Movie Reviews

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)

mamma-mia-2-images-1.jpg

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)

Director:

Ol Parker

Starring:

Lily James

Amanda Seyfried

Plot:

Five years after the events of Mamma Mia! (2008), Sophie prepares for the grand reopening of the Hotel Bella Donna as she learns more about her mother’s past.

Review:

I’ve been waiting to rent this for what feels like forever. I would have loved to have seen it in theaters, but oh well. I think all of that excitement ended up working against me. I was hoping for a light hearted, music filled, fun story and that’s only kind of what I got.

Donna, Meryl Streep, is dead and her daughter Sophie, Amanda Seyfried, has built the hotel into what Donna had always planned. The movie was a prequel and sequel, and while I normally hate prequels that part was what I enjoyed the most. Young Donna, Lily James was fun to watch, she was sweet and beautiful and completely optimistic. Her daughter, on the other hand, was in mourning and it was a harsh tonal shift for me. I think I might have enjoyed it more if it was a prequel and that’s a bit crazy to me.

We got to see everyone from the original, but not much has really changed there. In fact none of the side characters seem to have grown in any way since the 70s.

All in all I was a bit disappointed by Mamma Mia Here We Go Again, it lacked a lot of what I loved about the original. I am still kind of hoping for a third, but maybe it can be something much more positive and happy.

3/5

Pitch Perfect 3 (2017)

Pitch Perfect 3

Pitch Perfect 3 (2017)

Director:

Trish Sie

Starring:

Anna Kendrick

Rebel Wilson

Brittany Snow

Plot:

Following their win at the world championship, the now separated Bellas reunite for one last singing competition at an overseas USO tour, but face a group who uses both instruments and voices.

Review:

Pretty sure this movie didn’t need to be made. It lacked a lot of what I enjoyed about the previous movies and was honestly a constant barrage of awkward moments. I like Rebel Wilson and her character but her arc was out there.

I can’t remember a single thing I liked about this movie now that I’m thinking back on it. They used the plot device that I hate where it starts off and then flashes back. The characters were all floundering in life and being very foolish. It was just an unnecessary movie.

2/5

Skyscraper (2018)

Film Title: Skyscraper

Skyscraper (2018)

Director:

Rawson Marshall Thurber

Starring:

Dwayne Johnson

Neve Campbell

Chin Han

Plot:

A security expert must infiltrate a burning skyscraper, 225 stories above ground, when his family are trapped inside by criminals.

Review:

Die Hard on a skyscraper. This was a fun, stupid movie that didn’t always make sense but was entertaining to watch.

Dwayne Johnson was great. I loved that his character was missing a leg. He was smart, a dedicated father and husband, and just an all-around good guy who was friends with the wrong people and in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The movie was over the top and ridiculous and just enjoyable to watch. There was nothing deep here. It was completely unbelievable, but that didn’t matter. It was easy to turn my brain off and just watch.

I liked that the wife, Neve Campbell, wasn’t helpless and that she had her own part to play in things. It would have been easy to make a damsel in distress or too much of a badass and they didn’t. I appreciated that a lot.

4/5

Murder at 1600 (1997)

Murder at 1600

Murder at 1600 (1997)

Director:

Dwight H. Little

Starring:

Wesley Snipes

Diane Lane

Alan Alda

Daniel Benzali

Plot:

A 25 year old female White House staffer, Carla Town, is murdered in the White House. D.C. homicide detective Regis is assigned to investigate, only to find evidence suppressed by the Secret Service.

Review:

This movie did not age well in my opinion. Wesley Snipes was shit on by people and then he in turn shit on Diane Lane. It was obvious who the bad guy was going to be but I refused to believe it was going to be him and went after the red herrings and then it was the person I didn’t want it to be anyway.

This wasn’t an action movie, even with Snipes, so when there was some it was poorly shot. It was definitely a drama.

Basically, someone is murdered in the White House and for some reason the Secret Service or the FBI isn’t tasked with investigating it’s the DC cops. The Secret Service hides information and things are really frustrating because no one should be above the law and then ultimately none of that mattered. It was just a poorly done red herring because it ended up not making any sense with the story.

It was a very eh movie and not one I ever have to watch again.

2/5

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)


Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

Director:

J.A. Bayona

Starring:

Bryce Dallas Howard

Chris Pratt

Danielle Pineda

Rafe Spall

Plot:

When the island’s dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen and Claire mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event.

Review:

Fallen Kingdom started off strong. Immediate dinosaur action, then some story explaining that Bryce Dallas Howard had changed from a corporate exec to a bleeding heart, dinosaur loving, activist. Meanwhile, Chris Pratt is building a cabin in the middle of nowhere.

Then back to the dinosaur action. Throw in some exploding volcano and the first half of this movie is just perfect. It hits all the notes you want from a Jurassic Park movie, though, my husband was a bit peeved that the T-Rex was once again a hero.

Things started to slow down for the last third. Well, not really slow down, but I just didn’t care much about it. I didn’t like the introduction of the clone child. It could have been fine, but she was just sort of there in the background and then BOOM saving them. It was eh.

That last third just felt weaker and I can’t really put my finger on why. I didn’t like the kid, but I thought the cloning side of things was interesting, but it kind of expands past what I want from a Jurassic Park movie. Money as a motive was normal, but I didn’t like how easily Bryce was drawn in by the bad guy. She was so smart and capable in the previous movie and she was conned so easily. She didn’t question at all. She was still a badass, though, so I liked that. Chris Pratt helped the IT dude because he knew she could take care of herself.

I love Blue, but the whole Chris Pratt blue backstory was kind of eh. I like seeing a softer side, but it just seemed kind of odd. I feel like they tried to change the characters or make them deeper and not everything worked for me because it went against what I’d already built in my head. Bryce Dallas Howard is a badass corporate chick, while Chris Pratt is an animal trainer that can run.

Great movie. Beautifully shot, felt very much like a Stephen Spielberg movie, so kudos to J.A. Bayona. Music was spot on too. Looking forward to the next.

4/5