JaeBianca Reviews

Beautiful Wedding (2024)

So Glad I've Never and Will Never Read the Books

[8/10 · 19 February 2024]

I came across this movie literally by accident when I bumped the Vudu button on my remote while watching something else. I was surprised to see that Dylan Sprouse had un-retired from acting, so I watched the trailer. I thought it looked silly, but kind of cute...not necessarily worth the $20 to stream.

I did, however, discover that the first movie Beautiful Disaster was available on Hulu, so I watched that. It was so hilarious and irreverent! I found myself rewatching scenes multiple times, and ended up watching some interviews with the actors to confirm my suspicions that some of the scenes were heavily improv-ed to keep each other's reactions organic.

Still giddy and mentally rehashing some of the best moments, I actually broke down and paid for Beautiful Wedding. While the transition from Vegas to Mexico was a bit clunky, this movie had a lot of really over-the-top, hilarious moments, as well as a lot of heart. I would put it in the same box as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates, and Bridesmaids. I didn't feel like I had to have watched the first movie to enjoy the second once the ball was rolling.

If Roger Kumble wants to turn Dylan Sprouse into his new rom-com muse (a la Apatow & Segal), then I am 100% for it! It was also nice to see some of the older acting vets (Rob Estes and Steven Bauer) having fun getting into the specificity of their characters.

I'm glad that I wasn't familiar with the books beyond it popping up as recommended reading on Amazon, because I might not have had chosen to watch it otherwise.

Obliterated (2023)

Satirical Fun Time

[8/10 · 13 December 2023]

TBH, I'm not a big fan of action movies in general, but I am a lover of comedy and satire, so I can appreciate when the action is intentionally OTT and the actors are fully into it. This show is like Crank 2 meets Veep meets Brooklyn 99's Halloween challenges.

There's a ton of completely outrageous and unbelievable behavior, but none of the main characters is completely one dimensional. Shelley H.'s Ava was more than her typical pretty face: she remained smart, competent and caring even when she was slurring her words and stumbling around. Off all of the actors, I'd argue that she was the best at consistently and subtlely playing intoxicated. Nick Zano has never been attractive to me before, but his McKnight was as hot as he was stupid & superficially cliche. Below the surface, he was an open-minded teddy bear, who adores his tough-ass mama and expresses his feelings the minute he gets his dick wet. Having grown up in the 80s with a baby-faced C. Thomas Howell, I can honestly say that he has never played a character like Haggerty before, and owed it completely! The rest of the (less recognizable) support team all held up their roles and made me care about them as well.

I have to add that, unlike some reviewers, I did not find the Russian leads one dimensional at all. Granted, I already had a soft spot for Costa Ronin (Ivan) because he has such an easy, subtle charm that makes him a loveable villain. Allison Gorske (Lana/Anastasia) was the breakout actor of the whole series to me, though. Her performance in the first few episodes made her easy to dismiss as a bit of comedic fluff. Then as she slowly ingratiated herself with the team, she showed insightfulness and gumption. She only gave me pause twice, then quickly "redeemed" herself. Still after the twist was revealed, she held my respect with her emotional vulnerability. It was clear that she was driven to fulfill the plan because she carried a lifetime of pain and resentment that she was forced to obscure with frivolity.

I don't know that I'd recommend Obliterated to just anyone for viewing. However, I would absolutely give it a thumbs up for quality entertainment value and binge-worthiness!

Life as We Know It (2010)

Perfect display of the worst and best assumptions about the leads

[9/10 · 5 September 2023]

Despite growing up as a true blue lover of romantic comedies, as I've grown older and more cynical I have found it harder and harder to rewatch most, even the old school favorites. Life As We Know It is the rare exception. Maybe it's because it defied my expectations based on reviews. Mostly I think I love it because it took two actors who I adored early in their careers (think Roswell and All My Children) because of their genuine charisma, but suffered typecasting and other backlash as their stars rose, and proved my instincts beat the noise. The first half of the movie totally plays into the personality stereotypes of Josh Duhammel and Katherine Heigel, while maximizing their comedic chops. The second half displays all of the extra that made them more than a couple of pretty faces. Their chemistry feels old-school, almost like Grant and Hepburn. They were not afraid of looking foolish, or playing vulnerable no matter how much their characters fought those feelings. I genuinely enjoyed watching their characters evolve into a family!

