Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans (2021)

Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans (2021)

3/10

Starring the voices of

Emile Hirsch

Lexi Medrano

Charlie Saxton

Kelsey Grammer

Fred Tatasciore

 

Directed by Johane Matte, Francisco Ruiz Velasco and Andrew Schmidt

 

I guess I probably expected too much. When you’re watching a TV series, there’s a lot of time to build characters and create deep wells of suspense. But when you’ve only got an hour and a half to wrap up everything and everyone you’ve built up over three seasons, I guess it can be hard.

What I believe Guillermo Del Toro and the team did here was take ideas they had for a fourth season and cram them all into this movie. There’s no character depth for the new faces we meet, and the beginning doesn’t give you the needed buildup to explain what’s happening now or where we are in the story.

I liked the idea that other things had happened since the last time we saw Jim and his friends, but we were thrown straight into an end-of-the-world scenario. At one point, I felt overwhelmed by everything going on.

The moment you catch your breath in this movie, you’re introduced to the new foes—three magical beings known as the Arcane Order. Early on, they stop Jim and destroy his magical Trollhunter amulet. One of them, Nari, eventually joins the good guys, while the other two hunt her down to use her power to raise the Titans and bring about the end of the world.

The movie wastes no time. The other two members of the Arcane Order attack a train carrying Nari, along with her allies Douxie and Archie. Jim and his now larger team of friends rush to their aid. They had a plan involving a device that disables magic, but things didn’t go as planned. Nari (or rather, her body with Douxie’s spirit inside) was captured.

Unlike the others fighting the Arcane Order, Jim is now just a regular human and gets seriously injured. When the Arcane duo discovers the deception—that Nari’s spirit isn’t in her body—they break the spell and swap her back. Before leaving, Nari gives Jim and the team a clue about how to remake the amulet.

Now, this is where my brain starts overthinking.

Why did she wait until now to give them this clue?

She could’ve shared this information earlier, which would’ve helped Jim get his amulet working again. But no, the world has to be on the brink of destruction, and she has to be miles away, leaving them to figure it all out while also trying to save her and then save the world.

The best way to sum this movie up is: too much happens, way too fast, for it to really matter. I didn’t have an issue with the ending—which kind of undoes everything that’s happened since season one—but I feel the movie could’ve been better with a little more focus and fewer characters.

Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)

Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)

 

6/10

Starring

Karen Gillan

Lena Headey

Carla Gugino

Chloe Coleman

Michelle Yeoh

Angela Bassett

Paul Giamatti

 

Directed by Navot Papushado

 

Contains Spoilers

I enjoyed this movie more than I thought I would. I was expecting a lot of cliché movie tropes, but the film decided to skip those and just let us enjoy the ride. When it comes to female leads, you kind of expect all sugar and spice—females coming together in a colorful setting (Legally Blonde always comes to mind)—or neon-filled, intense power plays like Charlize Theron in Atomic Blonde.

This movie, however, is all-out action—guns blazing, nonstop shooting, and all kinds of John Wick vibes. Our lead is thrown into a tough situation and moves with the determination of Atomic Blonde while maintaining a touch of sisterly love.

The one thing I didn’t quite get was the death of one of the female leads. I was rooting for her to make it through to the end, so I was surprised when that wasn’t the case.

The movie is directed and co-written by Navot Papushado, who I wasn’t familiar with before this. But it seems Netflix has already greenlit a sequel, so there’s more to come.

The plot introduces us to Sam (Karen Gillan), a hired killer sent to eliminate two guys. Things spiral out of control, and she ends up killing a lot more people. Unfortunately, one of her victims turns out to be the son of a powerful boss, who now seeks retribution.

We learn that Sam’s life mirrors that of her mother, Scarlet (Lena Headey), who was also a hired killer for the same organization Sam now works for. Scarlet has been in hiding for 15 years, staying away from Sam because she knowingly killed someone she wasn’t supposed to.

Sam’s next job is to retrieve stolen money from her company’s accountant and kill him. She shoots the man but discovers he took the money to save his eight-year-old daughter, Emily. Feeling responsible, Sam decides to protect Emily. This rescue causes the company to lose all the money she was supposed to recover, and now they’re furious. To make matters worse, they hand over her location to the vengeful boss.

