Movie Review - Barbie

Director: Greta Gerwig
Genre: Adventure/ Comedy/ Fantasy
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell, Michal Cera, Kate McKinnon, America Ferrara, Helen Mirren
 
Description: Barbie (Margot Robbie) suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence.

Review: Most movie trailers show the entire movie in a brief moment. The makers of “Barbie” understood that the first half hour contains enough material to use only its footage to pique the audience’s interest. What follows after that is probably a surprise. For some a disappointment, because they got something completely different as the trailer showed us. To me it was a much wanted delight.

Stereotypical Barbie lives with all the other Barbies and Kens (and Allan) in Barbieland where everything is perfect and women have finally won an equal place in the world. One day Barbie suddenly feels a little less cheerful. She learns that this is because the girl who plays with her in the real human world apparently no longer feels happy either. Barbie travels to the real world to fix it, but that turns her world upside down even more.

People learn their lessons best when they are felt from within. Barbie is a mirror for a major problem in society that many people do not even see in its completeness because it is so deeply rooted.

We are introduced to Barbie by the use of a voice over and a wink to the classic sci-fi film “2001: A Space Odyssey”. Helen Mirren narrates and tells us how life works in Barbieland. Next we hear a song by Lizzo, twice in fact: once to describe Barbie’s daily life and then again to depict how, for the first time, things are not going so well. Real people live in the real world and think Barbie’s are just dolls, but there is a hidden reality where Barbies live, enjoying themselves in their own little paradise.

The start of the film, in Barbieland, is very cheesy and over-the-top, just like Barbie is. When Barbie enters the real world, everything is new and she notices the difference between what is normal in her little world and the real one.

The interaction between Barbie and Ken and the people in the real world is hilarious. It doesn’t rhyme with their worldview and they speak about this openly and literally. The mystery of who is behind Barbie’s growing depression is quickly solved; cleverly thought out, because this is not what it’s about anyway.

What follows is razor-sharp criticism of us and society, told in a childlike, naïve way. Barbie speaks up  simplistically and directly; no one will be able to claim that the message is not clear. A certain norm in our society is so standardized that even those who are against it still partially go along with it.

Because the film is so incredibly upbeat and colorful, it never feels pedantic or preachy. The jokes keep coming, Barbieland’s sets are impressive. This is not a woman’s movie, anyone can have a great time with this adventure. But it’s definitely not for children, it will go way over their heads.

Even though the Ken-song towards the end feels a bit out of tune with the rest of the film, I couldn’t help but smile from start to finish. It’s been living rent-free in my head ever since.

 
Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling were perfectly cast for their respective roles. America Ferrara was a pleasant surprise, her character’s monologue was my favorite moment of the film. And Michael Cera as Allan was just too funny. I think he was my favorite character.

That “Barbie” would be a fun film was to be expected, but it’s a very good movie with a strong, clear message and substantive comedy. Fans of Barbie who were expecting a fun, simple, bubbly Barbie adventure in her dreamhouse, will probably be disappointed. This film has way more substance and layers.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Lego Batman Movie

Director: Chris McKay
Genre: Animation/ Action/ Adventure/ Comedy/ Family
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Fiennes, Zach Galifianakis, Jenny Slate, Conan O’Brien, Billy Dee Williams, Zoë Kravitz, Eddie Izzard, Seth Green, Ellie Kemper, Channing Tatum, Adam Devine, Hector Elizondo, Jonah Hill

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 25: A SUPERHERO MOVIE

Description: A cooler-than-ever Bruce Wayne (Will Arnett) must deal with the usual suspects as they plan to rule Gotham City, while discovering that he has accidentally adopted a teenage orphan (Michael Cera) who wishes to become his sidekick.

Review: The fun we can have with these little plastic bricks and puppets. And not only kids. “The Lego Movie” already showed us how much fun and how creative you can be with Legos. And one of their characters, Batman, has his own Lego movie now.
Be sure you are ready from the opening titles, since that’s where the first jokes start. Batman’s deep tones narrate everything. What comes next is a fast paces animation, filled with sharp and clever jokes and a lot of nods to pop-culture.
The opening scene is a funny spoof of an attack by the Joker, only to end in a crazy rock song where Batman beats everyone. For the Joker everything gets worse when Batman tells him he’s not his special enemy. Because Batman needs no one, he thinks. Next we see him, sitting all alone in his Batcave.
While Joker and all the super villains from movie history are creating their masterplan, Batman finds a boy in his cave. An orphan, whom he accidentally adopted. This boy, Dick, wants nothing more then to be Batman’s sidekick.
The film has a moral, that together is better then alone, but it’s not one of the morals that they force on you. “The Lego Movie” was an ode to creativity, “The Lego Batman Movie” does it too but with a less creative story. But it’s one fun party for the whole family. The comedy is original and it looks stunning.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - Superbad

Director: Greg Mottola
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bill Hader, Seth Rogen, Emma Stone, Joe Lo Truglio, Dave Franco

Description: Two co-dependent high school seniors (Jonah Hill, Michael Cera) are forced to deal with separation anxiety after their plan to stage a booze-soaked party goes awry.

