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Streaming Services: Shudder Movie Name/Year: Teddy (2021) Genre: Horror Length: 88 minutes Rating: Unrated Production/Distribution: Shudder, Baxter Films, Les Films Velvet, The Jokers,
Canal+, Ciné+, WTFilms, Indéfilms 8, SofiTVciné 7, Région
Occitanie/Pyrénées-Méditerranée, Centre national du cinéma et de l'image
animée, Société des Producteurs de Cinéma et de Télévision, Cine Canibal Directors: Ludovic Boukherma, Zoran
Boukherma Writers: Ludovic Boukherma, Zoran
Boukherma Actors: Anthony Bajon, Christine
Gautier, Ludovic Torrent, Guillaume Mattera, Jean-Michel Ricart, Alain Boitel,
Noémie Lvovsky Blurb from IMDb: In a rural French town, twenty-something Teddy
is scratched by an unknown beast and slowly undergoes frightening changes.
Cat’s Point of View:
At this moment, I’m finding it hard to put my feelings about
Teddy into words. I’m conflicted. Let’s rewind a little bit. When Selina and I watched the trailer for Teddy, prior to putting our respective
Top 20 lists together, I gave this a 4.5
out of 5 rating reflecting my desire to watch the film. I noted that it looked
like a fun dark comedy coming-of-age tale focusing on the titular young spa
employee. Teddy landed at #13 on my
personal Top 20, while Selina was a bit less optimistic – listing the movie as
#19 on hers. Now that the credits have rolled, I find myself leaning more
in her direction.
Teddy wasn’t
horrible, don’t get me wrong. I just feel like there was a lot of buildup
throughout the production and too little payoff.
Events begin oddly. Unfortunately, Teddy only
builds momentum with its awkwardness rather than offering relief through story
satisfaction. I imagine that it’s a hard and awkward life to be the
village black sheep in such a tiny community as shown in Teddy. The production went full bore on those elements, however,
and teased the wolf more than I would have liked. I’m not sure if Teddy suffered from low budget woes
resulting in some of those decisions, or if the odd and drawn-out process was
purposeful. Each part was acted well. I just couldn’t seem to invest in
any of the characters.
Where was my werewolf?! I think that’s my biggest
frustration with Teddy. I didn’t even get the dry dark comedy I was
looking forward to. I had a couple chuckles, but Teddy took itself more seriously than I felt it should have. I’m not sure that I would actively steer anyone away from Teddy, but I doubt I’d offer the
title up if asked for recommendations. Be that as it may, you can watch Teddy and judge for yourself starting Thursday, August 5th on Shudder.
Rotten
Tomatoes Critic Score – None Rotten
Tomatoes Audience Score – None Metascore – None Metacritic
User Score – None IMDB
Score – 6.3/10 Trust
the Dice: Parental Advisory Rating – R Trust
the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 2.5/5 Movie Trailer:
Production Companies:
Aloupis Productions, Hacienda Film Co.
Producer: Tony
Aloupis, Bernie Gewissler, Joe Krieg, Andrew Mysko, Cory Neal, Carol Randinelli
Stark
Director: Tony
Aloupis
Writer: Tony
Aloupis
Actors: Evan
Peters, Juno Temple, Kevin Alejandro, Jason Beghe, Christine Lahti, Ariel
Winter, Will Peltz, Don Stark, Matthew Ziff, Joel Gretsch, Ever Carradine,
Meaghan Martin, Joe Krieg, Lee Garlington, Gigi Rice, Roma Maffia, Taylor
Boggan
Blurb from Netflix:
A lonely teen bullied for his limp and a runaway who turns tricks at a truck
stop embark on a road trip and discover a new world of possibilities.
Selina’s Point of View:
This is generally the kind of drama I tend to steer away
from. From beginning to end I tend to feel like absolutely nothing happens,
nothing changes, and the plot is pointless.
Straight dramas are just not my thing.
I attempted to put that attitude aside in order to enjoy it.
I failed. Mostly, I was just bored.
