Murder Mystery 2: Adam Sandler’s Latest Holiday

Summary

Adam Sandler goes on another holiday on Netflix’s dime.

As far as Sandler fare goes this is fairly passable. Whilst it is not his best film it certainly isn’t his worst either and as it stands it is quite a nice film to turn your brain off to and just space out. In a sense you could view it as the peak of escapism.

Sandler himself is toned down here, and whilst he does get into some whacky situations he is not as mean spirted as he is in some of his projects. I would dare say the earnestness of Jennifer Aniston’s performance works wonders to make Sandler more likeable. Aniston has great comedic timing here and her scenes where she is shooting people and is unexpectedly a great shot and is murdering people left right and centre by accident is actually funny.

In terms of the plot it is another convoluted mystery, but you aren’t here for that, no you just want to see Adam Sandler be Adam Sandler and the film gets that as it offers a plot that wraps up in a ridiculous way that makes little sense and doesn’t try to do anything else because it knows you don’t care.

Overall, a fun film to mindlessly watch, not much of an advance on that really.

3/5

Pros.

Aniston and her murdering skills

It does have some funny moments

It is very easy to watch

Cons.

The plot is convoluted

It feels very low energy

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The Donor Party: How Many Different Bathrooms And Bedrooms Can One House Have?

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A woman’s, played by Malin Akerman quest to have a baby makes for one hell of an awkward party.

The morality of this film is quite questionable. On the one hand we have a lead who is tricking men into having unprotected sex with her, on the other hand there is a pervasive feeling across the film that Akerman’s Jaclyn is being slut shamed for having random hook-ups as her rich fellow partygoers look down on her. The whole area is quite murky and though the film does have Jaclyn’s activities be revealed and have her be criticised for it, it for the most part glosses over the consent issues which is problematic.

At the same time there is something incredibly satisfying in the third act where it seems as though Jaclyn has been bullied from the party and she re-enters and gives the partygoers a piece of her mind. The film designs it so that despite her problematic behaviour you root for Jaclyn and as such it is nice to see her stick up for herself in the end, she makes a number of good points in doing so as well. This scene could easily have come off as preachy, but for me it worked well.

In terms of performances this is Akerman’s film, which is both a pro and a con in and off itself. For the pro she easily carries this film and helps make the viewer feel at ease, as I have previously said she is very likeable and easy to relate to, however, for the con it means the supporting cast are mostly overlooked or used to further Jaclyn’s story without having much to do themselves.

Overall, a fairly by the numbers middle aged comedy film, however Akerman does manage to elevate it.

3/5

Pros.

Akerman

It is watchable

It feels very cathartic when Jaclyn lets loose at the end of the film

Cons.

The iffy moral quandary

The wider cast is largely wasted

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The Ridiculous Six: Not Even Trying To Hide The Racism

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Adam Sandler plays a Native American.

Yikes. There was a time when I considered myself a Sandler die hard, I watched all of his films and thought he could do no wrong, then came Jack and Jill and his move to Netflix.

This film feels like it is trying to be edgy, not because the film thinks it is funny, or to own the libs or any other whiney platitude, but rather as a last gasp, as these old timers know that if they aren’t making gross out jokes and objectifying women then people might realise they are wasted up and not funny anymore. Many people can already see that.

I won’t rant at you about the meanspirited nature of this film, or the racial lines it crosses, and believe me this film could easily be labelled racist, but I will say that it is sad to see Sandler and co relegated to this. To me it screams of a group of guys who have given up on themselves and their careers and have realised that their heyday is long since over. It is sad.

I can’t see why anyone would find this film funny, it is just pathetic. It makes even the worst most lazy jokes on current year Family Guy look like comedy masterstrokes, it is just bad. However, maybe that is the point, maybe Sandler and co are just trying to ride the gravy train until they hit forgotten relic status. Sandler at least can save himself with some of the more dramatic work he is doing recently, but some of these guys like Anti-Vaxx ranter Rob Schneider are done.

Overall, Netflix never did get the memo on quality over quantity.

1/5

Pros.

It makes for a good way to entertain your pets when you have to go out for a bit.

Cons.

It is deeply not funny

It is sad to see Sandler reduced so low

It is quite creepy at times, and also racist

It is pathetic in more ways than one

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We Have A Ghost: David Harbour Is Charming Even When Silent

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A family moves into a house only to find it haunted.

I thought in some respects this was quite a sweet film. Very familiar, but sweet. I thought the friendship between Jahi Winston’s Kevin and David Harbour’s Ernest was fairly nice and heart-warming, I liked a lot of the awkward comedy they injected into the interactions between the two, especially after they go on the run. Likewise I thought that the relationship between Kevin and his father, played by Anthony Mackie, was also quite well done I liked how they showed the distance but also that the spark of their bond was still partially alive.