Review: “Superbad” is a harsh comedy, about teens trying to get laid before school ends. It sounds lame and unoriginal, but “Superbad” is much more original and honest than you would expect.
Jonah Hill plays the foulmouthed teenager Seth. All he wants is for the pretty Jules to be his girlfriend. His plan is to get her drunk at a party. He convinces his friend Evan that this is the way to get the girl he likes, Becca, to fall in love with him too.
The only problem is the booze. They are under 21 and can’t buy it. The solution: their nerdy friend Fogell, who just got a fake ID, that says he is a 25 year old organ donor called McLovin. Their quest to get alcohol begins.
The harsh dialogues and remarks are fired in speed tempo, by both Jonah Hill and Michael Cera. The timing of both actors is perfect and they both do a great job. But it’s Christoph Mintz-Plasse that steals the show, together with the two crazy cops, portrayed by Bill Hader and Seth Rogen.
“Superbad” is filled with original and hilarious moments. The film also has heart and turns cartoonish characters into real people. Not that the movie has any depth, but it’s a great study of the teenage psyche. “Superbad” has realism and honesty, something that a lot of teen comedies don’t have.
“Superbad” is super funny!

Rating: 5/ 5

10s Movie Review - This is the End

Director: Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen
Genre: Action/ Comedy
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2013
Starring: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, Danny McBride, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Craig Robinson, Paul Rudd, Mindy Kaling, Aziz Ansari, Kevin Hart, Rihanna, David Krumholtz, Emma Watson

Description: While attending a party at James Franco's house, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel and many other celebrities are faced with the apocalypse.

Review: Relaxing with his friend Seth Rogen, smoke some weed, play video games and eat junk food. That’s the weekend Jay Baruchel had in mind in “This is the End”. Sadly for him, that chill weekend ends up in the apocalypse.
Against his will Jay joins Seth for a house warming party at James Franco’s house. The new mansion is filled with Hollywood’s finest. When Jay and Seth quickly go to a store, they witness a weird happening where people are sucked into the sky. It’s followed by a giant sink hole in front of Franco’s house.
“This is the End” is a comedy that can go two ways: you either love it or you hate it. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have proved themselves before, with the comedy “Superbad”. And again they manage to make us laugh. It’s the end of days, packed with simple, tasteless jokes and pretty enjoyable (sorry to say) death scenes of famous movie stars. By mocking themselves and Hollywood, “This is the End” never has a dull moment.
“This is the End” is a film that is self-aware and not to be taken too seriously. The actors exaggerate their own character, and that’s why it’s a fun movie that I love. A guarantee for laughs.

Rating: 4/ 5

10s Movie Review - Molly's Game

Director: Aaron Sorkin
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 141 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Chris O’Dowd, Bill Camp, Graham Greene, Justin Kirk

Description: The true story of Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game and became an FBI target.

Review: Molly Bloom is a strong woman, but not the school girl role model. As an Olympic skier, she gets into a terrible accident where the doctors tell her she will never ski again. But within a year Molly is back on the slope.
But her Olympic career isn’t for long, when Molly has yet another fall to recover from. She starts working for a shady guy in an equally shady office. Her boss is friends with some big shots and runs secret poker games. Molly starts out as his help and eventually climbs the ladder to become the so-called ‘poker princess’.
Molly Bloom’s biography is pretty outspoken and was released not long after Molly was charged for running illegal games. Aaron Sorkin saw something in it and decided to turn it into film.
Everything we see, really happened, Bloom only changed most names. Sorkin isn’t interested in the names, he’s not here to get out the dirt. He wants to show us Molly Bloom’s story, how she starts out and eventually how she runs exclusive high-stake poker games.
Jessica Chastain is probably my favorite actress of the moment. She plays Bloom fiercely, relentless and sharp. Bloom is smart, she plays it smart and she uses her feminine qualities in a very clever way. And it all works.
Bloom isn’t portrayed as some kind of superhero. Aside from the criminal activities, she is also a woman that can be broken as long as you keep looking for her weaknesses. But she comes back from it even stronger and the fact that people never really get close to Bloom, is just a side effect she accepts.
Chastain is amazing in her role, she makes this movie great. And Sorkin manages to create a biopic, where a feisty woman makes it in a man’s world. Strong film!

