Initially, I had no intention of watching this. After some consideration and getting the opportunity to seeing this early, I decided to check it out. To my surprise, it made the time watching it quite valuable. It offers a realistic look at what friendship means through both the highs and the lows.
Off the bat, what makes the movie work so well is how committed it is through its high and lows points of the story. Thanks to the help of lead actress, Yara Shahidi, she navigates the story with the emotion that the film needs to resonate with its audience. Whether the film is light-hearted or serious, the film never skips a beat in tone.
The film also never lacks from a technical perspective. The cinematography captures each scene with great attention to detail and the editing never makes the film eager to jump from scene to scene. The direction is also quite effective with establishing the right tone and having the talent in front of the camera fully embrace it authentically.
On a personal level, I could relate to the second half of the story. I don’t want to give too much away, but I had a friend of mine that was integral to where I am now. Even though the tone changes drastically, I think it will give viewers solitude to see a film portray what friendship can do to someone’s confidence and contribute to where they are today.
At almost two hours, it can feel quite long at times. So much happens throughout that it may have worked better as a miniseries. While the first half is devoted to establishing a fun atmosphere, the second half becomes quite bleak, leading to a much darker part of the story that tends to forget what the first half was all about. It’s not all bad though. It does manage to direct itself to its point in the end, but I couldn’t help but to think that maybe if it was split up into different parts, it would have been a lot more effective between the characters and the overall themes it wants to coney.
Overall, Sitting in Bars with Cake is worth your time when it comes out later this week on Prime Video. I am unsure if I’d watch this again, but I do believe that people will find enough value in this to see it for what it is – a fun, yet somber & realistic look at what friendship means. Even at a long runtime, you could do a lot worse.
The laughs were good. The material outside of that, not so good.
Upon first seeing the trailer for this earlier this year before it changed release dates, Strays came off repulsive, yet as time grew nearer, the humor didn’t seem as bad, and that is the best way to explain the final product of this.
To start off with the positives, the humor is as about as good as what the trailer conveys, plus a little bit more. The humor is quite shocking and manages to feel acceptable thanks to its voice cast. The end is also quite entertaining, thus allowing for a satisfying conclusion for a rather bleak story.
For negatives, this does not seem fitting for animal lovers. It goes to dark places at times just for the sake of a joke without any real reason that neither services any of the character nor much of the story. It can get more uncomfortable than it needs during these moments that can make the jokes fall flat. The entire opening is also quite weak. It feel more dark than funny during this time and can feel like eternity until the humor actually delivers. The year 2023 desperately wants to relive the glory days of comedies from 10 years ago. The problem going forward is that it all feels like it wants to follow through more on the concept more than the writing.
Overall, this is a questionable mess. The jokes were good when they were good, yet they didn’t always land as it went a little too far at times. The film makes up for it towards the end, yet the material before that when there aren’t any laughs is dry and really begs the question of how a lot of the darker stuff stay on paper.
Blue Beetle manages to balance out its origin story between the action and humor – making it one of the better outings that DC has to offer.
What makes this film so much better than expected is that it stands out on its own. The trailer gave certain expectations, yet the movie completely subverts them. The biggest surprises here would have to be the heart and the humor. Each dramatic scene felt earned and served an emotional point to drive the characters forward. The humor was something else, and probably has to be some of the funniest moments seen in a movie in recent time. Thanks to how small-scale it all feels, it allows for the director and the talent to have enough time to understand the script and deliver dialogue in a way that feels natural yet unexpected. The color palette also keeps the eyes engaging and uses it to its advantage in the way the main character is presented.
The director of the film, Ángel Manuel Soto, shows that he has a promising career ahead of him, even if that means outside of the DC brand. Prior to this, he gained attention from the HBO Max film, Charm City Kings, a movie everyone should see (even though HBO removed it). There happens to be a through line in his direction between the two films and he presents them. He seems to have a keen eye as to showing what it is like to have to grow up. Here, his direction allows for all of the talent to authentically get along and act in such natural ways that feel relatable. Soto is going to be a name to pay attention in the film community going forward.
