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Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Movie

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I’ve listened to Taylor Swift since her first album came out in 2006. I might not have always followed every move of hers, but with each new album I listened and loved it. When she announced her ‘Eras Tour’, I immediately thought of how cool of a concept it was. For an artist like her with so many years of experience and musical evolutions, getting to perform it all together was amazing to see. Everything about this concert was beautiful. From the setlist to the outfits, the dancers and choreo, to the set design…It was all so well planned and executed. This was an almost 3 hour concert that Taylor has performed for months amidst working on her album re-releases and new projects. There is no questioning her dedication and hardwork. I’ve absolutely loved getting to see all the tour videos and stories from Swifties who got to go. There is something that I will always find special about fandoms, especially music fandoms. It doesn’t matter the language of the music or the genre…it will always bring people together. I’m so glad that we got a movie of this concert to allow those who couldn’t attend in person the chance to be a part of that atmosphere from the theaters and their homes. Overall, I thought this was a masterpiece, and I love getting to sing along and have fun with my friends from the comfort of our own homes.

Damsel

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I’m a fantasy girlie through and through, so I knew this movie was coming the moment it was announced. Add in the great casting with Millie Bobby Brown as our lead heroine, and this movie was set for success. Following a noble family who are running out of the means to take care of their people, they decide to marry their eldest daughter, Elodie, to a rich kingdom’s prince. In the beginning you think this will be a sweet romantic fantasy, but quickly turns when Elodie is sacrificed to a dark cave to appease an angry dragon. The lore they built to tell this story was both intriguing and dark. The audience slowly gets to learn the full details alongside Elodie as she tries to survive. It’s a story of feminine power, both good, evil, and in between. Elodie has to show true strength and willpower in order to survive and outsmart the dragon. Although she has downfalls in that journey, and we see her struggling and injured many times, she still keeps going. In any fantasy setting there is a great importance of the atmosphere and costuming, and I think the team did amazing here. All of the sets and costumes in this film were stunning and added to that fantastical feel. The design of the dragon was also quite beautiful, yet terrifying. Overall, this movie was great. The story was well written and executed, and I’d happily watch it again and again.

Mean Girls 2024

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The original ‘Mean Girls’ is an iconic piece of 2000s media, and the Broadway musical added to that legacy. Finding out about this being made had me a bit on the fence. I love the musical, but not all shows translate well into a movie. After watching it, I still can agree with that. This wasn’t a bad movie adaptation in any way…it just didn’t feel fully fleshed out. A lot of the songs from the Broadway show were left out which made this movie move at a much quicker pace. It also felt like a lot of the emotion and performance was taken out of the songs when it came to the vocals, which didn’t give them as much power as I’m used to. Now there were some good parts. With the songs that were included they made the choreo and atmosphere interesting and feel theatrical. Which helped a bit with the lacking vocal performances. Renee Rapp also did wonderfully reprising her role as Regina. She was the iconic character in the Broadway show for a while, so it was cool to see her return to this role and see how she’s grown since her first round of playing Regina. Overall, this movie adaptation of the ‘Mean Girls’ musical was average. It didn’t disappoint, but it also didn’t thrill me. If I have an inkling to delve into ‘Mean Girls’, I’d rather watch the original movie or listen to the Broadway soundtrack.

Scooby-Doo and Kyrpto, Too!

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When a piece of media has been around for 55 years and remains a household name, I’d say it’s iconic. Then match it with another iconic universe and you get a great piece of fun. This movie isn’t the first time we’ve seen the Mystery Gang team up with the heroes of DC, and I assume it won’t be the last. However, this movie was a different take than last time. Instead of teaming up with Batman to stop a villain causing mischief, the gang is brought in to try and figure out what happened to the Justice League with the help of Superman’s canine companion, Krypto. While we saw some iconic characters from the DC Universe like the Joker, Harley Quinn, Lex Luthor, and Lois Lane…we also got to see some lesser known characters as well. Like any Scooby-Doo movie it had all the classic jokes we’ve come to expect and love: Shaggy and Scooby’s endless appetite, Velma’s inability to not lose her glasses, and of course a good ole chase sequence. Then add in some of the DC lore like the Phantom Zone and you’ve got a really fun time. While the ending to this movie was pretty predictable, I still found myself enjoying it. Even though it was pretty average, it’s Scooby-Doo! And I will always watch any new media involving the Mystery Gang and have a good time doing so.

Wonka

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At first this movie wasn’t one I was overly enthusiastic to see. I knew I’d watch it eventually, but I wasn’t running to the theater for it. After seeing it, I would say it was rather enjoyable. The character of Willy Wonka is an iconic one that most everyone would have background knowledge of whether it be from Roald Dahl’s original book, Gene Wilder’s portrayal in the 1971 film, or Johnny Depp’s portrayal in the 2005 film. This Wonka from Timothee Chalamet is now bringing the character to life for a new generation. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how Chalamet created Wonka for himself, pulling in pieces from both the previous renditions while adding his own charm to the mix. I’ve always been a fan of ‘origin stories’, so the concept of learning how Wonka became who we all know him to be was intriguing. We get to see him taking the leap of faith and expose people to his chocolates for the first time, while also seeing a bit of childhood and the inspiration for becoming a chocolatier. However, I wish there had been a bit more flashbacks of Willy on his travels that he brought up throughout the film. This movie was fun and full of great songs, loveable characters, and many heartwarming moments. At times it did feel a bit rushed and things were seemingly solved in an instant..but then you remember that it’s fantasy, and in fantasy a lot of things won’t always make sense or get explained. Overall, this movie was very good. All the characters were quirky and fit perfectly into the world created by Roald Dahl. The story made you want to escape reality for a little bit and give into a place of ‘pure imagination’.

