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Reviews
Along for the Ride (2022)
Terrible. Ruined the book.
The last couple of Netflix teen rom coms adapted from books were actually better than the books (To All the Boys, Kissing Booth), but this movie was the opposite. While this was never my favorite Sarah Dessen book, it was OK and I expected more of the movie. No chemistry between the characters, felt dry and forced. The characters didn't look anything like I pictured them. Auden's parents were way too old! I pictured them more in their 40s. Auden wasn't a great protagonist in the books, but the actress in this was just not right for the role. They totally left out her brother which was weird. Felt like everyone was just reading lines from a script and not acting. So cringey!! They also changed too much like Auden and Eli's first kiss scene.l and their whole relationship in general wasn't right. Their fight was way too soon. Cringe cringe. And the relationship between Heidi and Auden or Auden helping with Thisbe..or her Dad and Heidi fighting..it was all done wrong. The whole thing was just bad.
Not a fan. I hope they don't bother doing This Lullaby or The Truth About Forever because they will ruin my two favorite books too.
Moonshot (2022)
Not sure what I watched....
I usually like Cole and I've watched Lana in To All the Boys a million times, but this was not it for these two. It could have been so much better. The idea was different and had potential but the execution fell flat. The dialogue was just off. And weird. Felt no real connection to any of the characters. Definitely no romantic chemistry between the two leads. The jokes didn't hit right, if can even call them jokes. Again I usually find Cole charming and funny, so not sure what happened here.
I couldn't get into this at all no matter how much I wanted to.
Free Guy (2021)
Fun movie!
I was't sure what to expect going into this. But..Ryan Reynolds, so of course I had to watch. And it was great. Good story and effects and shout-outs. It was funny, but also had heart. You actually care about the characters, even the ones in the game. It reminded me a little of Ready Player One, but I liked this better. It was obvious Keys based Guy off of himself/his feelings for Millie, not sure why it took her so long to figure it out. Although I almost wanted Guy to actually be real for her. But that could just he because..Ryan Reynolds.
Great movie. Definitely recommend if into Ready Player one or Wreck-It Ralph or anything similar.
And the scene with Channing Tatum was hilarious.
Love Everlasting (2016)
Good idea, bad execution
I love a classic teen, cliche, romance flick. But this was a hot mess. The idea was decent enough even while being done before and predictable, but the way it all unfolded was not good. The script was poor, chemistry between all the characters was lacking. Very stereotypical characters such as the friendzoned best friend, the bully, the teacher, etc. But the way these were portrayed was very cringy-especially the friend, Albert. He was supposed to be the awkward nerd, which is fine, but his lines and the acting of them fell flat and out of place. A lot of weird almost awkward silences or pauses in some scenes.
The bully character Bo was just over the top silly. And why was nothing really done about him? Until the end I guess. But way overdue considering he was bullying a girl that HE shot in the face. And the teacher knew, but didn't really do much. Very weird.
Also-Clover was a pretty girl and her scar was barely noticeable and certainly didn't make her ugly. Bridger was clearly better looking than Bo and the other boys in the school, so in reality neither of these kids would be the subject of bullying.
The characters just weren't fleshed out enough. No real depth when there could have been. The relationship wasn't believable. And I am OK with other similar stories, even if they are predictable, but I need a reason to care and cheer for the people to get together.
Sort of went in an over dramatic Nicholas Sparks direction at the end and it was unnecessary. Seemed like they didn't know where they wanted the story to end. They could have left out the coma garbage if they were going to have him be fine only to die two seconds later.
Just a mess when it had a decent plot to work with.
Love Hard (2021)
Cute and fun minus the chemistry
I usually like all these Netflix Christmas rom-coms, even if they're cliche and predictable. This script was good and so was the acting. Definitely had some actual lol moments. Story was good, but lack of chemistry made it a little weird. They had more of a friend vibe than romantic.