Juno Temple (Sin City:
A Dame to Kill For, Maleficent, Mr. Nobody) was outstanding in her role,
but Evan Peters (American Horror Story,
Adult World, The Lazarus Effect) was a little on the unbelievable side to
me. I felt like the limp wasn’t quite realistic enough for me to believe the story.
Sometimes the limp was more pronounced, other times it looked like he forgot to
limp at all. Since the very core of the story is based around that limp, that’s
a big issue.
All the other main actors followed Temple’s lead. There
weren’t any that I had an issue with. Jason Beghe (Chicago P.D., X-Men: First Class, Chicago Fire) played the sick and
waning father figure wonderfully. Christine Lahti (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Jack & Bobby, Chicago Hope)
was very believable, however, I kept putting Katey Sagal (Pitch Perfect 2, Sons of Anarchy, Futurama) as the part of Peg in
my mind… so every time Lahti’s face came on screen I was momentarily confused.
That’s not Lahti’s fault. It’s mine and I don’t know why it happened.
Some of background actors irked me, like the actor that
played the main bully – I think it was Will Peltz (Unfriended, As Cool As I Am, The Outskirts). Nothing he said or did
landed well. Everything he did was like an over-exaggeration or parody of what
it was supposed to be.
I guess the plot itself was fine, it just didn’t resonate
with me. It might, however, resonate with hardcore drama fans. You’d have to be
a fan of the genre though.
Cat’s Point of View:
I thought this movie would be interesting when it came to
our attention during our monthly Top Twenty. It was, indeed. Though, as I come
away from watching it; I find myself feeling down.
This film goes to some dark places – though, I get it. What
better way to illustrate the beacon of safety that the lighthouses represent.
There was a thread of hope laced in to the tale, but it didn’t seem to be
enough to shake the overall bleak feeling.
Evan Peters (Never
Back Down, The Good Doctor, Elvis & Nixon) and Juno Temple (Wild Child, Horns, Away) both knocked
their roles out of the park. Peters captured that teen awkwardness well and you
could just feel the internal struggle of both characters.
There were a few moments of levity scattered through the
seriousness of this drama – and one was entirely subtle on the level of an
Easter egg.
I loved Christine Lahti’s (Smart People, Petunia, Touched with Fire) character, Peg. The
redheaded spitfire is the glue that holds the elements of this movie together.
I couldn’t help but notice her hairstyle and some of her mannerisms reminded me
heavily of the character Peg Bundy from Married
With Children (1987-1997). I had a giggle. Things that make you go ‘hmm.’
I don’t think I’ll be watching this one again, just because
I didn’t like the low place it left me in. I would definitely recommend this
movie to anyone who enjoys a good drama – regardless of how it twists you up by
the end.
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 6%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 28%
Netflix’s Prediction for Selina – 4/5
Selina’s Trust-the-Dice Score – 2/5
Netflix’s Prediction for Cat – 4/5
Cat’s Trust-the-Dice Score
– 4/5
P.S. There’s a
short, somewhat pointless, scene after the credits.
Producer: Jason
Blum, Jeanette Brill, Bailey Conway, Phillip Dawe, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones,
Charles Layton, Jessica Malanaphy, Jeff Okin, Rick Osako, Matthew Parker, Scott
Stewart, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein
Director: Scott
Stewart
Writer: Scott
Stewart
Actors: Keri
Russell, Josh Hamilton, Dakota Goyo, Kadan Rockett, J.K. Simmons, L.J. Benet,
Rich Hutchman, Myndy Crist, Annie Thurman, Jake Brennan, Ron Ostrow, Tom Costello,
Marion Kerr, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Josh Stamberg, Judith Moreland, Kenneth
Meseroll, Trever St. John, Andy Umberger, Michael Patrick McGill,
Blurb from Netflix:
A couple has trouble convincing friends and neighbors that an alien is entering
their house each night to terrorize their children.
Selina’s Point of View:
Who writes these Netflix blurbs? This is another great
example of a bad blurb by Netflix. The only part of it that’s really true is “an
alien is entering their house each night.” Does someone over there just watch
the trailer and guess what the movie is about? If so, they should probably stop
that. Trailers aren’t always as true to their movies as they should be.
