Turtles All the Way Down (2024)

 

 

Streaming Service: HBO Max

Movie Name/Year: Turtles All the Way Down (2024)

Genre: Drama, Romance

Length: 1h 51min

Rating: PG-13

Director: Hannah Marks

Writers: John Green, Elizabeth Berger, Isaac Aptaker

Actors: Isabela Merced, Cree, Judy Reyes, Felix Mallard, Maliq Johnson, Miles Ekhardt, J. Smith-Cameron, Poorna Jagannathan, Tim Gooch, Jason Kientz, Hannah Marks, Rico Romalus Parker, Debby Ryan

RottenTomatoes Blurb: Turtles All the Way Down tackles anxiety through its 17-year-old protagonist, Aza Holmes. It's not easy being Aza, but she's trying... trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, and a good student, all while navigating an endless barrage of invasive, obsessive thoughts that she cannot control. When she reconnects with Davis, her childhood crush, Aza is confronted with fundamental questions about her potential for love, happiness, friendship, and hope.

 

Cat’s Point of View:

When I first watched the trailer for Turtles All the Way Down in preparation for May's Top 20 article, I will admit that I somewhat wrote it off as just another YA novel adaptation that would hit just about how they all do.

 

I am of 2 minds about that trailer now. First, it gave away far too much of the story. Without knowing all of the context, however, it's not entirely chock full of spoilers. (There are some big ones though, so keep that in mind if you decide to take a peek.) At the same time, it didn't fully capture how much Turtles All the Way Down hit differently than the typical YA flicks.

 

 

I never thought I'd have ugly tears over a car... but here we are. When I learned that the screenwriting team that adapted John Green's (Paper Towns, Let It Snow, The Fault in Our Stars) novel was the same duo behind the series This is Us (2016-2022), it made more sense. I cried with every episode of that one. (I'm not kidding. That's a story for another day.)

 

The basic elements were all there so that it comfortably fit into its teen romantic drama genre. Even so, there were just so many more layers to Turtles All the Way Down that resonated on a much deeper level.

 

 

 

While some of the actual medical terms/facts might be a little iffy – something I've seen a few reviews and even IMDb trivia poke at – that wasn't the point. I just let that go as I was watching. The substance of Isabela Merced's (Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Migration, Madame Web) character Aza's struggles was uncomfortably on-point all the same. I don't generally struggle with full-blown OCD, but I do understand anxiety and negative thought spirals. I understand getting locked inside my own head and absorbed in everything right in front of my face to the degree that I forget to communicate with others sometimes.

 

I could also identify with Aza's mom, played by Judy Reyes (Smile, Birth/Rebirth, Dr. Death). There are some days that I just question myself whether or not I'm doing enough - or if I AM enough – to help my own daughter with her mental health struggles. This can sometimes even be a trigger for my own thought spirals – she got a big chunk of her genetic jackpot from me.

 

 

 

At the same time, Turtles All the Way Down is just as much about hope and real connections between people as it is about finding a way to grow through mental struggles. I adored the friendship shown – and especially how these BFFs weren't perfect and were generally opposites, yet meshed all the same. I think Cree (Game Shakers, Mr. Iglesias, Big Sky) was an excellent fit for Daisy, as well.

 

I also appreciated how the ending both answered so many questions without epilogue and at the same time left much up in the air. I was left with a cathartic hopeful feeling. Turtles All the Way Down is absolutely worth giving a shot if Drama and Romance are genres you enjoy.

 

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 90%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 94%

Metascore – 64%

Metacritic User Score – 6.3/10

IMDB Score – 6.8/10

 

Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – /5

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4.5/5

 

Movie Trailer:

 

P.S. = If you or someone you know is suffering from anxiety or other mental health distress, there are resources available to you. Below are just a few of the options available. Just remember, you are not alone.

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)

• Mentalhealthhotline.org

• Anxiety Hotline – Available 24/7 - National Mental Health Hotline at 866-903-3787 to speak to a professional about anxiety symptoms and get help with mental health resources.

• crisistextline.org

• Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a volunteer Crisis Counselor 24/7 or

• Text CONNECT to 741741 for free, 24/7 help for specifically anxiety.

