Movie Review: The Devil Wears Prada 2

 

I saw this movie opening weekend and I have thoughts. But not too spoilery.

1. I really enjoyed it, but it wasn't as good as the first one

2. I wish Gisele was in it

3. I loved Emily Blunt and the range of her character

4. That Nigel Moment

5. I didn't love the fashion as much as the first movie

6. I wish Andy really did have more confidence 

7. I loved the friendship moment

8. I loved the nods to the first movie

9. Charlie was great!

10. The SNARK!

I'm really glad they made a sequel.

If you liked the first one, you'll enjoy this one too. 

Movie Review: The Fountain of Youth

We watched this the other night and I must say, for the most part it was a lot of fun.

My Thoughts:

1.  I loved John Krasinski

2. I loved the nod to Indiana Jones

3. the "Kiss" scene was hilarious

4. I loved that library

5. Natalie Portman was good - but her character was a little too stuffy and repetitive6

6. The ending was a little hokey

7. The chase scene was great

8. I love that they left it open for a sequel. 

9. It was a great blend of humor and action

10. I wish Stanley Tucci had more minutes 

I would watch more.

If you're looking for a lot of fun and a lot of action, I would recommend this movie

And it's the kind of movie my Dad would also love! 

Movie Review: Hanukkah on Rye

Can a Hanukkah miracle keep fresh couple Molly and Jacob together after they realize that they are actually competing delicatessen owners? - tagline from IMDB

My Thoughts: I watched this last year and found it charming!

There was SO much food.

 I loved that it was a remake of You've Got Mail

I enjoyed the Lisa Loeb cameo.

I loved the doorman once he figured everything out.

And the matchmaker was great too. 

Plus, I really like Jeremy Jordan from Supergirl. 

Have you seen it?

Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate! 

Movie Review: Haunted Mansion

Last weekend, we saw The Haunted Mansion

And it was Really Good!

What I liked:

* The humor

* It was scary - but there were some moments that made me jump

* The cast

* The relationships that developed between the cast

* The Mansion was neat - and I liked the special effects

* The Seance 

* The House Tour featuring Winona Ryder

* The Easter Eggs from the Disney Ride 

Movie Review: 80 for Brady

Four who friends watch the Patriots play and decide they should try to win superbowl tickets

This movie was funny. Lots of laughter here. 

Most of the movie was set during SuperBowl weekend.

There were some fun cameos in this one

Strong friendship

A little romance

Tailgating 

Superstitions - in the very best sports way. 

A really fun sports movie that's mostly about friendship. 

Movie Review: Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Over the weekend, I watched this one.

And I really loved it.

I did play D&D several years ago, so I appreciated a few hints at the game:

The dreaded gelatinous cube

The Players (The bard, the super strength, the wizard)

Going on the quests

The casting was excellent 

Hugh Grant plays a great bad guy

It was a great blend of humor and action/adventure

and a touching moment at the end.

Very well done. Highly recommend this one. 

Movie Review: Enola Holmes 2

Enola Holmes 2 from Netflix

Enola's second case takes the forefront of this movie. A young girl comes to her looking for help - her sister is missing. They worked together in the match factory. Her sister wouldn't just disappear without word. She supposedly stole something from the factory. Enola's determined to find Bessie's sister. 

Her case connects with Sherlock's case. He's having a hard time solving it. Until he has a conversation with his sister.

My Thoughts: While this isn't based on one of the novels - it's a great movie. It's based on the historical strike at the match factory. I loved the moments between the Holmes siblings. I loved seeing old familiar faces -  Teweksbury (And that dance scene), Edith, and Enola's mother. I really hope they make more of these movies. They are smart, feminist, and so much fun!

Review: Selena + Chef

Ok, this is NOT a movie. Selena + Chef is a cooking show with the amazing Selena Gomez. 

During the pandemic, she decided to learn how to cook and asked famous chefs to teach her via zoom.

This is a promo for the second season.

There are currently four seasons, but I'm hoping there will be more. 

While this is a cooking show, it's also a humanitarian show as the show donates to foundations of the feature chef's choice. It's also pretty funny and sweet. Plus, you get a glimpse into Selena's life.

And there is a Taylor cameo! 

I love Papa and her little sister. They were both sweet and funny. 

I loved the Okie Dokie jar - it's fun to say that. I'm going to start using it....

Since she's learning, of course, Selena makes mistakes. And I love that they keep those in the show. I love that chefs teach her a variety of dishes and use many different ingredients. 

As I'm more into baking than cooking, I found myself picking up some tips that I can't wait to try out.

Also, I have terrible knife skills too and these tips were helpful. 

They had big name chefs (Gordon Ramsey and Rachel Ray) and chefs I wasn't familiar with. 

And yes, I did have my favorite chefs:

Ludo

Matty Matheson 

Jon and Vinny

Jamie Oliver

Paola Velez

I binged this show and really hope they make more seasons!