Mentioning of the director, Soto’s vision for the film wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for the clear understanding for those in front of the camera. The cast feels like they work as a one unit, which is fitting as it mainly revolves the cast having to be a family. Most notably, Xolo Maridueña is a star in the making, while George Lopez delivers a standout and hilarious performance. What made the film stand out compared to others is how they present the dynamics of the family versus the hero and how they help each other out. There are no secrets to this superhero identity, allowing everyone to have a purposeful moment.
One negative aspect that certainly needs to be presented is the antagonist. The antagonist, played by Susan Sarandon, is questionable. Seeing how she is only one of a larger family, not only does she feel out of place, but casting her was weird. Instead of focusing on bigger name recognition, the film could have gone with someone more meant for the role that would have had a bigger impact.
As for any other negative aspects, the first act can take a while to get to its point, suffering pacing issues for the sake of getting over that two-hour runtime. While nothing is really bad, there is quite a bit of exposition just for it get to the inciting incident.
Overall, Blue Beetle is a standout surprise – not just for 2023, but for the DCEU/DCU (whatever you want to call it at this point). There is a whole lot of commitment, both in front and behind the camera. Don’t be surprised to see them do some big things after this. Its setbacks feel like they could have easily been fixed, yet it never hinders on the final product, which offers entertaining action, natural humor, and a whole lot of heart.
So much lost potential with only some of the major talent making up for it.
There is a good movie here. What works is within some of the talent, particularly, Corey Hawkins, Liam Cunningham, David Dastmalchian, and Woody Norman. They are give really good performances. Unfortunately, the story doesn’t always give them much of a reason to be there at times, but they do manage to make the most of it.
The scenes with Dracula are also at least fun. The film shows a different version of the character than we are used to. It makes up for the film’s lesser qualities and can make it bearable to the end.
Now, I really don’t mean to be harsh on anything that I personally did not like. Instead, I’d like to take the approach of what could have made it better. First off, there is a tight 90-minute movie here that focused more on the horror and action, which is what it really needed. At almost 2 hours, characters backgrounds and motives are either never explored or vaguely explained towards the end.
There also happens to be a large amount of people on this ship, yet the ship never appears as large as it is portrayed. People wonder around with negative repercussions, yet the story calls for the characters to stay together after countless incidents. It plays more into the stupidity of the characters rather than making them smart enough to feel compelled to what happens with them in the end.
Finally, there are a lot of lingering questions for a film with no existing film, hence it being a film with the intent of making sequels. It never really makes any sense why Dracula is being transported in the first place. By the film’s end, it almost portrays it as though he needed more background to fully satisfy what they are going for. Besides, what are they going to call the sequel? What Happened After the Last Voyage of the Demeter? I just wish they went with a 90-minute film that got to the point instead of setting up a sequel that will never happen as a means to wrapping up the movie.
Overall, there is a good movie here and has the right talent attached; however, The Last Voyage of the Demeter never really takes off and instead feels like a bloated movie that tried bite off more than what it chew (pun intended).
The action is top-notch. The script? Not so much. Even if director Neill Blomkamp tends to overuse the best of the film’s qualities, the most important to ask here is: Is Blomkamp back? And the answer is: Absolutely!
Neill Blomkamp has been known to many as a hit one wonder as District 9 was his first, and only well-received, movie; however, there has still been hope for the filmmaker. This is perhaps the comeback of his once promising career. Personally, I have aways been a fan of his and see his other films as more so underrated, so I have been one of those holding out hope for him. Many might not know that this is from the same director of the 2009 hit movie as the movie has geared its promotion more towards it being based on a true story. Mentioning of the promotions, the film really seemed to set itself up as a film as cliché as one may imagine. In the end, I’d say that the film does more than that and manages to be one of the standout films of 2023. Maybe even on a rewatch, the score may even go up.
