Cinema Snapshots: February 2019
What I watched last month...
Welcome to this month’s Cinema Snapshots! At the beginning of each month, I reflect on what I watched the prior month and provide a quick “snapshot” of my thoughts on those films. So without further ado, here are my Cinema Snapshots for February 2019.
Happy Death Day 2 U
Collegian Tree Gelbman wakes up in horror to learn that she’s stuck in a parallel universe. Her boyfriend Carter is now with someone else, and her friends and fellow students seem to be completely different versions of themselves. When Tree discovers that Carter’s roommate has been altering time, she finds herself once again the target of a masked killer. When the psychopath starts to go after her inner circle, Tree soon realizes that she must die over and over again to save everyone.
2017’s Happy Death Day was a surprise hit among the horror crowd, drawing on the familiar premise of reliving the same day over and over again and throwing it into the horror genre. The 2019 sequel, Happy Death Day 2 U, may start out on a similar trajectory, but soon the story is completely flipped on its head.
The film is far from perfect. It suffers from some cheesy dialogue, confusing plot holes, and mediocre visual effects. But the film is also willing to take risks and chances (going as far as changing genres to an extent), which is rare for a sequel to a popular film. But when the “deja vu” plot has been played out so many times by so many films, I appreciate the new direction director Christopher Landon takes.
There’s plenty of laughs still to be had, particularly in a scene very reminiscent of Groundhog Day in which Tree repeatedly commits suicide, waking up in the bed each time. The film also spends a lot more time on its supporting cast than its predecessor. Viewers get a chance to see Carter (Israel Broussard) from a different perspective, and Phi Vu brings some comedic charm to the table with added screen time. But ultimately this is Tree’s movie, and the relationships between her and her family is emotional and adds meaning to the story of both films.
★★★☆☆
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
As Hiccup fulfills his dream of creating a peaceful dragon utopia, Toothless’ discovery of an untamed, elusive mate draws the Night Fury away. When danger mounts at home and Hiccup’s reign as village chief is tested, both dragon and rider must make impossible decisions to save their kind.
How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World tells a story that both parents and kids, 8-year-olds and 80-year-olds will find moving and fun, though it doesn’t have quite the same impact of the first two films in the series. All the right pieces were in place – the emotions were there, the laughs were there – but it was all just a little forced.
But there’s still plenty to love about this film. The cinematography is breathtaking, with some of the best shot selections, lighting, and coloring in the series. John Powell’s music continues to soar – the same, memorable themes return with new ones in the mix as well. Mix that with the aforementioned visual splendor and some superb voice work and all of a sudden you’re immersed in a world of dragons and vikings.
This movie is a sight to take in, and it’s easy to enjoy. Even if it doesn’t hit the emotional punch of the first two films, How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is a worthy conclusion to a wonderful franchise.
★★★☆☆
Isn’t It Romantic
For a long time, Natalie, an Australian architect living in New York City, had always believed that what she had seen in rom-coms is all fantasy. But after thwarting a mugger at a subway station only to be knocked out while fleeing, Natalie wakes up and discovers that her life has suddenly become her worst nightmare—a romantic comedy—and she is the leading lady.
Here’s an unlikely comparison: 2019’s Isn’t It Romantic and 2016’s Deadpool. Both films tried to be groundbreaking by breaking tendencies and parodying their respective genres. And both films not only failed to do so (to varying extents), but fell into the same tendencies of their predecessors.
Rebel Wilson’s blundering, goofy style of comedy worked as well as it can in a film like this, which to say it didn’t work great. Liam Hemsworth was fun to watch as an airhead, and Tom Ellis draws some laughs as well. But at some point one must beg the question: are the shallow, stock characters in the film humorous for their parody, or not worth caring about? I would argue a little of both.
The film’s concept is funny, but more worthy of an SNL skit than a feature film. The plot can be guessed at every turn, which is a product of being a parody, but also makes for an incredibly uninteresting 90 minutes once the initial “ha she’s stuck in a rom-com” feeling wears off. I’ll admit though, the technical elements work well, with John Debney’s musical score perfectly evoking rom coms of the 90s and 00s and the cinematography also imitating the look of that era.
While it’s a cute premise, Isn’t It Romantic can’t overcome the genre stereotypes it wants so badly to overcome. They point out the flaws in the system, but they don’t have any solutions – they just stick with the flaws.
★★☆☆☆