jtmason3

By far the best Horror and Vampire movie I've ever seen, and I don't say that lightly given I am not a fan of the type of horror in recent years, i.e. cheap "jump scares" on low budgets, and remakes of bygone classics. There is only so much that can be said in critique without giving away key plot points, as the movie is lowkey complex. But like many have said, it was the non-Horror parts that made it so well done. In some sense, its a raunchy drama with a splash of horror, or possibly the reverse, but either way what stands out is its uniqueness. My only hope is that the movie making powers that be take note on how something original can still be done, thinking outside the box for drama, horror, and even action.

I was never a fan of the original Little Mermaid, not there was anything wrong with it, it was just not one of the stories that appealed to me growing up. Therefore, as an adult with my youngest child already in Middle School, there would be no reason for me to go see this in a theatre. Thus, in all transparency, I must admit that I only went with my family because of all of the backlash to the casting of Ariel, which is beyond ridiculous, and was fully prepared to sit through an uninteresting movie. All that being said, I was pleasantly surprised how enjoyable the movie was, though the bar was low. And what I did find most enjoyable was the people of color period throughout the movie. I only expected Ariel’s character to be diverse. This actually added to the interesting elements of a movie that if it had been all-white, save the Jamaican crab, would have not provided as entertaining experience. This goes to show something I’ve often advocated in the workplace, that diversity for the sake of diversity should not be the imperative (I actually agree with the conservative and/or racist in this regard). But diversity should be an initiative to provide differing perspectives which add to the experience, whether in the course of completing a 9-5 job, or for pure entertainment value. In all of the woke/diversity/etc battles of today, its easy to miss how overwhelmingly White cinema and TV still is. Over 70% of shows and movies have white characters, with many most scripts calling for all but perhaps 1 or 2 people of color in the programs. To me more damning is the fact that over 90% of all shows and movies are at least headed by a White lead or co-lead. The real issue isn’t any forced diversity, it’s that we are squabbling over diverse projects that haven’t even scratched the surface. My hope is that people see this movie as a testament to the richness of diverse casts on the experience, rather than another diatribe against anything that takes people out of their idealized white world.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Great movie, I was pleasantly surprised at the story in particular. I always felt the first 2 movies were more guilty pleasure than anything special. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are hilarious together, and their presence carried the movies, but I always felt the stories lacked cohesion and seriousness. For Life solved the problem in spades, the acting was better than expected, and its been awhile since a genuine action movie actually had twists you didn't see a mile coming. Not an Oscar caliber movie, but definitely a fun ride!

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

I have to say, after all the hoopla (which I was growing tired of), Black Panther ranks for me as one of the best action movies of all time, 2nd only to Return of the Jedi (don’t judge me), and even one of the best dramas. The story, the special effects, the intrigue, and the action were all superb. However, what was truly phenomenal was the acting by such a massive cast. This just doesn’t happen in action, let alone super hero flicks, even today. Those who refuse to see it for the racial reason or know people like that. Tell them it really is just that good beyond the racial make-up, then tell them a White hero actually figures prominently in the end, so don’t fret… ;-)