The film’s strongest qualities is within its storytelling, cinematography, and acting from some of the major talent. The way the story plays out is somewhat similar to your typical sports film, but makes it even more personable. The lead character, Jann Mardenborough, played by Archie Madekwe, plays a convincing role as someone who is struggling to get to where he wants to be even though he has the talent. Going forward, Madekwe certainly has a promising career that will put his name as the top billing. David Harbour is also very good in this. He essentially plays the same role that he does in Stranger Things as a cold, hard-pressed father surrogate. What makes his character stand out more than just playing a one-note character is his ability to do the right thing and manage to have his own personal journey in the film.
Now, my personal favorite aspect of the film is within the cinematography and editing. This is truly unlike any other racecar movie I have ever seen. The cinematography manages to keep the eyes admiring the entire screen. The way it flows from angle to angle gives the perspective that you are there in the This is how to change the same in the genre that will make people interesting in watching them. Fast & Furious, take notes.
What doesn’t work as well for the film is the overuse of its strongest qualities and how they interpret some of the other characters. As mentioned, the cinematography and editing are insane; however, it is used a lot. After a little while, it can get quite tedious. The cinematography is fun and engaging, yet tends to overuse shots like a group of people cheering or using Dutch angle shots from helicopters. I’d need to see it again, but it does feel like certain shots get used over and over again. For example, the editing shows which place the main character is in from time to time. It’s a unique take on the genre and gets the audience in on the action, but there is one particular scene where not only does the film show it, but it also shows up as a title screen of what place he is in. It can all get a little tedious from time to time. If anything, it felt like these particular methods were great at first, but managed to be overused for the sake of ensuring the movie was good instead of doing something different from time to time.
At 2 hours and 15 minutes, I was feeling the runtime a bit at the middle of the film. There is so much explored throughout the film, yet fails to give any of the other characters the needed life it needed, particularly Orlando Bloom’s character. There is really no reason or rhyme to why he is doing what he is doing. At first, it seems like he is down on his luck, but it is never explored. Then, it appears that he is actually okay, but he goes back and forth on the way he treats other people. There are also some other characters introduced in the first act that go nowhere other than to be a challenge to the main character. Why shouldn’t we care for the other characters going against him? Considering how long the film is, there was some lost potential to further explore this world and the characters it inhabits.
Overall, Grand Turismo is one of the best best crowd-pleasing films in recent memory despite its flaws. The cheering and applauding in the theater was very welcoming. Every single great quality of this film is earned and makes it far from being a movie that you cannot miss.
Incredible is an understatement to explain just how good the latest Ninja Turtles movie truly is. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is one of 2023’s best. It offers one of the most unique takes on the titular characters. Believe the hype.
The latest entry in the TMNT franchise takes the same approach as the Spider-verse films. It has a unique animation style and the film wastes no moment to keep the film engaging. With the help of Seth Rogen on board, there is a sense of delicate appreciation to the material. It almost felt like he saw Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse and felt like this original approach needed to happen to another beloved franchise. It is clear where the inspiration comes from; however, it offers an original take. Instead of mimicking the comic book style, their version of the animation is intentional as they did this to make the animation mimic the style of what one would dry it as a kid. It’s a brilliant way to get kids to connect with the film and another brilliant way to get adults to feel nostalgic. Afterall, nostalgia is one of the rare winners of 2023 in film.
Mutant Mayhem is the perfect title for this entry. It not only solidifies itself as the perfect way to reboot, but it also is the perfect way to explain the energy that this film has. At 99 minutes, the film is consistently moving, but never rushed. The titular characters have so much heart and actually talk like real characters of their age. It truly felt like listening to real teenagers. Their journey is realistic and heartbreaking. Their journey from start to finish is one of the film’s most resonating characteristics. There is a also a strong sense of the actor’s behinds the voices truly bringing their characters to life. The film’s stacked cast bring out the best between the humor and more serious moments.