Sam escapes with Emily to a supposed safe haven, where she reunites with her mother. Their time together is short-lived as their pursuers catch up. The trio then seeks refuge at a library run by three women—Madeline, Florence, and Anna May—whom Scarlet hasn’t seen since she went underground 15 years ago.

I’ll stop here to leave you some surprises, but you’ll enjoy watching how Sam and the ladies handle the challenges that come their way.

Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)

Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)

 

2/10

Starring

LeBron James

Don Cheadle

Khris Davis

Sonequa Martin-Green

 

Directed by Malcolm D. Lee

 

This movie is as good as a bad B-movie: boring and horrid. In summary, the film tries every possible way to produce warm family-love vibes in the hope of pulling at our heartstrings. But with bad acting, poor directing, and a useless script, what you end up with is a cringy movie that feels like a bad B-movie from start to finish.

Watching this made me change my perspective on the first Space Jam movie from 1996. I’ve found a new respect for Michael Jordan’s acting because, thanks to this mess, the old Space Jam is now a classic in comparison. I always thought Space Jam ’96 had a weak storyline, but wait until you see this one.

Twenty-one minutes in, there’s a scene where someone says, “Hey Siri! Can you let us out of here, please?”—and it’s so poorly acted, terribly written, and chaotically directed that I knew I was in for a disaster. My money had just gone up in smoke.

One thing this movie does have over Space Jam ’96 is the graphics, but that’s about it.

This new Space Jam movie is a standalone sequel to Space Jam ’96, but like its predecessor, the entire premise of a basketball game is pointless.

The story goes like this: LeBron James is shown as a kid into handheld games, but he grows up to become the basketball legend we know today. His son, Dom, shares his father’s interest in handheld games and even designs a game of his own to showcase at the upcoming E3 event. However, LeBron wants Dom to follow in his footsteps and become a basketball player, urging him to attend basketball camp instead. The problem? The E3 event and the camp are scheduled for the same weekend, creating a rift between father and son.

Meanwhile, at Warner Bros., the company’s operations seem to have been left in the hands of an AI named King Al G Rhythm (played by Don Cheadle). Al G has ambitions of fame, and based on his calculations, teaming up with LeBron could make that happen. He pitches an idea called Warner 3000, which would allow them to digitize LeBron into any movie or role. LeBron rejects the idea, hurting Al G’s feelings.

In retaliation, Al G captures LeBron and Dom, digitizing them into his "ServerVerse." He holds Dom hostage and challenges LeBron to a basketball game, threatening to keep them trapped unless LeBron wins. To make matters worse, Al G plans to broadcast the game to the world. LeBron is dumped into the Tunes' verse to recruit players for his team to face off against Al G’s team.

In summary: don’t watch this movie. It’s not worth your time or money.

Space Jam (1996)

Space Jam (1996)

6/10

 Staring

Michael Jordan

Billy West

Dee Bradley Baker

Danny DeVito

 

Directed by Joe Pytka

 

Contains Spoilers

Space Jam was the 90s happy place—a blend of various good ideas, with the main star being one of the most recognized people on screen at the time. The Nike ads from the 90s featuring Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan served as the starting point for the Space Jam idea. We almost didn’t get this movie when Jordan retired in 1993, but his return to the game in 1995 revived the idea, and we’ll always be thankful for that.

When it comes to blending live-action and animation, Warner Bros didn’t do a fantastic job. Most of the praise should go to Jordan himself. He delivered a top-notch performance for someone who wasn’t a seasoned actor and never planned to be. Even though the animation felt a bit too slapstick and could have been improved, it’s forgivable because the movie’s ideas tied everything together nicely. The story isn’t the best they could’ve come up with, but Space Jam will always be one of those 90s movies everyone has seen.

The plot revolves around aliens. These aliens run a theme park that’s failing because it’s dull. They decide to kidnap the Looney Tunes characters, bring them to their planet, and use them as side attractions. The park’s owner, Mr. Swackhammer, sends his minions to abduct the Looney Tunes. However, the Tunes strike a deal with the minions: they agree to go willingly if they lose a basketball match.

The catch? The minions are small and stocky, making it seem like an easy win for the Tunes. But the minions use their alien powers to steal the basketball talents of top NBA players, including Charles Barkley, Shawn Bradley, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, and Muggsy Bogues. With their newfound abilities, the minions transform into towering, basketball-savvy "Monstars."

