"We're not critics. We're professional fan-girls." --- This blog is dedicated to movies and the entertainment industry. We use random selection to bring into light the best and worst of streaming films and entertainment news.
Streaming
Services: Shudder Movie
Name/Year: Scare
Me (2020) Genre: Comedy, Horror Length: 104 minutes Rating: NR Production/Distribution: Irony Point, Artists First,
Last Rodeo Studios, Shudder Director: Josh Ruben Writer: Josh Ruben Actors: Aya Cash, Rebecca Drysdale,
Chris Redd, Josh Ruben, Lauren Sick Blurb
from IMDb: During
a power outage, two strangers tell scary stories. The more Fred and Fanny
commit to their tales, the more the stories come to life in their Catskills
cabin. The horrors of reality manifest when Fred confronts his ultimate fear.
Selina’s
Point of View: Shudder is an all
horror, all the time, streaming service. We thought it would be fun to check
out what they have to thrill and chill us this Halloween. Their service has a
reasonable cost and, in these times, may be more accessible to people who have
less to spend. If ever you were going to switch to a horror streaming service, October
is the right time. (None of the posts this month are sponsored by Shudder or
any companies associated with them.) A lot of their
originals have struck a chord with me, but this is not one of them. It’s a pretty
poor start to our Shudder Spree. I have to start
with what I thought immediately upon the films end: You can’t put only 15-minutes of substance into a boring, cringy film and expect it to be good. I get
the ending. I get what they were saying. I understand the point of it all. That
doesn’t change that it was torture to get through.
Scare
Me with its lessons
and exceptionally slow start, as well as the whole point of tell rather than
show, would work much better as a book – or even an anthology film. As a movie,
it’s not very scary and kind of difficult to sit through. There are people who
would forgive that because of the interesting 15-minute ending… but I’m not one
of them. Where the content
itself is concerned, it does have some good writing advice. Still, the story itself
is a little hard to swallow because there’s not a likable character anywhere in
the flick. Seriously, not even the cab driver. Scare
Me isn’t my cup of
tea. I’ve seen the reviews. I know it’s an unpopular opinion. I still dislike
this film.
Cat’s
Point of View: I’ve been fairly
addicted to scary tales ever since I brought home my copies of the Scary
Stories to Tell in the Dark book trilogy from my scholastic book orders
back in middle school. I was so giddy that there was going to be a movie
adaptation of those very books that I wrote a whole article about them. Now,
given, Scare Me was not set up in the same manner. The description of
the film did give me an impression, however, that something similar was likely
going to be afoot. What actually
transpired on the screen left me with a forlorn sense of disappointment. While
I expected supernatural shenanigans to kick off our month-long Shudder Spree in
honor of Halloween… what I got was decidedly not that. To be fair, there
were plenty of shenanigans. I appreciated how the cast quite literally threw
themselves into their parts. I loved the voice work and the physicality of some
of the bits. The ambiance for chilling tales was perfect. I just found myself
fighting the urge to check the progress bar to see how much of the movie was
left for them to squeeze the scares into.
I do get it. The
film does make sense in a realist way. This was just not what I was hoping for.
Disappointment colored the entire production for me once I figured out I likely
wasn’t getting what I thought the promo paragraph had promised. There were
moments that I got a rush of “oh there it is, now we’re in business,” only for
those expectations to be dashed in the next moment. It felt like I was being
teased. The pacing was
also sluggish. It just felt like it took forever for not much to happen. Had
the film been framed as a playful, if dark, writer’s exercise about killing
time during a storm with a dash of intrigue (and I use that word very loosely),
it would have been more successful in setting the appropriate expectations. Alas, with a
chasm of regret that this was the movie we had to open with, I can’t say I
would recommend Scare Me to anyone -- not for a scary Halloween movie,
at least.
Rotten
Tomatoes Critic Score – 83% Rotten
Tomatoes Audience Score – 95% Metascore – 62/100 Metacritic
User Score – None IMDB
Score – 4.8/10 Trust
the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 1.5/5 Trust
the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 2/5 Trust
the Dice Parental Advisory Rating: R P.S.: Short mid-credits scene. Movie
Trailer:
We keep hearing
that theaters are going to reopen and then finding out there’s been another
postponement. (Wear your damn masks!) We’re going to be optimistic and keep to
our original format for the Top 20. We’re considering all films coming out –
whether digital, straight to DVD, or in theaters – as eligible for this list.