My criticism of this film would be that it leaves a lot on the table and doesn’t go as wild as I would have liked it to, for a film that has a secret government agency that hunts down ghosts this film is more interested in it’s characters relationships than anything else, which for me seemed like a missed opportunity. When looking at Landon’s other recent work with the Happy Death Day films and Freaky I was expecting something a little more zany, though maybe he was trying to rebalance the scales with this one.

A final aside before I bring this review to an end, I think that this film is absolutely stolen by Isabella Russo’s Joy, whenever she is on-screen she commands attention and without trying was easily my favourite character of the film, I liked her attitude and general vibe and I also thought she had a lot of the funniest lines in the picture.

Overall, a surprisingly sweet film but one that has been done before, arguably better, and one that doesn’t go as hard or as silly as you would like it to.

3/5

Pros.

Winston, Harbour and Mackie

The character work and relationships

Russo as the scene stealer

Cons.

A little too serious at times for what it is

Pacing issues galore

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What’s Love Got To Do With It?

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A documentary filmmaker, played by Lilly James, makes a film about her childhood friend’s, played by Shazad Latif, arranged marriage.

The romantic set-up in this film is incredibly obvious to the point where it crosses over into cliché, everyone knows going in that James’s character is going to fall for Latif’s that is part of the unspoken agreement of the film. However, what isn’t known is that this film is worlds away from other rom-coms such as Love Actually, Crazy Rich Asians, Boxing Day etc by the fact that it is not a comedy at all.

I would argue that this film is not a rom-com, more so a romantic drama film with a schmaltzy ending that tries to undo a lot of its more depressing aspects but doesn’t really come anywhere near close enough. This film is depressing at times manically so, and that really is its greatest fault. Whether it is Lilly James saying how all the Disney princesses were depressed, her incredibly toxic relationship with her mum, played by Emma Thompson, or the fact that the arranged marriage actually happens although you knowing the genre think it won’t, this film knows how to upset you. There were multiple moments in the film where I found myself wanting to leave as it was so depressing I was no longer having fun at the cinema.

I think the great bane of this film is that despite James and Latif giving reasonably serviceable performances this rom-com lacks any kind of warmth or charm at all and that makes the film off-putting.

Overall, this film does the one thing a rom-com never should do, be depressing.

1/5

Pros.

James and Latif try their best to save this film

Cons.

It is depressing

It is not by any means a fun watch

The ending feels like it is over compensating

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Maybe I Do: The Rom-Com Genre Is As Toxic As Ever

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Yet another toxic rom-com in which a group of once loved actors trade away their remaining industry respect for an easy pay check.

Honestly this film has one of the most toxic plot lines I have ever seen. Emma Robert’s character thinks she can pressure her boyfriend, played by Luke Bracey, into marrying her by saying if he won’t then they will break up. What makes this more troubling is that her character’s mum, played by Diana Keaton, thinks that this is a totally fine thing to do as well. For what it is worth it is not a normal thing to do, you shouldn’t pressure your partner into doing what you want before they are ready and marriage isn’t the be all and end all that this film seems to think it is but hey.

Really you shouldn’t expect very much from a film that has such clunky lines of dialogue as this is my heart and this is my brain, whilst holding the character’s significant other’s hand over these areas. To say it is cringe is both an understatement and well as giving this film too much credit, the writing is just so subpar that it becomes impossibly not to notice bad.

Overall, avoid this at all costs and Michael Jacobs should probably never write anything ever again and hope that one day he lives down the shame of this film.

1/5

Pros.

It is short

Cons.

It has a bad message

It has deeply unlikeable characters

The romance is troublesome

It is tedious and generic

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Your Place Or Mine: If Only This Could Be What Life Was Like, Charmed Doesn’t Begin To Cover It

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Debbie, played by Reese Witherspoon, and Peter, played by Ashton Kutcher, have been friends for multiple decades but are only just now realising that they want to be with each other romantically.

In many senses this is a safe choice, it is a bog standard rom-com, nothing more nothing less. If that is enough for you then great, but don’t go in expecting anything that is going to change the game or be in any way remotely new or fresh.

I thought both Witherspoon and Kutcher brought a level of charm and warmth to their respective roles, but at the same time you would expect that from two such genre pros. In regard to their romantic chemistry on-screen, there were some sparks there and at times I found myself believing it, but it never really came alive and struck me as authentic.

