks, we enjoyed quizzing the Ouija board. However, it was a Saturday night, where we all got together at one of the friends’ houses for a pizza night, we were in the basement consulting the board when suddenly all the lights went out. It was right when a friend made a snide comment about the board because he did not get an answer he liked. It freaked us all out and we huddled together until our friend’s parents came down the stairs with flashlights. After that episode, we started avoiding the Ouija board. IT WAS NOT UNTIL COLLEGE, WHEN one of my wishes came true. I had lost enough weight to go down a couple of pants sizes. The university allowed first-year students to live off campus in designated apartments and I was lucky enough to have gotten one. The building was more than a few decades old, but I did not mind. I had a studio apartment that shared a communal kitchen with the other apartments on the floor. Saturday nights tended to be quiet since most of the students were out partying. I preferred to stay inside and catch up on my assignments since I was carrying a full load of classes. At first, during those times, I did not pay much attention to the creaks and sounds of the building. But, when a closet or bathroom door in my place slowly creaked with movement, I would get freaked out. There was no logical reason I could produce for the sudden movement of my doors; I would quietly sit still and try to listen to any sound that could help justify the occurrence. It started to feel to me as if there was some type of force that was making the doors move. I do not know if I would call it a presence, but I decided to move at the end of the school year. Having seen this psychological thriller made me wonder if something had happened years ago in my college apartment. HAVING MOVED INTO A NEW HOUSE, a couple of family members began to feel like they were not alone. It would not take long to convince the other family members. With Lucy Liu (Stage Mother, Charlie’s Angels franchise) as Rebekah, Chris Sullivan (Agnes, This is Us-TV) as Chris, Callina Liang (Bad Genius, Tell Me Everything-TV) as Chloe, newcomer Eddy Maday, and West Mulholland (A Great Divide, Dark Harvest) as Ryan; this horror movie directed by Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Let Them All Talk) was not really a horror film in my opinion. However, there was suspense, and I enjoyed the buildup of it. The cast was good, but I did not care for the camera work, where it looked like the camera was following everyone around, with all that comes with it like shakiness and close-ups. It was a shame because I felt those who are sensitive to motion sickness might get uncomfortable watching this picture. The idea of the story was interesting, but the buildup went on too long. I felt there could have been more tension and bigger scares, even though there were a couple of good moments. This was a no-frills movie, no silly or scary creatures or space aliens. I just wished it would have lived up to its hype.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: Gladiator II
ANGER IS A TOOL THAT IF used carefully can fuel one in their endeavors. I firmly believe this since I am a product and result of it. Going through what I went through in school, my anger was nourished by the abuse and bullying I endured. Every time I was punched, kicked, and called a name, it only made my anger grow larger. Of course, no one saw it because I forced it to stay inside of me. Instead, I would excessively eat to stuff and keep my feelings down inside of me. I know this behavior is both typical and non-typical for others; but for me it worked, though ironically the more I ate to keep my feelings down, the more I was providing ammunition for the abusers and bullies to get meaner towards me. It was a vicious cycle. In the middle of this taking place, I had no idea my anger was plotting and nurturing my dreams, my dreams to just fit in with the rest of the school population. Sure, in my fantasy world I could hit a baseball farther than anyone else at school or be the fastest running back on the football team, but in the real world I felt I stood out because of my size, my hair, and my complexion dotted with acne. I just wanted to be invisible. Unbeknownst to me, anger had a plan. DURING THE EIGHTH GRADE SOMETHING HAPPENED inside of my brain. I wanted to wear clothes like everyone else, since many current fashions did not come in my size. So, I started exercising at home. A book I found at the library had photos with step-by-step instructions of different exercises like jumping jacks and sit-ups. Every day after school I would spend between 30-60 minutes doing various calisthenics. I never wavered or put off my exercising because my anger would not allow me. I wanted to show everyone I was not the things I was being called. My diet drastically changed where I got on this kick to drink hot bouillon for lunch with oyster crackers every day. I had read somewhere about not eating late, so I made a rule to finish eating at least five hours before I had to go to sleep. My other rule which again I had read in some magazine was not to put anything on top of things; in other words, eat a hamburger or hot dog plain with no catsup, mustard, pickles, etc. It took the entire school year and summer to lose weight; so, when it was time to start high school, I felt like I was a different person. This is what anger did for me and if you think that is something, please feel free to see what anger does for the main character in this epic action-adventure film. AFTER HIS HOME AND CITY WERE captured by the Romans, a man was forced to fight for his life in Rome’s colosseum. No one knew this man’s pedigree. With Paul Mescal (All of Us Strangers, Aftersun) as Lucius, Denzel Washington (The Equalizer franchise, The Magnificent Seven) as Macrinus, Pedro Pascal (The Uninvited, The Mandalorian-TV) as General Acacius, Connie Nielsen (Wonder Woman franchise, Role Play) as Lucilla, and Joseph Quinn (Overlord, A Quiet Place: Day One) as Emperor Geta; this drama was meant to be big and bold and seen on the big screen. I enjoyed the way the script wove in the original film’s story into this one where it made perfect sense. The acting was good by all, however, Denzel turned out to be the big eyecatcher of the group. He ate up his scenes. On the downside, the script dragged out the story way too long and had some ridiculous scenes, like the one with the shark(s). There was an overabundance of blood and gore which got tiresome. That with the script being predictable in places, made for a mixed viewing bag for me. This film did not catch all the pomp and glory of the original one.