• Suicide & Crisis Lifeline - 24/7: Dial or Text 988
   

Blue Beetle (2023)

 

 

Streaming Service: MAX

Movie Name/Year: Blue Beetle (2023)

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Length:  2h 7min

Rating: PG-13

Director: Angel Manuel Soto

Writer: Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer

Actors: Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine, Becky G, Damián Alcázar, George Lopez, Adriana Barraza, Belissa Escobedo, Elpidia Carrillo, Susan Sarandon, Harvey Guillén, Raoul Max Trujillo, Jorge Jimenez, Eyra Aguero Joubert, Gabriella Ortiz, Modesto Lacen, Oshún Ramirez, Isabella Aparicio, Ayden Rivera, Xol Gonzalez

 

IMDb Blurb: An alien scarab chooses Jaime Reyes to be its symbiotic host, bestowing the recent college graduate with a suit of armor that's capable of extraordinary powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero known as Blue Beetle.

 

 

Cat’s Point of View:

I remember when Blue Beetle was about to hit theaters in August, and I was so frustrated because of my level of excitement for this movie. We couldn’t write about our anticipation for it in our usual Top 20 article for that month because the strike was still in full swing. If we had been able to give it a signal boost then, based on the trailer, it would have easily landed in my Top 10.

 

Blue Beetle offered an amazing origin story for this DC character. This was one superhero movie that I felt that they got absolutely right. It’s often hard to say that – especially about DC live action productions. There’s always just something a little off about them as the studio has tried so hard to emulate others and losing itself along the way. While they’ve excelled with their animated films, they just have had a hard time hitting their stride with parts played by people rather than pixels. Even now, they’re in the midst of rebooting the whole thing again with their new boss-man. I have lamented the loss of some of the players of these roles in the process… but the flip-side is that the ones that had no business returning will also be off the future projects as well. (We can hope, at least.) I digress…

 

 

 

Back to Blue Beetle!

 

I loved the path of character development for Jaime Reyes, played by Xolo Maridueña (Parenthood, Cleopatra in Space, Cobra Kai). As an aside, I was already a fan of Maridueña based on his previous work; but when he was on the screen as Jaime, I only saw that character and even forgot for a moment I recognized him.

 

The family dynamic was great and really gave a great foundation for the events of the story to spring from. Blue Beetle never lost sight of how human Jaime was under this new hero persona and how his newfound role had “real-world” stakes for those close to him. 

 

 

I have to circle back around to the cast again. George Lopez (Lopez vs. Lopez, Fool's Paradise, How the Gringo Stole Christmas) was on a roll this past year with some great parts that both showcased his range but also his comedic ability very well. His character of the “crazy uncle” was one of my favorites of the whole movie.

 

Blue Beetle had a little bit of everything – drama, action, family connection, a greedy villain and the powerful strings they could pull, comedy, cool tech, and even perhaps budding romance.

 

We can only hope that DC will do better by its superhero stories and their actors in the future – but for now we still have some real gems like Blue Beetle to enjoy. 

 

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score –  78%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 91%

Metascore – 61%

Metacritic User Score – 5.1/10

IMDB Score – 6.0/10

 

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4.5/5

 

Movie Trailer:

Meg 2: The Trench (2023)

 

 

Streaming Service: MAX 

Movie Name/Year: Meg 2: The Trench (2023) 

Genre: Action, Adventure, Horror, Sci-Fi 

Length:  1h 56min 

Rating: PG-13 

Director: Ben Wheatley 

Writers: Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, Dean Georgaris, Steve Alten 

Actors: Jason Statham, Jing Wu, Shuya Sophia Cai, Cliff Curtis, Page Kennedy, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Skyler Samuels, Melissanthi Mahut, Whoopie Van Raam, Kiran Sonia Sawar, Felix Mayr, Sienna Guillory 

 

IMDb Blurb: A research team encounters multiple threats while exploring the depths of the ocean, including a malevolent mining operation. 

 

 

Cat’s Point of View: 

As with The Meg (2018), I was eagerly anticipating the release of Meg 2: The Trench. My daughter and I were quick to watch it as soon as we could, and we weren’t disappointed.

