searching

If you like watching those True-crime stories about human interest mysteries, "Searching" is right up your alley. If you like thrillers about a determined protagonist that has to wade through a series of plot twists and plot turns to get to the bottom of a mystery, then "Searching" has what you're looking for. If you like dramas about Fathers that feel disconnected from their teenage child, then "Searching" is a movie for you. If you like communicating with people via messaging or video platforms on the internet, then "Searching" will feed that addiction. If you are fascinated by what you can discover and accomplish on your computers or smart phones, then "Searching" should wow you. 

Directed by Aneesh Chagantry, this story absolutely captivated me right from the get-go, all the way until the end. At times it was heartwarming or emotional, and in other times it was quite thrilling or suspenseful. The story manages to take me on a journey that's filled with twists and turns, which is what makes a good mystery very enjoyable to watch. Besides the clever plot, what also made this film so effective and fresh is that it's part of this burgeoning "screen life" film genre, where the majority of the time we are watching a computer screen or a video image captured from a device.

The plot reveals and story flows incredibly well in this "screen life" format, which allows us the chance to be entertained passively by what's happening on screen, or to be active in proactively looking for clues on a computer desktop screen. There are times when I would see something at a corner of the (computer) screen or lines of dialogue in a messaging thread, that looks like an important piece of information, and then the movie acknowledges my discovery and focuses on it. That's awesome. The way this movie does these kinds of plot development is quite entertaining to watch, and justifies the rationale of why the story is told to us via this method of story telling. There is a lot of plot conveniences though, but the writing is so solid that I'll have to just chalk it up to them being clever coincidences instead 

Another highlight to point out that makes this movie a success is John Cho as David Kim, the Father of this story. He goes through the wringer in this, and had to express many different kinds of emotions that have to seem very naturalistic. John Cho also had to act primarily just in front of a webcam, which seems very appropriate for a movie like this. It's hard not to root for John Cho here, because he and his character both deserves that. I should also point out that it can be entertaining to see David Kim navigate through the internet, because he isn't always knowledgeable in some of the things his Daughter does on the world wide web. 

I get that it's easy to dismiss "Searching" as another movie trying out the cheap gimmick that is the "screen-life" genre, but then you'll be missing out on something fresh and special here. This is an experience absolutely worth checking out, and arguably the first of it's genre that should actually be considered great. 

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the happytime murders

If a Rated-R, raunchy, rude, and outrageous movie that involves puppets, is something you'd like to watch, then go ahead and check out "The Happytime Murders." I'm assuming that you must have already seen the red-band trailer, and thought that this movie is going to be hilarious to watch from front to back. Well, you thought wrong. Now for those of you who were immediately offended by the content shown in the trailer, feel free to not watch this movie. You're not missing that much. 

To the movie's credit, it does make every attempt in the world to be hilarious through and through. In fact, the funniest scene in the whole movie wasn't even in that promotional trailer. With that said, most of the jokes are just mildly amusing, which is admittedly a disappointing thing to say for people expecting a laugh-riot. It's just really awkward seeing many jokes fall flat, or humor that only manages to get a silent nod of acknowledgement recognizing that there was a joke that made an attempt to make people laugh. 

Truth be told, the biggest mistake this movie made, is that it relied on it's outrageousness to carry the whole thing through until the end. Which is ironic, since the outrageous nature of the premise is the likely reason people do want to see it. Unfortunately, the shock factor of seeing puppets curse and do sexual acts might seem like a hilarious thing at first, but then it sinks in that the explicit nature of those jokes can only go so far before you just get bored or desensitized by them. Some of it did work though, but that doesn't happen often enough. 

The saving grace that makes the time spent watching it worth it, is the world building that was established in the premise. The human-puppet social commentary theme was genuinely something I'd like to see more of in much better movie as well. There are also some jokes that were actually good and even clever, that legitimately worked, and didn't rely on shock value alone. Then there's the movie's murder-mystery plot itself, that I found myself invested in seeing things through until the conclusion. Plus although it isn't perfect, the interactions between Melissa McCarthy's Detective Edwards, and Bill Berretta's puppet Private Investigator Phil Philips, was entertaining enough for me. 

