Jennifer Lawrence and Andrew Barth Feldman. © 2023 Columbia Pictures/Sony, Saks Picture Company, Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment, and Excellent Cadaver. Directed by Gene Stupnitsky.
Early Screening at AMC Theaters
Pretty, Awkward Never in a million years that we would see another rom-com in the modern Hollywood landscape. You will get canceled, get called out, or other dumb shit. However, Jennifer Lawrence and the creators of this film didn't give a flying fuck about anything. They took every risk and joke they can make and the result is hilarious from beginning to end. This is the rom-com film that I miss when they took risky routes and made it edgy yet hilarious. It's the summer comedy of this year and you will read why this film is hilarious and sometimes, drunk as fuck. Story: On the brink of losing her childhood home, a desperate woman agrees to date a wealthy couple's introverted and awkward 19-year-old son before he leaves for college. Typically in any rom-com film, you would have crude jokes, dumbass scenes, and over-the-top lines that only fan-fiction writers would write. This is straight up that but much better in terms of visual gags, writing, and performances. I really laughed my ass off throughout this film and the jokes here are straight-up hilarious and dumb yet entertaining. Not many comedies today give me the same laugh-out-loud moments as this film. It's refreshing to go back to the 90s tropes into a modern look of teenagers. Two generations collide and none of them can get along. Society, ladies, and gentlemen. Anyways, the plot of this film is actually pretty good. While it has the typical comedic cliches, there are some fresh elements that kept the story entertaining and not stale while still being crude as fuck. The theme is pretty simple which is moving on from the past and embracing a new future while becoming a better lover. I like how this film tackles these themes with not just the main character but the co-lead as well. Love and overcoming your struggles. Pretty straightforward but in a raunchy R-rated comedy. There are some unexpected turns in this comedy and while logically, it's dumb, it just serves it off to make an ending that can be good or bad based on how you feel about the film. Well for me, I like the ending not because it's not cliché as fuck, but because it has heart and conclusion to it.
The characters in this film are very good. I really enjoyed Jennifer Lawrence's performance and she really carried the film for half of the film. What I mean by that is the other side characters weren't interesting until the drama really started to kick in with more edgy humor. I wasn't interested in Andrew Barth Feldman's character as Percy until mid-way through when his character starts to get crazier. However, the side characters later on were much better and I'm happy every side character gets a closure...including that cocaine dog. The comedy here is very edgy and crude but it works well. The visual gags really help elevate the comedy and with some context behind it, it flows very well. While it can be very on the nose, it sure made me chuckle. The cinematography here is pretty good and the editing here is solid. The CGI can be very noticeable but it's nice they use some practicality. The pacing is fast yet it didn't bother me which is great. Overall, this film really got me entertained from beginning to end with hilarious performances and a simple story with meaning behind it. However, I still have some criticisms.
One of those criticism is the editing itself. The CGI/VFX is very noticeable and there are some weird editing moments that kind of took me off the film for a second. Editing is still solid but there are questionable cuts that could've been fixed with another pair of eyes in the editor's room. Some of the side characters are okay at best, but the plot can be a little tangy and predictable, and while this is not a negative for me, it can piss off some people because people can be "offended". What a world...just watch Booksmart instead. Still, I had a good time with this peak romcom. This film was a pleasant surprise. It has edgy comedy that I missed, hilarious performances, a solid plot, and is widely entertaining. This is the romcom of 2023 and I'm happy it's making a return. While it can be raunchy and insane in this current landscape, it is still a nice throwback to witness edgy comedy at its finest like its fine wine. Now Playing Only in Theaters! Vizeit Score: "B+" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for continuing supporting my indie cinema website.) Copyright © 2023 Vizeit Reviews / Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. Editor In-Cheif/Owner of Vizeit Reviews | (Chicago Indie Critics Member [CIC])
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Peter Cullen. © 2023 Paramount Pictures, Skydance Media, Hasbro, New Republic Pictures, Di Bonaventura Pictures, and Bay Films. Directed by Steven Caple Jr.
