Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina Part 3: Abandon All Hope Of A Good Season

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Part 3 is a supernatural horror TV Series. The show revolves around a young witch called Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka), she is half witch and half human and is unlike her peers on both sides on the supernatural vial. The series sees her learn more about her powers and herself and go on various adventures with her friends. Part 3 sees Sabrina go to hell to get her boyfriend back, thereby becoming the new Queen of hell, as well as battling against a horde of pagans that worship the Old Gods and want to see the destruction of Sabrina’s coven.

Before I get into this review I just want to say I genuinely enjoyed the first 2 parts of this series, there were plenty of great horror moments to keep me interested, despite being linked to the Archie comics and therefore to Riverdale this show had avoided most of the terrible pit falls of that show. At least it did for a time.

Part 3 is by far the worst so far, The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina always had a distinct sense of identity, but it loses it this season. It basically becomes a more out there slightly scarier Riverdale which is the worst thing I could ever possibly say. The supernatural horror takes a back seat to relationship drama and teenage angst, I understand this is the main market for the show, but the other parts still had good horror elements mixed in to make these moments bearable. What’s more there is a musical interlude every 5 seconds, which feels very Riverdale, these songs feel like they have no natural place in the show instead feeling like plot padding and a chance to show off their licensed music.

Another thing that makes this part the worst for me is Sabrina herself. She has always been brash and impulsive following her heart rather than her head, but this season is ridiculous. She repeatedly does things that put everyone she cares about in danger just because it is what she wants to do. When she is trying to become The Queen Of Hell, she won’t take souls unless she thinks they deserve it, which is baffling as they sold their souls to the devil in the first place. What’s more her whole holier than thou attitude quickly becomes grating as she seems to think she knows better than everyone else on screen; proving her to be the embodiment of every self-entitled, self-important arsehole ever; what makes this almost comical is that she is near always wrong.

Don’t even get me started on her friends, they literally exist to further the plot and fill-out the near hour runtime of an episode. In a supernatural horror show, I don’t want to watch a 10-minute cheer leading sequence. This series is going down the toilet fast.

Pros.

A few good horror sequences.

Lilith continues to be great.

Cons.

Sabrina is hateable.

It feels pandering and Riverdale esque.

It’s vapid and self-involved.

1.5/5

Reviewed By Luke

Adult World: A Sex Shop Of Love

‘Adult World’ is a comedy drama film directed by Scott Coffey. The plot follows Amy (Emma Roberts), an aspiring poet who is waiting on her big break. After she gets kicked out of her parents’ house, she is forced to take up a job at a sex shop which she eventually grows to love over time, despite not being happy to work there in the beginning. She also becomes some what of a protegee to famous American poet Rat Billings (John Cusack), who she has idolised since she was young.

This film deals with themes of growing up and accepting your place in the world. Throughout the film Amy is stressed as she feels she is not making enough of her golden years and that if she is not a published poet by the time, she turns 22 it is all over for her. However, at the end of the film Amy realises that it is okay to not be where she wants to be, and that life can be surprising. Indeed, if there is a message to this film it is that failure is okay, it has a comfortability to it.

The on-screen chemistry between Amy and her co worker Alex (Evan Peters), is palpable. Any scene the two shares together is fantastic, and captivating and it makes sense that this film was the beginning on their real-life relationship. Both, actors I believe are criminally underrated and both do a great job with what they are given here.

My one issue with this film is that John Cusack’s tired angry mentor character feels cliched and done before. He gives a good enough performance don’t get me wrong, but I do believe that he lets down the scenes between him and Emma Robert’s character which is a real shame as he is capable of much better.

Overall, this film has beautiful message of expanding your mind and being tolerant towards others which is something I think we all need to be reminded off every now and again. It is a shame that John Cusack is past his prime, but at least Roberts and Peters are fantastic and make this a film worth watching. There is a beauty to this film that needs to be seen.

Pros.

Roberts And Peters’ Great Chemistry.

It Is Unique.

It Has A Beautiful Message.

It Leaves You With Something To Think About.

Cons.

John Cusack Is Phoning It In.

3/5

Reviewed By Luke

Lady And The Tramp: Disney’s Golden Age?