One of the film’s strongest attributes is the score, which is delivered by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross. The duo has collaborated on many outstanding scores in the past and their career feels like its only beginning. They bring so much energy to the film, very much in the tone of what Nine Inch Nails was established from the beginning. The action has an electrifying score, which the slower moments have more of that somber tone. Outside of watching this film, listening to the soundtrack is a perfect substitute of imagining the movie without watching it. Mentioning of the soundtrack and nostalgia, the film only makes itself even more nostalgic by adding old school music throughout the film to also match the tone. It feels more intentional rather than just adding random needle drops.
The only complaint worth mentioning is with its structure in the beginning. It is a bit different, especially for this entry to set the stage for many more entries to come. Perhaps more characterization could have been added to have more of an emotional impact instead of the route the film chose to go in. Not that is particularly bad in any way, but it services more to the fans more to a larger audience, which would have helped more newcomers get on board with the material.
Overall, what makes Mutant Mayhem incredible is its attention to detail within the animation, humor, action, characters, and soundtrack. Looking at the remaining offerings of 2023, it is difficult to imagine how or even why this film wouldn’t get the accolade recognition that it deserves. The film has so much rewatch ability. Only when that rewatch occurs, this film may be a 5/5.
Hopes were moderately high that this would be better than the original with talented film director Ben Wheatley behind the camera. In the end, it was only more of the same with a moderately exciting climax and Jason Statham continuing to do his best no matter what he is in.
To start off with the positives, Jason Statham has had quite the resurgence in star power. Not that he was ever bad, but obtaining these types of lead roles, no matter the quality is good for any actor. People clearly showed up for the first and Statham is definitely a contributing factor. As he gets older, he never seems to slow down as the action that he does here is on par with his older hits that made him into a household name.
The climax also plenty to offer. It is continuously exciting and engaging. It offers a bit more of the same of the first. This time around, there is so much going on that felt like the film needed to go out on a more positive note. The camera work is also quite fun and unique.
Where the film catapults into a metaphorical trench is within nearly every other component. The film starts off on a segment set in the past that really does nothing to push the film forward other than to set the tone for the climax. It is a bit of a let down when it suddenly cuts to the title of the film and transitions into Statham’s character. What they do with his character here only shows that Statham is beyond this. He shines in gritty and action-packed movies such as Wrath of Man, Furious 7, and The Transporter. The film continues to make it in a problem by asking the question: How can an actor of this caliber be in a shark movie like this? The answer seems to be: establishing a side story that involves him taking down bad people who do bad things in the water.
This leads into one of the stupidest pieces of the film where they manage to fit three different villains with one of them having a special vendetta against Statham. It’s a mindless subplot that only holds itself back from getting into the shark action. It also manages to take up most of the film’s first half.
The effects are noticeably bad throughout, but it is within the first half is where it is at its worst when the plot involves characters having to walk on the surface of the trench to get out. It was quite difficult to point out who was who at this time and what was going on. The plot becomes way too ridiculous for its own good and doesn’t manage to make itself worthy to care what happens beyond that.
In the end, the people in front and behind the camera seem to enjoy making them enough to come back. Hell, if you can get Cliff Curtis to come back, it is probably not that bad. It is far from the worst movie ever made. There just happens to be more potential to make this into a more meaningful franchise that cares about its characters to justify its ridiculous action.
Overall, if you are fans of the first, then this might continue to service to you. All others may want to avoid.
Comparably, it is better than the 2003 original. It has all of the fun plus more, but what really ends up hurting this movie in the end is how long it is.
There was a considerable amount of excitement leading up to this. Between the talent in front and behind the camera, this felt like the right hit that Disney was looking for. In ways, it does feel like a hit even if it is not doing commercially well. If it was released during the spooky season, this would have done far better.