Moving on.
This movie was interchangeable with every other alien-based
movie in existence. In two months, if someone describes the film looking for a
title, I’ll wind up going through 15 titles before I guess the correct one.
The only impression Dark
Skies left on me is that producers need to find something new to do with
aliens. Sometimes recipe films can be as comforting as chicken soup, but not
when there’s nothing at all to elevate them to a level where you can tell them
apart from the other recipe films they follow.
It wasn’t bad, but it certainly wasn’t good either. It just
was.
Meh.
Cat’s Point of View:
I’ve actually seen this movie before, more than once. I
really enjoy the film – though, that’s not why I’ve seen it the handful of
times that I have. It’s been making its rounds through cable movie channels for
a while now, and so I’ve just caught it here and there. I gave it another go
for fresh perspective for the purposes of this review, and I didn’t mind.
It was just as eerie and suspenseful – partially thanks to
the brilliant sound & music team. The background score sets the tone for
the scenes so well that nothing inherently special could be going on and the
suspense and sense of unease would still be building because the music or
ambient sounds was taking you there.
Keri Russell (August
Rush, Austenland, The Americans) had a stand-out performance in this role.
It was very easy to emotionally connect with her. Of course, Josh Hamilton (J Edgar, The Wait, Experimenter) did a
great job with his role as well. I wasn’t really connecting as well with the
youngest child; though. I did enjoy the older boy’s performance by Dakota Goyo
(Arthur, Real Steel, Rise of the
Guardians). He captured the awkwardness of his character excellently.
The basic day-to-day struggles of this particular family are
relevant and relatable. It gives a good grounding foundation before anything
out of the ordinary is layered on top of their situation.
I am torn on how I feel about some of the special effects.
On one hand, I appreciate that having appearances be a bit more nebulous allows
the production to bypass the risk of things looking fake or hokey in this
digital HD age. On the other hand, it leaves you wanting more and possibly
takes away from the believability for some scenes.
I would definitely recommend the movie, and I’ll likely find
myself watching it again in the future when it comes back around on cable.
Production Companies:
Big Talk Productions, StudioCanal
Producer: James
Biddle, Jenny Borgars, Dan Cheesbrough, Danny Gulliver, Martin Heriot, Matthew
Justice, Christine Langan, Joe Oppenheimer, Nira Park, Simon Pegg, Danny
Perkins, Rachael Prior
Director: Ben
Palmer
Writer: Tess
Morris
Actors: Lake
Bell, Simon Pegg, Ophelia Lovibond, Olivia Williams, Henry Lloyd-Hughes,
Dean-Charles Chapman, Rory Kinnear, Stephen Campbell Moore, Sharon Horgan, Ken
Scott, Harriet Walter, Simona Brown
Blurb from Netflix:
A single woman seizes an opportunity when, while standing under a train station
clock, she meets a stranger who mistakes her for his blind date.
Selina’s Point of View:
I absolutely adore Simon Pegg (Kill Me Three Times, Hector and the Search For Happiness, Star Trek).
Between his comedic timing and acting talent, I rarely ever find fault with his
performance. This movie was no exception. He was fantastic, and so was Lake
Bell (Children’s Hospital, Million Dollar
Arm, Miss Match).
The first 20 minutes of this film didn’t really speak to me.
There was nothing really wrong with it. In fact, almost all of it was expected
because of the trailer. However, there were a few moments in the beginning that
were so predictable, without the help of advertisements, it almost hurt. At one
point, one of the characters said their line, and I knew what the response
would be so completely that I spoke it along with the main character.
That shouldn’t happen. This was my first time seeing it. I
hate that kind of thing.
There were a lot of basic rom-com tropes, but I don’t really
believe this film could be considered a full-on recipe film. If anything, it
might be considered a new take on a recipe. Either way, it definitely had unique
and original moments.
As the movie went on, I found myself being drawn more and
more into it. By the end, my emotions were flowing along with what Ben Palmer (The Inbetweeners, Sun Trap, Bo’ Selecta!)
and Tess Morris (The Love Punch, My
Family, Hollyoaks) were trying to create.
