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Flash Movie Review: The Garfield Movie
WE ALL MET IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, some as far back as kindergarten. All through school we remained friends and continued so into high school, despite drifting off into our different comfort zones. Though I rarely saw them through high school and not at all during my college years, I was always fond of them. One of those friends taught me how to cut crepe paper with scissors. It was because I was the only lefthanded student in my kindergarten class. When the teacher was teaching us, I could not hold the scissors like the rest of the kids sitting at my table. She was sitting next to me and carefully showed me how to use the scissors a separate way where I could then cut the paper. This is how we met and remained friends; she was always one of the sweetest girls in school; I never forgot her act of kindness, even after all these decades. Another friend had an Irish Wolfhound dog that was huge. The dog could nearly look at you at eye level, he was that tall. All of us were excited when our friend told us her dog was going to be in a dog food commercial. Being so big, he was a fast runner, just like his owner, my friend. I always believed my friend was one of the smartest kids in class, so I assumed she figured out how to make her dog a star. YEARS LATER AT A CLASS REUNION, the four of us met up and had a wonderful evening reminiscing about our youth. The biggest shock for me was hearing what everyone wound up doing in life. From our experiences in childhood, I was left with impressions of who these friends were; however, hearing what they did in their adult life surprised me. One friend became a historian on stolen art, collaborating on movies and shows that focused on artwork stolen during World War II. The woman who taught me how to use scissors is a playwright who has a new show debuting at a famous theater festival. The last friend from our small group, who had the big dog, received her doctorate, and became a professor at a university. She had recently retired to take a new position setting up a doctorial program in her field of expertise at another university. I could not believe how these three individuals, became such successful and I might add powerful women in their industry. I am glad I knew them then and now because it makes their lives appear richer to me. I was hoping to get a similar sense with this animated, adventure comedy about one of my favorite cartoon characters. SURPRISED BY HIS UNEXPECTED REUNION WITH his long-lost father, Garfield, voiced by Chris Pratt (The Tomorrow War, The Kid), leaves the comfort of his home to help his dad in one last heist. With Samuel L. Jackson (The Kill Room, Damaged) voicing Vic, Hannah Waddingham (The Fall Guy, Ted Lasso-TV) voicing Jinx, Ving Rhames (The Locksmith, Con Man) as Otto and Nicholas Hoult (Renfield, The Current War) voicing Jon; this movie did not offer much insight or newness to Garfield’s story. I did not care for the script because it portrayed a toned-down version of Garfield, we all remember from the comic strip and Bill Murray film. Younger children will enjoy this picture better than the older ones and adults. I did like the style of animation, though. It would have helped if the writers had the older version of Garfield in their minds when they chose to write the script. There were times I was bored, especially when the upcoming action was obvious to the viewer. In a way, I felt I was seeing a different version of the satirical, lazy, smart aleck Garfield I enjoyed seeing these past years.
1 ¾ stars
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: 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: 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
Flash Movie Review: Drive-Away Dolls
I WANTED TO KILL MY FRIEND. It was bad enough he enjoyed pushing my boundaries, but this time he went too far. He was outgoing and I was more of an introvert. There were times we would get together to hang out and in the middle of a conversation he would tell me he signed both of us up for an event. Sure, I could have said no; but most of the events were affiliated with some type of charitable organization and I did not want look like this uncaring, self-centered guy. I say this because my friend would mostly tell me about these things with other friends around. For one occasion, he put my name down to be a raffle ticket seller at this gala event that was being held in one of the old, grand downtown hotel’s ballrooms. The idea I would have to circulate through the entire ballroom, go up to strangers, and ask them to buy raffle tickets for the silent auction frightened me. I had experiences like this with my very first job, when I was thirteen years old, which was going door to door selling household goods that my friends and I were told were assembled by visually impaired people. At that age we believed the person who hired us; however, a few years later when we were no longer working for them, we found out on the news the whole thing was a fraud. The man who hired us was jailed. THE EVENT MY FRIEND SIGNED ME UP for was an auction, where I would be one of twelve men being auctioned off for charity. The charity that was having this auction bought small multi-family residences throughout the city to house those too ill to take care of themselves. It was a highly regarded organization which made my decision tougher. I did not talk to him for the rest of the day after I heard the news. The next day, I called the organization to see exactly what would be required of me. For the next three months, I would need to be available