Euphoria (2019)
Dark storylines, great acting
I hated basically every character in the show, except maybe Ethan and Lexi, and Fez sometimes. But I think that is the point. They took the usual stereotypes and heightened them. This reminded me of 13 Reasons Why in many ways. Dark and depressing, angsty, immature, wild teens that all seem to do whatever they want without much parental intervention or supervision.
I thought Zendaya did a great job in the role and believable addict/bipolar.
Most of the girls were terrible. Kat was so ridiculous with the caming and the way she treated Ethan. He was too nice to her. She didn't deserve it. Maddy was obnoxious and immature and bratty. Cassie was naive.
Jules was so selfish I wanted to scream. She played Rue. She was all about herself and between the Nate stuff and then Anna...nope.
I don't see why Rue is so obsessed with her. Jules treats her like trash.
The guys were all narcissistic, toxic, abusive (except Ethan). Even McKay who they try to portray as the nice guy is toxic-the way he treats Cassie is terrible. And Daniel? Good grief he is beyond awful. I wanted someone to punch him in the face.
Nate clearly has issues coming to terms with his own identity and the relationship with his dad. The breakdown scene when him and his dad fight was hard to watch. You almost slightly feel bad for him until you remember he beat up Tyler and set him up. Jacob did a good job raging out in this scene.
I am curious to see the next season and if there is any character growth.
He's All That (2021)
Total trash
I remember seeing She's All That in the movie theatre as a teen (on a date) and loved it. It's total 90's romcom cheesy, but at least it had decent acting and chemistry. This remake should have been geared toward millenials, not this gen z tik toking world we live in now. It could have still been modern, but much more toned down.
Putting a wig in Tanner and making him "scruffy" was laughable. In the original Laney Boggs was obviously not ugly pre-makeover either, but it was just presented better as her being a geek.
It felt like one big ad for social media. The lead actress was basically reading from a script. The pacing was too rushed, the dialogue was awful (even some of the re-used lines from the original fell flat). 0 chemistry between the two. It was so awkward and uncomfortable. The horse stuff was unnecessary.
Now I feel like I need to watch She's All That to forget about this dumpster fire of a "movie".
The Kissing Booth 3 (2021)
Last movie ruined the trilogy. Disappointing all around.
I love the first and 2nd movie. Corny yet sweet teen romance is a guilty pleasure. We watch these movies for the fantasy and cheesiness of first loves, not to be slapped in the face with the reality that most relationships don't work out. I watch these movies for the hope that this stuff does exist. Somewhere.
Elle and Noah were made out to have this "epic love"-she finally got the boy she always had a crush on, that she grew up around her whole life, but really when you look at it over the course of the movies they spent more time apart (or fighting) than actually enjoying being together! Makes no sense. All we got of them actually being happy were a few montages.
This movie was all over the place and disjointed. Major lack of chemistry all around and I felt like I was watching Joey and Jacob's real life relationship dissolve on screen like it probably did for them in real life. They didn't really have any significant or good scenes together, was all very standoffish and awkward. Like they were purposely kept apart. Just felt weird considering the way #2 ended. I thought this movie would be more pleasant with better character development, and then maybe at the end her making the tough choice to go to a different school.
Marco was useless in this one since it was never about choosing a guy. They made it about Elle choosing herself, which is fine, but I wish there would have been more to it. The way her and Noah ended was just trash. But she was also wrong for how she engaged with Marco when Noah was clearly bothered by it and expressed it numerous times. She actively sought Marco's attention. Noah was right to be pissed and even when he tried to make up for it she was still always catering to Lee. I felt like Noah fought way more to save the relationship and to show her he cared than Elle ever did.
Elle and Lee have always had an unhealthy codependent friendship and I am glad she finally called him out, but he really had no character development at all. He flips out and acts like a baby over everything and yet HE gets the happy ending? Trash.
Chloe's character wasn't utilized the way it should have been either. I was hoping her and Elle would become close.