Despite all the criticism that can be tossed at "The Happytime Murders," it's not a terribly made movie by any means. It's just mediocre at best, that fits perfectly well in the "disposable entertainment" trash bin. Of course we still should at least admire the work done in making those puppets come to life. I know I personally wouldn't mind seeing more of this world that the movie created, but let's just hope that it's for a much better film next time. If there's even a next time. 

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to all the boys i've loved before

Sometimes you really just want the comfort of a familiar romantic-comedy to enjoy watching, and "To All The Boys I've Loved Before" is that movie. It can't be denied, but it does follow derivative plot tropes that usually comes with this genre, but I'm however going to say that this movie is able to add it's own fine unique touches to make this film stand out anyway. Kinda like the lead character of this story, who is your typical normal teenage girl that blends in a crowd, but as it goes with the premise, this is the time she stands out. 

Speaking of that lead character to this story, Lana Condor who plays Lara Jean Covey, is one of this movie's secret weapon. She is absolutely charming, and quirky, and energetic, that she just simply jumps out at you to get your attention. Believe me, you're going to find yourself unable to not pay attention to what Lara does. With this movie as proof, Lana Condor is poised to be a strong actress for comedic roles such as this, for many years to come. 

The other secret weapon of this movie are simply the interactions Lara has with the other characters. Somehow this movie was able to create such charming and entertaining scenes involving Lara with her sister Kitty; played by Anna Cathcart, Lara with her older sister Margot; played by Janel Parrish, Lara and Josh, played by Israel Broussard, Lara and Peter, played by Noah Centineo, and even Lara and her Dad; played by John Corbett. All the supporting cast are excellent in this, and I'd like to go deeper with some of those relationships, but we're spoilers free still! 

Based on a young-adult novel by Jenny Han, starring young actors, in a coming-of-age romantic-comedy, it may seem like there isn't much this can offer to other movie watching demographics besides teenagers. There is one important thing that "To All The Boys I've Loved Before" does offer to everybody however, entertainment! While it isn't without it's flaws, this is an enjoyable movie that everybody can absolutely have fun watching. 

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Watch It Now On Netflix! 

the miseducation of cameron post

This is a weird one to review, and not because the movie is weird, it's because of the topic of the film. This is a story about a teenage girl who gets put in a gay conversion therapy center. Needless to say, that's a thorny subject matter to tackle, and immediately gets a specific reaction depending on the person. Not only that, but this story is siding with one specific point of view in an almost propaganda-like manner, which I don't think helps the movie. 

All that wouldn't have been an issue, if I didn't think the movie was a bit flawed. Yes, it's easy to sympathize with the plight of the title character; Cameron Post, in how she is coping with the fact she is being told that her homosexuality is evil. I also thought Chloe Grace Moretz portrayed the character excellently, and it felt believable to side with her in this premise. However, the contents in themselves weren't really that interesting.

You get bits and pieces of topics that warrants some discussion; via certain character highlights to specific plot points, but the story itself didn't feel it was necessary to delve deeper into those issues. I think I would have found the whole thing more fascinating, if they did more of a contrast between the two sides, instead of just seemingly mocking the other point of view of this story. Since this is what was decided for this movie, I thought it was mildly interesting overall, but mostly it just meandered and spun it's wheels over and over again. 

Not to be a prude or anything, but I also don't know why it was necessary to linger on multiple scenes where Chloe Grace Moretz is passionately kissing somebody (girl or boy), and have her simulate some sexual acts. It just seemed a bit indulgent, unless they were going for some kind of shock value or titillation with those scenes. 

I expected to get some good insight or even some good enlightenment about the premise for "The Miseducation of Cameron Post," but all I really got was a shallow perspective on the topic. To be honest, I was kinda bored a lot of the times. Which is too bad, because this is a subject matter truly worth exploring more in detail. Maybe there's a better movie out there for this. 