Man Up is
definitely worth a watch, and not just for the rom-com crowd, either.
Cat’s Point of View:
I have two words to describe this movie: bloody brilliant.
That’s it, really. On to the next movie.
Okay, you’ve got me – April Fools and all that.
Honestly, though, the short and sweet of it is that I loved
this movie. It warmed the cockles of my snarky heart, I laughed, and I even
caught myself tossing my hands above my head with a shout of ‘yes!!!’ at one
point. (Watching at home, alone, lets me talk to the screen! Go Netflix!)
It was apropos that the film had a small train theme in it.
I got on board with Lake Bell’s (Pride and Glory, Burning Palms, No Escape)
character and I was swept along for the whole ride. I loved how she and Simon
Pegg’s (The Adventures of Tintin, A Fantastic Fear of Everything, Absolutely
Anything) character interacted. There was a wonderful chemistry there.
I wouldn’t have pegged him as a romantic lead, but this
movie shows a really good range for him that showcases his acting chops at more
than just comedy. (Yes, I did that on purpose. Not sorry.)
Even though this movie was British, I am happy to report
that it wasn’t overly filled with Brit jargon. There was one Cockney Rhyming
Slang reference (and it was brilliant), but no one’s going to need to run to
the internet to search up English phrase translation.
The soundtrack to this film was also lots of fun. There are
some very recognizable 80’s tunes during significant scenes in the movie.
I would definitely recommend this film for anyone that’s in
the mood for a rollicking good time.
Tagline: Meet
Carl, his wife & the love of his life.
Genre: Drama
Length: 92
minutes
Rating: NR
Production Companies:
Banner House Productions, Vroom Productions
Producer: Emily
Alden, Kieran Crilly, Kirk D’Amico, Pierre Even, Pat Kiely, Marie-Claude
Poulin, Meaghan Rath, Matthew Shewchuk, Brian Vroom, Robert Vroom
Director: Pat
Kiely
Writer: Pat Kiely
Actors: Sam
Huntington, Meaghan Rath, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Reagan Pasternak, Jonathan
Cherry, Anne-Marie Cadieux, Dan Beirne, Aliocha Schneider, Dan Haber, Matt
Silver, James A. Woods, Darren Curtis, Marty Kiely, Melodie Simard
Blurb from Netflix:
Carl’s plan to reconnect with his wife is compromised when he learns that his
sexy ex-girlfriend is running the ski lodge where they are vacationing.
Selina’s Point of View:
I’ve seen a few reviews for this movie and they were
overwhelmingly bad everywhere except on Rotten Tomatoes. I don't think Three Night Stand was all that great,
but it wasn’t as bad in my eyes as others seemed to think.
There was definitely an issue with how the film was
advertised. The trailer and the blurbs all seem to indicate that this film is
more of a comedy than it is. Although it had a couple of semi-comedy moments,
nothing made me laugh or even giggle. It’s about as much of a comedy as the
Golden Globes tried to insist The Martian
(2015) was. (It’s not.)
Three Night Stand
might not have been the typical romantic drama either, but it was definitely
FULLY a romantic drama. Anyone who claims it was a comedy is wrong or lying.
This genre-trap-marketing happens pretty often and it’s a
terrible move. Producers need to learn that if you market to comedy fans then
comedy fans will watch your drama film and hate it.
With that said, this recipe film doesn’t differentiate
itself enough from the rest of the movies it resembles. Although there is some
intense realism, the conflicts are all predictable and not creatively
delivered. The acting was decent, but even that wasn’t enough to elevate this
film to a better level.
I wouldn’t say Three
Night Stand was unwatchable, but once is enough. Between the 10 minute long
awkward sex scene in the beginning of the movie, the implied mother/son incest
and the choppy script, I found myself cringing through the majority of the film.
Definitely not in a good way.
Cat’s Point of View:
There’s no way I can really sugar coat this. I really didn’t
like this movie.
I’m not really even sure exactly what it was that drove me
the most nuts about it. It simply fell flat to me, and I felt awkwardness where
I probably should have found humor. I also didn’t see the correlation of the
title to the film.