Just a mess of a final movie and it made me sad. To All the Boys Always and Forever finale was so much better and sweeter. The plots for both series is somewhat similar, but To All The Boys just did it better. Better script, better plot, better execution of the last movie. I finished that movie satisfied.
Even if it is unrealistic for HS sweethearts to stay together..that's what we watch movies for! The escape from reality.
I finished this movie wondering why I wasted my time.
The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers (2021)
Great show for fans of the movies!
I was worried this show would ruin the nostalgia feeling, but it didn't. It was it's own story but also did a great job with shoutouts to the movies.
The acting was great. The kid actors all did well-they hit the timing of the jokes and the wit on point. It was cute and funny without being corny and cringey. I'm 37 and found myself laughing at the kids jokes and definitely at the witty banter between Alex and Bombay.
Wish there could have been a Charlie appearance but maybe we will get one in another season.
2 Hearts (2020)
Missing something
I wanted to like this. I like the premise and that it was based on a true story. I usually like these types of movies, but there was something off about this. The pacing wasn't right, not enough time to really care about the characters or believe their relationships. Dialogue was a little awkward. Even Jacob's good looks and charm couldn't really save this.
It just fell flat when it could have been so much better and deeper.
The Woman in the Window (2021)
Not good at all. Left out a lot from book
I was looking forward to this and it was a huge let down. The book was good and engaging. This movie was like a rushed cliff notes version. They left out a lot of key scenes and just the overall tone and feeling of the book. I didn't care about any of these people. David was more crucial in the book. In the movie he was pretty useless. The ending was silly. The whole movie just felt weird. Good cast was wasted.
Cherry (2021)
Tom was great, movie could have been better
I didn't read the book, so I am not sure how closely this follows it, but this movie didn't seem to know what it wanted to be.
The narration and breaking 4th wall by talking directly at camera seemed out of place. It was also very draggy in parts.
I didn't really see the two mains having some epic love. It was rushed and random, so it was hard to connect to them or hope they would work it out. What was so great about Emily? She was kind of boring to me. Her turning to drugs also seemed odd and out of place. If you can't beat em, join em?
The friendships were random too. I didn't care about the friendship with James and not enough time seeing him bond with his army buddies before seeing them die. It was just lacking connection at every angle.
The idea of the story is fine and it was dark and sad, especially knowing so many of these young guys went off to war to come back suffering and undiagnosed like this. These are stories that should be told and read and watched. But it just could have been done better. The pacing, the script.
Tom did a great job with what he was given and showed he is more than an innocent comic hero actor.
To All the Boys: Always and Forever (2021)
Great ending to a cute story
I am a sucker for these teenage rom-coms. Loved the first 2 movies, and this last one met my expectations. The acting and dialogue was better. Chemistry between the cast has always been there. I feel like it could have been longer though with the breakup dragged out longer, but I assume it closely follows the books which I haven't read.
For anyone who has had a high school romance and had to go through the ups and downs, this is like a trip down memory lane. When you're young and in love it's the whole world at the time and it's innocent and scary and hard. These movies bring me back to being 17 and thinking about "forever".
Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments (2016)
Poorly acted and weak script
I am almost done with the book series, so I wanted to try the show. Looks wise the cast resembles how I picture the characters, but the acting and dialogue is so poor that it takes away from the story. I am 3 episodes in and it's so cringey. And I like these types of shows-Buffy, Supernatural, Vampire Diaries were all great shows with good casts.
Jace is too nice in the show so far. He is missing the closed off broody vibe from the books. Clary is whiney. Alec is too wooden. It's just off.
Shows or movies based on books are never as good as the books, but they can be acceptable. I love the Harry Potter movies and Hunger Games. You need the right cast with the right acting abilities or it just doesn't work.