Rating: 4 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 90: Sausage Party

Director: Greg Tiernan, Conrad Vernon
Genre: Comedy/ Animation/ Adventure
Runtime: 89 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Seth Rogen, Michael Cera, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill, James Franco, Danny McBride, Edward Norton, Craig Robnson, Nick Kroll, Paul Rudd, David Krumholtz, Salma Hayek

Description: A sausage strives to discover the truth about his existence

Review: If you put the creative minds of Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and Jonah Hill together, before you know it you get another hilarious concept. And I think there had to be some weed involved when the idea for “Sausage Party” was born. An animation about talking food, that has to run before they get eaten. It sounds super weird and it somehow is, but it’s damn funny.
“Sausage Party” is not the kind of animation you want to watch with your children. It’s adult humor. And it’s a giant wink to Pixar and Disney. The food in the Shopwell supermarket starts their day with a song, every day. If people buy them, they are chosen. But none of them know what happens to them. Sausage Frank and bun Brenda happen to fall out of the cart, right before the registry. And soon they are about to find out what their actual fate is.
“Sausage Party” is child unfriendly. It’s politically incorrect, sexist, stereotypical, has unsubtle sex jokes and many food related word puns. There is a very macabre scene where the food finds out what really happens to them and there is off course that so-called food porn at the end of the film. And the fact that the villain in the film is a vaginal shower, says enough.
Rogen and Goldberg give the finger to anyone that claims animation is only for kids and that there is always supposed to be a message hidden somewhere. So you shouldn’t take “Sausage Party” too seriously. What “Sausage Party” is, is original, fun and crossing the line. And I like it!

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 120: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Director: Edgar Wright

Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Adventure/ Romance/ Fantasy

Runtime: 112 minutes

Year: 2010

Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Brandon Routh, Alison Pill, Jason Schwartzman, Ellen Wong, Mark Webber, Mae Whitman, Aubrey Plaza, Brie Larson

Description: Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) must defeat his new girlfriend's (mary Elizabeth Winstead) seven evil exes in order to win her heart.

Review: When you manage to debut with “Shaun of the Dead” and then come with “Hot Fuzz” as your follow up, the pressure is big for a third film. With “Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World” director Edgar Wright showed again his comedic talent, but this time combined with fantasy. The first time a big budget film and he succeeds.

It’s a setting where comic books, videogames and guitar music rule. It’s all very surrealistic and the playful setting are a real treat. It’s not your standard comic book adaptation.

Scott meets Ramona, a girl he saw in his dreams. He wants to win her over, but first has to beat her seven evil exes. They can literally appear everywhere and this gives us some real great action fighting scenes. All very original and a great style.

The movie is filled with references, to videogames, music, movies and television shows. It will especially speak to teenagers and twenty somethings. You sometimes do feel that towards the end it’s a bit rushed, because so much goes on in the film.

“Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World” is entertaining and it looks amazing. Edgar Wright succeeds in his first American production.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Moments : "Juno"

Juno is a quirky and whip-sharp teenager who gets pregnant after having sex with Bleeker once. This story is so fun, I love this movie. One of those films that puts a smile on my face! Here are my favorite moments from “Juno”.

Moment # 1: Opening credits

One of the best opening credits of a movie ever. We see Juno walk on the street with a big can of orange juice.

Moment # 2: Pregnant

At the drug store Juno is taking a pregnancy test. And yes, she is knocked up!

Moment # 3: Telling Bleeker

The guy who she had sex with, only once, is Bleeker. He’s is also the one getting her pregnant. Juno decides to tell him in a very unconventional yet Juno way.

Moment # 4: Telling her parents

Juno has to tell her father and stepmom. She also is stating that she will give up the baby for adoption. Her dad is really surprised that she slept with Bleeker and her stepmom is right on hands on with the arrangements.

Moment # 5: Meeting Vanessa and Mark

In the Pennysaver Juno found the perfect adoption parents for her baby. Together with her dad she is about to meet Vanessa and Mark Loring. Soon Juno realizes that it’s Vanessa one wish to become a mother.

Moment # 6: Snap

Together with her best friend Leah and her stepmother, Juno is going for an ultra sound. The doctor helping her seems very prejudice and judges Juno. Juno’s stepmom doesn’t accept that and shuts her up. Snap!