There was a lot of ‘ugh’ where there should have been
‘awwh.’
To be fair, I’ve got a toothache at the moment that feels
like I’ve been shot in the jaw. That could possibly be coloring the movie a
little harshly for me.
I don’t know, though - I just wasn’t all that entertained. If
I were pain free, I can’t say that I’d like it much better. I can’t think of
something more eloquent to say about it beyond: “bless their hearts, they
tried.”
The one thing I liked about the film was that Sam Huntington
(Superman Returns, Fanboys, Veronica Mars)
and Meaghan Rath (I Me Wed, Cyberbully,
Banshee) were in it. I enjoyed watching them in Being Human (2011-2014) now and again.
If there weren’t familiar faces in the movie, I probably
would have cancelled full screen mode and have been counting the minutes until
it was over.
Tagline: This is
Eli Pettifog. He’s got a score to settle, and it’s gonna get hairy.
Genre: Comedy
Length: 97
minutes
Rating: PG-13
Production Companies:
Love Lane Pictures
Producer: Sarah
Bird, Stacy Blain, Stephanie Ingrassia, Tim Ingrassia, Sophia Lin, Avram
Ludwig, Jason Mraz, Jim Walden
Director: Billy
Kent
Writer: Sarah
Bird, Billy Kent, Adam Wierzbianski
Actors: Alex
Wolff, Brendan Fraser, Julia Garner, Michael Oberholtzer, Parker Posey, Greta
Lee, Teddy Bergman, Robin de Jesus, Elisabeth Hower, Fred Melamed, Austin
Pendleton, Kimiko Glenn, Toby Huss, Lizzy DeClement, Colman Domingo
Blurb from Netflix:
When 14-year-old genius and outcast Eli Pettifog is rejected from Harvard, he
ends up at Ivy League wannabe Whittman College. It’s hate at first sight. At
Whittman, Eli meets 41-year-old freshman Leo Searly.
Selina’s Point of View:
I’m not sure what I expected from HairBrained, but it wasn’t what I got.
What I got was a basic sports-recipe by way of a trivia
contest that was mixed with something not totally unlike The New Guy (2002). It was a decent recipe and not a terrible movie…
but I’m a little disappointed.
I expect more from indie films.
Indie films have their pitfalls. They usually have lower
budgets, less-known actors, and first time writers/directors that haven’t had
time to grow. However, they have a lot of benefits, too. Indie movies don’t have
to play it safe because they don’t answer to a big company. No one’s throwing
millions of dollars into making those films, so they’ve got less to lose and
everything to gain.
What would Clerks (1994)
be like if Kevin Smith had just copy and pasted a random recipe into it? What
about Pulp Fiction (1994)? What would
Pulp Fiction, arguably the best indie
film in existence, be like if Quentin Tarantino had just decided to play it
safe?
Recipe films are for the big-budget production companies
that play it safe to save money.
HairBrained wasn’t
a bad movie, but I feel like it could have been remarkable if the people in
charge had taken more risks with what they had. The few risks they did take
paid off big time and became very memorable.
Unfortunately, I don’t believe it was enough.
Cat’s Point of View:
For those that judge by the cover – beware. This movie is
not about misfits that bond over tennis, as the poster suggests.
This movie is odd, quirky, likable, and unexpected.
I loved that this film was about a genius kid and his smart
friends – and yet, doesn’t even try to get too cerebral. In fact, this movie
thumbs its nose at pretentious snobbery.
While it does follow a bit of a predictable recipe in some
places, I like that it was still marching to the beat of its own drum. Sure,
the underdog competition story has been told a million times in different ways
– from team sports to singing competitions – though, this movie managed to find
a seldom used niche of that genre.
I think I’ve said it before – I love Brendan Fraser (The Last Time, Standoff, The Nut Job).
He has a remarkable ability to blend goofy with sincerity. Though, sometimes
his roles go way over the top on the goofy side until sometimes it’s a bit
ridiculous. This is not the case here. There’s a good balance with his
character between the immature humor and a sizable dose of wisdom.