I would enjoy Paul Hollywood and a bread making episode....

Have you seen this show? If not, give it a look.

Movie Review: Romance in Style

Romance in Style - a Hallmark Channel movie

Ella's unique designs inspire publishing mogul Derek to include plus-sized fashion in his magazine. Soon, Derek begins to realize that Ella's influence reaches far beyond the catwalk - summary from Hallmark

My Thoughts: This body positivity movie was amazing. I loved Ella's points about how women are portrayed in the media, in stores, and in clothing sizes. This movie was super refreshing. In the same vein that Legally Blonde was a feminist movie - this movie had a similar feel. There's the industry that's against women. There are a few bullies. But there's friendship, romance, and winning people over. Plus great fashion. And it left me with a sense of happiness and belonging. 

If you get the chance to watch it, I highly recommend it. 

Movie Review: Along for the Ride

I'm a Huge fan of Sarah Dessen's books, so I was so happy when another one of her books was being turned into a movie. It's been a long time since I've read the book - but I loved it.

The movie captured the feeling of the book. 

I loved seeing Colby come to life. I wish there were a few Easter Eggs from other books though. Maybe there were and I missed them. I thought there was one.

I loved Sarah's cameo. But I would have missed it had they not said her name. 

I enjoyed the friendships - after that awkward meeting. Especially singing in the car.

The food fight was funny. 

Have you seen this one yet? What did you think? If this one does well, maybe they would film The Truth About Forever next! That's my favorite Dessen novel

Movie Review: Marry Me

Marry Me is the new Jennifer Lopez movie with Owen Wilson. She discovers her boyfriend was cheating on her moments before they were supposed to get married in front of their fans (they are both singers). Instead, she picks a nice guy out from the crowd and marries him.

Owen Wilson plays a single father working hard to raise his daughter - and teaching math to kids. 

Of course once they're married - they start to get to know each other. Owen Wilsons character begins to understand the fame and the culture around celebrities. While Jennifer Lopez's character begins to enjoy a bit of normal life.

Even though they're technically married - it reminds me a fake dating story. I really enjoyed this morning. I liked both characters and their view into each other's world. I really liked the daughter and the best friend of Owen Wilson's character. And the math moments with the kids were a great touch - they tugged at the heart strings. All in all, a fun enjoyable movie.  

 

Movie Review: Love for Real

 

From the Hallmark Channel:

Blurb from the Hallmark Channel:

Hayley and her best friend Bree go on a reality dating show to publicize her fashion line, but nothing goes as planned when love, friendship, and careers are on the line. Starring Chloe Bridges, Scott Michael Foster, Corbin Bleu, Taiana Tully and Karen Malina White.

My Thoughts:

First of all, I really liked the lead actor who was in Greek.

Second: I really like how they used the best friends - they were a package deal and they didn't turn on each other. I confess I haven't watched many reality shows (Lego Challenge and GGBO), but I found their friendship refreshing. 

Third: I thought this was a fun look at reality TV (in my limited experience - see above)

Fourth - I loved the scenery 

Fifth: I Loved both love stories and how both friends found their happily ever after.

If you're a Hallmark fan like I am, don't miss out on this charming movie. 

And if you're looking for some reality TV books:

The first row is adult, the second row is YA.

Movie Review: Taking a Shot at Love

Taking a Shot at Love:

A professional hockey player's injury isn't healing the way it should be. He's done everything the team's asked of him. His agent's cousin is a former prima ballerina who recovered from the same injury. He asks her how she recovered. Going back to the basics of ballet.

So the team hires Jenna to help his recovery. 

At first Cooper isn't excited about ballet, but slowly he begins to see it working. He also comes to enjoy the small town life, helping a boy become better at hockey, and falling for the ballet teacher.

This was a cute movie about sports, rehab, and learning to trust again.  There were some funny moments in the beginning where Cooper's entitlement shone through.  But he quickly became a hero. I enjoyed the way this move handled ballet - in regards to boys dancing. It made me want to start taking ballet lessons. 

Fun Fact: This was set in Hartford and Avon Connecticut. The screenwriter lives in Avon. Check out this interview with her from the Hartford Courant. It features the Hartford Wolf Pack as the minor league hockey team. It was neat to have a close location connection to this film, even if it was filmed in Vancouver like many Hallmark movies. 

One day, there will be another one filmed in the Norwich area. And I hope to be an extra when that happens!

Movie Review: Enola Holmes

I really really enjoyed this movie adaptation.

First, it was VERY different from the book series. 

However, it captured the magic and charm of the series perfectly.

I loved the banter between Enola and Sherlock.

I wish there was a bit more about the disguises as in the book, they are genius disguises.

I loved the feminist perspective and how ladies do not need a husband. Both Enola and her mother are very clever and strong ladies.

