Reviews by johanlefourbe

To be honest, I gave up on this franchise a long time ago but, since this last instalment was available on Netflix, I thought I might as well check it out anyway. Like most guys from my generation, I grew up in the 90’s with these toys and cartoons so there was definitely some potential. However, even though these movies were commercially really successful, they turned out to be increasingly boring to watch though. Their main mistake was to keep directing them by Michael Bay for a whopping decade. So, since Bay finally stepped down from the directing chair, maybe there was some hope left for this franchise? I mean, the spin-off ‘Bumblebee’ directed by Travis Knight was still not really amazing but, at least, it was actually a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, this new sequel/reboot/spin-off/whatever turned out to be so underwhelming though. Basically, even if Michael Bay didn’t direct the damned thing, it still felt like one of his movies though. I also felt bad for Anthony Ramos as the guy had to follow up Shia LaBeouf and Mark Wahlberg as the new lead. Sure, he seems to be a nice guy and it must have been awesome to helm such a big blockbuster but I’m afraid he was not charismatic enough. He wasn’t helped by the fact that his character was just so poorly written. I mean, the guy was an ex-military, expert in electronics (an aspect the movie did absolutely nothing with), struggling to find a job and who took care of his sick little brother. Nothing wrong with that but all this grim dramatic stuff didn’t matter much since he out-of-the-blue had to drop everything to save the world. But then, if it didn’t matter at all, why on Earth did they lose some time, energy and attention on this? What was the point? At least, it worked better with Dominique Fishback. Indeed, we learned nothing about her (possibly grim) home situation, she was basically some kind of student archeologist which was just perfect for this kind of story. To be honest, like ‘Bumblebee’ whose main character was played by Hailee Steinfeld, I wish that Fishback, such a charismatic actress, would have played the lead as well here. Concerning the transformers, well, it was the same thing as usual. They were looking for some mysterious gizmo and were involved in some rather underwhelming loud battles every 10 mins which was just as lame as it might sound. Anyway, to conclude, they should really do something different with this material, the damned thing was rather weak and I don’t think it is really worth a look. 

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but, since I have a weak spot for Isla Fisher and since it was available on Disney+, I thought I might as well check it out. To be honest, I wasn’t really convinced by the concept which did sound terribly gimmicky. And, yet, to my surprise, I have to admit that the damned thing was not so bad after all. Eventually, it mostly (and probably only) had to do with Jillian Bell. I had seen her in the past, she was always playing the loud obnoxious rather dim-witted chubby friend, some kind of slightly less funny  and less successful version of Rebel Wilson, but I never thought she was really entertaining. However, in this movie, she was just pitch-perfect though. Sure, her character was not the sharpest of the bunch, it was the whole point, but there was something quite pure and kind about her, she definitely nailed the right tone and seriously elevated this material which was actually rather hopeless. June Squibb was also quite fun but she had such little impact on the whole thing. Unfortunately, pretty much everything else barely worked though. For example, the whole idea that the Motherland was threatened for some reason was so misguided and, above all, so completely boring. Another issue was that Isla Fisher was, in my opinion, rather miscast. I mean, she was lovely as usual and it was commendable that she tried to be cast against type for once. However, I think a more serious dramatic actress would have been more suitable for this character and not the bubbliest actress in the business. Seriously, you could easily picture Fisher playing the Godmother herself. Anyway, to conclude, in spite of its flaws, thanks to Jillian Bell delivering a career-best performance, it was actually a decent watch and I think it is worth a look. 