‘The Lady and The Tramp’ is an animated musical romance film. The plot follows Lady (Barbra Luddy), as she comes to terms with the fact that she might get overlooked when her master’s new baby arrives, during which time she ends up falling in love with Tramp (Larry Roberts).

This film is classic Disney, it came out during that Golden Age for Disney which saw the release of things like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. I have seen this film but twice in my life, once when I was very young and then much more recently last weekend. I have to say it is not how I remember it and, not in a good way.

No, I am not going to go on about how it is outdated and then talk about the racist cat song: because ultimately that was just a feature of a lot of films from that time period. Instead I am going to talk about how I felt it was lacking a lot of the warmth and heart that a lot of those other classic Disney films have.

Lady and Tramp are both likable as protagonists, but I never found myself caring about them. There are two scenes in the film’s third act that both deal with the supposed death of a character. One of these scenes features Tramp being taken away to the pound to be put down, the other sees Trusty (Bill Baucorn), almost sacrifice his life to save Tramp. Out of these two scenes the one that should have more emotional impact is the one where Tramp faces death as he is one of our main characters, that we spent a lot of time with, but this just isn’t the case.

What’s more this film has no real business calling itself a musical, it doesn’t feature many songs at all. Moreover, the few songs that the film does have are not at all memorable and are mostly flat.

Overall, this film wasn’t what I remembered it to be, it lacked a lot of the warmth and the heart I remember it having, for the few good moments it has and the heart warming ending I will still give it an above average score, but it really isn’t a must see.

Pros.

The Classic Disney Animation.

The Happy Wholesome Ending.

Cons.

You Don’t Care About The Main Characters.

It Lacks Any Real Warmth.

It Doesn’t Have That Disney Magic.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Mr Right: A New Type Of Killer Clown

‘Mr Right’ is a romantic comedy, action film. The plot follows Martha (Anna Kendrick), a recently single women who meets Francis (Sam Rockwell), a man who seems perfect for her, until she finds out that he is a hitman. From there the story goes down the lines of Francis’s old partner wants to get him back in the game, a gang hires Francis, but then tries to kill him; as Francis has a rule of killing those that hire him after a shift in his morals, as well as the will they wont they romance of Martha and Francis.

I have to say this film was far more enjoyable than I thought it would be, this is mainly due to the fact that Rockwell is a terrific and naturally charming lead. There is a real heart to this film that prevails all the killing and the shooting and at the end of the film you are glad to see the pair end up together.

The action scenes of the film are mostly fun there are some good moments that have strong choreography, but the rest are just either Rockwell or Kendrick shooting someone which after a while gets boring.

I’m not saying Anna Kendrick can’t act but, she is playing the same character she always plays the loveable goofy oddball. The opening act of this film that sees her crying in a closest and being drunk rambling about her ex could be from any of her films. That is not to say she isn’t good in this film she is fine, but it would be interesting to see her play a different type of character.

The humour of the film I found to be a mixed bag, at times it made me smile and elevated the scene it was used in, other times it made me groan and felt like bad cringe. I would say that a lot of Rockwell’s comedy lands as he has very good delivery and timing and seems to know when to play it straight and when to crack a joke. The same can’t be said for everyone else, however.

Finally, it is nice to see Anson Mount in something, it has been too long, and he always gives a good performance even if he is only on scene for a matter of minutes.

Overall, this film is on the better side of average this is owed wholly to Rockwell. He elevates this film past the mediocrity that it could easily have fallen into. Kendrick is serviceable and the romance is sweet, it’s good but, you won’t remember it.

Pros.

Rockwell.

Some Of The Action Sequences.

The Humour.

Cons.

The Humour.

Kendrick Is Playing The Same Character As Always.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

True Romance:A Story Of Love and Crime

‘True Romance’ is a romantic crime film, written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott. The plot follows an ex call-girl called Alabama (Patricia Arquette), and her husband Clarence (Christian Slater), as they go on the run from the mob after Clarence accidentally steals a large amount of cocaine from Alabama’s ex pimp.

This film feels very Tarantino esque despite only being written by him, all the hallmarks by which we would come to know his work are all present here; much like all of his pictures this film is glorious. Yes, my thoughts on current Tarantino have been noted in previous reviews, I don’t think he has made a film that was of the same caliber as his early works since ‘Django Unchained’ back in 2012; I think he is on the decline as a director.