Here’s something about movies like this that I don’t get: you’re aliens with the ability to capture the Tunes—you’ve already won! But of course, it wouldn’t be a sports movie without a game. So, instead of just taking their hostages, the aliens decide to play games with them.

When the aliens return as six-foot-plus basketball giants, the Tunes are in big trouble. Using their unique skills, the Tunes manage to bring Jordan into their world by lassoing him down a golf hole while he’s playing with Bill Murray. Bugs Bunny explains the situation to Jordan, hoping he’ll help them. Jordan initially refuses, but after seeing the Monstars in action, he changes his mind and agrees to help. He trains the Tunes and prepares them to take on the Monstars in the ultimate basketball game.

Space Jam was one of the first movies to be shot almost entirely on a green screen. Jordan had to work alongside other basketball players and actors in green suits. The movie also featured an incredible soundtrack that dominated the radio in the 90s, with songs reaching the top of the charts. The soundtrack even earned a six-times platinum certification.

In 2021, a standalone sequel was made, this time featuring LeBron James as the central basketball player.

Here Today (2021)

Here Today (2021)

8/10

Starring

Billy Crystal

Tiffany Haddish

 

Directed by Billy Crystal

 

Only ventured to see this movie because Billy Crystal’s name was all over it. Not only did he star in it, but he also co-wrote, co-produced, and directed the film. The chemistry between him and Tiffany Haddish drives the fun-loving joy of this movie. Here Today is funny, heartwarming, and, if you’re not careful, it might even make you shed a tear.

Here Today is a comedy-drama about a popular, well-established comedy writer who is suffering from dementia and hiding it from everyone. The magic of this movie lies in watching an unplanned meeting blossom into a friendship that turns out to be exactly what Charlie (Crystal) needs.

The plot opens with a sense that something is wrong with Charlie, whose wife has passed away. We’re drawn into a flashback where he is asked to identify himself. In the present, Charlie works on a popular show. Although he’s no longer heading the writing staff or contributing much, his presence and experience still hold value. He’s scheduled to have lunch with someone who won the opportunity in an auction. That’s where he meets Emma (Haddish), who attends the lunch after stealing her ex’s ticket. She doesn’t know who Charlie is but knows her ex idolizes him, so she wanted to deny him the privilege.

During the lunch, after introductions and explanations of how they both ended up there, Emma has a severe allergic reaction and has to be rushed to the hospital. Since Emma doesn’t have insurance, Charlie pays the bill out of pocket. She promises to repay him in installments, and her unplanned visits to deliver these payments lead to an unlikely friendship (not a romantic one). Emma becomes the first person outside of Charlie’s doctors to learn that he has dementia. The story unfolds as we see how Charlie’s family reacts to the friendship and how his condition gradually worsens.

There’s no need to dive deeply into the acting—it’s exceptional. Everyone delivers performances that perfectly suit their roles, which is a testament to the power of good casting. The plot is well-written, avoiding unnecessary twists and turns. Instead, it focuses on letting the story unfold naturally as those around Charlie come to terms with his challenges.

This movie is easy to recommend for fans of comedy-dramas, Billy Crystal, or Tiffany Haddish. I enjoyed it more than I planned to, it is one of those movies that slips through the cracks.

Black Widow (2021)

Black Widow (2021)

6/10

Starring

Scarlett Johansson

Florence Pugh

David Harbour

Rachel Weisz

Ray Winstone

 

Directed by Cate Shortland

 

The movie was not a disappointment. I expected it wouldn’t be as good as Captain Marvel (2019), but it turned out to be a fun ride. From start to finish, the movie is packed with action, explosions, and a lot of talk about family. It gets straight to the point—identifying the target and setting everyone in motion to take him down.

Black Widow is the 24th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the first in Phase Four. It serves as both Natasha Romanoff’s (Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson) origin story and her solo movie. The film is set after the events of Captain America: Civil War (2016), taking place before Romanoff sacrifices herself to save mankind in Avengers: Endgame (2019). In this story, we see Natasha on the run, forced to confront her past.

The movie features a villain I had been waiting to see for a while: Taskmaster. Taskmaster has the ability to copy and master any fighting style just by watching, making this character almost unstoppable. Unfortunately, I didn’t like how Taskmaster’s role was handled in the movie; we saw very little of what the character is truly capable of.