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but, since I have a weak spot for Gabrielle Union and since it was available on Netflix, I thought I might as well check it out. To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of Christmas movies so I was probably not the target audience for this material. And, indeed, this one turned out to be rather underwhelming but it’s too bad because I think it actually had some potential. Sure, the intro was such a blatant rip-off of ‘Up’ but it was effective and, in a few mins, I actually did feel a connection with this family, especially with Danny Glover’s character. Unfortunately, for each solid scenes like when the one when they all danced together, you had to endure so much garbage though. For example, even though Mo'Nique’s character was supposed to be loud and obnoxious, her schtick was actually barely entertaining. However, I’m afraid J.B. Smoove was even worse though. Seriously, his character was just rather pathetic with no redeeming features. Eventually, you might wonder how a bright and attractive woman like Cheryl could ever marry him and to have another gorgeous woman like Keri Hilson supposedly falling for his ‘charms’ was borderline insulting. But he wasn’t the only one to blame though. Basically, the whole thing was pretty random which wasn’t necessarily an issue but, as I mentioned before, even though some moments were actually solid, most of it was either boring, idiotic or even rather cringe-inducing. It’s too bad because I actually liked these characters, there was something genuine about them and I think it could have been much better than that. Anyway, to conclude, even though I have to admit that the damned thing was rather harmless, it was still too weak and I don’t think it is really worth a look, except maybe if you are a die-hard fan of such Christmas movies. 

Since I really loved ‘Half Nelson’, I was quite eager to see what Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck did afterwards. The first interesting thing is how this movie completely stood out with the rest of their filmography and I wonder how they ended up directing this. Anyway, what I enjoyed the most about it was the raw and realistic approach. It reminded me of many things, for example, when I spent a week of holiday in the Dominican Republic in an all inclusive holiday resort. Already at the time, even though I saw nothing of it, I could sense that, behind the walls of this resort, the life of the average people living in the Dominican Republic was probably not so great. While this trip in the Dominican Republic was more than 20 years ago, it also reminded me of another trip I did only a few months ago to Cameroon. Indeed, how everything looked and how the people lived here was such a contrast with what we see in Europe or other Western countries and it was very similar to what was displayed in this movie. Finally, it reminded me of my girlfriend who fled Eritrea to live in the Netherlands about 10 years ago. With this movie, I got a pretty good sense of how alienating it must have been for her when she ended up in a rich country like the Netherlands. Indeed,  she obviously didn’t speak the language, she knew pretty much nothing about this country and she had no connection or contact there whatsoever. So, all of this was very well handled in this movie and the end-result was quite intriguing but, to be honest, it was still missing something to become really remarkable though. I won’t blame Algenis Perez Soto who gave here a really solid performance. It was also really commendable how they kept his trajectory so down-to-earth instead of making him the next baseball wonder which might have been more uplifting but definitely so much less believable and realistic. I think it might have to do with how the main character developed (or failed to develop) connections while he was living in the US, especially with the people who didn’t speak Spanish. I mean, it was realistic, that’s for sure, but I was missing some growth there. The best and worst example was his rather deplorable and pathetic attempt to hook up with some American girl. To be honest, it felt rather half-baked and also like it belonged to a completely different movie. I thought it might derail the whole thing but it had very little impact after all so you might wonder what was then the added value. Anyway, to conclude, even if it was maybe not a masterpiece, I still really enjoyed the damned thing and it is definitely worth a look. 

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but, since it was starring Jack Black and since it was available on Netflix, I thought I might as well check it out. To be honest, the concept did seem to be so lame, Jack Black’s character seemed to be so pathetic and annoying, I was pretty sure that it would be another really stupid and tedious comedy. Well, to my surprise, I was amazed that the damned thing turned out to be actually good after all. Basically, it was not really about an insufferable guy organizing a 20 year high-school reunion, which was just such a boring idea, it was actually about 2 complete losers who somehow felt a connection even though they had basically nothing in common, except for going to the same high-school 20 years before, and I still can’t believe how compelling it was. To be honest, Jack Black’s character was still quite a train wreck, even if Black was pretty good as he was basically born to play such hopeless dudes. However, the real wild card in this movie turned out to be James Marsden and his character though. Indeed, I can’t remember the last time I saw such a complex and fully developed character in a low-brow comedy like this one, I wouldn’t be surprised if it would be actually the very first time. Indeed, like Dan, Oliver was also a loser but, contrary to Dan, he was completely aware of this. You might also expect him to be a huge douchebag, that’s what you always get in this genre, but the guy was actually honest and straightforward most of the time. However, he wasn’t perfect either which made him so interesting to behold. It was hands-down the most intriguing character James Marsden ever played and, in my opinion, he delivered here the best performance of his career. Anyway, to conclude, sure, the damned thing didn’t completely work, no wonder with such a concept, but it was still one of the most intriguing comedies I have seen in years and I think it is definitely worth a look. 