to go to several spots within the city for meet and greets, where potential bidders could get to know me and the rest of the “bachelors.” I would also need to have a couple of outfit changes during the auction. The scary part for me was the meet and greets instead of the actual auction, though I would be upset if I could not at least reach the opening bid. It turned out my fears and anticipation were worse than the actual events; I had an enjoyable time after I got over the first couple of meet and greets. Deep down I knew my friend meant well and was just trying to get me out of my shell. And this is why I understood what the friend was trying to do in this action, comedy, thriller. WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A fun road trip for a couple of friends turned dangerous when, due to accidental circumstances, they got on the radar of a criminal gang that had only one thing on their mind. With Margaret Qualley (Sanctuary, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood) as Jamie, Geraldine Viswanathan (Blockers, The Beanie Bubble) as Marian, Beanie Feldstein (The Humans, Lady Bird) as Sukie, Joey Slotnick (Twister, Hollow Man) as The Goon and Coleman Domingo (The Color Purple, Rustin) as The Chief; this movie written and directed by Ethan Coen was too much of one thing for me. I found the script dull at times, where the same scenario was being repeated over and over. On the other hand, there were several humorous moments and I especially enjoyed Geraldine’s acting. Most of this picture felt like a rehash of previous films I had seen before; I was periodically bored at times. I will also add there were many scenes of a sexual nature and with harsh language. The only way one should see this movie is if a friend asks you to go with them; but it better be a good friend.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Lost King
TO USE THE CLICHÉ “LIFE IMITATES ART” does not apply here; it would be life imitates life. I knew a close friend of mine had been digging and investigating through his family tree, using online tools as well as government agencies and local municipalities. The past several months I have heard about the successes and roadblocks he encountered as he tried to find connections between his deceased relatives. Recently, he was having a tough time trying to confirm the location of where his great, great grandparents were buried. His grandfather had a common name that was found in two different family trees from his. He had to research multiple listings on other non-related individuals’ family trees to confirm if these people shared DNA with his family. At one point, he got so frustrated he called different government record departments to request copies of death certificates, to see if there was a clue. It was the right call because of a middle name listed, he was able to eliminate some erroneous entries. With a little more work my friend was able to establish who were his great, great grandparents; he was beyond excited and devoted a solid block of time to figuring out where the two were buried. He was certain they had to have been buried in the city where his ancestors grew up. IT TURNS OUT THE BURIAL LOCATION of his great, great grandparents was a mystery, the further he dug into it. From items he gained from the internet, he called a cemetery to verify if they were there, but there was no record. He decided to look for any siblings to these individuals and miraculously he found an entry listing his great, great grandfather’s sister. With this clue and some deep detective work, he discovered where she was buried. I remember him talking to me about the chances had to be good if the sister was buried at this one cemetery, then maybe her brother as well. Going with that thought he called the cemetery. According to them they had the name of his great, great grandfather but a different spelling. My friend had seen that spelling on one of the other internet family trees. Again, with more detective work and copies of obituaries and death certificates, he drove down to the cemetery. After discussing the situation with the office help, an employee took him to the site of his great, great aunt. There was one headstone for her and her husband. Weirdly, behind them were two unmarked graves. Going back to the office and digging through their records, with the help of a longtime employee, my friend confirmed the unmarked graves were his great, great grandparents. He paid to have a headstone made for them. I was happy he solved the mystery and a week after seeing for myself the grave, I saw this comedic drama based on a true story. FEELING A KINDRED CONNECTION, AN AMATEUR historian was determined to find where King Richard III was buried, despite every expert disagreeing with her. If she wanted to prove them wrong, she would have to go back 500 years. With Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water, Blue Jasmine) as Philippa Langley, Steve Coogan (Stan & Ollie, Philomena) as John Langley, Lewis Macleod (Love Monster-TV, Spitting Image-TV) as Tony, Helen Katamba (River City-TV, Wild Rose) as Awusi and Harry Lloyd (The Theory of Everything, The Iron Lady) as Richard III; this film was a charmer. Sally was perfect for the role, and she proudly portrayed the character. The story was incredible; I had no idea it was based on true events. I would have preferred less of the family unit story line because, for me, it took away from the excitement of Sally’s character being on the “hunt” so to speak. Plus, it diminished the believability factor at times. Despite this one thing, I enjoyed everything about this fascinating tale about history, determination, and respect.
