20s Movie Review - Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Director: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein
Genre: Fantasy/ Adventure/ Action/ Comedy
Runtime: 134 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Sophia Lillis, Justice Smith, Hugh Grant, Regé-Jean Page

Description: A charming thief (Chris Pine) and a band of unlikely adventurers embark on an epic quest to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they tun afoul of the wrong people.

Review: After a theft that went wrong, Edgin and Holga try to get their lives back on track. This is harder than expected, as one of their friends seems to have betrayed them. To set things right and prove himself to his daughter, Edgin joins Holga and other magical misfits on an epic adventure full of bizarre monsters and plans that don’t always go according to plan.

“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” is a blockbuster the way we know them: special effects, action spectacle, funny main characters and an okay story. Yet the film distinguishes itself by cleverly making fun of both the game on which it is based on and the fantasy genre. The simplicity of the story and characters are also a definite plus.

Although a wide audience can enjoy this film, fans of the original game are rearded. Many typical things from the game occur: spells, failed plans and unnecessarily long backstories give the film a fairly authentic tone. But the writers took some creative liberties and this worked really well.

The magical side of the world where the story takes place is used in the craziest way. It gives the film a refreshing quirkiness. Aside from the CGI, there are also lots of practical effects and remarkable costumes.

“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” makes for a great viewing experience, which I now wished I had seen in the cinema. A strong cast portraying fun characters, and enjoyable world and setting with an entertaining story. A movie I will definitely rewatch at some point.

Rating: 4/ 5

TV Show Review - Sharp Objects (Mini Series)

Season: Mini Series
Genre: Drama
Number of episodes: 8
Year: 2018
Starring: Amy Adams, Patricia Clarkson, Chris Messina, Eliza Scanlen, Elizabeth Perkins, Sophia Lillis, Matt Craven, Henry Czerny, Taylor John Smith, Lulu Wilson, Miguel Sandoval, Barbara Eve Harris   

Description: A reporter (Amy Adams) confronts the psychological demons from her past when she returns to her hometown to cover a violent murder.  

Review: “Sharp Objects” make is painfully clear that this is a psychological drama series, with a hint of mystery. Admittedly, Camille Preaker is sent to Wind Gap, her hometown, by her employer Frank Curry, to report on the murder and disappearance of two teenage girls. However, we only learn the reason for this decision as the series unfolds.
“Sharp Objects” is not for people who like fast-past whodunits. The HBO series choose a bold path of looking back to the past and a killer who targets young girls. The series, with its protagonist wonderfully played by Amy Adams, is a portrait of a damaged woman who sees words as pain, as an enemy and a friend in the world she lives in.
You need to pay attention to detail since there are words you can see along the way, that have a certain meaning or effect on Camille. In the street, in her car, on her body. And there are many theories of why Camille is the way she is.
Amy Adams is, a I mentioned before, amazing as the lead. You really feel her emotions and her performance is so strong, it blows off the screen. And she is accompanied by some really strong people. Patricia Clarkson, as her mother Adora. Her performance gave me the chills. She scared me in some way. And Eliza Scanlon, who plays Camille’s younger sister Amma. What a performance by this young rising star.
The slow pace does not bother me one bit, since the characters are all very complex and there is time needed to develop them and make them realistic. Bit by bit you are discovering why Camille didn’t want to go back to Wind Gap in the first place, why her younger sister acts the way she does and why Adora is so cold towards Camille.
“Sharp Objects” is not an easy watch, it’s a pretty depressing series. But well worth your time, since the performances and the story that unravels are really good. And that ending, it left me in awe. No happy ending here I can tell you.

TV Show Review - I Am Not Okay With This (Season 1)

Season: 1
Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Comedy
Number of episodes: 7
Year: 2020
Starring: Sophia Lillis, Wyatt Oleff, Sofia Bryant, Kathleen Rose Perkins, Richard Ellis, Aidan Wojtak-Hissong, Greg Daniel

Description: Sydney (Sophia Lillis) is a teenage girl navigating the trials and tribulations of high school while dealing with the complexities of her family, her budding sexuality, and the mysterious superpowers just beginning to awaken deep within her.

Review: A bloody girl walks down the street. It’s Sydney, a misunderstood teenager with superpowers. Angular cars, dull pastel colors and clothing from a bygone era surround Sydney in her trip to school. The tutor advises her to keep a diary, to avoid those anger attacks. The tone is set.
“I Am Not Okay With This” uses the same trick as “Sex Education”. Because the 80s don’t want to disappear from out pop culture, the creators dress their series in exactly the same aesthetics, only to mention in passing that we are indeed in the here and now. Get ready for yet another school party with eighties tunes and a staging of “The Breakfast Club”. Nostalgia can be a strong narrative.
Sometimes I feel like I’ve seen it all before. The new Netflix-hit in the making also burrows the voice-over and imaging of “The End of the F***ing World”. No wonder because the same creators are behind it. The combination is edgy and enchanting at the same time. “I Am Not Okay With This” stands out because it’s unobtrusive.
Behind the easy story-telling voice is the passionate young actress Sophia Lillis, which you might recognize from the movie “It”. Lillis and her young fellow actors portray realistic and complex teenagers with a good heart. Sydney is stuck in a love triangle with her best friend Dina and the eternally enthusiastic neighbor Stan. Stan is played by Wyatt Oleff, who was also in “It”. Lillis and Oleff worked together before, which is probably why especially those two click really well on screen.
The series is only seven episodes long and each episode is under 30 minutes, it’s a quick and easy watch. “I Am Okay With This” deals with some heavy themes, but never feels like that. It’s not dark enough and it’s a bit too light-hearted at times.
Although the style it is filmed in, with the 80s vibe and new-wave music, isn’t new and a much used style these days in series, I did love this aspect of “I Am Not Okay With This” the most. That and lead Sophia Lillis were the best part of the series. It’s not a unique series, there is a big mix of shows and stories we have seen before and it doesn’t really offer anything new. But with this formula, that seems to work well on other shows, you don’t necessarily need to be standing out because there is a reason people make these types of series. The audience likes it. And so did I. Not number one in originality, but definitely a good new Netflix original series.