To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but, since it was directed by Steven Soderbergh and since there was a decent cast involved, I thought I might as well check it out. First of all, I want to discuss something which has nothing to do with this movie. Indeed, nowadays, many directors are praising what they called the ‘cinematic experience’ but, even though I still love movies, I sometimes doubt if it’s really necessary to watch them in the movie theater though. Indeed, I saw this flick yesterday in the movie theater, it was really late, it was the very last screening of the day and there was not even a third of room filled up. And, yet, behind me, there was a row of guys who kept talking and laughing through most of the duration and, as a result, it was pretty much impossible for me to follow the damned thing. It was especially annoying in this case as it was a rather smart and complex feature. Indeed, if you were expecting some action scenes with care chases, explosions or gun fights, you will be seriously disappointed. I especially enjoyed the diner scene at the beginning. The interesting thing about this movie was how they tried to show how difficult, some say even impossible, for spies like them to sustain a long lasting romantic relationship but, to be honest, I don’t necessarily agree. Indeed, as far as I’m concerned, even if you have the tools at your disposal to convincingly lie or hide things to your partner like the people in this line of work, you are still the one making the choice to use these tools, nobody forces you to do such things, as perfectly displayed by George and Kathryn. Concerning the plot, to be honest, I’m not sure if it all made sense though. I mean, the starting point was basically that James Stokes was too drunk at some point and spoke too much but it seemed rather unconvincing. Finally, like pretty much everything delivered by Soderbergh the last 25 years, even though the concept was definitely interesting, the end-result still felt rather half-baked though and I wonder if an extra 30 mins to better fleshed out all the characters might not have done some wonders here. Anyway, to conclude, even though the viewing conditions were just terrible, it was still a decent watch and I think it is worth a look, especially if you are interested in Steven Soderbergh’s work. 

To be honest, I have never been a fan of this franchise so I wasn’t expecting much from this flick but, since it was available on Netflix, I thought I might as well check it out anyway. Well, it turned out to be even more boring than usual, I’m afraid. It probably had to do with the fact that, like most of the movies in this franchise, with a running time above 2hrs, it was just too long. In this case, it was even worse because it was only half of the damned story so there wasn’t even a conclusion. At least, the intro which brought us back to the 5th installment (as a matter of fact, ‘Fast Five’ was the only installment which I found enjoyable) was not bad and I thought it was a decent way to introduce Jason Momoa as Dante Reyes. On top of that, Momoa was the only one who was actually pretty good here (and you are talking about a huge cast including 20+ actors and even some Academy Award winners). Indeed, he managed to find the right tone as Dante was some kind of daft cartoon character. Okay, I have to admit that John Cena in cute uncle mode was also pretty good as well. Unfortunately, pretty much everything else was a huge hot mess though. Indeed, at this point, with half of the characters dead and brought back at some point and the impossible ludicrous plots, I really struggled to follow what the hell was going on. The weirdest and most hilarious example was with Brie Larson’s character. Indeed, I was convinced that she was already involved in this franchise, I assumed from ‘F9’, but no, it was actually her first movie so, now, I’m scratching my head wondering if she was introduced at all in this movie. On one hand, I’m wondering if I should watch this movie again just to check how she was introduced but, on the other hand, I have certainly more interesting things to do with my time. Seriously, at this point, does anyone care about this franchise anymore? Anyway, to conclude, I thought it was pretty weak and you should probably avoid it, except if you are a die-hard fan.