Moment # 7: Vanessa talks to the baby

Juno and Leah are at the mall when the bump into Vanessa. She asks Juno if she can touch the belly after Juno feels the baby kick. When Vanessa feels, she doesn’t feel the baby and decides to talk to it.

Moment # 8: Mark leaves Vanessa

Juno visits Mark and he tells her some bad news. He wants to leave Vanessa, because her dream isn’t his. Juno is mad, because her plan goes to shit now.

Moment # 9: Orange Tic Tacs

After realizing Bleeker is the guy for her, Juno decides to make a giant romantic gesture. She fills Bleeker’s mailbox with orange Tic Tacs, his favorite.

Moment # 10: Juno and Bleeker kiss

After the Tic Tac gesture, Juno tells Bleeker she is in love with him and they kiss.

Moment # 11: The delivery

The time has come, Juno is about to deliver the baby. Stepmom Bren and best friend Leah support her and Juno delivers a boy. She doesn’t want to hold him.

Moment # 12: Vanessa is a mom

Finally Vanessa is a mom and she can’t wait to hold her son. Bren sees her and sees the baby is in good hands.

Moment # 13: The note

What we didn’t see was the note Juno wrote for Vanessa. She wrote: Vanessa, if you’re still in, I’m still on. Vanessa framed it for the baby’s room.

Moment # 14: Juno and Bleeker sing

Juno is back in shape an races of to Bleeker. Together they play guitar and sing a lovely song.

Favorite Moment: Moment # 12: Vanessa is a mom

Movie Moments: This is the End

This movie could go in two different directions: it was either going to really bad or brilliantly funny. Thank God it was the last, because some of my favorites are in here. James Franco and Seth Rogen are amazing, I really enjoyed this movie. So here are my favorite moments from “This is the End”.

 

Moment # 1: Cleanse

Seth just picked up Jay from the airport. Jay wants to get hamburgers, but Seth tells him he’s on a cleanse. He’s not supposed to be eating glutens. Jay thinks it’s a load of crap and the two start a discussion about it.

Moment # 2: The end begins

Jay and Seth go out to buy cigarettes, then all of a sudden blue beams come from the sky and start sucking people up in the sky.

Moment # 3: Michael Cera dies

L.A. is on fire and Michael Cera starts worrying about his phone. Someone took it. But that’s the least of his worries, because he gets skewered by a telephone pole.

Moment # 4: Milky Way

The guys list their food supplies and start fighting over a Milky Way.

Moment # 5: Emma Watson

Emma Watson shows up at the house and just wants to get some sleep. She overhears a conversation between the guys, but mishears it. She decides to get the hell out of there and take some provision with her.

Moment # 6: Magazine

James gets angry when he finds out someone masturbated onto his porno magazine. It appears it was Danny who did that, so the two start a heated discussion about masturbation.

Moment # 7: Closet

Jonah has been possessed and is now chasing James and Seth. They hide in a closet, but Seth’s a very heavy breather so they soon will be found.

Moment # 8: The exorcism of Jonah Hill

The guys decide to perform an exorcism on Jonah Hill. Jay knows how to, because he saw the movie “The Exorcist”.

Moment # 9: The Backstreet Boys

Jay and Seth made it to heaven and they can make any wish they want. Seth wishes for a Segway and Jay for the Backstreet Boys.

 

 

 

Favorite Moment: Moment # 7 : The Closet

Movie Tip #31 - Juno

Director: David Reitman

Starring: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney

Description: A tale told over four seasons, starting in autumn when Juno (Ellen Page), a 16-year-old high-school junior in Minnesota, discovers she's pregnant after one event in a chair with her best friend, Bleeker (Michael Cera). In the waiting room of an abortion clinic, the quirky and whip-sharp Juno decides to give birth and to place the child with an adoptive couple. She finds one in the PennySaver personals, contacts them, tells her dad and step-mother, and carries on with school. The chosen parents (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner), upscale yuppies meet Juno, sign papers, and the year unfolds. Will Juno's plan work, can she improvise, and what about Bleeker?

Review: Everyone has gone to school with someone like Juno: that smart alec independent tomboy, cute, refreshing & fun to be around but not cool to date or be seen with. Ellen Page does a great job as Juno. I didn't know her before this movie and now I can't get around her any longer. The other actors kind of fade away, but I really liked Alisson Janney as Juno's stepmother. The story is pretty simple, but it's the simplicity that makes this movie work. A story doesn't have to be complicated to be good. I expected a lot from this film and it didn't disapoint me at all!