Instant Family (2018) Review:

Every generation of humans has their set of families. Maybe not every family member has a line but most tend to. There are couples though who can’t decide what they want to do for starting a family. Having a family isn’t easy nor can things always turn out as expected, good or bad. As long as everyone has good intentions things should turn out okay. Having a family also doesn’t require going the natural way; adopting, surrogate and fostering children are a few options too. Well, this film explores one of those alternatives most people probably wouldn’t consider. Fostering is more like a trial period as opposed adopting right off the bat. It’s all based on one’s comfortability level too. It really depends on what everyone makes of it.

The story follows Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne), a childless couple who are looking for a little more meaning in their life. What they don’t realize is what will fill that void just yet. After speaking with some friends they decide perhaps fostering is the way to go. The kids they decide to foster are Lizzy (Isabela Merced), Juan (Gustavo Escobar) and Lita (Julianna Garniz). Written by John Morris (Hot Tub Time Machine (2010), Mr. Popper’s Penguins (2011), We’re the Millers (2013) and Daddy’s Home (2015)) and Sean Anders as well as directed several of the same pictures, this film is very much a feel good story that not only highlights the struggles of being a parent but also the rewards too. The narrative is actually quite realistic in its approach.

That is except for one part where Pete and Ellie are first learning about fostering children. Upon coming to the orphanage where they would be paired up, the people they meet and the sessions they attend seem unsupportive. Lead by Karen (Octavia Spencer) and Sharon (Tig Notaro), the two give some tips along the way in the couple’s development as well as the children. It’s understandable that many people are not ready for what they are about to agree too, but some of its treated like it was obvious. So was it intentional for the protagonists not to be told of some of their challenges they’ll face? It seems kind of wrong to do that. Overall though the story teaches important lessons about becoming a family and learning to be understanding of one and another as hard as it can be sometimes.

Characters are likable and have charm in this movie. While Mark Wahlberg is known for playing his characters fairly the same throughout his movies, the role he has here feels very much like what he could be as a real father. Also since he has starred in comedies, it’s no surprise he’s here. Rose Byrne as Ellie also has experience in comedic films although she is probably best known from Insidious (2010) and its films. Margo Martindale appears as Grandma Sandy (Pete’s mom) who has some funny lines to say too. Martindale also had roles starting in The Rocketeer (1991) and more recently in Cocaine Bear (2023). As for the foster children, Isabela Merced as Lizzy is convincing in her role considering prior to this her biggest break was Michael Bay’s Transformers: The Last Knight (2017). She would a year later play Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019).

Gustavo Escobar and Julianna Garniz are both very new to acting so there isn’t much to say on them yet other than their performances here were good too. The cinematography was handled by Brett Pawlak and looks good for what’s shot. Pawlak’s only entry at the time worth noting was Max Steel (2016). Lastly for the film score, Michael Andrews was the composer for the music. Originally starting out with Donnie Darko (2001), then Bridesmaids (2011) and Daddy’s Home (2015), the film score sounds very contemporary and is easy listening on the ears and should be so for most audiences. While the album is only thirty-six minutes long, it is a good listening experience. And although there is no memorable theme for the film, there are designated motifs for some of the characters.

Even though there’s one area in the narrative that doesn’t quite make sense, as an experience the movie is wholesomely entertaining. The music, camerawork and characters all mix well together for a film with more heart than some may expect.

Points Earned --> 8:10

Creed II (2018) Review:

Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky franchise has isn’t a film series with all major successes but it still remains one of the most well regarded in the film industry. Rocky IV (1985) was the most exaggerated of the entries going global with its story with some underlining political tones. However it was the one that people seem to remember best also because it killed off one of its core characters Apollo Creed. In a wise decision, Stallone resurrected the name through what is now the Creed franchise with Michael B. Jordan as the lead play Apollo’s sun. Well, not it’s come full circle with Apollo’s son addressing some unfinished loose ends with his family history. Which in all honesty is something probably many have been wanting to see. Everyone love’s a comeback story – sometimes even for the villain.

