Tag: Films

‘Creed 3’ Review

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By: Amanda Guarragi

The Rocky franchise has delivered on all fronts over the years. The franchise has always had a heart and changed the perspective of masculinity in sports. It turned boxing from what seemed like a violent act to a form of control and discipline in the ring. More importantly, to get into the ring, you must know what you’re fighting for, which has always been parallel to Rocky’s relationships throughout the franchise. Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) has had eight films to develop a legendary character and bring forth Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) as a new heavyweight addition to the franchise. In Creed 3, Michael B. Jordan flies solo without Stallone by his side as his directorial debut explores Creed as a veteran and a seasoned fighter. 

After two films of Adonis trying to find his place in the boxing world with his father’s legacy tied to him, he finally breaks free from the past with Balboa to work through the skeletons in his closet. Before finding a loving home with his mother, Mary-Anne (Phylicia Rashad), Adonis grew up in a group home with an abusive environment. Luckily, he found an older brother Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors), and they became dependent on each other. The one thing that fuelled them was their anger due to their mistreatment. Unfortunately, Adonis did move forward because of his mother, whereas Damian was stuck in his past. His anger and pain manifested into something worse. After Damian comes back into Adonis’ life, Adonis hides the truth from Bianca (Tessa Thompson) and the more he repressed his memories, the more his anger bubbles to the surface. 

Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut is nothing short of incredible. Not only did he guide Adonis through one of his most challenging journeys yet, but he also created a strong family dynamic between Bianca (Tessa Thompson), Adonis and their young daughter Amara (Mila Davis-Kent). The family unit almost plays out like a team, and Adonis realizes that his decisions as a boxer cannot bleed into how he educates his daughter. The deaf representation in this film was integrated so beautifully that it created such emotional moments between them all. The performances in this film were great, but Majors stole the spotlight and commanded the screen. Jordan and Majors had such a perfect dynamic that they would feed off of each other. Lastly, Jordan went with an anime-inspired direction in the ring, which made this third instalment special. The cinematography by Kramer Morgenthau and the editing by Jessica Baclesse and Tyler Nelson made those matches intense and fun to watch. 

Creed 3 is a powerful directorial debut for Michael B. Jordan because he used what he learned from previous instalments and reworked it to include aspects important to him. It was the right time for Jordan to tackle working behind the camera, and he took some big swings. The story is a bit weaker than the previous two films, but the performances make it stronger. The third instalment closes Adonis’ arc, and despite his past, he made such a beautiful life for himself and will continue to do that for his daughter. It explores the bond of brotherhood and how children mature faster during difficult times, which affects them later in life. This film shows that your past doesn’t define you, but your decisions will clear a path meant to work in your favour. Just like Jordan – who has tirelessly worked his way to the top – Adonis has made his legacy that his father, and Rocky, would be proud of. 

‘Cocaine Bear’ Review

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By: Amanda Guarragi

It’s sad to say that we’re living at a time when a fun B movie doesn’t generate the same buzz as a blockbuster. There should be excitement surrounding a new original story with an off-the-wall concept. In Elizabeth Banks’ Cocaine Bear, we get exactly what we expect, and the humour among the cast of characters works extremely well. This is based on a true story, and it almost felt like a deranged nature documentary about a bear who accidentally does cocaine. Some subplots didn’t work because they scratched the surface and weren’t developed enough. But the story involving motherhood and the lengths women go to for their children is the strongest. 

Three roads lead to the forest where the bear resides. Eddie (Alden Ehrenreich) and David (O’Shea Jackson, Jr.)  are two drug dealers who have to retrieve cocaine so they don’t get killed. And they have a detective (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) on their tail. Then two children, Deidre (Brooklynn Prince) and Henry (Christian Convery) skip school to get to the waterfall in the middle of the trail to paint without their mother, Sari (Keri Russell) knowing. Lastly, Ranger Liz (Margo Martindale) and some delinquents get involved because it’s their territory. The strongest thread here is the story with the kids because we stay with them longer, and the mother’s journey to get them back is probably the more relatable story out of the rest. However, that doesn’t mean that the additional storylines don’t add much-needed humour with an out-of-control bear. 