Red, White & Royal Blue (2023)

Charming, Sexy and Funny

[9/10 · 5 September 2023]

First of all, anyone comparing this R-rated film to a milquetoast Hallmark movie clearly has never suffered through one. It's a genuine rom-com, so by definition it adheres to a certain formula, but the comparison stops there. This is a Greg Berlanti production, so yes, it out-mainstreams even Ryan Murphy in its representation of queer people. But it's also a Greg Berlanti production, so it hits all the right notes and gives you the kind of feels that you didn't even know you wanted.

I don't want to rehash all of the other reviews, so I'll just gush over Tyler Zahkar Perez! I've only seen him before in his memorable appearance in S1 of Minx, so I unfairly underestimated his talents. He is certainly an attractive combination of Justin Baldoni and Matt Cohen, and another reviewer's comparison to a golden retriever definitely fits. However, his natural charm and comedic timing should not be underestimated! The cake bit was inherently campy, but he played the annoyed and tipsy moments leading up to it so smoothly. Throughout the movie I felt so much of his character's privilege, beauty and intelligence, but also his humor, insecurity and authenticity. The scene where Henry proposes they make love encapsules all of that perfectly. I really hope that this is the beginning of a bright future for his career!

You People (2023)

Offensive but not the worst thing in the world

[4/10 · 6 February 2023]

OK, as a black woman I was looking at it as a modern Something New. I genuinely enjoyed Kenya Barris' other works. Yet, I found Jonah Hill and Lauren London's characters so cliche and shallow in an unrelatable way that the familial conflict seemed forced.

LL's character lost me early on just by calling her own $40k car cheap. As an Ivy Leaguer with three degrees, she had completely lost my sympathy by her job interview scene. That said, I respect Howard enough to know that she should have brought it better.

We genuinely live in an age when families need to embrace other cultures. This film, however, just reminds me of the one dimensional interracial comedies of the past. And not in a good way!

The Wonder Years (2021–2023)

Misses the point

[4/10 · 2 October 2021]

As a black female who watched the original Wonder Years at the age of 10, I feel like whoever greenlighted this series misunderstood why it worked when it did. In the 80s there was a a great deal of 60s nostalgia, especially with music. The Beach Boys we're back on the charts and Frankie & Annette were once again movie stars. Young people nowadays feel the same kind of nostalgia about the 90s, if not later. And quite frankly, 35 years later, I find the characters somewhat unrelatable. In the reboot, I find them downright unlikable. There isn't even a soundtrack so good that I can ignore the unremarkable casting.

A California Christmas (2020)

Cliché, but well done

[6/10 · 20 December 2020]

If one is looking for originality or strong holiday themes, look elsewhere. I tuned in because I like Josh Swickard. To his credit, he has admitted that the script was written by his wife/co-star in a couple of weeks. And, was filmed on her family's property during General Hospital's Covid-hiatus. With that caveat, I think that California Christmas is very watchable. It does not suffer the stiff blandness of a Hallmark movie. Josh, David del Rio and Ali Ashfar provided a good amount of comic relief. Lauren Swickard successfully threaded the fine line of being a fiercely independent woman who can ask for help when she needs it, as well as acknowledge appreciation for help she might not have initially wanted. Amanda Detmer also rose above what could have been considered an overly sentimental character.

Long Shot (2019)

More American President than According to Jim

[8/10 · 12 July 2020]

This is not your cliche mediocre fat dude/hot chick comedy. While it certainly has its low brow moments, the message was authentic in that it promoted being true to oneself, and appreciating the value of being seen. From a female perspective, the crassest scene was also the sweetest most endearing scene.