Directed by Steve Caple Jr. in his first high profile theatrical release, the story continues with Adonis Creed’s (Michael B. Jordan) success as well as his now fiancé Bianca (Tessa Thompson). However, after learning of that Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu) the son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), is seeking to fight take the title, Adonis feels he has no choice but to defend his family’s honor. Written by Sylvester Stallone once more along with Juel Taylor in his first high profile feature as well did a nice job opening up old wounds and closing them back up again. Having to come to grips with past trauma and family issues is not an issue thing to deal with for anyone. It requires understanding and patience with touchy topics such as this. And being that it’s not only Adonis’ issue but also, Ivan and Rocky’s – it’s just a big love triangle of pain.

The narrative really puts the characters in a hard spot individually. Rocky has to understand he has to accept his mistake from when Apollo was killed back in Rocky IV (1985). Ivan has to come grips with his shame of losing his match in his homeland to Rocky in that same film. Meanwhile Adonis has to figure out for himself, is it worth fighting a match that goes back to some family fued or should he go forward with tackling it with possibly ending up like his old man. Each character arc involves its own issues but all revolve around the theme of redemption. The supporting characters also cope with these topics too like Adonis’ mom Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad) or Rocky’s son Robert (Milo Ventimigilia) and grandson Logan (Robbie Johns).

For the production, the quality of the film was well put together. The fight scenes are well choreographed and look very intense when watching it play out. The fact that a human being can take such punishment is nuts no matter how many rounds one watches in whatever film. The more softer or tense scenes that were shot are also well done. Seeing Rocky and Ivan meet face to face one more time but as old and tired men still looking to fight is again, cool to see. The only character who isn’t provided much is Florian Munteanu as Ivan’s son. To some extent a viewer can understand because he was literally trained to just go after Adonis. More could have been done though to round out his character as there is a small segment involving family but context would’ve been helpful.

There’s also special appearances from other various people like Max Kellerman as himself and Brigitte Nielsen as Ludmilla, Ivan Drago’s wife from Rocky IV (1985). For cinematography, the camerawork was handled by Kramer Morgenthau who was worked on other productions like Thor: The Dark World (2014) and Terminator Genisys (2015). For what is shown, Morgenthau is more than capable getting the shot needed to entertain the audience. Lastly for music, the film score was once again composed by Ludwig Gorannson. And as like before, Gorannson keeps the same franchise theme for Adonis Creed and even brings back the old theme for Ivan Drago. The score itself is a good listening experience and still brings good feelings when listening to it.

Looking at this entry to the line of stories before it, this is very much an equal to its first. The story is still very character driven except for the minor and obvious callouts. The music, camerawork and action are also as entertaining as before.

Points Earned --> 7:10

Cocaine Bear (2023) Review:

Like everything in the world, there is a yin to a yang. A good for a bad and a plus for a minus. Even some of most tranquil places can be quite dangerous. Sea or land. Of course, things could always get crazier if something man made or a substance of foreign origin enters the picture too. Apparently in 1985 a situation occurred which kind of describes this premise although not as outlandish as this film that the story was lifted from. But forget the whole foreign substance bit; big or small feral animals in general can be deadly if left unchecked. The bigger the animal though, the more damage. It’s not like the 1980s had less drugs than decades prior but it goes to show you just how potent these materials are.

The real story the film takes inspiration from is actually rather quick in resolving itself as opposed to this film. Nevertheless, it makes one wonder if it’s possible. After trying to evade getting caught with several duffle bags of cocaine, the escapee lands in the wooded area of a national park only to end up getting killed. Meanwhile a wild bear finds the bags of drugs and decides to dive in not knowing what side effects may come about. At the same time, two kids Dee (Brooklynn Prince) and Henry (Christian Convery) decide to skip school and wander off into the same park. Also they don’t tell Dee Dee’s mom Sari (Keri Russell) either. In parallel, the boss Syd (Ray Liotta) wants his drugs and sends his son Eddie (Alden Ehrenreich) and Daveed (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) to retrieve it while detective Bob (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) tries to track them down.

The plot itself is a convergence of character threads all happening to cross paths on this uniquely bizarre journey no one would expect. Writing the screenplay was Jimmy Warden, who previously wrote for The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020) the sequel to The Babysitter (2017). Naturally, since that was a horror thriller themed film that this would follow a similar path. Considering the story, it’s based on, not being able to control live animals can be scary. And although fantasy horror can be nightmarish, the closer to reality the horror is, usually it is even more scary. That’s one thing Warden definitely doesn’t shy away from. Animal attacks can be very nasty if not stopped. The violence can be over the top at times but other times it is can be hard to watch for some viewers because of the realistic nature of the deaths.