The stacked cast was an exciting aspect for this film. Lakeith Stanfield was the perfect choice for this role and he nails it. This may even be one of his best roles as it requires him to get to some mature and dark places for his character. It was quite surprising and fresh to see how dedicated he was to his character as he probably didn’t need to. That’s how much of a dedicated and underrated actor he is. Everyone else is fantastic and plays off of one another quite well. The son, played by newcomer Chase W. Dillon plays his role very well too. This can only be the beginning of a promising future for the young actor.
Perhaps what stands out the most here compared to the original is within its themes. It is far darker than anything Disney has done in the past. It is mostly dark due to the nature of the grief surrounding the characters. This is mostly thanks to director Justin Simien. Simien has had a strong voice in filmmaking since his directorial debut Dear White People. His strong sense of characters and themes are directly applied here and makes for a meaningful watch that takes the viewers on a personal journey with these characters. On a side note, it is disappointing that he found out that he essentially got let go from the Lando series the same time as this film was not doing well critically and commercially.
One negative aspect that stands out the most is the runtime. The runtime of 122 minutes was a bit concerning to begin with. The 2003 original was about 90 minutes, which had a fairly steady pace to make up for how short it is. Here, it almost can make the film deflate at times. While the runtime here felt like it went by, there was potential to trim it to avoid unnecessary scenes. For example, Dan Levy pops up out of the blue in the midway point and barely has any screentime to constitute for being amongst the top billing, especially when someone cameo’s in this particular scene and had far more screentime. There is also a ridiculous amount of references to stores, like Amazon and some others. It was unclear if this was intentional to point out its time or part of the contract to have the name said to get the film financed.
Lastly, there are some plot holes throughout that don’t make much sense. It is established early on that characters will become haunted if they leave the mansion; however, this doesn’t always apply, so it can become a bit of a cheap plot tool. Between that and the lengthy climax, the film could have trimmed about 20 minutes to make it far more enticing to viewers.
Another small issue to point out is trying to understand what Disney is trying to attempt to do here. It never manages to set itself up for a potential franchise, so is Disney going to try to reboot this every 20 years? The film manages to tie itself up quite nicely. With this being the case, there was potential for a connection between this and the 2003 original. That would have even gotten more people excited to revisit those characters. Also, there’s a dance sequence at the end that felt unnecessary.
Overall, it has all of the ingredients of a great movie. The talent happens to give remarkable performances and the film had a welcoming change to it that allowed it stand on its own, even if at least 20 minutes could have been cut.
Christopher Nolan has created a different type of masterpiece. One unlike anything done before for a biopic. Whether you are a Nolan fan, history buff, or someone who enjoys the creative aspects of film, you will love this.
Going into this, this was easily my most anticipated film of 2023. Nolan’s films have had a great impact in my life. Seeing that he made something unlike anything he has done before had me even more intrigued. The 3-hour runtime and R-rating for Nolan’s filmography and for a biopic made me feel like we were in for something special. Emphasizing on the biopic part, I am so glad to see that people are turned up for this, because it is truly worth it.
What made me even more excited for this was the fact that I was seeing it in 70mm – a first for me in seeing something in a special format like this, which is probably the best place for me to start in terms of positives for this movie. I could clearly tell the difference in this special format as the lighting on the screen flickered and the random cigarette burns occurred from time to time. Nolan has done this in his previous works before, but I am glad to have seen Oppenheimer this way. Between this format and the sold out theater I was in, I couldn’t help but to feel that this was probably what it felt like when seeing The Godfather in theaters at the time of its release. It was truly an amazing experience within itself.