3 1/3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Upgraded
FROM MY DATING EXPERIENCES, MY FAVORITE way of meeting someone was by chance; though I hesitate to say chance because I believe there are no accidents. I met someone at the grocery store who I dated for 6 months, all because they asked me a question about a food product, we were both looking to buy. There were a few individuals I met while riding the city’s public transportation. In fact, a partner of mine was someone who I met while waiting in line to get on a ride at a Florida amusement park; I was with a group of friends as were they. All I did was ask if they would take my camera and shoot a photo of me and my friends. After that both groups of friends started talking to each other since there was a long wait to get on the ride. What made for an easier time to be able to talk to each other, even while getting on the ride, was that each seating compartment fit eight individuals. They wound up in my car, seated behind me. After the ride was over, and I was able to get my equilibrium back, we chatted at the exit until the rest of our friends joined us. By the time we were going off in our own directions, we exchanged contact information and promised to communicate once we returned home. THE NEXT BEST WAY I ENJOYED meeting potential dates was online. However, I was on a learning curve before I was able to really deal with all the different facets of online dating. Some people’s profiles were too blunt and aggressive for me; I was more of a hopeless romantic, enjoying the art of interaction and conversation. The other part that I had a tough time with were the individuals who did not match up to their stated profile. This would annoy me to no end; why would someone willingly lie about themselves to get a date. I do not mind a little exaggeration to accentuate a person’s better qualities, but some of the things I witnessed were utterly foolish. And here is the thing, when it came to a person’s physical attributes, I did not care about their weight, height, color of hair or occupation. The only thing that concerned me was whether they had good teeth and clean fingernails. One time I met a potential date at a coffee shop. I stood near the front door while looking for them, never realizing they were sitting at a table, which I had already scanned over when I arrived. I did not acknowledge them because they looked nothing like what they conveyed to me. Why would someone want to start out a potential relationship with a lie? I asked myself this same question while watching this romantic comedy. AFTER BEING UPGRADED TO FIRST CLASS, for a business trip, a young employee winds up being seated next to a handsome man. He takes an interest in her when he mistakenly believes she is the head of a firm, due to her not correcting his misunderstanding. She had to find a way to tell him, despite enjoying their time together. With Camila Mendes (Palm Springs, Riverdale-TV) as Ana, Archie Renaux (Catherine Called Birdy, Shadow and Bone-TV) as William, Marisa Tomei (The King of Staten Island, Spider-Man franchise) as Claire, Leno Olin (Adam, The Artist’s Wife) as Catherine and Anthony Head (Imagine Me & You, Buffy the Vampire Slayer-TV) as Julian Marx; this film does not break any new ground. However, having Marisa and Lena in the cast made for a better than average story. I will say, I thought I was watching a “The Devil Wears Prada” wannabe, except for the added love story. There were many enjoyable scenes, despite the script’s predictability and I enjoyed the set up of having powerful women figures. I also liked the fact that there was another story going on besides the bumpy relationship between the two main characters. This was an easy and harmless movie that did not pretend to be something more than what it was meant to be.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Ghostbusters Frozen Empire
THE LAST TIME I WAS IN this city was when I was twelve years old; in other words, it was a long, long time ago. On my recent trip, I found myself staying at a hotel that was right next to the one I stayed in decades ago. It was the same curved building but now it had two other buildings on its property. Funny how we stayed at the hotel next door because this one was considered too fancy back then. I did make a point of walking over to the other property to see if anything looked familiar to me. The lettering on the sign out front was the same except the lighting had been upgraded to LED lights. When I walked into the hotel lobby, I remembered the wide sweeping staircase that was off to the side; it was there that a family friend snapped a photograph of me dressed in white pants, a nehru shirt and around my neck a strand of puka beads. I am really dating myself here. It is funny, back then people tended to dress up more; or at least that was my perception. Now, as I looked around, both inside and outside, pretty much anything was good to wear from thongs to moo moo dresses to dress slacks to speedos. AFTER I WAS SETTLED INTO MY hotel room, I decided to take a walk to see if I would recognize anything else. I remembered the main avenue where the major hotels were situated was a bustling place of commerce and activity. Once I got over the bridge, I was in the heart of all the retail establishments. The street looked foreign to me. Where this famous delicatessen sat in the middle of the block, where I had indulged in some incredible meals, was now an ethnic supermarket. Further ahead on the next block, I remembered a candy shop that had this huge gumball machine out in front, that charged a quarter for its jawbreaker candies. Instead, there was a convenience store now, the gumball machine a thing from the past. As I walked block after block, I was surprised how much I remembered from that trip when I was a kid. Being in a warmer climate, the buildings were all light colored and clean, with a row of palm trees in front that stood like sentinels all the way down as far as one could see. The street before me now had a tiredness to it; or better said, it looked exhausted. Some stores were boarded up while others appeared neglected. I found it sad and depressing, which surprisingly was how I felt about the latest installment in this adventure, comedy fantasy. WHEN AN ANCIENT ARTIFACT IS UNWITTINGLY opened, it releases an evil spirit that was trapped inside for centuries. The Ghostbusters would need all the help they could get to stop the evil spirit from changing the world into an ice kingdom. With Paul Rudd (Ant-Man franchise, Ideal Home) as Gary Grooberson, Carrie Coon (The Post, The Gilded Age) as Callie Spengler, Finn Wolfhard (Hell of a Summer, Stranger Things-TV) as Trevor Spengler, McKenna Grace (Young Sheldon-TV; I, Tonya) as Phoebe Spengler and Kumail Nanjiani (Eternals, The Big Sick) as Nadeem Razmaadi; this latest production was a snoozefest for me. I found myself nodding off even in the theater. The script was packed with so many story lines which cast a somber color over all the activities. There was hardly any humor, and it seemed the writers wanted to make sure the appearances from the previous cast had their fair share and more throughout the picture. I still could not believe there was no excitement, thrills or memorable moments like the original film produced. This will probably come out as a joke, but I am serious, this was an unholy mess.