However, we felt the need to still include a disclaimer. (Once theaters are fully opened, this disclaimer
will no longer be used.) There are certain
states that meet all the requirements to reopen, and are doing well. In those
states, we absolutely support people going to the movies, as long as they
remain cautious, and the theaters are following all safety precautions. However, a lot of
states in the USA are opening before medical experts believe they should. If you live in one
of those states, especially those with rising COVID-19 cases, we urge you to
stay home. There are a lot of great movies that continue to be released
digitally, and we hope you stick with those. We understand that cabin fever is
setting in with everyone right now, we’re not immune to it, but put your health
and safety – and the health and safety of your family – first. That said, all the
release dates mentioned are tentative. Revisit this article throughout the
month, we'll post small updates about postponed films as we are alerted to the
delays. Thank you for
sticking with us through these strange times.
10 – The War with
Grandpa (10/9) Production/Distribution:
Marro Films, Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films (EFO Films), TRI G, West Madison
Entertainment, GEM Entertainment, Film & TV House, Batrax Entertainment, 101
Studios, Diamond Films, Odeon, Shaw Organisation, Ukrainian Film Distribution
(UFD), WW Entertainment, Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, EuroVideo, Filmarti, Storm
Pictures Korea, VVS Films Director: Tim
Hill Writer: Tom J.
Astle, Matt Ember, Robert Kimmel Smith Actors: Robert De
Niro, Uma Thurman, Rob Riggle, Oakes Fegley, Laura Marano, Cheech Marin, Jane
Seymour, Christopher Walken, Juliocesar Chavez, Isaac Kragten, T.J. McGibbon,
Poppy Gagnon, Lydia Styslinger, Joe Gelchion, Colin Ford, Faizon Love, Rutanya
Alda Genre: Comedy,
Drama, Family Rated: PG Length: 94
minutes IMDb Blurb: Upset that he has to share the room he loves with
his grandfather, Peter decides to declare war in an attempt to get it back. As funny as this trailer is, the first draw for me was the
cast. I mean, there are plenty of hilarious movies that just don’t make my
lists because there’s no substance to them or no other draws. In this case, that
amusement is coupled with a line-up of talent that can’t be ignored. Robert De Niro (Dirty Grandpa, The Irishman, Joker),
Uma Thurman (Burnt, Kill Bill: Vol. 1, The Producers), Rob Riggle (Night
School, Midnight Sun, 12 Strong), Cheech Marin (Elena of Avalor, Coco,
Dark Harvest), Christopher Walken (Nine Lives, Irreplaceable You, Percy);
hell, even the child actor that’s front and center, Oakes Fegley (Wonderstruck,
The Goldfinch, Pete’s Dragon), has got some great experience under his belt.
With a cast like that, it would have been impossible to bypass this film even if
the trailer was subpar. But it’s not. I was chuckling throughout the trailer. There was a good mix
of types of humor. Some of it seemed juvenile and some was geared toward the
older generation. I think that this movie will be a great family film. 9 – Vampires vs.
the Bronx (10/2) Production/Distribution:
Broadway Video, Caviar, Netflix Director: Osmany
Rodriguez Writer: Blaise Hemingway,
Osmany Rodriguez Actors: Jaden
Michael, Gregory Diaz IV, Sarah Gadon, Shea Whigham, Method Man, Coco Jones,
Judy Marte, Chris Redd, Adam David Thompson, Jeremie Harris, The Kid Mero,
Imani Lewis, Vladimir Caamano, Germar Terrell Gardner, Gerald Jones III, Toree
Alexandre Genre: Comedy,
Horror Rated: PG-13 Length: 85
minutes IMDb Blurb: A group of young friends from the Bronx fight to
save their neighborhood from gentrification...and vampires. This movie looks cheesy and campy and glorious. As a young Brooklyn girl, whenever my friends and I roleplayed,
our drug of choice was World of Darkness. For me, it was specifically Vampire:
the Masquerade. There was an absurdity to the idea of an entire vampire society
somehow living in Brooklyn and Manhattan, ignored or unseen. Most of the time,
we didn’t even bother put the setting in the Bronx, though. Mainly because it
was ridiculous to think of vampires being successful there. It’s gotten better in some areas, but growing up – the Bronx
was tough. We all believed that if the vampires in our game tried to take over,
they’d be exterminated pretty quickly. I mean, I pictured a few bodies popping
up devoid of blood, and the entire borough just mobilizing and killing every
