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captainrachel
Reviews
I Care a Lot (2020)
ZERO moral compass!! Could have been great.
I'm giving it seven stars because despite my burning frustration, I kept watching. I've never wanted anyone to be killed as badly as Marla, not ever. Peter Dinklage's character is the best thing about this movie. The script is so absent of any morality, it's gross. Yes, I know that "in real life", the bad guys tend to win, but this isn't real life. It's a fantastical, silly plot that stretches credibility from the start and only gets more and more unbelievable as the film goes on. And I watch movies to ESCAPE real life. Not have my face rubbed in it.
* *SPOILER* *
The worst part is the very end. The poor young man who challenged Marla in court at the beginning of the film ! His mother died alone in the care facility. And he will now spend the rest of his life behind bars for first degree murder. Yes, Marla FINALLY gets her comeuppance at the end of the film (in literally the last 45 seconds), but at what cost?
Film could have been great if the writers had sprinkled in some sense of karma. Stop being edgy! Give people what they want! That b!+ch and her girlfriend should have been ruined (and/or killed) and the mother set free to laugh in their face.
Coming 2 America (2021)
Stick with it !! The second half is MUCH better than the first !!!
Let me preface this by saying I am a diehard fan of the first film. I know it by heart and have seen it a million times. My stomach sank when I found out they were making a second part, because, as we all know, part twos tend to suck.
The first half of the film was as bad as I expected it to be. The story line is... forgivable... I mean, they had to weave SOMETHING together in order to set up the movie. The jokes felt like they were pitched by fired SNL writers. The much awaited barber shop scene was saturated with political, current event-type jokes. (Ugh!) And they leaned on so many black stereotypes, it bordered on offensive.
However, I muscled through it. As the movie unfolds, you get kinda taken in by it. Your standards drop a little, and you let your guard down. The fierce loyalty I have for the first movie relaxed it's grip... and I let myself enjoy it. And I don't regret it !
Sometimes, sequels serve as way to check in on some our favorite characters, to see how they're doing, and what they've been up to. That's exactly what Coming 2 America allowed me: a chance to hang out with good memories and old friends. By the end of the film, I had teared up twice. And the closing number saw me clapping and crying happy tears.
So, if you can forgive the unnecessary musical artists, the product placement, the shaky story line, tired stereotypes, and a few bad jokes.... stick with it, and enjoy an all-expenses-paid trip back to Zamunda!
Russell Peters: Almost Famous (2016)
Boring, Repetitive
I truly enjoyed some of Peters' earlier stand-up shows. He has several jokes that will live on for years to come. But, having said that, this performance left a lot to be desired. I made it about halfway through before I realized I wasn't laughing, just sort of zoning in and out while staring at the TV. It was then that I also realized the audience wasn't really laughing either. There was scattered laughter and chuckles here and there, but I'm thinking, "If I'd paid for a ticket, driven, parked, stood in line and sat in a seat, I'd expect to be rolling on the floor".... NOT just politely chuckling.
The jokes were transparent. I could often guess the punch line. Really, it was a bunch of incoherent stories that set up an opportunity for him to use the accents and impersonations he's know for. I've read other reviews and some people pointed out the "funniest" jokes.... and they weren't all that great. Nowhere near his earlier stuff.
Disappointed! Watch his earlier routines. Don't waste your time.