Alex Wolff (The Naked
Brothers Band, The Sitter, Coming Through the Rye) was a brilliant
straight-man for this film. His delivery was so deadpan; it was beautiful. I
haven’t seen any of his other work, but I am now inclined to look something
else up – just to see how he handles a different type of role.
I think this movie has a lot to offer, is highly enjoyable,
and I’d gladly recommend it.
Tagline: Leo just
met the love of his life. At her wedding.
Genre: Comedy
Length: 97
minutes
Rating: R
Production Companies:
Serendipity Point Films, Nomadic Pictures
Producer: Stephen
Alix, Paula Devonshie, Michael Frislev, Ari Lantos, Robert Lantos, Tara Moross,
Mark Musselman, Chad Oakes
Director: Jeremiah
S. Chechik
Writer: Megan
Martin, Tim Sandlin
Actors: Ryan
Kwanten, Sara Canning, Ryan McPartlin, Kristen Hager, James A. Woods, Raoul
Bhaneja, Jennifer Baxter, Will Sasso, Catherine O’Hara, Maria Menounos, Mateen
Devji, Maya Samy
Blurb from Netflix:
Writer/dreamer/dishwasher Leo Palamino faces a dilemma of epic proportions when
he meets the girl of his dreams on her wedding day.
Selina’s Point of View:
I’ve been sitting here for roughly fifteen minutes trying to
figure out what to say about the movie I just finished watching. It’s not easy.
The beginning of the film was so cringe-worthy that I had
trouble watching it because I was shifting in my seat. Some people enjoy that
kind of cringe-factor, I don’t. I guess I have a very sensitive sense of embarrassment.
There was no real issue with the cast. Ryan Kwanten (Knights of Badassdom, Griff the Invisible,
Not Suitable for Children) is a funny guy and just has that teddy-bear-hug-me
look to him. Perfect for the quirky, not quite normal, romantic comedy part. Sara
Canning (Remedy, I Put a Hit on You,
Primeval: New World) was decent in her part as well, Will Sasso (The Britishes, Beautiful Girl, MADtv) is
always hilarious, and Catherine O'Hara (Home Alone, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Beetlejuice) is a point of wonderful nostalgia for me.
The problem was not the actors. I don’t think the problem
even fell with the director. I think I really just didn’t like the story.
In fact, with a change of soundtrack and a different ending
this could easily become a thriller.
I just don’t have any interest in a romantic comedy that
makes the stalker the good guy. I like weird, I think that might have been a
little too weird for me.
Ladies and gentlemen, if someone is following you everywhere
you go and watching every move you make. That is not harmless. Call the cops.
Cat’s Point of View:
I didn’t think that I was really in the mood for a rom-com
at the outset of watching this movie. In fact, when my attention starts to
bounce around (which it does a lot, I can’t help it), I tend to fidget.
Surprisingly, I didn’t fidget this time. I’d like to think
that it was because the movie was just downright entertaining.
I laughed, I winced, and I think I actually said ‘awwwwh’
out loud at one point, too.
Ryan Kwanten (Red
Hill, Mystery Road, 7500) stole my heart as the adorably hot doofus on True Blood (2008-2014). I’ve missed
seeing him on the screen since then. I think he was a marvelous casting choice
for his role in this film.
He can pull off comedy and the serious elements with equal
skill, and he seems fearless when it comes to physicality in roles. I’m not
just talking about getting in the buff for sexytime, geez!
I loved Sara Canning’s (The
Vampire Diaries, I Think I Do, Eadweard) character, Collette, in this movie
as well. She delivered both snark and sincerity deftly.
There were so many elements of this movie that I enjoyed.
I’d definitely recommend this film to anyone who enjoys reveling in the
rightness of being ‘so wrong’ sometimes.
Production Companies:
Miramax, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, This Is That Productions
Executive Producer:
William Horberg, Bruce Toll
Director: Greg
Mottola
Writer: Greg
Mottola
Actors: Jesse
Eisenberg, Kelsey Ford, Michael Zegen, Ryan McFarland, Jack Gilpin, Wendie
Malick, Matt Bush, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Martin Starr, Kristen Stewart,
Ryan Reynolds, Margarita Levieva, Josh Pais, Mary Birdsong
James is used to not having to worry about money. When his
father is demoted, however, he’s forced to put aside his hopes for a European
vacation and an ivy league college and take up a job at a theme park.