Watched it in IMAX @ AMC Theaters
Unite or Fall The Autobots have returned once again for another world-ending battle which is the same plot as every Transformers film ever since. However, it's a fresh continuation from Bumblebee and it's smaller scaled now with more emphasis on the relationship between the Autobots and the humans. Did it work? Well, it did in certain areas but it still needs improvement. Let's journey back to the 1990s and once again join the Autobots on another world-saving mission to save Earth and Cybertron. Story: Optimus Prime and the Autobots take on their biggest challenge yet. When a new threat capable of destroying the entire planet emerges, they must team up with a powerful faction of Transformers known as the Maximals to save Earth. Growing up in the early 2000s, my look at Hollywood is pretty different from today's standards. I love big practical effects heavy shit but in a good way that doesn't seem cheap. Now in days, we have cheap overdone CGI shit with the WGA on strike while having VFX artists work overnight. However, there's one franchise that still has a soft spot in my heart. The Transformers franchise is my childhood. The toys I played with while my Pixar Cars toys were dusting into the sunset. It's magical that this franchise is still going strong and I'm happy to say that this latest entry really got me back into the good old times of the original bay trilogy. One of the elements that they are improving since the latest entry is the human characters. Recently, the human characters in Transformers are dull or not distinct like with the main protagonist Sam Witwicky. Mark Wahlberg just acted like himself and the other side characters are just dumb. However, Bumblebee changed the story in a completely different way and this latest entry followed the same track with Anthony Ramos as Noah Diaz. I liked his character in this film and his emotional stakes and relationship work this time in this franchise. The other side character which is played by Dominique Fishback, did a solid job and while it was a cliché character, the duo worked. The biggest change was its story point of view. It's now both sides of the coin including reducing the human characters' focus from 8 or 9 to just two people. It's a drastic change that made the story better and put more focus on the Autobots. It really worked and I felt like the conflicts worked between the Autobots and the humans. Especially with the Maximals. The Autobots get more character depth now which is very great for this franchise and I'm happy it's leaning toward the lore storytelling that I miss from the original trilogy. However, those are not the only elements that I missed.
The action in this film is going back to the classic type of action I missed but on a smaller scale. While we do still get the big final action set piece like in every Transformers film, this one felt like it was set off in its own little backyard in a good way. It's not gigantic but it's still a big final battle that has its stakes. The VFX is pretty solid here and while it can be very noticeable, I still enjoyed the action. It has that flavor of Bayhem but in its own way and direction. Small battles here and there but they are entertaining and nostalgic. It feels like the classic 80s Transformers but in live-action. The story here is straightforward but the plot unfolding in this film was not that bad. It still has its franchise cliches but it's less dumb and simple. The ending of this film is still questionable but let's see where this franchise is heading too next. Besides the improved story here, the production of this is very solid. I liked the VFX here with some practical effects to make the action more believable. The sound design is well done and the way it was shot was a huge improvement from the shaky cam and overcut shit that Michael Bay was using. I felt like the wider and still shots worked in this film and the type of direction it was going for. The cinematography is also solid but I wished it had more epic flares since it's a stable in this franchise. The music here was also good and overall, this film really improved every storytelling element that I could think of. The technical elements are still great but it's a much better improvement from the 4th and 5th films and good thing it's following the footsteps of the latest entry. However, it still has its classic Transformers flaws.
Even though this franchise is improving its past mistakes, I still believe the human dynamic is still weak in this film. Especially with the relationship between Noah and Elena. The writers don't find a way to stick the landing if these characters are friends or in a love relationship. It loses balance. What also concerns me about the future of human characters in this franchise is to make compelling human characters that have a different backstory that hasn't been explored yet. At first, I was into the idea of a scientist being part of this journey, but it felt like a McGuffin in a different way. The trait got weakened by the second act and I completely forget about it. That is a major problem with this franchise. There needs to be brand new traits that make these characters distinct and connect more with the Autobots. Speaking of the Autobots, I'm disappointed that they didn't use Bumblebee a lot in this film. Like literally, Bumblebee was your main Autobot in the last entry and you made him sit on the sidelines?! That's a big "bruh" moment. The Decepticons aren't that bad but they were the same as last time. They could've at least improved their motivations or even character traits but they kept it the same. Cliché writing is written all over this franchise. Besides the plot and characters, sometimes the cinematography felt bland which is not good. However, some of the VFX saved it from rubble. Overall, it's a much better improvement from the 4th and 5th entries and a solid continuation from the latest entry. Still, it has its cliché flaws that keep this franchise shining much brighter. While this franchise is trying to heal itself, it's a vast improvement from the older entries and a better continuation from Bumblebee. It's the best Transformers film since the first (including the latest one) and I'm happy it's trying to fix its mistakes from this ever-bloated bandaged franchise. The ending may be a shell shock for some fans, but it got me pumped up for the next entry. I cannot wait to see Optimus Prime kill more Decepticons while committing war crimes. Now Playing Only in Theaters. Vizeit Score: "B" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for continuing supporting my indie cinema website.) Copyright © 2023 Vizeit Reviews / Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. Editor In-Cheif/Owner of Vizeit Reviews | (Chicago Indie Critics Member [CIC])
Grace Caroline Currey and Virginia Gardner. © 2022 Lionsgate, Tea Shop Productions, BuzzFeed Studios, Capstone Pictures, and Flawless. Directed by Scott Mann.