The tone of the film again is familiar to Tarantino fans as it has moments of extreme darkness and moments of levity, it has moments of gritty realism and moments of fantasy oddness. One such odd detail which also happens to be one of my favourite bits of the film is how Clarence has Elvis (Val Kilmer) as an imaginary friend; a lot of these wacky details add to the film’s manic sensibilities.

That said the film also pulls off slow meaningful moments well, there are a lot of scenes between Alabama and Clarence that have genuine warmth and emotion to them. The relationship between the two grows throughout the runtime of the film in a real and organic way; you can feel the love they have for each other.

The performances in this film are also excellent, Slater and Arquette do a great job as the leads, but the supporting cast also give great turns. The late James Gandolfini is terrific as a mob hitman called Virgil, though his character isn’t in it a huge amount he shines with what he has. There is a brutal fight scene between his character and Alabama and the monologue that Gandolfini delivers before and during it can only be described as chilling.

Christopher Walken is also instantly memorable as Don Vincenzo Coccotti. Though Walken’s character only has a scene he brings such a presence to the screen such as sense of gravitas that he is immediately captivating.

Overall, this film is phenomenal it a testament to Tarantino as a screen writer as it is a film that features a lot of characters, but each one feels unique and special.

Pros.

Tarantino Magic.

Great Leads In Slater And Arquette.

Gandolfini Is A Scene Stealer.

So Is Walken.

Cons.

A Little Slow At Times.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Lost In Translation: Wandering The Streets Of Tokyo

‘Lost In Translation’ is a comedy-drama film. The plot revolves around washed-up actor Bob Harris (Bill Murray), who befriends a young college graduate called Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), the film details their growing friendship; with possible romantic undertones.

This film explores a lot of very heavy themes such as ideas about loneliness, and the lack of a clear direction in one’s life. As a result of exploring these themes, this film feels like an exercise in self-reflection. Despite dissecting these strong themes, the film never goes into being depressing as there is a good amount of humour to balance out the more contemplative moments.

Though Bill Murray mostly plays it straight here there is still an element of awkward comedy in his performance, as he finds it hard to adapt to certain situations. The humour of this film is often very quirky and off the wall, I don’t think it will make you laugh out loud very often, but there are quite a few chuckles to be had.

The performances are the high point of the film as both Johansson and Murray give it their all. We can see that both of these characters are unhappy in their lives and are waiting on the next big change to make sense of it all. Both characters are unhappy in their marriages, but still decide to stay in them. This is what this film does so well, there is a great sense of not knowing what to do and being lost, which can be found throughout the film.

A lot of the cinematography, editing and sound choices give this film almost a dream-like feel to it or, maybe a distant memory. These choices help the film to feel unique and give it a strong sense of identity.

Anna Faris is in this film as Kelly, someone who is positioned to be a love rival to Charlotte, but she is mostly wasted. With Charlotte’s Husband this film goes for the whole he is never there angel, suggesting that they are growing apart and maybe that he is cheating on her. I think this plotline could have been achieved just as well through mentions of another woman, they didn’t need to create this largely pointless character.

Also, my major complaint is that the relationship, or supposed relationship, between Bob and Charlotte by the end of the film feels a bit icky. Throughout the film, I liked the two as friends and I wanted it to stay that way. Charlotte is so young, far too young for Bob and I know the heart wants what it wants, but in this modern climate, it feels a bit off to me.

Overall a very nice film to watch it has a lot of very interesting things to say and the way it is filmed deserves praise as it is a clear example of a director having a beautiful vision and sticking to it.

Pros.

The Themes.

The Performances.

The Film-making Process.

Cons.

Anna Faris Wasted Character.

Icky Romance.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Little Women: Oscar Bait In Its Most Obvious Form

‘Little Women’ is a coming-of-age, drama, period film based on the book of the same name. The plot follows the lives of the March’s a family of young women who live with their mother while their dad is fighting in the Civil War. We see it all from sisterly pranks and hijinks to death and, mourning.