last blood sucker. Even the grannys of the area. Now, I get to see it on
screen? I’m very much here for it. In fact, I’m going invite my best friend over to watch it
with me so he can share in the amusement. I have a feeling it’s a going to be a fun ride. 8 – Alone (10/16) Production/Distribution:
ICM Partners, JAR Films, Martini Films, Grindstone Entertainment Group, Lionsgate
Home Entertainment Director: Johnny
Martin Writer: Matt
Naylor Actors: Donald Sutherland,
Tyler Posey, Robert Ri’chard, John Posey, Eric Etebari, Summer Spiro, Brooke
Swallow, Jonathan Peacy, Greg Fitzpatrick, Bridgette Meredith Garb Genre: Horror, Thriller Rated: R Length: Unknown IMDb Blurb: When an outbreak hits, Aidan barricades himself
inside his apartment and starts rationing food. His complex is overrun by
infected Screamers, and with the world falling apart into chaos, he is left
completely alone fighting for his life. Last month there was a movie coming out that was also called
Alone. That movie, to the best of my knowledge, did get released. This is
a different film. It’s just a coincidence. A lot of people are sick of zombies, and I get it. I do. This
movie is different, though. It seems to concentrate more on the isolation of a
zombie outbreak rather than the actual zombies. (Though there’s clearly plenty
of action to match the situation.) I feel, especially now, that isolation is something we can
all identify with. That may put some people off, but others could easily find
themselves drawn more into the story than they would have otherwise. I am particularly drawn to this movie. I feel the
connection, but I also really admire some of the cast. Tyler Posey (Elena of
Avalor, Teen Wolf, Jane the Virgin) is a decent actor, but Donald Sutherland
(The Hunger Games, The Calling, Trust) is legendary. Alone is going to be a harrowing film, perfect for
Halloween watching. 7 – Love and
Monsters (10/16) Production/Distribution:
21 Laps Entertainment, Entertainment One, MTV Films, Paramount Pictures, Paramount
Players, Eagle Pictures, United International Pictures (UIP), Universal
Pictures International (UPI) Director: Michael
Matthews Writer: Brian
Duffield, Matthew Robinson Actors: Dylan O’Brien,
Jessica Henwick, Michael Rooker, Ellen Hollman, Melanie Zanetti, Ariana
Greenblatt, Amali Golden, Larry Cedar, Damien Garvey, Tasneem Roc, Tandi
Wright, Dan Ewing, Miriama Smith, Te Kohe Tuhaka, Donnie Baxter, Pacharo
Mzembe, Joel Pierce, Senie Priti Genre: Adventure,
Comedy Rated: PG-13 Length: Unknown IMDb Blurb: After a Monsterpocalypse forces humans into
underground colonies, a young man decides against all logic to brave the
surface and face the monsters standing between him and his lost love. You know me and apocalypse films. It’s 2020 and there’s a
new mini apocalypse every single month, so I should be over it – but I’m not.
Something about a dystopian or apocalyptic film just does it for me. I’m also a fan of creature features. Since this end-of-the-world
scenario is caused by giant monsters, that’s also something to trigger my
interest. Then, there’s comedy involved. I love when comedy links up
with a darker theme. That’s why horror/comedy is my favorite genre. In this
case, linking it up with the entire world being destroyed definitely fit my
sense of humor. Finally, there are some great actors involved. Dylan O’Brien
(Teen Wolf, The Maze Runner, Deepwater Horizon) has a lot of experience
in this kind of film setting. Jessica Henwick (Iron Fist, Underwater, Game
of Thrones) has an incredible physical acting ability. I don’t think I
could say enough about Michael Rooker (Brightburn, The Walking Dead,
Guardians of the Galaxy), he can handle just about anything. Still, with all that, it’s mostly just a basic apocalypse
film. What throws it over the edge for me is Brian Duffield’s (The
Babysitter, Underwater, Jane Got a Gun) involvement. Duffield has written some amazing films. He’s done the
action thing as well as the horror/comedy thing. I think that if anyone could
elevate Love and Monsters it would be him. 6 – Black Box (10/6) Production/Distribution:
Amazon Studios, Blumhouse Productions, Black Bar Mitzvah, Amazon Prime Video Director: Emmanuel
Osei-Kuffour Writer: Wade
Allain-Marcus, Stephen Herman, Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour Actors: Mamoudou
Athie, Phylicia Rashad, Amanda Christine, Tosin Morohunfola, Charmaine Bingwa,