Watched it on Starz
Fear Reaches New Heights Quick Review: Skydiving can be insane but doing mountain climbing is risking your life like it's the Olympics but your family is humiliating you. However, this film mixes things up with a simple plot but with friendship drama that really works well due to the performances of our two main leads. Plus, the scope of this film seems high which paid off in the end. It's a well-made small film with very solid cinematography and pretty good sound design. The CGI can be wonky in certain scenes but with its low budget, it does work well. I loved the tension throughout the film and by the second act, I was fully into the story and the stakes get higher by the end. It's a somber film but it has a vision behind it and some great sequences caught my filmmaking attention. The biggest thing I was worried about going into this film was its pacing since it's a one-location story but with only two characters. However, they kept raising the stakes every time they tried something different with some consequences for each attempt. It's clever and there's an interesting plot twist that made me shock in a good way. The execution is done well and by the end, I was relieved. What also really made my expectation way different is that it took this simple young adult story into a dramatic grounded story that felt like real adults, especially since one of these characters is an influencer. I would say that this film still has the typical cliches that were expected in a survival duo film. However, even with those cliches and tropes, I was still invested in the characters' personalities. Virginia Gardner's character stood me out due to her influence personality and her complicated relationship with her friend in the story. However, Grace Caroline Currey's performance and character were well-written. I didn't stick well with the father subplot unfortunately but it was nice to see Jeffrey Dean Morgan in a film. Still, I really was surprised by this film's plot, and with the solid performances, I was hooked on the film. It's nice to see a small survival thriller back on a big film landscape. Next time I go rock climbing, I'll make sure I have my rope as tight as possible before I see Kratos freefalling. Now Streaming on Starz and on VOD. Vizeit Score: "B" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for continuing supporting my indie film website.) Copyright © 2023 Vizeit Reviews / Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr.Editor In-Cheif/Owner of Vizeit Reviews | (Chicago Indie Critics Member [CIC])
Bill Hader. © 2018-2023 HBO, Alec Berg Inc. and Hanarply. Created by Bill Hader and Alec Berg.
Season 1-3 Review Here!
Watched it on HBO through Max
The Final Curtains... Oh wow. One of the best television shows of all time concludes and it ended in a glorious way. From the start of the show to the end, it was a wild journey. There was a lot to pack in from this intense final season. From the direction of this show to the comedy and even to the technical elements. It's a wild ride and I can say for sure that this season is fantastic from start to finish. Let's go back to LA and return to the theater and crime worlds, one last time...or more time? Story: Now in prison, Barry seeks forgiveness from those he has wronged, like acting teacher Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler) and ex Sally Reed (Sarah Goldberg). Barry knows that the road to forgiveness is longer than one phone call from jail. However, his enemies are still hunting him down and Barry must find a way out before his time on Earth concludes. When I first started watching this show for the first time last year, I thought it would be a bleak dark comedy with less drama and more comedic moments. I was wrong. Totally wrong. It balances not one or two genres, but four genres all at once. Drama, Comedy, Crime, and Romance. Those are the core genres that this show carries and every season dives into each one of them in a smooth way. It's brilliant, not with just its visuals, but its writing. Plus, whenever Bill Hader directs an episode, it goes in a crazy dramatic, and dark way. Since it's a comedy, he applies his comedy to dangerous situations that make fun of it or makes it serious through the eyes of the main character. It's done brilliantly and with this final season, he takes everything from the past three seasons into this jaw-dropping final season. It's the culmination of every character who has been affected by Barry in a small or big way. From the first frame to the final frame of the series, it's a huge payoff and this season is the darkest season in this series. It's beautiful, tragic, and emotional. All of the emotions are in this final season As a 30-minute comedy/drama show, the pacing of this show is flawless and there wasn't a single issue with its slow moments or even fast ones too. It sucks you into the story, especially where we left off from the ending of season 3. The story is more tighter now with all of the characters separated after the fallout of Barry. The plot gets denser after a specific episode which changes the stakes and expectations of what's to come next. How the story progress takes its time but it's very well done by going back and forth to each character's issues. It's a very tragic story and it does take a spin with its plot in the opposite direction but for the better of the story and its characters. It's mesmerizing how Bill Hader handles the plot in a unique take that only show has the capacity to do so. The characters here are fantastically written with each actor bringing these characters to life. Each character gets a human moment which is very memorable and sad. I really loved Sarah Goldberg's performance as Sally. She did a wonderful job with her character Fallout and her chemistry with Bill Hader. Anthony Carrigan gives an Emmy performance, especially in the final episode which sold me. There's not even a conversation about Stephen Root's performance as Fuches. He did a fantastic job with his role but what really made me believe his misunderstood character is his overarching arc and by the end, it's a satisfying end to his character story. The side characters are all amazing in this show including some of the smaller characters due to their performances. The one character that still gave this show some comedic light is Henry Winkler's character Gene Cousineau. His fallout is very dramatic but gets more tragically dark yet funny for utilizing Barry to capitalize on his story. It's done in a dramatic yet hilarious way due to Winkler's performance and his arc is unexpected by the time you see him for the last time. Everyone in this show is fantastic but I cannot forget the main star himself, Bill Hader as Barry Berkman. Bill really makes this show come to life and all over the direction in a good way.