1 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Freelance
LEAVE IT TO FATE TO PLAY a cruel trick on me, being chosen to be the driver for a presenter that made me have a bad attitude towards her. It was the year prior; I was attending a fitness convention where she was one of the headliners. To lower the cost of attending, I joined as a volunteer. Being in such a position, I was able to see the things that were taking place behind the scenes. To say this presenter scared a bunch of us may be an exaggeration; however, most of us were cautious around her because she was demanding. She needed things done her way, even if the results would come out the same as us. The part that I disliked the most was the way she would sometimes talk down to a volunteer, as if they were her personal indentured servant. It was appalling how rude she could be. Now, I understood she was a big name in the industry and had to be tough to get to the position she was currently in, but couldn’t she still get there with a little kindness? What is that phrase about being kind to the people you meet on the way up because you will be meeting them on the way down; it could certainly happen to her, I felt. During the convention, I made it my mission to stay out of her way. FAST FORWARD TO THE FOLLOWING YEAR’S convention, where my volunteer assignment was to drive this same person around for the weekend. This entailed picking her up first thing in the morning and returning her at night, besides any errands she might need throughout the day. I could not believe that I got chosen for this position. The first day I went to pick her up, I had to convince myself not to show my dislike for her, besides not getting into an argument if she started treating me like I remembered how she was acting the year prior. She was waiting outside when I arrived; I took her gym bags and put them in the trunk before we began our route to the convention spot. On the way we started out making small talk, but our conversation took a more serious turn when she asked how I became a fitness instructor. I had nothing to hide so told her the facts about being picked on for years for being overweight, flunking P.E. in school and how I found a group of people who accepted and made me feel welcome in their exercise class. It turned out she had a similar experience with being overweight and shared some horrific things that were done to her. By the time we arrived at the convention I had a better attitude about her. She even talked about the reservoir of anger she still has that comes out when she sees someone not taking pride/ownership in their actions/responsibilities. This change of attitude was like how I felt about one of the main characters in this action, comedy film. AN EX-SPECIAL FORCES SOLIDER AGREES TO help a friend’s business by being the security detail for a journalist traveling to interview a dictator. Soon after they arrive a military coup takes place that forces them to hide out into the jungle alone. This was only the start of their troubles. With John Cena (Ricky Stanicky, Hidden Strike) as Mason Pettis, Alison Brie (Promising Young Woman, Somebody I Used to Know) as Claire Wellington, Juan Pablo Raba (The 33, The Marksman) as Venegas, Christian Slater (Chupa, Very Bad Things) as Sebastian Earle and Alice Eve (Star Trek into Darkness, She’s Out of my League) as Jenny Pettis; this film came across like an action wannabe. It had similar elements to films like Romancing the Stone and a similar vibe to some of Dwayne Johnson’s movies. Though there was little chemistry between John and Alison, I did not mind their characters and thought John had a similar quality that matches Dwayne’s persona in his pictures. The script was super basic, not providing many surprises or thrills. It felt like a hodgepodge of previous movie bits that were hobbled together to try and make a coherent story; it did not work. Sadly, this was an easily forgettable film that I was glad I did not go to the theater to see.
1 ¾ stars
moviejoltz 