2 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Nightbitch
THE WOMEN I KNEW IN THE generation before me did not have jobs outside of the home. Most of my friends’ mothers stayed at home taking care of the house and raising the children. It was not until we were in seventh and eighth grade where some mothers went back to the work force. When I was little, I did not comprehend how much work these mothers did, even more with an increase in children in the family. It was not until we were older and would find ourselves, from time to time, sitting with a friend’s mother for a soft drink or dessert that I would comprehend how much these mothers did for their family. Now the interesting thing I noticed about this generation was most of the women gave little thought about having a career. By career, I mean like a lawyer, event planner or sales. Granted it was a different time and that was the norm back then. Adding to it, I honestly do not remember hearing anything about daycare centers where children could be dropped off while the parents were both working. The usual method was to find a neighbor or relative to babysit while the parent ran out to work or do errands. WITH ONE NEW GENERATION, IT BECAME a whole different story regarding having and raising children. The things I have seen and heard from my peers in my generation, many of the households have both parents working. Those who can afford it, send their child to daycare; others create a unique schedule where they can bypass daycare by parents working different shifts. I know one family who did this and when their schedules conflicted, they had one of their parents watch the children. A few of my friends were lucky that their company gave them twelve weeks of maternity leave; other friends chose to quit work by the time of delivery and stay home with their baby. No matter what the option, from what I have seen it is not an easy thing to do. I admire each and everyone of them because to me it is a big undertaking to choose to have a child. And I know for some, it is a struggle just based on being a witness to the people in my circles. One friend, who was an avid reader, had to spend several years only reading children’s books. By the time she had some free time, she was too tired to read any of her books. Being a parent is certainly not an easy job and if you do not believe me, see what happens in this dark comedy horror film. FROM A THRIVING CAREER IN THE art world to becoming a stay-at-home mom, a woman begins to feel primal urges she has never felt before. With Any Adams (The Fighter, The Woman in the Window) as Mother, Scoot McNairy (Speak No Evil, Luckiest Girl Alive) as Husband, Jessica Harper (Phantom of the Paradise, Shock Treatment) as Norma, Zoe Chao (Downhill, The Afterparty-TV) as Jen, and Mary Holland (Senior Year, Happiest Season) as Miriam; this movie’s lifesaver was Amy Adams. For me, it was pretty much the only thing. I found the script weird, not knowing if it wanted to be a satire, dark comedy, or horror film; it just never committed fully to a genre. I could have gotten into the satire and dark comedy, but the whole feral thing was a dud for me. I did think the directing and pacing were good; however, when one is sitting and wondering if this is going to be a take on a Franz Kafka story or a Saturday Night Live skit, it caused me not to be 100% into the story. If this had been a babysitting job, I would have passed it up.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: September 5
I HONESTLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT attracted me to the television show. It may be partially the opening music, or the host, or the ability to see different states and countries. All I know is every Saturday afternoon, I would never leave the house because it was vital I sat down and watched The Wide World of Sports on ABC-TV. There was something about individuals competing against each other that first attracted me. Next, it was seeing sporting events that were never part of my elementary school’s curriculum, things like fencing and bobsledding. Everything taught in my physical education class was based on a team mentality. There was football, basketball, and baseball; the three prominent sports that overshadowed anything else being offered. I have often wondered why I am attracted more to individual sports instead of team/group sports. During my PE classes, I always hated the team activities, whether it was a baseball team or four-man relay running race. If I were to analyze myself, I would say part of the reason had to do with my self-image. Being heavier than most of the other students, I was usually picked last or close to last. Seeing how teammates would react not only to me or to anyone who did not catch, hit, or throw the ball to help in scoring was made to feel like a loser. Plus, the worst thing of all was having done something that caused your team to lose the competition in the final minutes of the game; I always tried to avoid being involved during that time. When you hear the comments over and over, you start to believe them. FOR ALL MY YEARS OF WATCHING Wide World of Sports, I have seen every Olympics game they televised. Host Jim McKay was the face of the television show; he felt like one of my parents’ friends, there was comfort in seeing him each week. His excitement and joy in reporting such a variety of different sports made me feel just as excited, even if I did