Donald Elise Watkins, Troy James, Nyah Marie Johnson, Najah Bradley, Betsy
Borrego, Andrea Cohen, Justin David, Scott Green, Gretchen Koerner, Han Soto Genre: Horror,
Sci-Fi, Thriller Rated: NR Length: Unknown IMDb Blurb: After losing his wife and his memory in a car
accident, a single father undergoes an agonizing experimental treatment that
causes him to question who he really is. Watching this trailer immediately makes me think of Memento
(2000). There are worse films that could inspire others. Black Box does seem different enough in that it takes
a horror/sci-fi perspective. Considering how scary it is to lose one’s memories,
I think it’s a valid stance to take. Clearly, it will go to some psychological places. I’m wondering
if it will explore the side effects of hypnotherapy. Confabulations,
specifically. In hypnotherapy, one of the risks is that the therapist can
accidentally (or maliciously) make suggestions that cause the patient to fill
in their missing memory with lies. I wouldn’t mind seeing this kind of thing in
Black Box, but the plot they’re using is so versatile that it’s only one
of a great many possibilities. Hell, with a sci-fi genre, it could just be aliens. There’s a lot going on in this trailer, and I expect a lot
from the film because of it. 5 – Spontaneous (10/2) Production/Distribution:
Awesomeness Films, Jurassic Party Productions Director: Brian
Duffield Writer: Brian
Duffield, Aaron Starmer Actors: Katherine
Langford, Piper Perabo, Charlie Plummer, Chelah Horsdal, Rob Huebel, Kaitlyn
Bernard, Yvonne Orji, Hayley Law, Laine MacNeil, Dolores Drake, Payton
Lepinski, Mellany Barros, Peter Bundic, Melody Nosipho Niemann, Doralynn Mui Genre: Comedy,
Fantasy, Sci-Fi Rated: R Length: 97
minutes IMDb Blurb: Get ready for the outrageous coming-of-age love
story about growing up...and blowing up. When students in their school begin
exploding (literally), seniors Mara and Dylan struggle to survive in a world
where each moment may be their last. I’ve never seen anything quite like Spontaneous. It seems to be an epidemic-style film, but for spontaneous
combustion. I definitely think it’ll be more funny than scary, but still Halloween-worthy.
A coming-of-age and exploding story. Again, I find that Brian Duffield’s involvement makes it
even better. I don’t care who the actors are, I’d have been interested in this
story if it was acted by a high school drama club. The trailer just looks that
hilarious. I don’t have much to say about this one. I just really love
the plot. It makes me giggle. 4 – Synchronic (10/23) Production/Distribution:
Patriot Pictures, Pfaff & Pfaff Productions, Love & Death Productions
(LDP), Rustic Films, Well Go USA Entertainment, Signature Entertainment, Umbrella
Entertainment, VVS Films Director: Justin
Benson, Aaron Moorhead Writer: Justin
Benson Actors: Jamie
Dornan, Anthony Mackie, Katie Aselton, Ally Ioannides, Bill Oberst Jr., Natasha
Tina Liu, Devyn A. Tyler, Martin Bats Bradford, Betsy Holt, Lawrence Turner, Carl
Palmer, Shane Brady Genre: Drama,
Horror, Sci-Fi Rated: R Length: 96 minutes IMDb Blurb: Two New Orleans paramedics' lives are ripped apart
after they encounter a series of horrific deaths linked to a designer drug with
bizarre, otherworldly effects. I’m not 100% certain of what’s going on here – but I think
that was the point of the trailer. I have questions. I want answers. It does seem like basing a story around designer drugs is
becoming more of a sci-fi trend. In each case, the drug does something
unbelievable that gets out of hand and leaves destruction in it’s wake, or
tears away the heath of the user. This film looks like it goes into a bit of
both. I’m not sure if it’s causing supernatural occurrences or time travel or
dimension shifts, but it’s likely one of those. Whichever it is, though, I am dying
to find out. I’m a bit familiar with Justin Benson (V/H/S Viral, The Endless,
Resolution) and Aaron Moorhead (V/H/S Viral, The Endless, Resolution),
the project creators. Not overly-so, but enough that it deepens my curiosity on
what to expect. I’m also a huge fan of Anthony Mackie (Altered Carbon,
Avengers: Endgame, The Hate U Give). Of course, who isn’t? Synchronic has the potential to be phenomenal. 3 – Cadaver (10/22) Production/Distribution:
Motion Blur Films, Netflix Director: Jarand
Herdal Writer: Jarand
Herdal Actors: Gitte
Witt, Thomas Gullestad, Thorbjørn Harr, Kingsford Siayor, Maria Grazia Di Meo,
Jonatan Rodriguez, Trine Wiggen, Tuva Olivia Remman Genre: Drama,
