The movie is really engaging and the story itself is compelling. I really liked the cinematography too, with the 70’s vibe coming alive in each scene. There is a ton of humour throughout yet this does carry a serious tone too. Forewarning, you may just get fixated on Sharpe’s distracting, yet epic moustache.
The younger version of Sharpe (Mike Faist) and then the older version, played by Dennis Boutsikaris are both incredible actors. There are heart-warming moments too, especially how a game like pinball can offer escapism and fuel a passion so deeply in one person, who is still figuring out his place in the world.
Proving that pinball is not a game of chance, but of skill is not any easy feat, but unlike the saying “you can’t fight City Hall”, Sharpe’s willing to take the risk.
Honor Society, directed by Oran Zegman, is a film that is full of unexpected surprises.
High school is almost over and determined to attend Harvard after graduation, Honor (Angourie Rice) spends much of her time, plotting strategies to axe out the other academic competition. Being an overachiever, Honor’s not afraid to stomp on anyone who gets in her way, unassumingly and with a smile. She’s quite an interesting character, narrating her devious plans that involve complex situations that challenge her own conscience and befriending Michael, played by Gaten Matarazzo (known for the tv smash hit Stranger Things) , who is more clever than we give him credit for.
This film definitely has a millennial edge, but it did remind me a bit of Clueless, wrapped in Mean Girls with a dash of Legally Blonde. While the typical high school tropes (the nerd, the brainiac, the jock, the outcast etc..) are riddled throughout this movie and can be over the top at times, stay with it, as it takes turns that you might not see coming.
Michael B. Jordan is absolutely brilliant as not only the director but also starring as boxing champ, Adonis Creed in the highly anticipated Creed III
After hanging up his boxing gloves to start a new life, Adonis is shaken up when his friend and former boxing prodigy Damian (Jonathan Majors) shows up after serving a long sentence in prison and wants to be trained to enter the ring again. When the gloves comes off, Adonis is haunted by memories he had tried desperately to bury. As they continue to surface, we know it’s just a matter of time when Adonis is going to be pushed to the edge of his limit.
It’s predictable that Adonis is going to battle against Damian, but that doesn’t matter. What makes this movie so great is how character-driven it is. As they become rivals, the performances from Jordan and Majors are elevated with so many poignant scenes together and apart. The fight scenes are brutal but captured in such a thrilling way.
Several themes of brotherhood, sacrifice, and honour are key elements that weave together to make this such an impactful film. While we see Damian as a villain (and a damn convincing one), he is also broken and hurt. We get to experience such vulnerability, especially with males who are in a sport like boxing, where they take every punch till they get carried out.
In the end, the clear message is that in life, you can’t run away from your demons, you gotta face them head on.
Lastly, we have Minions: The Rise of Gru.
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the zany yellow blobs are back again with another movie. This time, we’re going back to when villainous master mind, Gru (Steve Carell), was just a wee young boy, dreaming of what every 11 year old wanted at that age. No, not a dirt bike, or a life-size dinosaur, but to be part of the most ruthless gang around; the Viscious 6. After they oust their leader -- the legendary fighter Wild Knuckles, Gru gets the once in a lifetime opportunity to audition for them and like we would expect, it goes terribly wrong. Chaos ensues as Gru outsmarts them and now is on the Viscious 6’s target list.
Humour was lackluster as well, which was surprising as the others gave me some good chuckles. Many of the scenes felt like we had taken energy drinks and just waiting for that inevitable crash – complete with a headache.
The animation was great, but I felt the Minions were haphazardly thrown about to add in quick gags. It really missed the mark on the feel good moments too and most of the other characters were forgettable, aside from a solid performance from Wild Knuckles (voiced by Alan Arkin).
Curiousity got the best of me, as I’ve seen all the other films (Despicable Me & 2 being favourites), but this one was definitely the most disappointing. I’ve had enough of the Minions, but considering this film was not geared towards my demographic in the first place, there’s probably another one around the corner.
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