Bill Hader as Barry is one of my favorite television characters of all time due to his simple backstory with his unique arc, everchanging personality, and masterful performance from Bill Hader. It's a simple character but filled with every emotion that makes his character stand out. His character is pretty fucked up but his comedic side is where he shines the brightest. Even in the darkest moments, there's some comedy from him. In this final season, his character arc gets more intense yet calmer after a specific episode. Without spoilers, he develops a whole new Barry personality but his old personality is still taking over him, even with the changes. Even if you take out some of the best writing of the character Barry, Bill Hader gives a fantastical performance with his iconic wide-eyes performance, and dark humor monotone. He embodies the character and when we see him for the final time, it feels like a culmination of his character arc, performance, and comedy of this show. The brilliance of his character is so well done due to the writing of the show. I love how we get more time with Sally and the other side characters this season. Everyone gets a shining moment in the film and Bill Hader makes sure that no character should be left behind. Everyone gets a conclusion and it's done very well. The comedy of this show is amazing and while there's more drama than comedy, it's more visual now. Visual gags really help make the dramatic scene more fun or meaningful. It's a beautifully darkly written show that lets the actors be the characters and embody them while giving nuanced material that makes the scenes come to life. All of the writing, performances, comedy, and action, come from the man himself but he directed the entire final season to give that Barry signature.
The directing here from Bill Hader is phenomenal. From his first directed pilot to the final episode, it's a massive improvement with every episode being very unique and engaging. Hader loves to do long takes with wide and close-up angles but it's so done very well. It's very beautiful and realistic at the same time. He lets the characters live in the scene and let the story sink in. It's done very well with tiny directing moments through cinematography, sound design, and visual cuts. Hader lets the scene unravel slowly with new information or information that we think we will get but it's done later. His scenes are slow but it takes time to get us into the scenes and be in the world of Barry. Plus, the amazing visuals on screen, make the story more immersive and grander in scope. The cinematography this season is fantastic with a lot of unique shots, lighting, interesting lens choices, and great visual gags. It's the best-looking season in the entire series. The sound design is fantastic as always with its beautiful gun noises, destruction, and use of dead silence to make it realistic yet informative of the context of the scene. I love the set design of the show this time around because it makes certain sequences have more depth with a particular critical plot moment in the season. It balances reality and comedy. No spoilers, but it works with the characters' situations and arcs. Overall, the technical side of this show is amazing and some of the best I have seen from a comedy show now these days. Plus, while there isn't a lot of action, the violent moments are very impactful and it impacts the feel of the episode whenever violence is shown particularly in this season. I love this approach and it works very well. Overall, the technical elements and directing are very fantastic and it defines what Barry really is, visually with storytelling being the front and center. I don't know how a simple black comedy turns into a dramatic yet comedic show that brings these characters into humans and has it so grounded yet unreal. Every direction is brilliant and the final episode caps it off very well with a satisfying ending for not just Barry, but every character who was affected by Barry. A farewell to the world around Barry. This show really made me invested in more prestige television shows and into more black comedy shows as well. Barry is phenomenal in every layer of television and filmmaking. It perfectly balances drama and comedy while still giving us a story that is impactful and engaging. So far, this is the best HBO show ever, and seeing this show end makes me sad not because it's ending, but what's going to hold HBO in the future. However, I'm hyped to see what will Bill Hader do next in his directing journey. He's a talented filmmaker and I hope his next project is going to be big. This is a show that I won't forget and it will hold a place in my filmmaking heart. What a grand way to end this show. The creative team did a fantastic job and I hope the best for those who made this show spectacular! Now Streaming on HBO and Max. Vizeit Score: "A+" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for continuing supporting my indie film website.) Copyright © 2023 Vizeit Reviews / Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. Editor In-Cheif/Owner of Vizeit Reviews | (Chicago Indie Critics Member [CIC])
Halle Bailey. © 2023 Walt Disney Pictures, Lucamar Productions, and Marc Platt Productions. Directed by Rob Marshall.