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alpha

Positives... 
- Kodi Smit-McPhee continues to prove his versatility as an actor here. 
- The bonding between the boy and the wolf (dog) is truly engaging. 
- Cinematography and the visuals in general are excellent. 
- Plot premise is pretty simple, but it's still effective enough to provide us with an epic story. 
- As it is to be expected, there are some good emotional scenes in the movie. 
- Looks like it's more than just a big budgeted dramatization of what prehistoric times could be like. 

Negatives... 
- Sometimes it looks like it's just a big budget dramatization of what prehistoric times could be like. 
- I admit to feeling a bit bored during the first quarter of the movie. 
- Kinda panders too much towards dog lovers more than it probably should have. 
- Multiple scenes might take more suspension of disbelief that you would expect. 

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mile 22

Positives... 
- Iko Uwais and Sam Medina are in this, and they're pretty awesome. 

Negatives... 
- You really don't need to watch this movie just to see Iko Uwais and Sam Medina. They can be found in much better films. 
- Just because characters are acting all badass with attitude, does not make them automatically cool.
- Unlikable protagonists simply does not make me enjoy watching this movie. 
- James Silva; as played by Mark Wahlberg, has got to be the most obnoxiously toxic and unlikable character I've ever seen in a movie all year. He is absolutely not a character you want to try and build a franchise around. It makes me angry just thinking about him. 
- Action sequences are serviceable at best. Not terrible, but nothing that exciting either. Which is unfortunate because this movie relies on the action beats to make us like the film. 
- Whole movie felt obnoxious and loud and constantly tries to be in your face. 
- Story thinks it's so clever, but I'm not willing to give it that kind of compliment. 

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crazy rich asians

I want to start this with an amusing observation in that "Crazy Rich Asians" may as well be called "Asian Instagram The Movie." Seriously. Most things you see on Instagram are well highlighted in this film. Eye catching scenery and tourist locations? Check. Mouth watering images of food and cooking said food? Check. Living the life and partying it up? Check. Blatantly flaunting products and merchandise? Check. Beautiful people dressed in fancy clothes? Check. Extravagant social gatherings and events? Check. Situations and status that you wished were actually your real life and not make believe? Check Check and Check! Needless to say, visually, this movie is very pleasing to the eyes. How's the story though? 

The story is an adaptation of the Kevin Kwan novel of the same name, and it's essentially the familiar love story of a regular nobody ending up with a super rich popular person. There's the family that doesn't exactly approve of the coupling. Our main protagonist has to rise up to the challenge of proving their own worth. Adversity is encountered. Hilarity ensues. Lessons are learned. Drama. Romance. Comedy. Typical stuff right? Yes, but thankfully Director Jon M Chu, plus screenwriters Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim, are able to make a derivative premise into something very enjoyable to watch. Of course all the significant subtext involving Asian culture is a huge part of what makes this story go beyond being "typical," and I could dissect all of that if I wanted to here, but this is a spoilers free review... 

It does help this movie to have a fantastic cast though. Like Constance Wu. Wow is she awesome in this. She plays her role as Rachel Chu so well, that it's hard not to root for her in this movie. Lovable and sympathetic, she is our heroine in this story as well as the audience surrogate. This movie would not work as well as it did without Constance Wu in the role. The huge ensemble cast definitely helps though, with highlights coming from Michelle Yeoh, Awkwafina, Ken Jeong, Nico Santos, Ronny Chieng, and many more. Wait. I'm not forgetting somebody. I'm saving him for last. Henry Golding as Nick Young. Wowee, this man has that Je Ne Sais Quoi. That "It Factor." That screen presence. What a charming man this Nick Young is. Rachel Chu is lucky to have him. Speaking of which, I thought the chemistry between them was great, and I was genuinely invested in their pairing. 

There's going to be a lot of people that will talk up the Asian factors to "Crazy Rich Asians." Stats will be thrown, representation will be lauded, and more people will be educated on things Asian. All that is important and all, but at the end of the day, if we're talking about this movie by itself... then this is a familiar romantic comedy, that happens to have beautiful visuals, and is entertaining as heck. It's still all about these rich and famous people, full of indulgent opulence, which can be off putting and unrelatable at times. So its not perfect, I have some issues with it, but it's undeniably enjoyable and fun to watch. It puts a smile on my face, and possibly even a tear drop or two. 