The casting was amazing; the characters were played perfectly. I loved Enola's spunk and determination. 

I really hope they adapt the rest of the book series!

Movie Review: Love Guaranteed

Nick needs a lawyer to help him win a case against an online dating service that claims to guarantee love. Even after the fine print (one must go on 1,000 dates), Nick still hasn't found love. At first, Susan doesn't want to take the case, believing Nick to be suing the company as part of a get rick quick scheme. But she does need the case in order to pay the bills. The more time they spend together, the more they become fond of each other.

My Thoughts:

 Both Nick and Susan have good hearts and are trying to make the world a better place. The online dating service added charm and humor to the story. I enjoyed the secondary characters too - they were sweet, funny, and quirky. 

A cute romantic comedy that's perfect for a night in. 

Series Review: Sweet Magnolia

Sweet Magnolias: Season 1 

Based on the book: Stealing Home 

from Sherryl Woods

I loved these books so I was so happy to learn that this series was becoming a Netflix show.

What I loved most about the books: The Friendships and of course margarita night

I loved seeing the margarita nights in the show. 

For the most part the show follows the books relatively well.

Of course there are some differences, that's bound to happen.

But overall it's a great adaptation.

And I can't wait to hear news about Season 2.

Please tell me that news is coming because dang, that cliff hanger left me worried.

And no, the books don't have that answer, but I do have my suspicions. 

Have you seen this yet? 

Did you enjoy it?

Movie Review: Sanditon

Anyone who reads this blog knows that I'm a huge Jane Austen fan. So I was interested when the news came out about the Sanditon series for PBS. At that time, I confess I had not read the snippet from Jane Austen. 

I did read it after watching the show. Here are my thoughts on both.

The actors/actresses were great. I loved Charlotte's character, it reminded me a bit of Emma.

I loved the seaside bathing. 

I loved the costumes and the scenery; they were both gorgeous. 

I hated the ending of the mini series - I felt like there were one or two more episodes left in the story to share. 

I also think Jane Austen would be rolling in her grave at how her work changed.

Did you watch this series? What were your thoughts?

Movie Review: Miss Americana

Taylor Swift's documentary made lots of great points about women and society, eating disorders, mental health, happiness, and learning how to speak up for your beliefs.

It was really intriguing to watch and yes - I'm a huge fan. 

Small Pieces:

I loved the musical performance snippets.

I loved watching her work out the song lyrics and music

I loved the peeks into her journals. I love that she used quill and ink for a while.

Big Pieces:

I admired how she changed herself from being the good girl seeking everyone's approval to thinking for herself to standing up for her beliefs. It's not easy, but she did it.

I love how she opened up about social media and looking at her body and how that made her feel. I love that she talked about the spiral of hate and how she stopped looking at photographs of her for her mental well being. I love that she talked about how damaging it was to spend time looking at herself through the eyes of society - and how she stopped eating and exercised all the time. And came to the conclusion that it wasn't healthy. her body wasn't healthy and neither was her mind. So she took note and changed.

I felt terrible for her about the whole Kanye debacle, but I love that she came out the other side with new music because that was the one thing in her life she could control. And I loved how she used this horribleness to find happiness on her own terms.

My heart broke for her as she talked about the court case - where a person in the musical industry groped her. She had seven witnesses and a photograph as evidence. And still it was horrific. She described the process as dehumanizing and even though she won the case, it didn't feel like a victory. And what happens when the woman isn't believed? I loved the moment when she opened up about that in a concert one year later.

This is the moment that everything changed for her. 

She listened. She educated herself. And she started speaking up.

Times Up.

And it's amazing. I'm glad she spoke up. I'm glad that she share her political views, even though the men on her team didn't want to her to. I'm glad she spoke about not just getting out and voting, but who she was voting for and why she was voting for that person. I'm glad that she talked about the values that mattered to her. 

Even though her first political goal failed, she's not giving up. She's doubling down. In listening to her new song Only the Young, I'm all fired up too.  I'm ready to help.

Where do we start? What's next?

Movie Review: 1917

Last week, we saw the war movie 1917 - which was good.

There were some hard to watch parts but not the usual amount of hard to watch parts in war movies.

The story threw me for a loop, but it was very interesting.

I loved the camera work and the cinematography. It was impressive and amazing.

I loved the cameos by various actors.  

Movie Review: Jumanji The Next Level

I really loved Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle, so I was happy to see the sequel.

From the trailers it looked very funny.

And it was.

I loved seeing the old friends together

I felt bad for Spencer and his lack of confidence and state of mind.

I liked how the avatars in the game were changed up with Spencer's grandfather and his old friend being dragged into the game as well.

I thought it was a pretty great sequel, but not as good as the first movie.

I'm curious to see if there will be a third one given the mid-credit scenes. I'm hoping there is another one.

Have you seen this movie? Did you like it?