To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but, since it was starring Deborah Ann Woll and since it was available on Netflix, I thought I might as well check it out. Last year, I finally did some kind of Escape Room but it wasn’t really a classic one, it was with some touch screens on all the walls and it was involving some videos telling you the story and the puzzles to solve. So, I still haven’t really done an Escape Room but, to be honest, I’m pretty sure I would really suck since I’m really bad at solving riddles and such puzzles. Anyway, even though I didn’t expect much from this movie, I have to admit that I was actually surprised by the damned thing. Eventually, I guess it’s like watching movies like ‘Vertical Limit’ or ‘Everest’, since I’m terrified of heights, there is something just thrilling about watching some experts risking their lives climbing some mountains. Here, it was a similar experience as it was quite spellbinding to see some actually pretty smart and resourceful characters cracking these really intricate and complex puzzles, something I would be completely incompetent to do. Sure, the puzzles were seriously convoluted and I wish they didn’t started right away with something so lethal (the 2nd puzzle was for example much more low-key, even the 3rd one was also seemingly less threatening). I also think it was a mistake to start with Ben alone dealing with one of the last puzzles as it basically spoiled what happened to the other players pretty much from the very beginning. Finally, it would have been nice if they managed to find some other way to wrap this whole up but it wasn’t a big deal though. Anyway, to conclude, even if it was nothing really amazing, it turned out to be quite entertaining and I think it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre. 

To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this flick but, since it was starring Julianne Moore and since it was available on Netflix, I thought I might as well check it out. This movie was also interesting because it was Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut. I have noticed that it didn’t get some strong ratings but, as far as I was concerned, I thought it was not bad at all though. It was pretty obvious that it was his first directing feature as, I have to admit it, the material was just too slight. Basically, except for the 2 main characters, this movie didn’t really have much else to offer. However, the characters played by Julianne Moore and Finn Wolfhard were just so flawed and complex, I thought they were quite spellbinding to behold. At some point, the father/husband called them some ‘narcissist’ and the guy really nailed it with this description. It’s too bad that it basically was his only contribution to the whole movie (seriously, what was his name actually?). Still, there was something quite humanistic in Eisenberg’s approach and I think that’s what impressed me the most, the way he managed to create such characters who both were sometimes really unlikeable, even cringe-inducing and, yet, they also had some redeeming features as well. I think that Finn Wolfhard and Julianne Moore also delivered some solid performances but, at this point, I wouldn’t expect less from Moore. To be honest, the ending, especially for the mother, was rather clunky and felt rather random and unearned so once again, not everything really worked. Still, Eisenberg displayed here that he had a talent to deliver some compelling characters and, now, I can’t wait to see his follow-up, ‘A Real Pain’, especially since it was critically acclaimed when it was released. Anyway, to conclude, in spite of its flaws, I actually liked it and I think it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre. 

To be honest, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but, since it was directed by Sofia Coppola, I was quite eager to check it out. Well, 20 years after ‘Marie Antoinette’, Coppola decided to tell the tragic story of another privileged white girl. Apparently, Lisa Marie Presley was actually seriously against this movie but she passed away soon after she made this comment before the movie was even released. It’s interesting because Sofia Coppola seriously glossed over how creepy this relationship was. According to this movie and Priscilla Presley herself, even though Elvis met her when she was 14 years old, they only started to have sex when they got married when she was 22 years old, a whopping 8 years later, but I found it hard to believe though. There was also the fact that Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi were almost the same age but, above all, Spaeny was around 24 years old when she shot this movie, 10 years older than Priscilla was at the time she met Elvis. Can you imagine if they would have cast a 14 year old actress? I think it would have been more accurate but it would also have been impossible to shoot the more intimate scenes. Another issue was the fact that, even though I have some doubts that Elvis, beyond his music, was a really interesting individual, it was even more so for Priscilla. I mean, she married one of the most famous persons in the world which was basically her only really defining feature according to this movie. And yet, I have to admit that the damned thing was still intriguing though. Indeed, like her father, at least when he was at the top of his game, Sofia Coppola is actually a really solid director with her own unique style. Above all, Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi were both pretty good, especially Spaeny who was quite fascinating to behold when it was actually a rather thankless role in my opinion. Anyway, to conclude, even though it won’t go down as one of Coppola’s strongest directing efforts, it was still a decent watch and it is definitely worth a look.