Banks makes some great choices with the action in this film. There was good tension to build up to the reveal of the bear in certain scenes. There are subtle movements that make you feel that something is lurking, and then the bumping score would add to the surprise of the bear attack. The kills are the most important aspect of this film. Those kills were inventive, bonkers and hilarious. Limbs were flying off, and the bear brutally attacked people differently. The more cocaine the bear found, the more you began rooting for her. Once we find that the bear is a woman (thanks to Eddie saying it aloud when she collapses on top of him), the story about motherhood and protecting their young no matter what becomes even more prevalent as they near the end. 

Cocaine Bear is a high-octane, hilarious action-thriller that will put a big smile on your face. It’s just dumb fun because of how absurd the concept is. The cast all work together quite well, and the characters get to the forest early on for each group of people to have their moment to shine. Ehrenreich and Jackson, Jr had the best chemistry as they played best friends, Martindale as the Ranger was hilarious because she had no idea what she was doing. And the late-great Ray Liotta coming in as the head honcho drug dealer was so good that he was the reason you end up rooting for the bear. The ending shows how difficult parenting can be and that the connection with your parents can be strained. However, there can always be an appreciation for what parents can teach you, and it’s ultimately up to you to change the cycle or follow suit. 

‘We Have A Ghost’ Review

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By: Amanda Guarragi

When dealing with spirits, many people are afraid of the unknown. Instead of trying to understand the entity before them, they become hysterical and run away. In We Have A Ghost, the Presley family, specifically Kevin (Jahi Di’Allo Winston), embraces the ghost named Ernest (David Harbour) living in their attic and successfully capitalizes on social media views to bring in desperately needed money. It all comes down to a father’s connection with their kids and how two different men try to fix their past mistakes by working through their issues together. Since Kevin’s relationship with his father, Frank (Anthony Mackie), he gets closer to Ernest because he is vulnerable with him. They confide in each other, and he wants to help Ernest break free. 

Writer-director Christopher Landon did write a heartfelt story. It’s about fathers correcting their mistakes as a man first while trying to be good fathers to their children. It explores fatherhood and the hardships they face while mending their own heart for them to have a stronger connection with their children. Ernest and Frank have two different stories, but the meaning is there when resolving family issues. The opening quickly set up that there is a ghost in the house differently as the viewer is watching from the outside of the house. The family runs out of the house and into the car as they leave in the middle of the night. Usually, there would be flashbacks, but in this case, it’s short and simple to get to the point.

Kevin was the only one who went against his father because he could see that his father tried too many times to win them over. Frank made the same mistakes because he wanted to make money quickly and never thought about the long term. Kevin feels isolated and alone because he has to adjust to another environment and finds comfort with Ernest. Once social media became involved in this storyline, it felt jumbled because every social platform keeps growing. And they also integrated the Gen Z language to appeal to younger viewers who watch this film. On top of that, the CIA got involved with Tig Notaro, who plays a scientist, and Ernest became a threat to national security. Many aspects of this film are added to market to a demographic, and the sentimental nature of the film gets lost in excess. 

We Have A Ghost has a heartfelt story lost in the craziness of the supernatural elements surrounding the Presley family. Unfortunately, the jokes don’t always land. And there is very little chemistry between the family. Mackie’s charisma can’t hold this film together, and even David Harbour’s presence is wasted as the mute ghost. Some missteps don’t make this film as engaging to watch when it could have been a fun family movie with a mystery to solve. Christopher Landon had a sentimental story until the CIA involvement, and then it got away from him. The third act had to tie up all the loose ends. It then made the final moments with Ernest underwhelming because the story kept shifting focus. 

‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ Review

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By: Amanda Guarragi

After being in the game for over a decade, the Marvel universe continues to expand. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania opens phase five, and there is a multiversal world to play with. Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfieffer) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) have studied the quantum realm with their very own technology, but it wasn’t until Janet got stuck there that she discovered a different way of living. She found out someone else was trapped with her, named Kang (Jonathan Majors), who wanted to return to where he came from. In this film, we learn that the quantum realm is the place outside of time and space where people are sent to or get trapped accidentally. Janet is the only one who knows the full extent of the quantum realm but doesn’t disclose this information to the rest of the family. 