After We Collided (2020)
Disconnected and rushed. First movie was better
I liked the first movie and looked forward to this, but it fell flat. It was rushed and disjointed. It lacked flow and character development. Tessa is just as immature as Hardin is, so not sure why she is made out to be the good one and he's bad (although in these movies I wouldn't even say he's a bad boy-he's just immature and moody). She's almost worse than him, she jumps to conclusions way too fast and acts irrational. She also forgave him pretty quickly for the bet without ever really discussing it in depth. That should have been a slower progression of her letting him prove himself at least. A month apparently passed but that was off screen, so it just seemed like they jumped right back into bed and ignored their issues. There was just no communication.
But young adult relationships can be like this, all hormones and impulsive and crazy with fights and makeups. Many of us have been there. I used to fight with my teenage boyfriend all the time, so in a way maybe it's realistic. But there was still something off about this movie and the script. There needed to be more. More communication, more connection. There needed to be something that made you really want these two to work it out.
In the sequels to To All the Boys I've Loved Before and Kissing Booth, there were fights and jealously too with the couples (all bad boy/player type themes), but the core of the interactions still felt genuine. You still rooted for the couples to make up. They addressed their issues as best they could.
Trevor was supposed to be the new guy I guess, but their interactions were more friendly and awkward, no chemistry, so it was almost pointless.
The idea is cliche and has been done so many times, but it could still be enjoyable if done right. The actors are decent, but they aren't given much to work with. Sex scenes are fine if done properly too, not just thrown in randomly for wow factor.
I may read the books to see if they are better.
How Do You Know (2010)
DNF-good actors, poor story
The reviews were mixed, so I went for it. I love Paul Rudd, and Reese and Owen are usually good. This movie just doesn't make sense. The dialogue is weird and all over, there is something off about these actors who normally can be really funny, charming, and great in their roles. I love romantic comedies and even cheesy ones, this felt like neither.
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013)
Brief summary of books, no character development
I have only just recently been reading this series and on Book 5, so I decided to try this movie. Like most book-to-movie adaptations it was missing real character development and came across more like an overview of the events in the first book. The pace was quicker, so you couldn't really feel for any of the characters. The books are long so there is a lot more that happens, more dialogue, more moments tying all the leads together. Also, the books are a lot wittier and give a better world development as far as NY goes. Jace's character in the books is a lot ruder and cocky, especially to Simon. Also, not sure this actor was a good fit appearance wise. Isabelle's character is more lively in the books. Magnus wasn't in the movie much and his character in books is also more interesting.
It's rare to have a movie be acceptable after a book, with the right characters. Hunger Games did a decent job of this, give or take a few differences, but I can still watch the movies and enjoy them.
This wasn't total trash, but the books are better as always.
The Secret: Dare to Dream (2020)
Simply yet sweet
I read the books years ago and I love Katie Holmes, so figured I would try this. It was surprisingly pretty decent. The dialogue was a little corny in some spots, but overall felt natural. Josh Lucas always has something charming about him. The kid actors were good, especially the son. A feel good movie that makes you think about life without being over the top about it.
Godmothered (2020)
Finally a movie that's not about finding a man!
This was cute and unique. Good cast and funny moments. I like that the message wasn't that a woman needs a man to be happy or find happily ever after. It had an Enchanted vibe where it took a cliche fairytale character and threw her into the real world where she was totally clueless. Sound of Music shoutout was fun too.
Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong (2015)
Unexpectedly good and different
This felt like watching real life and instead of a scripted movie. The dialogue was good, witty, not forced at all. Sounded like conversations I have had or similar. Of course the two have extreme chemistry that jumps off the screen since they are married in real life. I found myself laughing and smiling with them. I thought the second time they met they'd both he single, so it was almost sad to watch them spend all this time together and clearly be a good fit only for it to end with no real choice made. Different than typical movies where it all works out perfectly. This was more about timing and regret.
Cute, light movie if you like Bryan Greenberg and Jamie Chung.
After (2019)
Good acting and decent dialogue. Better than I expected.