 

There was a slight change in tone with the sequel, but that was to be expected. A few of the core initial cast did return to reprise their roles, and we were introduced to new characters – some of which may remain moving forward (hopefully). Cliff Curtis’s (Doctor Sleep, Reminiscence, Avatar: The Way of Water) character, Mac, remained mostly the same as a steadfast anchor for the meg surviving crew; while others reappeared with significant character progression.

 

 

I love how Jason Statham (Mechanic: Resurrection, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, The Beekeeper) and Shuya Sophia Cai' (Somewhere Only We Know, The Meg, Mr. Corman) relationship evolved in the passage of time since the first movie. Jonas and Meiying’s interactions are at the very heart of these movies and are a font of giggles, smiles, and worry while I watch their treacherous escapades.

 

I mentioned in my review of The Meg that it had given a great starting point, as well, for Page Kennedy’s (Rhett and Link's Buddy System, Snowfall, The Upshaws) character, DJ. While he might be seen somewhat as the comic relief of the group, he’s definitely not just thrown in the story for kicks. His character shows an actual arc of development from the experiences he survived in the first movie.

 

 

We also got introduced to some new characters, but most notably joining the central team was action veteran Jing Wu (Iron Man 3, The Wandering Earth, Ride On) as Jiyuming Zhang. His brilliant, yet somehow still naïve optimism is a driving force for quite a lot of the plot elements of this sequel – both involving the megs and the tangential chaos that once more emerges from what was supposed to be simple scientific expeditions in the deep.

 

The action  in Meg 2: The Trench remained on point (with Statham still performing pretty much all of his own stunts) and the effects didn’t disappoint. There was even a hilarious call-back Easter Egg referencing the first movie, as well as a very clear nod to Jurassic Park (1993) that I caught. (Since I have yet to read the books the movies have been adapted from, I couldn’t tell you whether or not this was an element of the production or if it was in the novels, also. I can, however, tell you that author Steve Alten’s meg series was published after Michael Chrichton’s dinoasaur novels and their original movie adaptations were released.)

 

 

The only factor that even remotely nags at me about this franchise is that it has lost a little bit of the terror involved with a creature feature horror flick by sticking to its PG-13 guns. There just isn’t enough carnage on the screen for what you’d expect from such a mammoth monster… or monsters, as the case may be, on the loose.  Even so, it’s still a lot of fun to watch and I remain hopeful that more movies in this franchise keep getting the green light. As I mentioned before, there are many books within Alten’s series that they can draw from, after all.

 

As of the time I’ve written this article, there is still no official word on whether or not there will be a third movie in this series. My appendages are still crossed and I hope you’ll give Meg 2: The Trench a chance if you’re a fan of this genre.

 

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 27% 

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 74% 

Metascore –  40% 

Metacritic User Score – 4.8/10 

IMDB Score – 5.0/10 

 

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4.5/5

 

 Movie Trailer:

 

Barbie (2023)

Streaming Service: Max
Movie Name/Year: Barbie (2023)
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
Length: 1h 54min
Rating: PG-13
Director: Greta Gerwig
Writer: Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach
Actors: Margot Robbie, Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Mackey, Hari Nef, Sharon Rooney, Ana Cruz Kayne, Dua Lipa, Ritu Arya, Nicola Coughlan, Emerald Fennell, Ryan Gosling, Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Ncuti Gatwa, Scott Evans, John Cena, Michael Cera, America Ferrara, Ariana Greenblatt, Helen Mirran, Will Ferrell
 
Blurb from IMDb: Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
I was a bit confused when Barbie was marketed with a PG-13 rating. It’s such a kid-friendly concept based on a kid’s toy, after all. After watching it, I have no doubt that they made the right choice. Barbie wasn’t talking to kids. It was talking to us.
 
Fifteen minutes into the film I was having fun and getting into it, but I still thought it would be a basic, silly, comedy. I was lost in the dreamworld concocted by the creative team. Once the titular character stepped foot into the real world, however, it became very clear that Barbie was going to be the kind of movie that spoke to deeper issues than a child’s toy usually does.
 
Getting a movie like this that speaks on the issues of inequality, especially in a time when we are moving backwards, was amazing. I don’t think I blinked throughout most of it. It was an extremely intense watch, that left me sitting in silence when it was over. Even with the mounds of comedic relief piling up throughout, the weight of the lessons within it took some time to digest.
 