This third instalment to the Ant-Man franchise has some strong elements, but it ultimately suffers from the same overused formula. The humour, family dynamics and the relationship between Cassie (Kathryn Newton) and Scott (Paul Rudd) are the things that hold this film together. These key things are what make the Ant-Man franchise so special. They are the only family unit in the MCU that many have grown with. Rudd’s humour is also the main thing that sets his character apart from the rest of the films because it’s so different. Unfortunately, we can’t rely on the familiar for the film as a whole to work. For some reason, this felt like you were walking into the middle of a conversation, and no one was giving you enough information to make you understand why anything was happening. 

They spent the majority of the film in the quantum realm but prolonged Janet telling Hank and Hope what had happened to her until halfway through the film. Scott and Cassie met people who lived in the quantum realm. But even then, everything felt a bit empty. There was dead air, which is the result of poor editing. And even empty conversations that went nowhere. There wasn’t enough story for a two-hour film because all they did was set up Kang. At this point, it’s no longer fun to sit through two hours of set-up to only wait another couple of years for the conclusion to happen. The story needs to be stronger in the film being presented to audiences. This is phase five, and the formula is no longer a formula, just repetition. The film suffers from uneven pacing and trying to add too much to push the characters forward again. 

The film is at its strongest when it directly showcases Ant-Man’s talents through Scott and Hank. There are small scenes that go back to the roots of the character, and Peyton Reed knew how to ground him in the quantum realm. There are pieces of an Ant-Man film lost in the mix of this VFX fest in the quantum realm, and that’s why it can be considered a decent ending to his trilogy. The way the film ends makes it feel redundant because of what this means for the upcoming phase. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a film that shows audiences who Kang is, and that was the sole purpose of this film. And since the Young Avengers are slowly assembling, they needed to reintroduce Cassie Lang as Stature. Unfortunately, all the Ant-Man films have been used as either a palette cleanser or a starting point regarding the placement of the films. That has been the downfall of this trilogy, but I will always keep it close to my heart. 

‘Seriously Red’ Review

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By: Amanda Guarragi

“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” 

– Dolly Parton

When we think about Dolly Parton, we think of a beautiful, intelligent, witty blonde bombshell with an angelic singing voice. She is a woman who inspires others to be themselves and not care about what others think. Listening to Dolly and taking her advice isn’t enough for many people. They want to become her because she’s sure of herself. Women are under scrutiny for every little thing, and Dolly made sure to uplift women. Women doubt themselves the majority of the time because they are constantly comparing themselves to other people. Unfortunately, the media has become the source of so much unhappiness, and that’s why women like Dolly are the light that shines through for every woman to feel loved and appreciated. 

In Seriously Red, a misunderstood redhead named Red (Krew Boylan) lost her job as a real estate agent. She loves Dolly Parton and thinks the best way to honour her is to impersonate her. She attracts many different people that help her rise to the top, eventually making her one of the biggest Dolly Parton impersonators. But when Red’s life as an imitator starts to feel false, she discovers true happiness comes when you’re the best version of yourself. The film is directed by Gracie Otto and she made it feel like a dream when entering the world of Dolly. It was a nice contrast between Red’s reality and her alter-ego of Dolly. Life can be hard when you’re not happy with yourself and how others treat you, so Boylan gave a beautiful performance as Red. It’s always easier to become someone else because you don’t want to accept the reality you’re in. 

Red found a home in the drag community even though she wasn’t a drag queen. This film is a reminder that everyone can find a place for whom they want to be because they’re becoming someone else. Red was shining bright in place of someone unattainable, and it’s a false sense of gratification. Afterward, she met a Kenny Rogers (Daniel Webber) impersonator, and things started to change. She knew she was putting on this act, but he did not. He genuinely believed that he was with Dolly because that’s the fantasy. It was never fully knowing who Red was on the inside. And ultimately, that is what hurt her in the end. She realizes that her journey as Red is a story worth telling and to empower other young women who could feel the same way she does. 

Seriously Red is a sweet, heartfelt film about accepting who you are and being happy in your skin. The more you embrace who you are, the opinions of others don’t matter. It feels like the second wave of growth after puberty because adults tend to lose themselves a bit more. When you try to build a life for yourself, many obstacles force you to change your perspective, which essentially changes you. In Red’s case, people around her do not take her seriously, which causes the downward spiral into “Dolly Land.” Otto’s direction made Red a star, while Boylan’s performance grounded the reality of her lifestyle that she kept hidden away. To show the glamorous lifestyle of Dolly through Red while still having her past creep through was the perfect balance for this story.