Watched it in IMAX @ AMC Theaters
A Classic Disney Film Comes to Life...Again When this project got announced, I was very mixed but it was a different time when remakes weren't that popular but now it's 2023. Different times mean different feelings and going into this film was like entering to a rainforest café but replaced with a Peppa Pig café. However, this film wasn't that bad and after the most recent Disney remakes being completely dogwater, this one was a breath of fresh air. Well, for a moment before I drowned. Let's travel under the seas and see the Walmart version of King Triton's kingdom. Story: The youngest of King Triton's daughters, Ariel is a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. Longing to find out more about the world beyond the sea, Ariel visits the surface and falls for the dashing Prince Eric. Following her heart, she makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, to experience life on land. One of the elements in this remake which surprised me more than other Disney remakes was the cinematography and production design alone. The quality of Disney remakes has gone drastically down due to the lighting, VFX, or poor framing. I'm happy to write that this is a much better visually looking film with some beautiful cinematography in certain scenes and better editing. From Fast X to this film, it's night and day on editing and yes, Fast X was the recent film I saw before watching this film. The pacing of this film wasn't that bad and even though it was over two hours long, it went smoothly. Some of the practical designs like the castle are well-built and there are some VFX and CGI shots that are well-made. However, after watching Avatar: The Way of Water in December, the water VFX distracted me a lot. I'll go more into detail later. Besides the technical elements, the story is honestly, not that bad for a remake. It expands some of the original story and furthers some character development for Ariel while not being too long. It's the same story as the original animated film but the destruction/action sequences are more extended including some of the songs. It's a huge difference in runtime but the pacing overall wasn't that bad. It's a simple story to follow and a hot take, I liked some of the new added context to the plot. Not all of it but some of it like the expansion of the kingdom and having Ariel get used to the kingdom. Especially more time with Prince Eric affects the ending of the film. Those two get more character expansion and it's pretty good. Now the star herself, Ariel played by Halle Bailey is pretty good. I liked her performance, especially during her singing moments in the film. The backlash hurt the film for a bit but she really steals the show in the film. She delivers the emotional scenes well and her version of Ariel is so fitted into this new direction. Overall, this film wasn't a bad remake. However, there are flaws that many remakes carry still to this day.
This film being a remake carries some weight by translating the material into live-action. Some of those elements from the original didn't carry so well to the remake. The first is the story itself. While the story is the same and it was told decently, there are unnecessary scenes and plot elements that dragged its overstayed runtime. The destruction scenes were a bit too long but what kind of killed me off was the dragged time with the side characters. Some of the side characters were uninteresting or just plain bad. Hearing Awkwafina rapping was not what I expected and I wanted it to be over. She's a great actress but she was heavily miscast. While Javier Bardem's performance was good as King Triton, I was heavily disappointed with how they underutilized him and his kingdom looked rough. I mean rough. There's barely anything eye-popping in the sea scenes except Ursula's home.
Ariel's sisters were barely in the film for under a minute which is hilarious. Plus, Ariel's friends were something else, and look how they massacred my boy Flounder. Poor fish. The CGI on him and the other sea creatures was something out of a PS3 game or too realistic to be in a Disney film. It's the same situation with The Lion King remake and the VFX water scenes are very plain. It's good but after watching the Avatar sequel, I can never look at VFX water the same way ever again. The songs themselves weren't that bad but they dragged like hell. Overall, this film still carries the same issues with each Disney remake but this was better than I expected it to be. This being a Disney remake was going to be a risky move but it wasn't that bad overall. It's a solid entry from the bad remakes recently and it was nice to see some creativity within the technical departments and a solid performance from Halle Bailey. However, there were still issues with the story, VFX, and unnecessary stuff that dragged out the runtime. In the end, it's a Disney film and it passed my minimal expectations of a Disney film. Now where's that Bambi remake with the rock? Now Playing in Theaters. Vizeit Score: "B-" (Share this review with your film friends and on social media! Thank you for continuing supporting my indie film website.) Copyright © 2023 Vizeit Reviews / Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr. (Chicago Indie Critics Member [CIC]) |
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