Biopics tend to come and go and they don’t always have a rewatch ability. Oppenheimer is truly a three-hour biopic epic that has so much to offer within its own runtime that I cannot wait to watch again to catch something new. At three hours, the film has a really good pace as we navigate the titular character’s journey. The impact we feel for this character wouldn’t have been possible without Cillian Murphy’s commitment to the role. Murphy manages to find this middle ground with the character that allows him to play a normal human being much like anyone else. He never under or overperforms. From the beginning, you can see how his character has his motives yet has his regrets, which makes him very relatable. I am calling it now, but Murphy is coming for his Oscar.
Mentioning of the talent in front of the camera, the entire cast gives outstanding, knock-out performances. Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt will certainly be the other talent you hear about this awards season, but it’s hard to pinpoint a singular bad performance. The other standouts to me were Josh Hartnett and Benny Safdie. Hartnett gives more screen time that I expected and it is warranted. He is supper underrated and it was nice being able to see him be in a bigger role like this. Where Safdie impressed me is within his commitment to the accent. He also had a bigger role than what I was expecting and I think he did a superb job in this.
If I were to explain the structure of this film to anyone, and to anyone confused by the color and black-and-white scenes, is that the film is essentially two different films in one. This structure allows for two different perspectives – one where we see things from Oppenheimer’s perspective in color, while the black-and-white scenes offer a more convoluted look at this story. This is where Nolan’s work comes into play to offer something that will be talked about for a quite a while. The black-and-white scenes could be seen as from another perspective looking at Oppenheimer, but it can also be seen as how Lewis Strauss (Downey Jr.) views the world in black-and-white. This take offers one where the audience may be against the titular character until they see things from his point of view. It’s a unique take on a biopic that makes the film even more rewatchable.
One aspect that I have not seen get mentioned enough with Nolan’s work is his ability to juggle multiples genres into one film. A great example is with 2010’s Inception, which juggles drama, action, sci-fi, and romance. It’s also the reason why that film still stands as Nolan’s best. Before the release of Oppenheimer, Nolan mentioned that this film felt most like a horror. Without getting into any spoilers, the film actually does feel like a horror movie in the midway point, and it is haunting to say the least. It involves Oppenheimer’s psyche at the time, and I believe that’s why there is so much time given to his character before as we can go on this journey with him and feel what he is feeling. Like I’ve said, it’s unlike any other biopic I have ever seen, and it is the reason why this film will go down as the best film of 2023, not just for me, but for many others. Of course, that’s only one reason why amongst so many other reasons.
If you are watching a Nolan film, you know that you are in for a treat with the film score. Nolan collaborates with composer Ludwig Göransson who last worked together on Nolan’s previous film Tenet. A score that I obsessed with. Seeing this collaboration once again was only one of the many aspects for why this film was so highly anticipated. Göransson delivers a haunting, yet beautiful score that accompanies the film from its dramatic moments to its most thrilling. Much like Tenet, I will also be playing this on repeat.
I do want to offer one thing that I have seen where other people have taken issue with the film, and that is within the sound mix. Nolan is notoriously known for the sound mix tends to make the dialogue hard to hear. I don’t know if it had to do with the format or the theater that I saw it in, but I did not have any issue with it. I am not sure why this is the case. I hope the viewers may rewatch it a different way next time and be able to enjoy it a bit more because they can hear it.
Overall, what makes the film work is Nolan’s dedication to telling this story from an artistic perspective. It is within Nolan’s top three films of his filmography. At three hours, no moment is ever wasted. I was consistently engaged with the film. I only started looking at my watch towards the end, because I was nervous about getting out of the already packed theater. You can’t go wrong with this though. I have a feelings that this will sweep during the awards season.
I, along with many others, have been questioning the state of Hollywood films in 2023. With an oversaturated amount of films this summer, I was sure that movies would have a tougher time turning a profit or even reaching a billion dollars for that matter. Barbie is not only one of the best movies of 2023, but I believe it may be the hit that people are looking for that may even cross a billion dollars.
