Instant Family: Wahlberg Is On His Best Behavior

Instant Family is a comedy drama film directed by Sean Anders. The film follows a couple, Pete, and Ellie, (Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne), who decide to adopt three kids. The film follows the life of the new family and explores what the word family really means.

Right off the bat I will say that you have seen this before, the storyline has been mined for all it is worth and you know exactly what is coming right from the first minute: it is insanely predictable. However, despite this the film still manages to nail its core emotional beats and as such you become invested in the story and the lives of these characters: the final showdown in the court room is rather moving.

You can see that Wahlberg is struggling to deviate from his tough guy persona here, unlike Byrne he struggles more with the emotional scenes and is less believable as a result. However, he does have a few good moments that warm the heart, such as the scene he scares with teenage wild card Lizzy (Isabela Moner), when they smash things up together.

With that in mind I would say Moner is the star of the show here, she nails both the comedy and the heart and hers is the character that feels the most realised and explored. Moner brings more to the role that just the usual teenage moodiness and actually makes the character compelling, even managing to upstage Wahlberg and Byrne at times.

Overall, though this film is nothing new its huge heart is enough to win you over.

Pros.

The heart

The ending

Isabela Moner

Cons.

Wahlberg feels out of place

It is very obvious and predictable

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Are We There Yet: You Have To Be Super Human To Look After Kids, Literally

Are We There Yet is a comedy film directed by Brian Levant. The plot follows Nick Persons (Ice Cube), a man who has to drive the kids of the woman he wants to date across country: the twist is that these kids hate all the men their mum dates and actively try and sabotage him.

Ice Cube as an actor in my opinion is a mixed bag, sometimes he can be great other times he can be awful, see the Ride Along movies for proof of the latter. However, this may be my favourite performance from him yet. He plays Nick with all of this usual attitude and toughness but shows enough warmth and heart to make the kids and us the audience fall in love with him as well. I dare you to not tear up during the scene when he is saying goodbye to the kids.

The humour of the film was more hit than miss for me. Not every single one of the jokes made me laugh, but more than a few did. Ice Cube had some great moments such as the horse scene that are hilarious, and Tracy Morgan as the talking bobble head also had a number of funny moments.

Overall, I found this film to be far more charming than I thought it was going to be, it made me laugh, it made me cry and it impressed me by not having insufferable child performances.

Pros.

The heart

The humour

Ice Cube

Tracy Morgan

Cons.

A bit too reliant on slapstick comedy

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Journey 2: The Kind Of Stepdad That Takes You Half Way Around The World To Bond With You

Journey 2, The Mysterious Island is a science fiction adventure film directed by Brad Peyton. The plot continues the adventure of Sean Anderson (Peter Hutcherson), as he now goes to another mystical land. First it was the centre of the Earth with his Uncle (played by a sourly missed Brenden Fraser), and now it is a mysterious island in the middle of the pacific with his stepfather (Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson).

This film is a lot of fun there is not much more to it than that. Is it the best film you will ever see? No. However, it is an extremely enjoyable way to spend an hour and a half, and surely that is what matters?

This film as a whole like many others is made by the Rock’s easy-going charm. The Rock is one of the easiest actors to watch on screen and moreover he also has great chemistry with near anyone you put him on screen with, as proved here: Michael Cain and The Rock were the buddy duo you never knew you needed.

I enjoyed the adventure as a whole as well, I thought it was interesting to see this world realised and I thought the special effects were good enough to a point where I did not feel like I was being taken out of the movie.

Overall, it’s a fun film with a lot of charm and heart and some neat visuals, you can do a lot worse than this one.

Pros.

The Rock

The charm

The visuals

The adventure

Cons.

Parts do feel a little bit familiar and more originality could have been used.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Are We Done Yet: This Film Deserved Best Picture

Are We Done Yet is a family comedy film directed by Steve Carr. The plot follows on from the events of Are We There Yet and sees the Persons family move out on the city and into the countryside. Everything seems to be going well for Nick (Ice Cube), and his family, except for the fact that their new house is falling apart, and Nick seems to be losing control of his life.

I don’t know how these films do it. On the surface they appear to just be Ice Cube comedy vehicles, but underneath this veneer they are so much more. These films have so much heart they make Pixar films look cold, both of these films have brought a tear to my eye and have touched me on an emotional level; it is very impressive.

The relationship between Nick and Chuck (John C. McGinley), starts off like the comedic antagonistic relationship you have seen in so many other comedy films (family and otherwise), it appears as though Chuck is going to steal Nick’s life, but then it becomes so much more than that. The bonding scene between Nick and Chuck, wear Chuck talks about this life is devastating and played havoc with my emotions far more than the last 20 dramas I’ve seen.

The film is not always hilarious, not every joke is a laugh riot, but it is consistently charming, and it keeps a smile on your face throughout.