I haven't read the books yet, but this was an OK movie. The acting was good, chemistry between the two leads was definitely there. Typical cliche complicated guy/good girl plot. Had a little bit of a Cruel Intentions vibe to it. I wish there was more character development, especially for the side characters, because it felt disjointed in some scenes. I wanted to see more of Landon. And Molly intervening and being rude could have been done slightly better. The scene when Tessa finds out about the dare could have been played out better, too. It was awkward when she went to the bar and they were all hanging there and stalling to tell her. Would have made more sense for her to overhear them talking about it or to read a text that said something about it directly.
I assume Hardin in the books is more of a jerk, because in this he wasn't terrible. A little broody and wishy washy, but typical teenage boy otherwise, so it didn't make sense for Tessa's mom to warn her about him so early on. Kind of like Noah in Kissing Booth. He wasn't that bad either, aside from getting into random fights, and yet he was dubbed "the bad boy". Bad boys in YA would be more like Damon from Vampire Diaries or Spike from Buffy.
It was definitely the fall in love in two seconds type of story, but it wasn't super cringy either. Could have gone for more dialogue instead of them making out every two seconds, but still wasn't awful.
The second movie looks more intense. Slight Fifty Shades look to it, although Tessa is a much better character than Ana ever was. I will keep watching and eventually read the books.
The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two (2020)
Terrible Sequel. First movie was much better!
I am not even sure what I just watched. I loved the first movie and have been waiting for this one to come out. It was terrible. The acting was garbage, Teddy was only in it for 2 seconds, villain plot was lame. He barely had to redeem himself in the end and it was like nothing happened, all was forgiven.
Then it felt like a mix if Gremlins and Back to the Future concepts tossed in. So strange. I would have rather they did the whole movie back in time with the dad. It would have tied in more with the first movie.
The first movie gave you that magic of Christmas, waiting for santa vibe. This was just a mess.
Christmas Inheritance (2017)
Good idea, poorly executed
I am all for cheesy holiday movies. I like some of these Netflix originals and others are just too cringe. This one was cringe. There is no consistency with quality of Netflix movies/shows, so it's always a surprise to see what you'll get. I liked Operation Christmas Drop and Dash & Lily was cute, but this one was a fail.
The spoiled rich girl was not rude or obnoxious at all, so there was no real change or character development. I like Eliza on The 100, but this just didn't work for her.
And I was so distracted by Jake's hair. Awful! That side part was ridiculous. I am all for the dorky hometown guy getting the girl, but fix the hair! It didn't suit him at all.
The pacing was slow, but it all took place over a couple days. It was just an overall weird dynamic the entire time and made it boring.
Clouds (2020)
Lacked details and too rushed
I had high expectations for this and was let down. It felt very disjointed and rushed. I didn't feel like I was given enough background on the characters to care about them-such as Amy. The movie started out almost in the middle of their story, yet also the beginning of it, but it felt forced and rushed. The scene between Sammy and Zach was just kind of glossed over. Something was missing. Timing and pacing was weird. The scene when they leave for the trip and Amy comes over seemed rushed and out of nowhere. And other similar scenes. The acting was fine, dialogue was fine, story behind it was touching, but I needed more. More depth, just more.
I love Five Feet Apart and that is fiction, but I felt like I knew the characters at least. I was hoping this would be similar.
Operation Christmas Drop (2020)
One of the better Netflix Christmas movies!
This was a cute movie and better than some other Netflix holiday movies. The actors are known and good. The dialogue wasn't too corny and ridiculous like some of the others tend to be. The plot made sense and didn't get crazy or unrealistic. It didn't feel forced and it stayed on topic. It was light hearted, but also had a good meaning. If you watch these types of moves expecting something new/different than the "usual predictable"...why bother watching? These are feel good movies that can put a smile on your face.
Kind of wanted more of the development of their romance, but also liked that it wasn't the main focus.