Horror, Thriller Rated: NR Length: 86
minutes IMDb Blurb: In the starving aftermath of a nuclear disaster, a
family of three attends a charitable event at hotel, which takes a dark turn
when when people start to disappear. It’s October. You had to expect a plethora of apocalyptic
horror. I don’t even apologize for putting so much of it on my list. I LOVE the concept here. People are starving and dying, and
the over-privileged are still plucking the weak out to prey on them. It feels
realistic. Especially since charity is being used as a cover to take advantage
of them. It’s a dark subject in a dark setting – but it’s still based
on a premise that exists in the real world. In my opinion, that makes it even
more horrifying. Add to that, the film is visually entrancing. Everything is
about contrast. There’s color contrast, setting contrast… it’s appealing while
still exuding that terrifying core of the story. October is for Shudder, but we’ll definitely be reviewing
this in November. (Cadaver is in Norwegian.) 2 – Beyond
Barricades (10/1) Production/Distribution:
TurnStyle Films Director: Jon Nix Writer: None Actors: Tom
Morello, Fat Mike, Tim McIlrath, Billy Bragg, Ian Madrigal, Jim McDermott,
Justin Sane, Tom May, Brian Baker, Martin Geever, Pat Thetic, Chris ‘#2’
Barker, Chris Head Genre: Documentary,
Biography, History Rated: NR Length: 92
minutes IMDb Blurb: A documentary on political punk band Anti-Flag. The
film explores the trials and tribulations of playing politically charged music
and devoting your life to activism. I was introduced to the music of Anti-Flag when I was in
high school. That was back when the thing I looked forward to most of all was
hitting Warped Tour when it came to NY. They didn’t immediately grow on me,
though. I was drawn more to NOFX, Bad Religion, and some other bands. It wasn’t
until my late 20s that I really started to listening to them. They eventually
became one of my favorites. This documentary goes into who Anti-Flag is. It shows us why
they’re so political, what their life is like, why they choose to tour back to
back the way they do. I don’t usually go for documentaries, but this one is about
a highly political, anti-fascist, anti-nazi, fuck police brutality band. Topical’s
the word for it. Relevant maybe even more-so. Even if I didn’t like Anti-Flag, I’d be here for promoting
an activist band that fights against so many of the evils we see in the world
today. They are a voice that inspires people to learn more about what’s going
on. I have to support that. Also, the new album they put out is amazing. Take a listen
to the song: Hate Conquers All. 1 – The Trial of
the Chicago 7 (10/16) Production/Distribution:
ADS Service, Amblin Partners, CAA Media Finance, Cross Creek Pictures, Diamond
Films, Double Infinity Productions, DreamWorks, Entertainment Film
Distributors, Front Row Filmed Entertainment, Hakuhodo, Madman Entertainment,
Madman Films, MadRiver Pictures, Marc Platt Productions, Metropolitan
Filmexport, Movie Cloud, Netflix, Nordisk Film, Nordisk Film Distribution,
Norsk Filmdistribusjon, NOS Audiovisuais, Odeon, Panorama Entertainment,
Paramount Pictures, PVR Pictures, Reliance Entertainment, Rocket Science,
ShivHans Pictures, United King Films Director: Aaron
Sorkin Writer: Aaron
Sorkin Actors: Eddie
Redmayne, Alex Sharp, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, John Carroll Lynch,
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Rylance, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ben Shenkman, J.C.
MacKenzie, Frank Langella, Noah Robbins, Danny Flaherty, John Doman, Mike
Geraghty, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Caitlin FitzGerald, John Quilty, Max Adler,
Michael A. Dean, Meghan Rafferty, Brady Jenness, Steve Routman, Tiffany Denise
Hobbs, Kate Miller, Kathleen Garrett, Alice Kremelberg, Juliette Angelo,
Michael Keaton Genre: Drama,
History, Thriller Rated: R Length: 129
minutes IMDb Blurb: The story of 7 people on trial stemming from
various charges surrounding the uprising at the 1968 Democratic National
Convention in Chicago, Illinois. As well-made as The Trial of the Chicago 7 looks, it
made it to #1 on my list because of its importance. The story of the Chicago 7 is still relevant today. It
shouldn’t be. Police brutality should be a thing of the past. Corruption in the
judicial system is abhorrent. Racism is insane… why is this all still an issue.