Charlize's comedic sensibility should never be taken for granted. Nor should Alexander Skarsgard's as he managed to portray the exact opposite of Canadian MP Justin Trudeau with the confidence of a player. Every about his performance made his character a bigger Longshot than Seth Rogan's .

Men in Black: International (2019)

Chris Hemsworth &Tessa Thompson have great chemistry

[7/10 · 26 April 2020]

I enjoyed MIB:International for the lighthearted fluff it's meant to be. I saw the 1st MIB when it came out, and 20+ years later Siobhahn Fallon's performance is my most consistently hilarious memory of the series. I am fairly certain that I saw MIB2, but I know for sure that I never watched MIB3. My only interest in MIB:International was seeing if CH and TT were as fun to watch as in Thor:Ragnarok, and the answer is yes! Their comedic chemistry is such that it is as easy to see her climb him like a tree and turn him into her sex slave, as it is to just see them bro it out. They play so well together that I hope they become the kind of acting team that just chooses fun opportunities to work together.

Falling Inn Love (2019)

Formulaic, but endearing

[8/10 · 9 September 2019]

I don't think anyone tunes into made-for-TV rom-coms for their originality. They tune in for the actors and their chemistry. When a pair have chemistry, one stops paying attention to the script holes. The beginning of Falling Inn Love was kind of weak, but once Cristina Milian and Alex Demos started interacting, I found them immensely watchable and charming. The supporting actors all fulfilled their duties solidly and with enthusiasm. Whoever claimed that there was barely any NZ scenery must have stopped watching the movie early on, because I saw dozens of gorgeous scenes on half a dozen different terrains all filmed in NZ. They also did a solid job of peppering in bits of Anglo & Maori Kiwi culture.

Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)

The Noir Thriller Equivalent to Cabin in the Woods

[5/10 · 8 June 2019]

If you liked Drew Goddard's Cabin in the Woods, you will probably like this. It is very similar: lots of cliched tropes from noirish movies, set in one location, characters getting knocked off suddenly, and longer than it needed to be.

Roswell, New Mexico (2019–2022)

Excellent Reboot, Better than Original

[10/10 · 8 February 2019]

I watched the original back in the day, but I definitely prefer the reboot. It's very well cast...I even like the villains! The agenda(s) some folks are complaining about are worth pushing. If one is capable of empathizing with someone from another universe, it shouldn't be so difficult to empathize with someone from another country, race or sexual orientation. Max and Michael share a similar burden with Liz's father and Alex, which may be why they connect.

Personally, I think Nathan Parsons is doing a much better job showing Max's adoration of Liz than Jason Behr did. Before Roswell, JB had made the teen drama rounds playing jerks, and this was his first (and ultimately last) chance at being a romantic lead. It took me awhile to stop cracking up whenever he tried to look sincere.

For OG Roswell, Maria & Michael and Isobel & Alex were the pairs that initially kept me watching, though the later seasons ruined that anyway. I don't mind the new switch-up because Michael Vlamis & Tyler Blackburn are fire! Isobel and Maria will have to grow on me a little more, but they don't annoy me. I remember the original Kyle eventually growing on me, but Michael Trevino won't have that problem because he is very good at playing gray characters.

Four weeks in, I find myself rewatching episodes every week. I hope it gets renewed!

The Bang Bang Club (2010)

"You're one of those photographers, who takes the pictures!"

[4/10 · 10 March 2012]

This is super-duper spoilery, but it's "based on real events," so suck it if you didn't want to know!

-- Groupie: I know you! -- Carter: That's funny...my own mother doesn't know me. -- Groupie: You're one of those photographers, who takes the pictures.

-- Robin: Maybe you have to be like that to do what you do.

Those little exchanges pretty much sum up the movie--it's about rock star photographers and the rocket scientists who sex them up. It's well meaning, but feels very hollow.

There are some disturbing scenes which feel so staged, that it's like the offenders are performing Kabuki theater for the photographers rather than committing actual atrocities. In one scene, there are two groups fighting in the streets with a good 100 feet between them, with the four photogs positioned to get comfortable shots of both sides. When snipers begin attacking, few people run, no one acknowledges the fallen, it's not even apparent which side is shooting which.