Pros.

It is heart warming

It genuine has a masterful understanding of human emotion

Ice Cube and McGinley are both terrific

It has many funny moments

It is far more charming than you would expect.

Cons.

A few jokes miss, but I am not going to mark it down for that

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Wallace And Gromit Curse Of The Were Rabbit: Howling At The Moon

Wallace And Gromit Curse Of The Were Rabbit is a British stop motion animation film directed by Nick Park and Steve Box. The plot sees the duo set up a business catching and rehousing rabbits in their local area, protecting everyone’s green. However, one day during a failed science experiment Wallace (Peter Sallis), turns himself into a horrible man rabbit hybrid.

I remember watching this when I was a kid in the cinema, I must have gone at least 3 or 4 times to see it during its run; there is something about this film that places higher in my mind than the over Wallace and Gromit fare and even over other Aardman animations. What I think this something is, is the sense of British horror that is on display here ever so subtly. Throughout the film there are several references and homages to classic British horror films and moments, which a genre die hard like me can see and appreciate; I enjoy the tip of the hat.

I also enjoy the romance between Lady Tottington (Helena Bonham Carter), and Wallace. I thought it was nice and quite wholesome to see this love story play out on screen even if it does lead nowhere. It made me smile.

Overall, my favourite Wallace and Gromit film simply for the references to British horror, a great concept well executed.

Pros.

The horror and the references to horror

Wallace and Lady Tottington

The premise

It is well paced

Cons.

The villain feels familiar and uninspired

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Croods 2, A New Age: The Age Of Stone

The Crood 2, A New Age is an animated family film directed by Joel Crawford. The plot continues on from the first film, with the Crood family trying to find a new permanent home (or tomorrow as the film calls it). In this pursuit, Guy (Ryan Reynolds), runs into this adoptive family that took him in after his parents died, naturally the two families’ clash.

So, I was not very impressed by the first Croods film, it felt very generic and had no emotional impact. I am glad to say that I enjoyed this film a significant amount more and I think it made great strides to better the issues of the first film.

Yes, very much like the first film, the conflict is insanely predictable and cliché: where the first had a father needing to set aside, the second also has that but with the added dimension of question whether they need to change how they are and become more than just cave people. The emotional journey of this film is one you have seen done hundreds of times before and the resolution is exactly how you would expect.

This film does feel like it has more heart than the first film, that felt very much like it was trying to steal from other properties in a cold, corporate way. I felt a greater connection to the characters here and enjoyed seeing them interact on screen. I thought this was definitely Eep’s (Emma Stone), film and she was the character that kept me engaged in the plot.

The female empowerment angle towards the end of the film left me split. On the one hand it was a cool scene and came off as a nice final battle scene with all the female characters riding in on huge beasts and saving the day. However, at the same time it felt forced in and unnatural, it felt very much upon a second rewatch that the film was trying to set up this empowering moment throughout in the least subtle way possible- shoehorned in some might say.

Overall, this is a much-needed improvement over the first film and gives me some hope for the series going forward.

Pros.

Eep

The emotional connection/impact

Having a distinct set of personality

Being fun to watch

Cons.

The arc/ journey of the character is a little stale

The female empowerment sequence

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

We Can Be Heroes: David Bowie Is Turning In His Grave

We Can Be Heroes is a superhero family film directed by Robert Rodriguez as a spin off to his The Adventures Of Sharkboy and Lavagirl In 3D. The plot picks up sometime after the events of Sharkboy and Lavagirl and focus on the next generation of superheroes, as they have to fight off an alien invasion when there super heroic parents get captured.

This is a mixed bag. To start on a positive note, I enjoyed the films playful sense of humour it often made me laugh and I was smiling throughout. I also thought the world was well developed and flushed out (which is one of Rodriguez’s best qualities as a filmmaker). I think this film did a great job exploring the lore set up by the previous film and it capitalises on it to great effect.

On the other hand, however, all of Rodriguez’s issues from the Spy Kids films are in full effect here. The film is far too busy and there is often something being forgotten or overlooked because you can’t focus on it all; appealing to children’s 5 second attention spans is all well and good, but it does serve to alienate the adults in the audience.

Secondly, the ending feels like a cop out. It is not as bad as it was all a dream, but it is not far off. The intention was clearly to have the ending be this big emotional pay off but that didn’t come across and the ending left me cold and a little bit irritated.

Finally, the film has a real issue with cringeworthy dialogue and moments, whether it is some of the lines the child actors come out with (most of who are not giving good performances), or rather the on the nose slowed down butchering of a classic David Bowie song, there are more than enough moments to make your whole body cringe.

Overall, there is still some greatness here, however the charm of the previous film and Rodriguez’s Spy Kids films is not here, unlike the issues which most definitely carry over.