Selina’s Point of View:
I’m a fan of Ryan Reynolds (Self/less, R.I.P.D., Green Lantern), so I’ve been interested in Adventureland for a while. To be honest,
I also wanted to see how Kristen Stewart (American
Ultra, Camp X-Ray, Still Alice) would do in a movie that wasn’t a crapfest
of sparkly vampires. I really haven’t seen much of her in other parts, so I’m
curious.
To be honest, I don’t think this was Reynold’s best work.
His performance was a little flat. That could be what was called for in order
to portray his character well, but he came off as boring to me.
Stewart, on the other hand, was a pleasant surprise. She
wasn’t bad and it makes me wonder if she got her reputation for being so
emotionless because she had to be to pull off the vapid and depthless character
of Bella. She’s not the most amazing actress to ever grace the silver screen,
but I don’t think she deserves the hate that she gets. In the case of any actor
involved in the Twilight series:
blame the writer, not the actor.
The movie was weird. Not a bad weird, just weird. I think
that’s the general effect of starring Jesse Eisenberg (American Ultra, Now You See Me, The Social Network). He’s got the
most spectacularly punchable face and he pulls off super awkward more than any
other actor except, maybe, Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Kick-Ass, Neighbors, Fright Night).
I think the real issue, is that you have to be into movies
like this to really enjoy Adventureland.
It’s not exactly a movie for people just dipping their toe into the genre. It’s
very geared toward teenage romance with just a little drama. I tend to prefer
movies that involve a lot of anticipation and that make my heart jump. I’ve
seen some romances that could do it, but not this one.
It wasn’t bad, and I’d even recommend it to some people. It’s
just not for everyone.
Cat’s Point of View:
To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this
film. I’m not the biggest fan of Jesse Eisenberg (The Hunting Party, Rio, Night Moves). I do enjoy a handful of his
movies, though. I was hoping that this movie might have comedy on par with his
performance in Zombieland (2009).
Then, take into consideration Kristen Stewart (Into the Wild, Jumper, The Runaways).
She is excellent in portraying morose and flustered. Her performance in the
movies she is most noted for is rather one-note on that level.
Further, what was up with Ryan Reynolds (Safe House, The Croods, Woman in Gold)
and the last mention in the opening credits? I digress. That really doesn’t
have any bearing on the film, itself, after all.
Survey says? I bought what this movie was selling 106
minutes of nostalgia. This flick took me back to a time when we had a small
amusement park in town when I was growing up. Sadly, it closed in the 90’s
after a tornado literally bent the Ferris wheel in half.
Can we also talk about Em’s car??? It was a Pacer, of all
things. The first car I remember my parents owning was a silver Pacer. For
unrelated extra credit – can you name other movies that little bubble car has
appeared in?
I must give kudos to the music department for this movie.
The soundtrack selection was well timed within the film, and was a crazy
eclectic mix. There were 41 songs from the 1980’s packed into this film. The
Cure made an appearance, in addition to David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Judas
Priest, Whitesnake, and the Replacements – just to name a few. See if you can
catch all the Easter eggs involving The Velvet Underground.
Sonic landscape aside, the movie was relatable. I liked the
performances by Eisenberg and Stewart more than I thought I would. Their
connection was there, and I didn’t feel like I was watching automatons.
Brace yourself for the bad pun – I enjoyed the emotional
roller-coaster. It wasn’t a huge one that had me crying or clutching my chest
or anything, but I did feel something.
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 88%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 60%
Netflix’s Prediction for Selina – 4/5
Selina’s Trust-the-Dice Score – 3/5
Netflix’s Prediction for Cat – 3/5
Cat’s Trust-the-Dice Score
– 3.5/5
P.S. There’s a commercial for the Adventureland theme park seen
in the movie near the middle of the credits. There are also some very familiar
names in the “Special Thanks” portion.