Why are there still people arguing that these are ok, or non-existent? How can
anyone look at the world today and say things are fine? A black woman was shot
in her own home and cops involved were only charged for the shots that missed.
They decided she was acceptable collateral damage. I don’t know if putting the story of the Chicago 7 on a
streaming service will change any minds. My faith in humanity is at an all-time
low. At the very least, people will be able to get a basic history lesson about
our rights to protest. About wrong and right. If 1 good thing comes out of 2020, let it be tearing down of
a corrupt system that allows racism and fascism to hold sway. The whole world is still watching.
Movie Name/Year: Secret Society of Second-Born
Royals (2020) Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy Length: 99 minutes Rating: Unrated Production/Distribution: Walt Disney Pictures, Disney+ Director: Anna Mastro Writers: Alex Litvak, Andrew Green,
Austin Winsberg Actors: Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Niles
Fitch, Isabella Blake-Thomas, Olivia Deeble, Noah Lomax, Faly Rakotohavana,
Ashley Liao, Sam Page, Greg Bryk, Elodie Yung, Skylar Astin, Julianna Marie
Neo, Jessica Du, Alli Chung, Carlos Gonzalez-Vio, Sofia Pernas Blurb from IMDb: It follows Sam's adventures at
a top-secret training program for a new class of second-born royals tasked with
saving the world.
Cat’s Point of View: We’ve been looking forward to watching Secret Society of Second Born Royals for a little bit now, ever
since it hit our radar while going through coming attraction trailers. Both
Selina and I had this movie ranked in our Top 10 (of 20) for the month of
September. In retrospect, my #6 was estimating this a little too highly whereas
I should have probably listed it closer to #10, as Selina did. Alas, hindsight
is what it is. I digress…
My expectation for this film was a light-hearted Disneyfied
superhero origins story befitting a Disney Channel production. I imagine I wasn’t
too far from the mark, but it still seems I over-estimated.
The mouse house has a bit of a roller-coaster track record
on its productions. There have been some stellar shows and movies, and on the
flip side, there have been some less so. We’ll call those “basic Disney.” On the
one end of the spectrum, you have excellent work such as Descendants (2015). On the other end, you have…well…this. Okay, to
be fair, this film did manage to be a little more likable and less frenetic
than Artemis Fowl (2020).
The verdict isn’t all bad, though. Secret Society of Second Born Royals wasn’t a complete flop. I did
enjoy it, so please don’t misunderstand me. I’m just slightly disappointed that
the movie didn’t live up to its potential. There is an opening left by this
film’s ending, however, that says there’s room for sequels. Hopefully, they’ll
up their game with any future installments.
If the premise of the movie and overall content were
directed at a slightly younger audience, I would understand, and give more
credit. Unfortunately, this appears to be aimed at young teens – and today’s
movie-going teenagers are a bit more sophisticated in the ways of
action/adventure movies than this film gives them credit for. When you compare
with other titles available on the same streaming platform, this adds up to
merely a superhero-lite movie with training wheels.
There are good points, however. While most of the teen
characters are played by fresh-faced up-and-comers, there’s no doubt that
Disney was pulling on the popularity of its show Andi Mack (2017-2019) with Peyton Elizabeth Lee (Shameless, The Lion Guard, Stumptown) in
the lead. I was surprised to see Greg Bryk (Ad
Astra, Code 8, My Spy) and Skylar Astin (Pitch Perfect, Ghosts of War, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist), and enjoyed
their performances. I do wish that they would have given a bit more oomph to
Bryk’s character.
The settings were believable and allowed immersion into the
story. I just wish that the special effects could have lived up to the
characters’ potentials regarding their powers. The production team got the
general point across so that it wasn’t cheesily lacking – it just doesn’t stack
up with theater release production quality.
I do feel that bonus points are due, though, for the story
including a best friend pairing of opposite sexes without some sort of romance
being involved. I appreciated the messages of friendship and teamwork as well.
It’s generally a core tenet of “basic Disney,” after all.
All told, I’d recommend this film for fans of the aforementioned
Andi Mack show, and probably middle-school-aged kids. There’s some very mild
violence involved with the movie, but otherwise, it’s fairly tame in that
regard. This isn’t something you’d want to watch immediately after a Marvel
marathon, however.