As someone who has read the seminal novel, I had an idea where the film was going and, a lot of the surprise reveals were not all that surprising to me. However, the two things I will give this film and Greta Gerwig props for are that they nailed a lot of the key scenes from the novel: they capture the emotion perfectly, this is in no small part thanks to the performances but, I will come back to those later. The second thing I will give this film credit for is that the new additions to the narrative help to make the film feel more rounded and, whole.

The performances for me were a mixed bag Saoirse Ronan was terrific as Jo, proving once again that she is an aspiring actress to watch out for. Likewise, Florence Pugh was equally as good as Amy, the often overlooked sister, I found that her character captured the love-hate relationship sometimes found between sister really well. The rest of the cast didn’t do much for me, Emma Watson was fine, but I believe any actress could have played her role and, the rest of the cast including Laura Dern and, Meryl Streep is mostly wasted. Timothy Chalamet is also in this film and, I still don’t understand why people like him or, think he is a good actor.

I had several issues with the film, the most egregious of which is how in love with itself this film seems to be. ‘Little Women’ has a very smug sense of self about it, it seems to think that it is high art and, is worthy of all the awards simply for being I found this off-putting. This is reflected in how this film is paced, often scenes will feel drawn out, trying to play up their importance, when nothing has actually happened. The third act of this film is definitely too long in the tooth as there are multiple times you will find yourself saying, “is it over yet”.

A final thing I find odd and, distracting about this film is the non-linear way it chooses to tell its story, the scenes don’t follow any kind of pattern and, will generally be out of sync. An example of what I mean is in the second act a character dies and, there will be a scene of the family mourning the loss and, then another scene of this character alive and well. There is nothing wrong with telling a story like this, but the film doesn’t make clear what is a flash-forward, what is a flashback and, this makes for a jarring viewing experience.

Overall this is a solid effort from Gerwig however, it pails in comparison to her debut effort, with some of the stylistic and, editing choices in the film really ruin vast sections of it for me.

Pros.
Captures The Emotion.
The New Stuff.
The Performances.

Cons.
The Editing.
The Pacing Issues.
How Smug It Is.

2/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Princess Switch: The Hudissance Begins!

The Princess Switch is a Christmas romantic comedy film serving as part of the wider Netflix shared universe existing with the likes of ‘A Christmas Prince’ and, to a lesser extent, ‘The Knight Before Christmas. The plot of the film revolves around Stacy DeNovo, (Vanessa Hudgens), a young baker, who is invited to take part in a baking competition oversees, while there she crosses paths with The Dutchess of Montenaro, also played by Hudgens, and, the Dutchess seeing Stacy as a way to escape her royal responsibilities, talks her into switching lives.

As you can probably guess this film is chocked full with over the top romantic melodrama, the Dutchess is supposed to marry Prince Edward, (Sam Palladio), but she doesn’t really love him. Stacy hasn’t allowed herself to fall in love, after a personal tragedy, which is almost beat for beat the same as her other film, ‘The Knight Before Christmas’ although the reason is slightly different. Stacy is also oblivious to the fact that her fellow baker Kevin, (Kevin Richards) is in love with her; spoiler she doesn’t love him back. Can you guess what the resolution to all this drama is? Yes, Stacy, the baker ends up falling in love with the Prince and, marries him, with the weird if you still feel this way in a year rule from ‘A Christmas Prince’ coming back. The Dutchess, on the other hand, gives up the royal lifestyle and, falls in love with Kevin.

There will be plenty of people out there who will tell you that these films are trash and, to an extent they’re right but, the reason why I like them, this one especially, is because they throw any kind of logic out of the window and, random things happen and, you have to go with it. It is like a beautiful disaster you know you should look away but you can’t.

I truly believe that Vanessa Hudgens is in the midst of a career renaissance this and, ‘The Knight Before Christmas’ could both be so bad but, her performance saves both. She is lovable and, warm and easy to root for she places the every-woman incredibly well. What’s more she is convincing as both Stacy and, the Dutchess so much so that after a while you forget that both are Hudgens; you see them as entirely different characters. She is the heart a soul of these films.

Overall this film is more fun than it has any right to be, a great performance by Vanessa Hudgens and, throwing logic out of the window make this film surprisingly good.