The characters used in the film though are a mixed bag which is the films weakest point. All the actors perform believably but only some actually have charm. Liotta, Jackson Jr. and Ehrenreich seem to have the most chemistry together and funniest moments. Whitlock Jr. is a close runner up along with Ranger Liz (Margo Martindale). However, the kids and mom are not interesting. It also doesn’t help that they’re fouled mouthed kids. It just feels wrong watching youngsters dropping curse words so casually. It’s understood that throughout the decades some kids have poor upbringings but it doesn’t make the children likeable or funny. Directing this feature was Elizabeth Banks, known for also directing Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) and Charlie’s Angels (2019). She also acted in Spider-Man (2002), The Hunger Games (2012), and The Lego Movie (2014).

The camerawork to the film was well put together. Due to the setting taking place mostly outside, the scenes involve lots of heavily wooded areas covered in trees and dense shrubbery. Heading this was John Guleserian who also shot for About Time (2013) and more recently Candyman (2021). The only aspect that is obviously CGI is the bear itself. There’s just no good way of hiding it. However, there was that movie Grizzly (1976) where an actual bear was filmed. So it’s not like it wasn’t an option. Lastly the film score was composed by Mark Mothersbaugh, who is a rather appropriate choice. Accounting for the fact that this film took place in the 1980s where Mothersbaugh got his fame, it makes sense. Much of the score consists of synthetic beats and tunes that give it a different sound while incorporating more organic orchestra when needed. Mothersbaugh has proven his skill with other scores to films like The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000), Herbie Fully Loaded (2005), Hotel Transylvania (2012) and The Lego Movie (2014).

In terms of incidents it’s not so farfetched like something the sci-fi channel would produce and it has better production value. The bear is obviously fake and the main characters are a bit unappealing. However, there is some fun to be had in the carnage, musical score, cinematography and the supporting characters.

Points Earned --> 6:10

Totally Spies! The Film (2009) Review:

Animation has two big market hubs; which are the United States and Japan. The sheer volume of animated projects that have come out are numerous and have been dubbed all around the world. On the other hand, they are not the only regions to produce animation. They just happen to produce the most popular properties to be distributed. For children’s animation there was moment in the early 2000s where French productions had made a splash and that was with the Totally Spies! TV show. Taking a modern spin on what seems like Charlies’ Angels, James Bond and making the main characters high school students became quite successful over in North America. The show would have five seasons until a film was greenlit for the franchise. That’s pretty good considering 

The plot to the feature film is an origin story to how everyday high schoolers Clover (Andrea Baker), Sam (Jennifer Hale) and Alex (Katie Griffin) end up joining WOOHP (World Organization of Human Protection) under the coercion of boss Jerry (Adrian Truss). Apparently he’s had his eyes on the ladies for some time making sure they were made of spy material. Once brought on board they are to figure out what is happening to various well known people being snatched up and disappearing. Before that their last known appearance was getting a trendy hairstyle once worn by Fabu (Joris Jarsky), a famous model. At the same time, the three high schoolers have to manage their normal lives after moving to Beverley Hills High and being bullied by Mandy. It seems like a lot for these heroines to take on, but for those following the show, everyone will know they’ll handle it.

Written by Michelle and Robert Lamoreaux who worked on the TV show, it’s no surprise that the movie more or less feels like an extended episode or three-part pilot episode put together in one. In terms of story, it’s really doesn’t break away from the standard structure that has been used in the show. This is good, but perhaps the one thing the writers missed out on was actually giving the three main characters a little more internal struggle at the beginning. Essentially how these three meet are joining forces by happenstance. And it was by luck that all three females ended up getting along really well and were able to make each other’s quirks fit the strengths of their team efforts. It’s true that sometimes people just click instantly but the film establishes this very quickly almost to the point where it feels rushed. It would have been interesting to see if they initially needed to get used to each other’s personalities before developing the dynamic fans know them for.