Pros.

Pedro Pascal

The humour

The world

Cons.

It is frequently cringey

There is too much going on

The ending is very, very bad

2/5

Reviewed by Luke

Spy Kids: The Parents Aren’t Alright

Spy Kids is a family, action, adventure, comedy film directed by Robert Rodriguez. The plot sees a pair of superspies become captured and it is then down to their children to rescue them and save the world.

I am a big fan of Robert Rodriguez; I think he is very talented both as a filmmaker and as a creative. More than just that though, he has also proven himself to be adept at making great movies for both the adult market and the family friendly market- clearly he is a man of many talents.

Rodriguez brings a warmth to this film that draws you in, once arrived you are introduced to a dense world that is begging to be explored, and characters that you immediately form a bond with and have fun rooting for over the course of the film. This is particularly impressive as both of the leads in this film are children, often child actors can be cringey and scene stealing in all the wrong ways, but Rodriguez manages to get a good performance out of both of his stars.

My only issue with this film was that it was a bit too zany and over the top, as such some of the time it was hard to tell what was going on. I understand it is aimed at Children with 5 second attention spans but even still, the plot loses a lot of cohesion and the film progress and it all becomes just a bit too manic.
Overall, an above average kids film that proves Rodriguez is a man of many talents, just maybe tone it down for the sequel.

Pros.

Likeable child stars

A world primed for exploring

An interesting concept

Cons.

A little bit too busy

It was confusing as too much was happening at once

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Soul: The Jazz Man

Soul is an animated family film directed by Pete Docter and Kemp Powers. The plot follows a part time teacher/ wannbe jazz musician Joe (Jamie Foxx), as he dies before he has a chance to achieve his dream of performing on stage. Whilst in the afterlife Joe meets 22 (Tina Fey), a young soul who is struggling to find their spark, together the two of them run away back to earth and go on a journey of self-discovery together.

This film almost made me cry, almost. The ending is beautiful and heartfelt, and it really brought Pixar back for me in a big way. Personally, I haven’t really enjoyed a Pixar film since Brave and even a few of the ones before that Ratatouille, Wall-E did nothing for me: I enjoyed a final trip to Toy Story but more for nostalgia then a strong story. However, I am pleased to say that this film bucks that trend and in my mind restores Pixar to its former glory.

I enjoyed seeing the bond develop between Joe and 22, I thought it was a incredibly well realised friendship and touched on the very real experience of what it means to be human. The individual character arcs of Joe and 22 are equally well done, and you are left staggered at the complexity of emotional impact they manage to elicit.

My one complaint would be that the soul world stuff is a bit dull at times, and it tends to drag on: you can’t help but think during these sequences that you would much rather they get back to the Earth storyline.

Overall, a film that resorted my faith not only in Pixar but in the animation genre in general.

Pros.

The emotions

The character journeys

The performances from Foxx and Fey

A return to form for Pixar
Cons.

The soul world plot could and should have been more interesting

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Christmas Chronicles 2: Sending A Child Out To Do A Dangerous Mission Incredibly Under-prepared, I Am Sensing A Theme

The Christmas Chronicle 2 is a Christmas comedy film directed by Chris Columbus. The plot sees a disaffected rebel elf Belsnickle (Julian Dennison), use Kate (Darby Camp), the girl from the first film, to lure Santa Claus (Kurt Russell), into a trap so that he can steal the Star of Bethlehem and start his own workshop in the South Pole.

I think in many ways this is a stronger film that the first. I think by switching the focus from Santa Claus in our world to us in his it ups the magic and the intrigue and gives the filmmakers a rich world to play in. To that end, I enjoyed this film’s version of the North pole and though the deeper dive into Elf culture was interesting, and something I would like to see more off.

Dennison made for a likeable villain, he was never really a threat and it was always clear he was going to become good in the end. For some this might make him a weak villain, personally I don’t think these films need villains, so I didn’t mind; what bothered me was how predictable Belsnickle turning good was.

Camp is still incredibly annoying; her character is a brat through and through and this makes it hard to care about her. The brother character from the first film is mostly ignored in this, I guess he was busy filming other stuff for Netflix. We are introduced to Kate’s stepbrother Jack (Jahzir Bruno), who makes for a much more likeable protagonist, he even has a nice little emotional arc as well.

Overall, this film benefits from fresh blood and new ideas, it tries to replicate a few things from the first film that fall flat and Kate as a lead character lets the film down, but it is still a flawed gem.

Pros.

Tyrese

Jack is a fun new character

Exploring Santa’s world and his relationship with Belsnickle

Kurt Russell

Cons.

The film tries to mimic the first by having another musical number, however here it does not work

Kate is a terrible lead and is irritating throughout

4/5

Reviewed by Luke