The plot kicks off after the events of Civil War, with Natasha on the run. She receives a parcel from an old associate, Yelena Belova, who once posed as her sister during a mission where they pretended to be a family spying on the U.S. The parcel contains vials, but unsure what to do with them, Natasha decides to meet Yelena. Before that, however, she has a run-in with Taskmaster.

After Natasha and Yelena have a quick “welcome back” fight, Yelena explains the purpose of the vials—they’re a counteragent to the mind control used on assassins like her. Natasha thought she had already killed Dreykov, the man behind the Red Room program that took young girls, trained them to be assassins, and subjected them to mind control. Determined to end the program for good, Natasha decides to get her old “family” back together—Red Guardian and Melina (another Black Widow)—to take down Dreykov once and for all.

Movies in 2021 seem to revolve a lot around themes of family, and this one is no exception. It’s funny to think this movie might not have ended up in that category if COVID-19 hadn’t delayed its release. One thing I’ll give the movie credit for is how quickly the action starts. There’s barely a moment to breathe before the explosions, one-on-one fights, and car/bike chases kick in.

You can catch Black Widow in theaters or on demand on Disney+.

The Tomorrow War (2021)

 The Tomorrow War (2021)

 

5/10

Starring

Chris Pratt

Yvonne Strahovski

J. K. Simmons

Betty Gilpin

 

Directed by Chris Laird

 

Contains Spoilers

This is not the best time travel movie out there. Heck, it wouldn’t even make it into many people’s top twenty. But it’s watchable—though ultimately forgettable. The main challenge in the movie arises when everything comes together to save the future. At this point, the movie abandons its seriousness and dives into some unnecessary, nonsensical jabs at other countries, throwing in a heap of mumbo jumbo. Yes, Hollywood, we get it: if the world is ending, the U.S.A. will swoop in to save the day.

The movie has its share of plot holes, as most time travel movies do. If James (Chris Pratt) is supposed to be the key to saving the world, then his daughter’s future shouldn’t have been so bleak in the first place. But maybe that was the "original" timeline, and his actions created an alternate one. If that’s the case, then the movie implies multiple timelines—something that isn’t addressed at all and doesn’t sit well with the plot. And honestly, why was James the one who had to carry the vial back to the past? Literally anyone could have done it.

The story is set in a future where humanity is on the brink of extinction, with only about half a million people left on Earth. The crisis began in 2048 when alien creatures called Whitespikes started consuming humans. In 2051, a team from the future travels back to 2022 to recruit people to join their fight for survival. Enter James, a family man and biologist who previously served in Iraq. The missions are incredibly deadly, with sky-high death tolls, and soon, citizens are being drafted. James is among them.

In the future, James encounters a terrifying alien beast that threatens humanity’s survival. During his mission, he reunites with someone from his past. Together, they must create a toxin to kill the Whitespikes in the past and rewrite the future.

When it comes to action, the movie borrows heavily from 1990s sci-fi, with its explosions, frantic running, and relentless alien attacks. It’s wild and destructive, as you’d expect. However, the movie could have been better if some of the lengthy dialogues had been trimmed. Hollywood seems to have abandoned the idea of concise storytelling—if it’s not two hours long, it’s apparently not worth releasing.

You can stream this movie on Amazon. While it might have flopped at the box office in the pre-streaming era, a sequel is already in the works. I can’t help but wonder what they’ll come up with next.

Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (2021)

Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (2021)

 

4/10

Starring

Ryan Reynolds

Samuel L. Jackson

Salma Hayek

Antonio Banderas

Morgan Freeman

 

Directed by Patrick Hughes

 

Like the first movie, get ready for some impossible things happening—explosions, fire, gunfights everywhere, and our protagonist somehow dodging anything deadly. Speaking of sequels, this movie feels like it’s cut from the same branch as the first, with sexually perverse conversations, occasional humor, and two men who clearly admire each other but fight off the mushy stuff. Safe to say, even though this movie isn’t as tolerable as the first, if you enjoyed the weak plot and clichés of the original, there’s a good chance you’ll like this one too.

There must be a market for movies like this—ones that never bother to make sense, relying instead on endless action and sexual humor scattered throughout.