Movies based off of toy lines have been very hit or miss in the past. While they don’t always do well critically, they can still do well financially. The third and fourth entries in the Transformers franchise crossed a billion dollars. While it didn’t cross a billion, The Lego Movie did well enough at its time to spawn one sequel and multiple spinoff’s. The point here is that in order to make a movie like Barbie successful, then the right team would have to be involved, which is probably the reason why it take so long to get made in the first place. Finding the talent in Greta Gerwig was a very smart decision to make this happen.
I would not consider myself myself a big fan of Gerwig’s filmography before this. I enjoyed her previous two films, as well as her writing, and I can see why people adore her films. Even listening to her interviews, I can tell she puts so much into her writing. At the beginning of the year, I don’t think I was as excited for this as others were. I very much looked forward to the other film that was planning on coming out the same day, Oppenheimer. In an unexpected turn of events that I don’t think Warner Brothers saw coming, fans united to turn up for both films opening weekend an event dubbed: “Barbenheimer.” Through this pure excitement, I myself began to get more excited for the film. After all, it has a talented cast and looked like it would have some meaningful messages. As it turned out, the film went way beyond my own expectations.
Going into seeing this, I didn’t think much of it being a straight-up comedy. Where the film succeeds is by ensuring it has heart over its comedy. It’s certainly goofy, yet smart humor in the vein of the same type of humor I grew up on like The Office or with Apatow’s more success films. The humor gives a sense of not taking it too seriously, which helped bring me into this world. The tone is so light-hearted that it released the right amount of serotonin. Even after viewing the film, I am still yearning to see it again and listen to the soundtrack in the meantime to make up for it. The soundtrack itself understands how to utilize every song to its advantage from the opening scene to Ryan Gosling’s show-stopping musical number.
Gerwig’s direction for this film allows for there to be this fine balance between joy and humor. It even dares to go into emotional lengths between a phenomenal monologue delivered by America Ferrera and an outstanding montage towards the film’s end. The film’s messages are never forced, offering an organic take on the purpose and messages behind the Barbie toy line. Gerwig also embraces the film from an independent perspective with scenes that purposefully looking like they were done in front of a green-screen. This aspect allows the viewer to understand this world better. For a big budget film, this was refreshing to see.
In the last of what makes this film work so well is within its ensemble cast. Margot Robbie embodies the emotional element of Barbie. America Ferrera plays an almost opposite role of Robbie’s as someone yearning for nostalgia. Between these two actresses, they represent to the audience the very idea of what made the toy line so popular in first place by showing that females can be whoever they want to be. As for Gosling, what I admire about his performance is that at 42 years old, this is unlike anything he has done before. He continue to embrace changes in the characters that he plays and always accepts a new challenge. There is really no one who is bad in this ensemble cast. Everyone seems to compliment one another and understands the script so well to deliver the best possible outcome.
My only critique of the film is within a particular subplot involving some corporate men lead by Will Ferrell. I wasn’t really bothered by him at all as much as others have noted. What bothered me is that just when the plot begins to make it seem like it is going to focus on them, the plot goes in a different direction. This results in the film trying to continue to include these characters with little to no resolution. There is even one side character in this group who ends up not really doing anything in the end either. Given the subject material of the movie, I think there was a missed opportunity to wrap this up a little bit better. Maybe this won’t bother me on a rewatch as the rest of the movie is pretty much perfect. Given how perfect the rest of the movie truly is, this is one tidbit that I hoped would have done better.
Overall, Barbie is a bonified hit that deserves all of the attention that it is getting. I can actually see this movie becoming a cult classis that many will cherish. It’s the kind of movie that rarely gets made with outstanding results. It’s hilarious, emotional, and entertaining through its writing from start to finish. I won’t be surprised at all when the film begins getting nominated for awards. If (and when) it does make a billion dollars, then I only hope this will bring more life back into the movie theaters. Between this and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, it seems like viewers are wanting to spend their hard-earned money on something enjoyable. I don’t blame them.
The Creative Cinematic Collection 
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