Wish

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Being the 100th anniversary for the Disney Studios, there were a lot of expectations on this movie. Advertised and the celebration of the studio and all 61 past animated features, when it came out I felt a little disheartened hearing all the negative reviews. Since I began giving my own reviews, I’ve tried not to care too much about what others say on things. Wanting my own opinion instead..and honestly? I enjoyed this movie a lot! The art style was unique and beautiful, as well as the characters and songs. Going in, you don’t get a full understanding of the plot because we weren’t told much in the trailers. However, it turned out to follow a pretty standard Disney tale. We open with learning about our setting and meeting all the important characters. Then lead into the conflict and drama of trying to defeat the big bad. While I admit, I do wish that there could’ve been more development on some characters and more history on Rosas, you have to remember it’s a children’s film. It’s meant to last only 90 minutes at most, and there’s only so much that can be done. People nowadays seem too quick to judge things without seeing the larger picture. Could there have been more in the storyline? Yes. But for what it was, it was still a good movie! Overall, I thought this was very good, and it gave a nice tribute to the past 100 years of the Disney Company.

Haunted Mansion

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Growing up I always loved the old Haunted Mansion movie with Eddie Murphy. It was always so fun to watch around Halloween with my family. When I got older and learned more about the ride that it was meant to be inspired from, I learned that not everyone had good feelings about the movie. This new movie, I think, would make any fan of the ride and those casual fans happy. Before seeing the movie I heard some people saying that they didn’t think there was any plot to this new adaptation. I’d have to disagree. In my opinion there was a very clear plot with a beginning, middle, and end where the characters grew along the way. While I admit that some scenes didn’t make sense or seem to influence the plot much, overall there was more progress than dead space. The cast were all lovable and did wonderful jobs bringing their character to life. Another thing I really enjoyed was all the effects and costumes used to bring all 999 haunts to life. Overall, I think this movie was very good and was a fun adaptation to the ride so many people around the world love.

Miraculous Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie

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As someone who has watched the show since it started airing, I can say there are things I loved and hated about this movie. The first thing I noticed was the animation and how smooth and aesthetic it looked. The show’s animation is alright for what it is, but has always reminded me of the old Bratz movies. The next thing I noticed was the songs…I did not realize there were going to be songs in this movie at all. While most of them were cheesy and didn’t necessarily add to the plot, in my opinion, I still found them enjoyable. Especially the song between Ladybug and Cat Noir. Now about the plot. Am I happy that the movie achieved what has taken about six seasons of the show to achieve? Yes and no. While seeing things resolved, like defeating Hawkmoth and an Adrien and Marinette reveal, were nice to see… I also think a lot was forgotten. The character development wasn’t fully what it could’ve been and a lot of things were left unanswered. Overall, I think this movie was average and made some Miraculous fans happy…even if not everyone enjoyed it. I liked it enough myself to watch it twice at least, and I’d watch it again for just a fun movie to chill to.

The Barbie Movie

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Since hearing about this movie I have been excited to watch it. Growing up, Barbie was my whole world. I loved making up stories and spending hours living them out with my dolls. I didn’t know what to expect plot wise, only going in with the idea that Barbie would have to enter our world. There was so much more though. Many different topics are discussed in this movie from fear, to life and how one should live it, and the big topic…feminism in a patriarchal world. I think the monologues America Ferrera’s character, Gloria, gave were some of the most insightful pieces of dialogue I have heard in a film in a long time. This movie had you feeling a whole range of emotions the whole time. In the beginning, you want to return to your childhood as we see BarbieLand unfold. In the middle comes a possible sense of discomfort and sadness seeing our society put in the spotlight and called out. In the end, there might still be a sense of sadness…but also some hope. A hope that maybe in life we don’t always have to fear the bad, but over time we can learn to embrace it and grow from it. Overall, I think this movie is a masterpiece. A truly beautiful dedication to Barbie and the women who grew up loving her.

Elemental

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This movie was one I was really looking forward to seeing! I’ve always loved Pixar films and Elemental is not any different. The concept wasn’t entirely new, playing off the ideas of natural elements and their unique characteristics. However, what I wasn’t expecting was the subtext in this film. The director of the film talked about how it was a story pulling from his own roots. He himself is the son of immigrants, and he is also half of an interracial relationship. This movie did a wonderful job of bringing the ideas of immigration, interracial dating and even micro-aggressions to a light that younger audiences could understand. Even with the deeper topics though, the movie still felt over-all lighthearted…excluding that one scene at the end when Wade and Ember are trapped… Ember and Wade were both likable in their own ways and seeing their growth was satisfying both as individuals and as a couple. Overall, I think this movie was a masterpiece with how it handled deep thoughts in an approachable manner.