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.
Fighting with My Family
Born into a tight-knit wrestling family, Paige and her brother Zak are ecstatic when they get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to try out for the WWE. But when only Paige earns a spot in the competitive training program, she must leave her loved ones behind and face this new cutthroat world alone. Paige’s journey pushes her to dig deep and ultimately prove to the world that what makes her different is the very thing that can make her a star.
“Fixed, but not fake.” That’s Paige Knight’s response when someone asks her whether WWE wrestling is real. It’s also a perfect description of the film about her ascension to WWE Divas champion. Will Paige succeed in this wrestling underdog story?
I mean…yes. You know that. I know that. We all did, long before walking into the theater. That’s what makes the film “fixed,” just like the wrestling they participate in. And unfortunately this fixture extends to the technical components of the film as well – the performances, cinematography, and music are exactly what you’d expect of a sports biopic.
But this film is far from fake, and it makes you feel quite the range of emotion for such a standard approach. You cringe with each body slam, you laugh at the “freak” family that lives and breathes wrestling, and you may even shed a few tears as you watch two siblings go down very different paths – one chasing her dream, the other facing his rejection.
You may not leave your seats blown away, but the film is surprisingly effective and heartwarming. The plot’s outcome may be fixed, but the smiles you’ll have along the way certainly won’t be fake.
★★★☆☆
Robin Hood
A war-hardened Crusader and his Moorish commander mount an audacious revolt against the corrupt English crown.
It may not be critically well-received, but Robin Hood is an enjoyable movie and a fun popcorn flick that bore a surprising resemblance to Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy (which might contribute to my praise for the film). The script doesn’t ask a lot of Taron Edgerton and Jamie Foxx, but they do what they can with their respective roles. The action was superb and makes good use of slow motion without being excessive.
The film does make some strange choices: Jamie Foxx playing an Arab is a controversial casting decision, and the costumes, sets, and style are all very modern compared to its medieval setting. Some of these choices breathe new life into an over-told story, but others can be disconcerting.
The film is nothing groundbreaking, but I enjoyed my time immensely, and that’s really all I ask of a film.
★★★☆☆
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
It’s been five years since everything was awesome and the citizens are facing a huge new threat: LEGO DUPLO® invaders from outer space, wrecking everything faster than they can rebuild.
2014’s The Lego Movie took the world by storm. Hot directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord created a witty film enjoyable for all ages, filled with clever pop culture references, shameless LEGO product placement, and an emotional story to tie it all in. These elements are all back for the new sequel, but in a lesser form. Things are still awesome, but this once fresh franchise occasionally feels tired and old, leaving The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part a mixed bag of bricks.
The voice work in this film is impeccable; the characters remain their caricatured selves and have laughable interactions, although the laughs feel a little more forced than the first film. The soundtrack remains fun and upbeat, and the action is uniquely exciting, retaining the self-aware humor of the original – the filmmakers realize these characters are just Lego pieces, and they have a fun time with that fact. The entire creative team, headed by director Mike Mitchell, makes full use of the product/medium with which they are working, and it’s a beautiful thing to watch unfold on the big screen.
Now to the non-awesomeness. While this may be a personal opinion, I’ve found that each “Lego” movie has become increasingly targeted towards children. The Lego Batman Movie had enjoyable moments (but potty humor), and I couldn’t even begin to enjoy The Lego Ninjago Movie. While The Lego Movie 2 is much closer to the original film than either of its spinoffs, it still suffers from the overall juvenile tone this franchise has adopted – ironic for a film about growing up.
And at the end of the day, that’s what kept me from fully enjoying this film. Each sweet moment had to be completely over-explained, many of the jokes were aimed for the lowest common denominator, and the film’s very simple message tries to act revelatory. I’m sure quite a few viewers (myself included) may watch the credits roll thinking “that’s it?”
★★★☆☆
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control when her secret letters to every boy she’s ever fallen for are mysteriously mailed out.
Netflix has essentially started making PG-13 Hallmark movies. It may have some cute moments, but this is a Hallmark movie, nothing more. I’ll start with the good: the acting was solid (with a few exceptions). The entire cast had great chemistry together, and the story was cute.
That said, the script is incredibly derivative. Out of the five boys the main character had “loved before,” three appear in the film, two matter to the story, and only one has significant screen time. The letters served as a decent meet-cute for the main characters, but considering the film is based around that premise, the letters really didn’t matter at all.
Essentially this is the classic tale of a couple that “fake dates” to make their crushes jealous, but (surprise!) the fake couple slowly realizes they are developing feelings for one another. We’ve all seen these movies before, and I was a little disappointed to see this turn into one of those movies.
Don’t let my harsh critiques turn you off entirely from the film. It really had some enjoyable parts and for a free, original Netflix film, I’m satisfied enough. I just am disappointed that this didn’t fulfill its potential or live up to the hype.
★★☆☆☆