Change Your Image
littleangelik
Reviews
The Emoji Movie (2017)
Not as bad as some make it out to be
Okay, obviously people feel the need to be utterly sarcastic and ridiculous about tearing this movie down, but I didn't think it was that bad. Honestly people, there are worse movies, like Inside Out, Chicken Run, Angry birds and every recent live action Disney remake (Sorry, but the live action Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King and the rest are pathetic).
Is The Emoji Movie a cinematic masterpiece? No, but it has a decent (albeit predictable) storyline with a positive message (about embracing who you are). I would definitely choose this over some of the other garbage that passes for children's movies these days.
Little Women (2019)
Good remake, clunky timeline
I finally saw this version and thought it was well done. It's refreshing to have a real family film that everyone can watch. The only complaint I have is that things get confusing with the back and forth timeline, making the story not flow very well. Also, as well acted as this remake was Winona Ryder will always be the best Jo March (I still prefer the 1994 version).
Fuller House (2016)
Definitely not the same Full House we grrew up with
There are charming and sweet aspects to this show and I will probably keep watching all the seasons just to see how it ends. However, in many ways this show is mere shell of the original family friendly show of the 90's.
With that being said, I don't want to bash the show, but I will give the facts, so viewers can decide for themselves.
-Overall, the show has more adult jokes and innuendo than the original show.
-There are homosexual jokes and political bashing. A homosexual teen joins the show in a later season.
-The "girls" (DJ, Stephanie, and Kimmy) party and drink. Stephanie is especially implied to have a wild side, and it is hinted that she promiscuous.
-It is eventually revealed that Stephanie is infertile. This leads to the topics of IFV and surrogacy so she can have a baby with her boyfriend (not her husband). These topics can be controversial for some people and definitely confusing for children who may be watching.
-From my own personal view many of the story lines and jokes simply fall flat. Just not as fun and heartwarming as the original series. Although seeing DJ and Steve get back together is a plus.
Take from this what you will...
Toy Story 4 (2019)
A nice wrap up to a great series. Better than expected.
I enjoyed all the previous Toy Story movies and was skeptical (as many were) about a fourth instalment. After all, what could be done after Andy passed off the toys to Bonnie? Although not as good as the other three, Toy Story 4 did manage to bring an additional conclusion to the story, and I felt it was done rather well. I think those who said this was more of an end to Woody's story were on the mark, especially since the focus was on him and Bo. Let's just hope that this is the final, final instalment. Please don't ruin what you have done Disney/Pixar. Sometimes you just need to leave well enough alone.
Holmes & Watson (2018)
Not great but still had some laughs. Very average.
This IS Will Ferrell so if you're expecting high quality entertainment forget about it. With that being said this movie is better than some he put out (somewhat raunchy but tamer than some) and has a few laughs. If you can overlook the political potshots for what they are then you won't see this movie as a complete wash.
Absolution (2006)
A Pleasant Surprise
Just saw this movie. At first I thought it would be a (typical) dig against the Catholic Church, but thankfully it wasn't. In fact, I was touched to see a young woman actually be drawn back into her faith. My only criticism is that they had a scene where the main character was re-baptized, which wouldn't happen in the Catholic Church.
Life of the Party (2018)
Okay movie, falls short of its potential
Saw this movie over the weekend and had mixed feelings. This was not the worst movie ever, but I felt it could have been so much better. Attending the same college as your daughter to finish your degree--golden opportunity for comedy greatness. Instead, it comes across as awkward in this movie as if McCarthy's character and her daughter are trying to be friends rather than showing appropriate boundaries in their relationship. Case in point, McCarthy's character) partying with her daughter--okay to a point, but when Dee-Dee (McCarthy's character) gets drunk and starts sleeping with a college guy about half her age (not to mention the vagina jokes), it shows poor taste.
It's not that there weren't funny moments in the movie, they were just spoiled by the unnecessary crassness that was thrown in. Then again, that is typical of most comedies these days. Apparently, nothing can be humorous without some smut thrown in for good measure.