not understand the rules of a game. It was okay if I did not understand because Jim and the other commentators always made sure their viewers understood what they were watching. For the 1972 Olympics, though my memory may not be rock solid, I certainly recall the monumental events that Jim and his team were televising around the world. A sporting event that had the pristine honor of bringing athletes from all over the world to one place for a common purpose was hopeful and inspiring. Suddenly, that all changed with the actions that took place at this Olympics. Whether your memory is crystal clear or vague about these games, it is an achievement to see how the director and writers show a different side to the events that are etched in so many people’s minds in this dramatic history thriller. AS THE ONLY TELEVISION CREW BROADCASTING live at the 1972 summer Olympics, the crew found themselves in the middle of a news shattering event that would take all the newspeople’s skills to manage the situation while live on television. With Peter Sarsgaard (The Survivor, The Lost Daughter) as Roone Arledge, John Magaro (Past Lives, Day of the Fight) as Geoffrey Mason, Ben Chaplin (Birthday Girl, Roads) as Marvin Bader, Leonie Benesch (The White Ribbon, The Teachers’ Lounge) as Marianne Gebhardt, and Zinedine Soualem (You Promised Me the Sea, Jasper) as Jacques Lesgards; this docudrama was a tight production that gave the viewer a new point of view from what they would have seen for themselves. I thought the acting was perfect as well as the sets. And I must commend the editing department because the switches between the current and archival footage were seamless. Though I could recall some of the activities that were taking place back then, the writers were smart to show them to us through the eyes of the television crew because it added to the suspense and tension. If awards were to be given out, I would give this movie a gold medal.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Back in Action
WHEN I AM ASKED HOW I keep my weight off, I tell them I exercise a lot. This usually satisfies the curious individuals. If the person is persistent and asks me what I do, I usually tell them I do a variety of cardio activities like cycling and power walking. When I say this, it usually goes one of two ways; the person is satisfied, or they ask me where I find the time. It is at this point I tell them it is because I am a fitness and yoga instructor. Some people upon hearing this want to tell me what they do or do not do for exercising; I am fine with either way. For some reason, people think I am judging them and that is not the case at all. Even in my yoga classes when participants come up and ask me how many times a week, they should do yoga, I tell them not to give themselves a number per week. Instead, I tell them to see how each day feels and see where doing yoga can make a difference for them. If they do it twice a week, then fine; if they do it every day, then fine as well. I tell them they must decide how they want to age through life; do they plan on being sedentary or active? Upon hearing this answer, each person I see is giving it serious thought. IT IS NOT LIKE I AM embarrassed telling people I am a fitness instructor; I prefer not saying anything because of people’s pre-conceived notions of what a fitness instructor is supposed to be. Or, I have people wanting to share their love/hate relationship with exercise and food. I have had individuals come up to me, knowing I am in the fitness industry, and share their medical ailments or history, looking to me to direct them or to corroborate their doctor’s advice. It is one thing to come up to me before a yoga class and tell me you have issues with, let us say, carpal tunnel syndrome, so I can be aware of it and offer them different options when doing a pose that involves their wrists or putting pressure on their hands. But when they tell me they have, for example, Meniere’s disease or Lupus, I always ask if their doctor said it was okay to participate in this class. So, this is why when I am not at the fitness center, I do not always mention in conversation that I am a fitness/yoga instructor. This is why I could relate in a way to the main characters in this action, spy comedy. FORMER CIA SPIES WHO EVERYONE BELIEVES are dead, gets their cover blown one night at a nightclub. How will they explain this to their children? With Jamie Foxx (Day Shift, The Burial) as Matt, Cameron Diaz (Annie, The Other Woman) as Emily, McKenna Roberts (Skyscraper, The Young and the Restless-TV) as Alice, Rylan Jackson (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) as Leo, and Kyle Chandler (Slumberland, The Midnight Sky) as Chuck; this action comedy was Cameron’s first film role in ten years and she has not lost her touch. Her chemistry with Jamie is what made the script in this film tolerable. There was nothing new added to this type of spy comedy as the story followed a generic template. At least the action scenes, which were many, were good and fun, and the banter going back and forth between Jamie and Cameron added a little extra spark. I wished the writers would have added a few twists into the story line to make this movie more interesting; but they did not, so the picture was average. And instead of tagging it a comedy, maybe the studio should consider using the term amusing.
2 stars
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