Direction was headed by Pascal Jardin in his first theatrical credit although he did direct episodes of Redwall. Co-directing was Seok-hoon Lee which this seems to be their first English film too. Much of their credits are in the Korean market. In terms of acting the voice cast continue to give the same kind of enthusiastic performances they give in the show. Andrea Baker, Katie Griffin and Jennifer Hale all have great chemistry with each other and their line deliveries along with Adrian Truss. Their characters have been well established at this point since the show but even for those just being introduced, should enjoy the characters’ charms too. Truss has voiced characters in Rolie Polie Olie, Griffin has played voices in the Totaldrama series, and Hale has had many roles in video games like Mass Effect.

For visuals the animation looked like it had a better budget than its TV counterpart. There’s more detail to the backgrounds and characters which makes them look sharper. It would seem the production took place either fully or partly in Korea with the co-director and Eddie Mehong as the animation supervisor and Wang Yup Kim serving as the animation co-director. Lastly the musical score was composed by Maxime Barzel and Paul-Étienne Côté as their first theatrical credit. For what is heard, the music sounds okay but very stock. There is actually an album release but this time, it’s an EU exclusive. Like all of Pokemon’s Japan albums. It seems to work for the scenes put on screen but there isn’t anything really unique about it. The TV show theme doesn’t even pop up anywhere in the run time which is rather disappointing. Oh well.

As an origin story to the three spy girls, it is a fun introduction to the well-known TV show. The actors all remain consistent, the animation looks good along with the action and comedy. Just don’t expect any real strong initial development between the main cast or any compelling music.

Points Earnned --> 7:10

Don Juan DeMarco (1994) Review:

Romanticism is a genre of many stories. Some of which are just fairy tales and are by no means close to real. There are others which happen to be based on true events or happen to be exactly the story itself. Of course then there are others where the story is so muddled in its history, it becomes more of a myth; blurring the lines between what is truth and what isn’t. The legend of Don Juan seems to be one of those stories in that undetermined area. Complimenting that is this film which sort of does the same thing in its narrative. And who could best fit that role, none other than rising star at the time Johnny Depp. After coming off several successes in the early 1990s like Edward Scissorhands (1990), Arizona Dream (1993) and Benny & Joon (1993), it’s really no surprise he was awarded the character of focus here.

Written and directed by Jeremy Leven who would later pen the screenplay to Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook (2004), the story is about a mysterious man who goes by the name of Don Juan DeMarco (Johnny Depp) who legitimately goes around wooing and sleeping with any woman that falls for him. He dresses with clothes that represent the mid 1800s, he speaks with a Spanish accent and yet it is current day. After making love to the last woman he feels he can, he prepares to take his own life, only to be talked out of it by Dr. Jack Mickler (Marlon Brando). Being pressured by his boss Dr. Paul Showalter (Bob Dishy) to put the man in the psycho ward, Mickler asks that he try to see what can do to prove the eccentric man is not indeed crazy.

For most of the time, it involves Depp’s character explaining to Dr. Mickler his story and how he came to be. How he originally only had one love Doña Julia (Talisa Soto) who of which her father forbade him from seeing. To later discovering he had a talent for swooning women very easily but wanted only one woman and her name was Doña Ana (Géraldine Pailhas). Despite much of the narration being between the two, the characters’ charms rub off on others. As Dr. Mickler spends time with Don Juan, he begins treating his wife Marilyn (Faye Dunaway) differently. It’s interesting to see how that plays out among others, which lends to some of the light comedic aspects to the movie. Perhaps the one thing that doesn’t feel completely concrete is the story being told to the audience.

It’s funny because essentially, the movie is treating the plot as a mystery just like the myth of the original Don Juan. At the same time, provide some closure. It’s not really clear if this movie does that. The film also contains a number of other actors fans would recognize like Rachel Ticotin from Total Recall (1990), Talisa Soto from (Mortal Kombat), Richard C. Sarafian from Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001), Carmen Argenziano from Unlawful Entry (1992), Tom Lister Jr. from Universal Soldier (1992) and even the late popular Latin singer Selena has a cameo appearance. All of which each cast member gives a welcome performance that is just as credible as the next. It’s truly amazing just how many faces appear in this particular feature that viewers can pick out among the crowd.