Let There Be Light (2017)
Another Mediocre Christian Movie
As a Catholic Christian (yes, we Catholics are actually Christians), I have mixed feelings towards evangelical Christian movies (as I always have, even when I was an evangelical). Although I appreciate what Christian media does in an attempt to share Jesus, the results are often hokey and creates an "us against them" mentality. In this case, it's the all-atheists-are-out-to-get-Christians scenario. While there is a sense that growing secularism is attempting to restrict Christian freedom, most atheists aren't trying to outright destroy Christianity. Indeed, very few atheists are of the Christopher Hitchens/Richard Dawkins "God-is-evil" mentality.
Aside from that, these movies tend to paint an unrealistic picture of how things work. The harsh realities of life tend to get glossed over with the premise that while life is difficult, God will just magically make everything okay. Take Sorbo's character's loss of his son. He became a drunk who denied God, but no effort was shown that he needed to work through a grieving process before moving on. Instead the character has a near-death experience where he sees his son, ends up talking to his wife's pastor, then BAM--he's suddenly a Christian. The same happens when the wife is diagnosed with a brain tumor. As she is dying, she glosses over her (living) sons' fears by saying that her death will be like her "being in the next room." Sorry, but this is hardly comforting in the real world, even for a Christian. It is just too simplistic and denies the struggles that people face.
My thought is that if Christian media wants to be effective, they need to show faith being worked out in a strong, yet generic sense (as opposed to an in-your-face objective sense) with down to earth people truly working through their struggles.
As a side note, if we Christians truly want to make a difference in society we will focus more on prayer and righteous living, and less on propaganda.
Vacation (2015)
Pure Rubbish...Big Disappointment.
I loved the original Vacation movies, so I'm disappointed that I have to write a dismal review, but I feel it must be done.
First off, the so called "humor" is horrible, juvenile, and disgusting. This movie puts regular "bathroom jokes" and the grotesque to shame. Bathing in toxic waste, a cannibalistic cow, perverted sex talk (talks about 'rim jobs' and hearing about how Christina Applegate's character slept with 30 guys before she married Rusty is just sickening-way to spread VD, woman), and the f-bomb (throughout most of the movie)basically summarize this movie. It's sad how society has come to find such things as humorous and goes to show how low class "modern" people are. Yes, I realize that the original movies had swearing, bare-chested women, and some crude jokes, but the new Vacation goes over the top.
There is little substance to the plot, save that Rusty's character is trying to be there for his family by taking them on vacation. The plot and acting are simply awful. Even Chevy Chase's acting falls flat and does virtually nothing to redeem the horrible script.
For those who hail this as a family movie it is not. The 'R' rating indicates that. This is so NOT appropriate for children. There are much better ways to spend an hour and a half than by watching this monstrosity.
Girl Meets World (2014)
Sweet but misses its potential
As a fan of the original "Boy Meets World" I have mixed feelings about its spin off. Yes, I know that "Girl Meets World" is its own show but it misses much of what the original show brought to viewers. The good: Seeing Cory and Topanga and the sweet, family friendly nature of the show. Sadly that's where the good ends. "Girl" may be sweet but it is corny to the point of being childish (this could stem from the show being on the Disney Channel instead of ABC but that's beside the point). Cory and Topanga are are pathetic caricatures of themselves with little depth and no real parenting skills (they almost act like friends with their kids instead of parents). Riley comes off as squeaky clean and never gets into trouble. Give me a break. In fact none of the characters have any real depth or imagination. Maya, the best friend and supposed female "Shawn Hunter" of the show is hardly the trouble maker the original show had (Compare Maya's lame protest in class over having to do a homework assignment to Shawn blowing up a mail box with a cherry bomb-no contest to which is worse). And I don't buy Cory Matthews as the next Mr. Feeny. In short, if the show want to save itself, it should get back to exploring the timeless themes of love, family, and life in the realistic yet fun manner that "Boy Meets World" did.