Once they've been christened "The Bang Bang Club" (after rejecting "The Bang Bang Paparazzi"), a Colored guy (yes, still a racial descriptor in SA) asks to join the group, to which Greg reluctantly says yes, lest they be deemed "The White Boy Club." Of course, he is shot and killed within minutes. THIS, of course, pushes Greg over the edge. Greg...the guy who fairly calmly photographed a Black man get stabbed four times with machetes BEFORE suggesting the attackers stop, then continued to photograph the man as he was set aflame and running around until he was finally stabbed to death. Fortunately, throughout these ordeals Greg's editor is willing to ease his pain with her naked body.

When two members of the BBC are inevitably shot during one harrowing standoff between the military and some snipers, the immediate and dramatic response of those around them was in stark contrast to their reaction to the felling of just about everyone else, ever. They are swiftly dragged out and taken to the hospital. And of course, the one who dies is also the one given the least attention, although his model girlfriend is given lots of crying scenes afterward.

Taylor Kitsch's performance has been given a lot of attention, both because of his commendable transformation into a crazy South African and because of his character's real-life tragic ending. That said, I got a better sense of his drug addiction and how he was affected by his Pulitzer-winning photo from the Time Magazine article on his death than from this movie. They paid enough attention to Carter inviting a nameless groupie/teacher to a party, that I have to assume she's the mother of the child he mentions in his suicide note. Who knows, because this guy just popped in and out of the story like a bipolar ghost.

April Fool's Day (2008 Video)

I've finally seen Dawson Leery's Filmmaking in Action

[29 October 2011]

I hadn't planned on watching, but it was a quiet Saturday night on Halloween weekend and it was a featured film on Crackle.com. I loved the original as a girl and even watched it a fairly recently with my cousin who loved it more. I never considered it a serious thriller, always a black comedy. BTW, not only was no one actually killed in the original, it was all a trial run for a mystery weekend (wholesome fun, people).

This movie was a shallow, tacky, cheap rip-off of the original meets Dallas. The acting and cinematography reminded me of Skinamax late-night softcore porn, except the only topless shots were of a dancing, fat man. Most of the actors behaved like they were in a melodrama, although Senator Pete was consistently funny. I also have to assume the dog was meant to be a repetitive sight-gag, and I'm girly enough to admit that Josh Henderson with the pup gave me the giggles.

On a side note, there was a shocking number of black actors used in small parts and as extras. I don't think there's any particular reason for it, but it stood out because it's rare to see that when it doesn't relate to the plot.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: What He Beheld (2008) Season 1, Episode 9

Very Touching

[9/10 · 9 March 2008]

I can't speak for others, but I thought it was a very good finale (season or series). I'm not a special effects freak, but there was certainly a lot of drama and a little bit of humor. I could have done without the explosion in the end, since it adds nothing to the story. Cameron IS indestructible, so why bother blowing her up except for flash? Even though I knew that Derek was going to show John is father, I actually got chills and a little bit teary (which rarely happens to me) as Derek gave John his birthday gift and confessed that he saw his little brother in him and that Sarah was Kyle's "type." I honestly think they should have put the Sarkassian reveal and FBI raid before that scene and ended the episode there. But people like flash over drama, so what can you do...

Splendor (1999)

Greg Araki Rules!

[9/10 · 28 May 2000]

So far I have yet to be disappointed with Araki's bizzare view on romance. I always want to watch his movies again immediately after I've finished. He makes me laugh, cry, and wish I had 2+ beautiful men willing to share me.

"Splendor" is very different from his other "mainstream" fair, like "Nowhere" and "The Doom Generation" in that the story is very coherent and focused, there is minimal drug use, and no randomly placed existential messages (at least that I noticed after my first viewing). "Splendor" proves that Araki doesn't need flashing lights, fast camera work, and excessive use of adolescent slang to make an interesting and young movie. My mom might even like this one!