As it is a rom-com we have to ask the age old question of is it sexist? The answer to that is yes, however, it is not the most sexist rom-com I have ever seen. I am of course referring to the fact that Kutcher’s Peter is a fairly well put together chap, if a recovering addict and a bit lonely, whereas Witherspoon’s character is a stereotypical overly involved mum who lives through her kid, Lord knows they can’t break away from genre archetypes and try and give her a more nuanced role. No, no as she is a woman she is stuck in the obsessive mother role, in the end she is seen trying to branch out to new horizons and work in publishing, however, this is with the implication that Kutcher’s Peter helped her calm down and stop worrying so much about her kid. Yikes.

Overall, pretty much exactly what you would expect from a rom-com both for good and for bad.

2.5/5

Pros.

Witherspoon and Kutcher both give good performances and have a little chemistry

It is fairly well paced

It is very watchable

Cons.

It is sexist

It is fairly forgettable and generic

Some of the side characters are barely characters at all

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Little Demon: First Season Overview

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The Anti-Christ is a teenage girl, voiced by Lucy DeVito, who meets her dad the Devil, voiced by Danny DeVito for the first time after a life on the run.

I really enjoyed this show, this as the title will explain is a full season review of Little Demon. I thought that not only was it funny, and at times also quite deep and thoughtful but I also really enjoyed how far it took things and pushed both the medium as well as what it can get away with.

In terms of the comedy of the show and the feel of it, there are definitely some Disenchantment and Paradise PD vibes running through this show which personally I enjoyed but I know it won’t be a lot of people’s cup of tea.

I think the real hidden treasure of this show is Aubrey Plaza voicing Laura the Anti-Christ’s Satan hating mum. Plaza does a terrific job here and really makes Laura into a well rounded character that can be funny, rad and also sympathetic all at the same time.

Overall, I had a lot of fun watching this series and think fans of certain types of adult animation will really enjoy it.

4/5

Pros.

It is funny

It is also surprisingly deep

The voice cast is terrific

The story is engaging throughout

Cons.

People who don’t like edgy adult animation will find little to like here

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Shotgun Wedding: Get Those Divorce Papers Ready

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Tom, played by Josh Duhamel, and Darcy, played by Jenifer Lopez, have their wedding taken over by terrorists and must work together to try and overcome them.

This is watchable yet entirely forgettable. Honestly, this kind of action comedy is nothing new and has been done many times before. Sadly, in the long history of newly weds teaming up to take down armed bad guys this film isn’t high up on the list.

The main reason for this is because of how tame it is. In almost every regard this film feels like it is holding back, be it in the gore and the violence, the swearing or even in the relationship drama. No couple I have ever met interacts like these two, the way they talk and generally just are around each other feels off and oddly formal at times. It would be an understatement to say that Lopez and Duhamel have no chemistry if anything I wouldn’t be surprised if it comes out over the next few years that the two of them hated each other whilst making this.

Overall, this is the sort of lazy film that reminds you that Hollywood, in this case Amazon, think they can just serve audiences with any old trash and that we will just happily consume it. Well I for one will spit out this rancid meal and will call out Amazon for this, consumers deserve better.

1/5

Pros.

It is not offensively bad

Cons.

It is tedious

It didn’t need to be made

It has no charm

It is horribly paced

The leads are both awful

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Sweet Home Alabama: Evangelist Propaganda

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A New York based fashion designer, played by Reece Witherspoon, travels back home to yes you guessed it Alabama to try and get divorced from her husband, played by Josh Lucas, so she can marry her new beau, played by Patrick Dempsey.

I put this on as it is February, the month of rom-coms, and after looking up non-toxic rom-coms I was fairly sure this was going to be a wholesome classic. Deary me how wrong I was, this film like many others in the genre is quite hard to watch and teaches some pretty bad lessons. These include but are not limited to, hey kids you should leave your life and dream job so you can move back to your home town and get with your ex, if you have a romantic moment as a child with one of your friends that means they are your soulmate forever, and finally when acting out it is perfectly okay to out your LGBTQ+ friend to everyone in town. That’s a big yikes.

Moreover, as the film progresses not only does Witherspoon’s character become more and more unlikeable, but also you begin to question why she is doing what she is doing. Clearly her and her ex have problems, clearly they are badly suited to each other yet they end up together because the film wants them to as it perpetuates myths. In many senses it is plain to see that Witherspoon’s character would have been better off with Dempsey’s character yet the film doesn’t allow that to happen as it would rather push the cliched destiny angle and suggest that women should stay with their exs because you never know they might change.

Overall, watchable yet fairly troubling.

1.5/5

Pros.

It is watchable

It has a few funny moments

Cons.

It has some really poor messages

Witherspoon’s character is fairly unlikable

The central romance of the film doesn’t work on a number of levels

It has pacing issues