As an Asian American, I'm proud of this movie. 

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blackkklansman

Just from watching the trailer of "BlacKkKlansman," you should know exactly what this movie is about. It's no secret that Director Spike Lee is relaying a specific point of view to us through this film, that's inspired by the true life memoir of Ron Stallworth. There are liberties taken of course, but just know that interactions Stallworth had with KKK Grand Wizard David Duke are mostly true. They are entertainingly true. 

As mentioned already, there are fictional accounts in this story. There are characters specifically created just for the movie to play on certain plot threads that are tied to the themes of the movie, but there were some that were also created to protect the identities of the real life people involved. A lot of those liberties are the familiar cliche plot tropes that you will find in the story, and I genuinely thought I could have lived without several of them. Some of those derivative story beats only made this true story feel more fake than I wished it was. 

Spike Lee could have also used a bit more trimming with this film. A lot of the first half of the movie felt like it dragged a little, but I did appreciate how he allowed a particular speech by Corey Hawkins to play out in it's entirety. Same thing with the Harry Belafonte sequence. Despite some questionable editing decisions, I admit that I generally enjoyed the narrative of the movie anyway. A lot of what I found particularly entertaining were the portions where Adam Driver is playing the undercover cop within the KKK, especially how they handled the moments when people in the Klan were suspicious of him. Exciting stuff. 

I know John David Washington as Ron Stallworth will be a huge talking point for people in regards to this movie, and he is indeed good in the role. However, I honestly thought Adam Driver stole this film from him as Flip Zimmerman. I found Flip's character arc to be much more interesting, and Adam Driver played the role of the undercover cop amazingly well. Also, a quick acknowledgement to Jasper Pääkkönen, who was excellent as the primary antagonist of this movie. 

Yes, "BlacKkKlansman" does indeed feel like an important film, that has commentary that directly alludes to current events. Yes, Spike Lee can be very heavy handed with the subject matter, which can be a little too much. Yes, the overall story as told in the movie is flawed, and there are whole acts that I found myself questioning why I'm seeing what I'm seeing. With all that said, Yes, I think everyone should see this anyway. 

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slender man

Positives... 
- Director Sylvain White knows how to give the movie a nice creepy tone that's filled with dread. 
- The suspenseful setup to the scares can also be pretty effective. 
- Main Female leads are good in their roles. 
- Javier Botet. Look him up and see why he is perfect to play Slender man. 
- There are things to like here for people that are fans of Ringu/The Ring or A Nightmare On Elm Street. 

Negatives... 
- Ringu/The Ring and A Nightmare On Elm Street already exists, which makes this feel unnecessary to have around. 
- Doesn't really add too much new to the genre. Cliche and derivative. 
- Certain scenes feel illogical enough that it kills the suspension of disbelief. 
- Some of the plot threads simply do not get satisfying resolutions. 
- Yes, several of the scares are annoyingly manipulative. 

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the meg

Positives... 
- You know why you're seeing this. It's a Jason Statham vs Giant Shark movie. Oh, and to see people getting eaten by that Giant Shark. 
- Unsurprisingly, this movie is not trying to be a masterpiece, but it's big set-pieces involving the shark are entertaining enough to watch. 
- It's decent to check out in 3D (yeah, I actually saw it in that gimmicky format). 
- If you wanted a shark movie to just be what you expect it to be, then don't worry, this one follows a lot of predictable cliches, plot tropes, and have very familiar character archetypes, associated with what you expect a shark movie to be. 

Negatives... 
- This movie follows a lot of predictable cliches, plot tropes, and have very familiar character archetypes. If you're looking for something different or more prestigious, this is not it. 
- There's one particular plot trope that I truly truly wished was not part of this movie, but unfortunately it's constantly forced on us multiple times over. 
- Throw logic out of this movie, because it's only there when it's convenient. 
- Could have been spectacularly trashy if it went for a full R-Rating. 

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