Pros.
The Ridiculousness
Vanessa Hudgens
The Wider Shared Universe

Cons
It is drunk or, hungover trash viewing, but you knew that

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

A Christmas Prince, The Royal Baby: A Scroll, A Curse And, Two Families

‘A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby’ is a Christmas romantic comedy as well as the third instalment in the franchise and, as you can guess centres around the birth of now, Queen Amber, (Rose Mciver) and King Richard, (Ben Lamb) first child. The plot this time around seems to go in the complete opposite direction to the last entry, serious and lacking in whimsy, being once again over the top and, ridiculous much like the first film; hell not to spoil anything but, ghosts and a curse play a part in the plot this time around.

I think this third instalment is a return to form for the franchise, going back to its trashy over the top roots, and I think the film as a whole benefits from this; there are not multiple subplots that are all boring and, trying to take away from the main narrative in one way or, another, everything is relatively straight forward this time around.

*There is one subplot about Melissa, (Tahirah Sharif), Amber’s best friend who has been a background character, thankfully, for most of the series thus far, questioning her relationship with Simon, (Theo Devaney), Richards’ cousin. Simon has quietly become my favourite character in the series over time, but he works well in small doses both the first and second film seemed to understand that but, this film gives both he and Melissa far too much screen time. I have never cared for Ambers’ friends in these films they’re forgettable and, throwaway so to see Melissa get a subplot of her own made me groan. All of these scenes drag on and, on and feel like the film trying to buy itself time; what makes it worse is the acting and, the plotline itself could and, have been done better in a soap opera.

I think the film greatly benefits from suddenly remembering what it is, a trashy, made for TV movie people might watch when they’re drunk. By throwing any sense of seriousness or, sense out of the window it allows the film to be what it once was again, fun. The idea that if they don’t find the missing scroll by midnight Richard and, Ambers’ baby might be cursed is wonderfully silly and, daft. I appreciate and, applaud this film for not taking itself too seriously, as that was my issue with the second film.

Overall I think this should be the last entry in the ‘A Christmas Prince’ franchise as I don’t see where they can take it from here. This film is a high note for the series being just as good as the first film and, being made that much better by embracing the wackiness and, not taking itself too seriously; definitely good drunk viewing.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

A Christmas Prince, The Royal Wedding: Is It A Nice Day For A White Wedding?

‘A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding’ is a Christmas romantic comedy film that serves a continuation of the Christmas Prince saga, carrying on directly from the first film. The plot this time around focuses on yes you guessed it a Royal Wedding, as well as an embezzlement scheme; because why not I guess.

For me, this is a weaker film than the first in many regards, mainly in terms of plot. The first film knew what it was, a romantic comedy, the main event of the narrative was Amber, (Rose Mciver) and Prince Richard, (Ben Lamb), getting together; yes there was the subplot of Richard being adopted and, him having a will they won’t they sort of relationship with the crown but, at the end of the day, these were never more than subplots, dressing to go along with the main romantic journey.

However, this time around the titular Royal Wedding seems to be an afterthought, the two main plots of this film are that Amber doesn’t feel like she belongs in the Royal Family, yes I know can it get any more cliched, and the other being that King Richards’ economy-boosting initiative is failing and, they have to find out why. My issue with this is that both of these plotlines take up the majority of the film and, one is boring and, the other annoying; they both feel like filler, almost as though they didn’t have the budget to shoot a Royal Wedding sequence.

The Amber doesn’t fit in storyline and, her feeling like she is losing control of her own wedding has been done to death and, is completely unoriginal. Not only this but, it turns Mrs Averill,(Sarah Douglas), from a passive background character to almost a loathsome sub antagonist, which would be a bold move if you actually cared about the character but, you don’t. Moreover, these films like to flip flop when it comes to her character because sometimes she is supposed to be likeable other times she is the bain of everyone’s life this tonal split personality is present in all the films but, especially here. The other plotline about the embezzlement can be summed up in two words, boring and predictable.

Finally yes the they know they’re trash tone of the previous film is still here and, everything still looks just as cheap, but the charm just isn’t here. This is no longer something easy to watch when you’re hungover something to turn your brain off to; it is simply boring and, drab.

Overall this is a step back in many different ways for the ‘A Christmas Prince’ franchise as it is a film to bogged down in all its different plot threads to ever be entertaining.

2.5/5

Reviewed by Luke