Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Hey, guys!
Today I bring you something that is rather atypical for me: a rom-com. Crazy, Stupid, Love., however, is fairly cute and managed to win me over. Here’s why!

The Plot (according to Rotten Tomatoes):

Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) is living the American dream. He has a good job, a beautiful house, great children and a beautiful wife, named Emily (Julianne Moore). Cal’s seemingly perfect life unravels, however, when he learns that Emily has been unfaithful and wants a divorce. Over 40 and suddenly single, Cal is adrift in the fickle world of dating. Enter, Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling), a self-styled player who takes Cal under his wing and teaches him how to be a hit with the ladies.

Crazy, Stupid, Love. on RT

The Rating:

I’m usually not too big on romcoms but I was persuaded to check this one out. Well, I was pleasantly surprised. Now I finally know where that one Steve Carell gif and the one with Ryan Gosling that I use a lot are from.

Overall, the movie is fairly charming and not too cringy for a romcom. I do assume that this is to a large degree owed to the A-list cast including Kevin Bacon, Julienne Moore, Emma Stone, and the aforementioned gentlemen Carell and Gosling. Carell absolutely nailed his role and made the character feel extremely relatable (even though from my part there is literally nothing I have in common with him). You can’t help but care for that guy.

Red Notice

Hello, hello!
Today we’re going to talk about an action flick that I’ve had on my backlog for ages: Red Notice. Let’s see if it’s worth checking out!

The Plot (as found on Rotten Tomatoes):

In the world of international crime, an Interpol agent attempts to hunt down and capture the world’s most wanted art thief.

Red Notice on RT

The Rating:

When I started watching Red Notice I didn’t really know what to expect. Just about the only thing I knew was that it was an action movie. If an action movie is what you are looking for, not the super intricate kind, but one that allows you to switch off your brain, lean back, and enjoy the well-choreographed fight sequences, you’ve come to the right place.

As long as you don’t expect any highbrow entertainment, Red Notice is the film for you. It was a lot of fun to watch and I had a splendid time. As mentioned before the fighting stuff was on point, there were enough witty remarks and banter in the script to make it an enjoyable experience irrespective of fighting, and the visuals, in general, were also nice. That includes the costumes (I want Gal Gadot’s dress!) as well as all the marvelous places in which this movie was filmed.

Easy A

Hello, my darling readers!
Today I want to talk about a rather cute comedy flick staring Emma Stone: Easy A. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, so let’s find out why!

The Plot (according to Rotten Tomatoes):

Prompted by her popular best friend to spill details of her boring weekend, Olive (Emma Stone), a clean-cut teen, decides to spice things up by telling a little lie about losing her virginity. When the high-school busybody (Amanda Bynes) overhears the conversation and spreads it all over campus, Olive is suddenly notorious but for the wrong reasons.

Easy A on RT

The Rating:

Can I just start this of with say how freaking cute is Emma Stone in this picture!? I’m not usually a fan of rom-coms but this one is genuinely funny and imaginative, so it’s a win in my book. Essentially this draws inspiration from The Scarlet Letter (which gets referenced several times in the movie) but spins it in such a modern way!

I love how it points out so many things that are just plain wrong in our society. Like, the guys are celebrated for getting laid while Olive immediately gets branded as slut. Despite the fact that she doesn’t even have sex with anybody. She just says she does. And all those pricks who know the truth but don’t defend her. I mean, I understand why they don’t outright tell the truth, they don’t want to shoot themselves in the foot, but a little support never hurt nobody. Even her best friend kind of turns on her!

Puss in Boots

Hello, hello!
After going through all the Shrek movies, I of course also had to take a look at the spin-off, Puss in Boots. Let’s see if that was an addition we needed!

The Plot (according to RT):

Long before meeting Shrek, Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) — just named a hero for saving a woman from a charging bull — is run out of town on suspicion of bank robbery, even though the real villain is Puss’ friend, Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis). Though there is still animosity between them, Puss and Humpty reunite to steal a goose that lays golden eggs. Joining them for the adventure of nine lifetimes is notorious cat burglar, Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek).

Puss in Boots on RT

The Rating:

The only way to summarize this is with “weird”. Honestly, I’m not quite sure what I just watched. That’s probably because the tone of this film is all over the place. There are some seriously dark moments, some that are just creepy, others are cringy, some are funny. I can’t really pinpoint who the target demographic is. Kids? There are some scenes that I don’t see a kid enjoying or finding funny because the humor is just too adult. Then again some of the scenes really appeal to the cute animation for the kids side. The balance between those two sides wasn’t quite achieved but Puss in Boots has its moments.

Shrek Forever After

Hello, my darling readers!
After a very disappointing third Shrek movie I still ventured onto Netflix to see the (at the moment) final installment, Shrek Forever After. Let’s see if it marks an improvement or if it is the final coffin nail!

The Plot (as found on RT):

Long-settled into married life and fully domesticated, Shrek (Mike Myers) begins to long for the days when he felt like a real ogre. Duped into signing a contract with devious Rumpelstiltskin, he finds himself in an alternate version of Far Far Away, where ogres are hunted, Rumpelstiltskin rules, and he and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) have never met. Shrek must find a way out of the contract to restore his world and reclaim his true love.

Shrek Forever After on RT

The Rating:

Okay, I didn’t dislike this quite as much as the third Shrek movie. There are moments that enjoyed!
The basic idea of Shrek being unhappy felt relatable. I don’t have kids and I don’t even want to imagine what having three must be like, but I can see who you’d feel overwhelmed. Especially when pre-marriage you spent your life completely on your own, without answering to anybody, just doing what you want when you want. It’s a big change, so I get why Shrek just wants a minute to breathe.

Shrek The Third

Hello, guys!
We made it to the third installment in the Shrek cinematic universe. While the first two films were rather charming, let’s see if this was a sequel we needed.

The Plot (according to RT):

When King Harold suddenly croaks, Shrek (Mike Myers) learns he will have to rule the land of Far, Far Away, unless he can find a suitable heir to the throne. The most-promising candidate is Princess Fiona’s (Cameron Diaz) cousin Artie (Justin Timberlake), a teenage slacker in a medieval high-school. Shrek and his trusted companions, Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas), set out to bring Artie back but find their mission is a bigger challenge than they expected.

Shrek The Third on RT

The Rating:

Nope. Just nope.
Shrek The Third is probably my least favorite out of all the Shrek movies. The story might have been interesting but overall the jokes fall flat. The jokes feel rather slapsticky for the most part and the film just lacks the charm of its predecessors. The first two movies had heart, honestly don’t know what this one has.

It’s not the worst film out there, but while I’d gladly watch the first two installments in the franchise again, with Shrek 3 once is more than enough. Weirdly enough, I keep forgetting that this movie even exists. I’m not sure if that’s because there is simply nothing memorable about it or if it’s my brain just actively trying to rid itself of any recollection of this rather dull film.