This time around, the villain is a lone soldier determined to put Greece back on the map by using a weapon of mass destruction to mess up Europe. His grand plan for revenge, stemming from Greece’s weakened economy, seems to miss a few key points. The idea that destroying Europe will somehow restore Greece’s prominence isn’t exactly in line with any economic principles I’ve heard of.

After the events of the first movie, Michael (Ryan Reynolds) is struggling to move on. His stint as Kincaid’s (Samuel L. Jackson) bodyguard left him shaken and wrecked his triple-A bodyguard status. If you remember, his obsession with being a triple-A bodyguard was amusing in the first film. Here, it feels like a tired gag you want to fast-forward through.

Also, I don’t get it—Michael is supposed to be an alert, sharp bodyguard who claims he can detect lies from twenty subtle signs. Yet, he completely misses the fact that his therapist, clearly fed up with his triple-A and Kincaid nonsense, is trying to get rid of him. This wasn’t the only production hiccup, either. I spotted some editing errors, like Sonia standing behind Michael during his “no killing” speech, only for the screen to suddenly cut to her being somewhere else entirely.

Anyway, the bad guy (Antonio Banderas) wants to destroy Europe. Meanwhile, we’re introduced to an American misfit—a cop who embodies every annoying, over-the-top stereotype imaginable. He’s like a mashup of every ridiculous character from bad cop comedies, with a sprinkling of Lt. Harris from Police Academy.

This cop’s informant gets killed, thanks to our three amigos (Michael, Darius, and Sonia). So, he kidnaps them and gives them an ultimatum: help him retrieve some important drives or go to jail. Predictably, things don’t go smoothly. After all, who entrusts dangerous criminals with anger issues to carry out a mission while assigning a boy scout to babysit them? This dumb American cop, that’s who.

So now, our three amigos are somehow tasked with saving Europe.

Ryan Reynolds is always fantastic to watch, and in this movie, he does what Ryan Reynolds does best—be himself. But the story doesn’t live up to his talent. Salma Hayek seems to be the one pulling his strings this time, while in the first movie, it was Samuel L. Jackson.

In the end, this movie is exactly what the first one was—just more of it. If that’s your thing, here’s the part two no one asked for.

The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021)

The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021)

 

5/10

Starring

Alec Baldwin

James Marsden

Amy Sedaris

Ariana Greenblatt

 

Directed by Tom McGrath

 

I thought the creation of all these streaming platforms would lead to a content war. I expected it to force the big studios and streaming platforms to deliver the best of the best. But what we’ve actually gotten is a flood of half-baked content. This movie, for example, feels like a desperate struggle—like the writer and director were forced to come up with a sequel with little to no material to work with. It felt, to quote Bilbo Baggins, like “butter spread on too much bread.” They just grabbed every idea they could find from family-focused Hollywood movies and mashed them together.

The movie is colorful and eventful enough to keep little kids entertained, with just enough humor for them. But unlike you, they won’t be invested in the story holding everything else together. I wasn’t much of a fan of the first movie, and this sequel didn’t change my mind.

The story picks up thirty years after the first movie. Tim and Ted are now adults—Tim is a stay-at-home dad with two amazing daughters, Tabitha and baby Tina. Early on, we see that Tabitha is exceptionally smart and doesn’t bond with her dad the way she used to when she was younger. Instead, she looks up to her uncle Ted, who is now a wealthy and successful businessman.

Tim’s recounting of the events from the first movie is dismissed as the product of an overactive imagination. One night, he hears something coming from Tina’s room. When he investigates, he discovers that Tina is a Boss Baby, just like Ted was in the first movie. She tells him she’s on a mission to investigate what’s going on at Tabitha’s school and enlists Tim’s help to call Ted so they can work together on this adventure.

Ted, now grown, doesn’t remember anything from their childhood escapades. Tina and Tim jog his memory, and both Tim and Ted are transformed into babies via a magic drink that lasts 48 hours. Their mission: infiltrate the school and uncover what the proprietor is up to.

Over the course of the movie, we watch as Ted and Tim, who have grown apart over the years, try to reconnect while also carrying out their mission.

Hearing that there are plans for a third movie didn’t exactly fill me with excitement. I just hope they come up with a better script and do a much better job next time.