Cinematography shot by Ralf D. Bode was okay, but not anything worth noting. It was standard for the film but did not come across as different or really inventive. This is probably perhaps due to the film itself not being an energetic production, requiring crazy camera skills. Surprisingly though, Bode isn’t some nobody. He also shot for Saturday Night Fever (1977). As for music, the film score was composed by Michael Kamen. For the rough 40 minutes of the available album, Kamen uses a recurring motif for the story which is now best known in Bryan Adams “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman”. It’s interesting because some viewers may not know that this is where the song originated from. Not that it was something Adams just made up on his own and the film ended up using it because it matched.

Even though the story itself remains sort of mysterious like the character of focus and the cinematography is just standard, the story is still fun to watch play out. The characters are likable, there’s a slew of other actors and the music is enjoyable to listen to.

Points Earned --> 7:10

Selena (1997) Review:

There are times in this world where life happens fast. Mostly these moments occur with people who are in the entertainment business. They may start off slow and feel unrecognized, but usually their popularity rockets out of the sky with so much acceleration, it not only surprises the fans but also the person of focus as well. This happens especially when it is a hidden gem of talent. For the case of Abraham Quintanilla, he would not realize this until much later when he creates a family of his own. Of his family, the surprise star that would rise from his effort would be his daughter Selena. A woman who would go on to become a wildly popular singer in much of the Latino community and later in the United States.

The film here is about Selena and how the dream of her father ended up being channeled into her. Written and directed by Gregory Nava who also wrote and directed My Family (1995) and would later write in Frida (2002), heads this production. Originally, Selena’s father Abraham (Edward James Olmos) was a musician himself and wanted to become famous. During the time he grew up though where most immigrants were not as marketable as the mainstream, he struggled. Years later he would have a family of his own and try to restart his passion of music through his family. Only to discover his daughter Selena (Jennifer Lopez) had quite the vocal chords. Because of this he pushed her more and more to the front for exposure. And before anyone realized, she was not only getting many people’s attention but it was all for the reasons Abraham had wanted.

What Nava accomplished in his script is important for any viewer while watching this film. Not only does the screenplay highlight why Selena became such a powerhouse in her genre of music, but also the struggles she and her family endured among both American and Latin communities. Despite them sharing each background, they were scrutinized equally. If anything, this helps put into perspective how immigrants feel when faced against adversity from either side they belong to. It can be eye opening and for those needing a reminder, it is just as factual. The narrative also covers how the family dynamic changed over time as Selena became more and more popular. For example, the roles different people took on. Or how Selena found love among one of her band mates Chris Perez (Jon Seda) and the risks that she took in order to be with him.

Of course one cannot also enjoy this film without acknowledging the fact that this movie is what brought Jennifer Lopez to the forefront. Prior to this she had roles in movies like Money Train (1995) and Jack (1996). There’s also appearances from Jackie Guerra, Constance Marie and Jacob Vargas all playing the parts of Selena’s family. There’s also Lupe Ontiveros playing one of background members of the traveling group. Any other actor featured within the running time along with everyone else performs well and it feels believable. As much as people may rag on Jennifer Lopez for not being an actress completely and is more known for her singing career, she can do both. Possibly the most convincing in their performance was Edward James Olmos as the father, since Selena’s success stemmed from him.

For cinematography, Edward Lachman handled the camera for this production. The sets used through the film are to best show the spots at which Selena performed and how they impacted her career. Lachman has credits going all the way back to the 1970s and has remained with a lot of music related films like The Lords of Flatbush (1974), New Order’s Confusion music video and Madonna Into the Groove music video. For the music, the film mixes a lot of the songs Selena had sung to along with having its own score composed by David Grusin. No doubt fans will enjoy Selena’s music whether they’re familiar with either her English or Spanish songs. As for Grusin, the score uses piano in much of its tracks which are quite gentle to the touch. Grusin has also composed for Tootsie (1982), The Goonies (1985) and Tequila Sunrise (1988). The music works well along with Selena’s songs.

This biopic is a respectable representation of Selena as a singer and a person, especially since her family was made sure the story stayed true to their daughter. The acting is good, the story brings to light thoughts that some may not be aware of and the music entertains for any viewer.

Points Earned --> 10:10