Saturday, June 19, 2021

Luca

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In case you haven’t seen the intro from my entry dated 1/26/19 (it’s in my archives whenever you want to read it), I’m no longer going to review every single movie I see.  I’m going to review one, with the occasional bonus, and just give ratings for the rest from now on (unless I decide to pick it up again in the future).  You can always ask me why I gave the ratings for the films without reviews though (via comments or the e-mail addresses under the ‘About Me’ section).
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Luca                                                                            G
Latest Disney/Pixar release set in Italy that’s literally a “fish out of water” tale.  I was reminded of The Little Mermaid the most, but the two films aren’t entirely alike.  In this world, sea monsters have the ability to become human if they exit the water and avoid getting wet.  The titular boy learns this after coming across a fellow sea monster (roughly the same age) named Alberto and they both enter a nearby city with a specific goal in mind.  The animation was unsurprisingly gorgeous (I kind of wish I saw it on the big screen), there were some funny moments, and I believe people of all ages could be entertained (I enjoyed it for the most part).  Part of the ending may be too uplifting and predictable yet also kind of expected given the studio it came from and that it’s a family film.  I still think Inside Out is the best film Pixar released last, and Soul released just last Christmas was worthy too, and while it may be too soon to claim I love this film now, I can definitely say it’s a keeper.  6/18/2021

Bonus reviews:

Cruel Summer (Season One)                                      OK/G
Teen mystery set in Texas showing events that take place on specific dates in 1993, 1994, and 1995.  The focus is primarily on Kate, a popular girl held captive in a vice principal’s house, and Jeanette, an unpopular girl accused of doing nothing when knowing of Kate’s captivity.  I really liked this show in the beginning, wishing it got with the times instead of airing once a week; anyone that hasn’t been watching can now binge it on Freeform and Hulu.  Like many shows unfortunately, it does lose steam in the middle of its 10-episode run, but I did want to keep watching because I wanted to know how it ended.  Perhaps if it was a movie instead of a series wherein each episode is a bit over 40-minutes it might’ve worked better, or at least wouldn’t have felt like it contained too much filler.  A twist revealed in the second-to-last episode was kind of predictable (hey, watching so much over the years instinctively makes you draw several possible conclusions beforehand) and a bit of a letdown.  It’s still not a bad series to check out though if you’re looking for something new to watch; there are obviously more characters than Kate and Jeanette you get to know (small town…people have secrets, like always) and all the questions you may have are answered by the end of episode ten.  The end credits of that last episode inform us a second season is coming in 2022 and all I can say is…why?  I really don’t think a second season is necessary, unless there’s a whole lot more to the story we weren’t shown…6/16/2021

Twice Told Tales                                                         OK
(haiku review)
Three tales.  Hawthorne-based.
Dated?  Came out ’63.
First two?  Fine.  Third?  Eh.  6/17/2021

Other movies I've seen and their ratings (see above):

The Abominable Dr. Phibes  >>>OK/G

American Gigolo  >>>EH

The Devil Below  >>>OK

Dr. Phibes Rises Again  >>>EH/OK

Dog Gone Trouble  >>>OK
            (Netflix)

Flashback (2021)  >>>EH

Saint Maud  >>>OK

Walk Away  >>>EH/OK

---Sean O.
6/19/2021

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