If you’ve heard of anything about Barbie, you’ve definitely heard about America Ferrara’s (How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming, End of Watch, Ugly Betty) speech. Where her character breaks down how it feels to be a female in our society. How overloaded it can make one feel. Hearing that was something unlike anything I’ve ever felt before when watching a movie.
 
A whole lot of Barbie made me feel seen. I thought it would be a fun film, and it was, but it wasn’t JUST that.
 
That’s part of the problem that was pointed out in the movie. It was a female run project, based on a toy aimed at little girls, filled with a cast of women… and it felt like it would be just fun. Just a popcorn flick. The depth shouldn’t have been so surprising, especially with the PG-13 rating, but it was. Yet, if it was a superhero flick with an R-rating, we wouldn’t have had any doubt that the rating was earned in some way.
 
Barbie makes you look for the problems woven into our society, but also within. It deserves every single drop of praise it’s gotten.
 

Cat’s Point of View:
The first trailer for Barbie had me hooked. Right out of the gate, it was clear that this wasn’t going to be the movie everyone was expecting when it was announced that the iconic Mattel toy of so many childhoods was getting a full-length live-action movie. (I mean, really, who didn’t do a double-take at that announcement. Barbie was getting a real movie treatment that wasn’t some silly animation or something cutesy that would appear on a kids’ network.)
 
I went with a group to the theater, and my daughter and I giggled at the giant pink toy boxes people were waiting in line to take their pictures inside, as if they were a life-size Barbie doll too. It was a whole thing. We might actually have done so, but the lines of pink-clad people were just too long, and we didn’t have that kind of time.
 
Barbie blew me away. It defied all my expectations and gave us a really deep thought-provoking story. Sure, there was still a lot of silliness – but if there wasn’t, it really wouldn’t have been a movie about toys come to life. There was so much nostalgia steeped into every Barbie-land set piece and individual Barbies and Kens, too. I was going through a mental checklist at some points trying to figure out which themed Barbies were represented on screen. This was quite the roller-coaster from giggles to misty eyes.
 
This cast was ludicrously stacked with talent. Everyone wanted to get in on this girl-power movie. You could have a mini game based around picking out who was playing who. I’m still just noticing people that were in this film. I hadn’t realized ‘til just last week that Ncuti Gatwa (A Midsummer Night's Dream, Sex Education, Doctor Who) played one of the Kens. 
 

I nearly had a spit-take because of Weird Barbie, played by Kate McKinnon (The Spy Who Dumped Me, Bombshell, DC League of Super Pets). I think most of us that had Barbies inevitably had one doll that ended up like her. (I gave Malibu Barbie a mullet because for the longest time I didn’t have a Ken, so I’m guilty as charged, too.) McKinnon was perfect for that role, and I couldn’t envision anyone else with that part. That, of course, brings me to Margot Robbie (Neighbours, Amsterdam, Babylon). This film simply wouldn’t have worked on any level without her at the helm. Equally, I struggle to envision anyone other than Ryan Gosling (The Nice Guys, First Man, The Gray Man) as the lead Ken. (The behind-the-scenes story of why he eventually accepted the role is actually really funny and sweet, too.)
 
All the visuals were on point, and I loved how the bridge between how kids play with Barbies and the movements of the actual living figures was represented. The soundtrack was also a wild and wonderful trip from Billie Eilish’s song “What was I made for?” (which broke my heart) to Spice Girls and a Nicki Minaj collab of “Barbie World.”
 
Overall, Barbie was a feast for the eyes and had good messages, both full of feels and thought provoking. I just roll my eyes at anyone complaining that the movie was a feminist fever dream. Greta Gerwig (Nights and Weekends, Lady Bird, Little Women) is a genius. She was the perfect writer/director to take one of the most culturally significant toys ever to the big screen and create such an iconic movie that has, itself, become a cultural touchstone.
 
I would watch Barbie many times over and can only encourage any doubters to give it a chance.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 88%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 83%
Metascore – 80%
Metacritic User Score – 5.1
IMDB Score – 6.9/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 5/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 5/5
 
P.S. Max also has a sign language version of Barbie.
 
Movie Trailer: