Anaconda was a silly, utterly ridiculous movie that doesn’t really need to exist — however, I loved every single minute of it and left the theater delighted.
Sometimes, you just need a laugh, and for me, Anaconda delivered. No spoilers, but there were a couple scenes where I was laughing so hard I had to wipe tears from my eyes.
Jack Black and Paul Rudd are hilarious as a couple of buddies who hatch an ill-advised plan to produce a low-budget “reimagining” of the original Anaconda movie. They arrive in the Amazon rainforest to start shooting, but soon end up fighting to survive as a giant snake hunts them down.
Although there are some jump scares, this movie is more funny than frightening in tone. The oft-underappreciated Steve Zahn also appears as one of the would-be film makers, and Selton Mello steals the show as a snake handler.
While this movie didn’t get glowing critical reviews and has a mixed audience response, I was charmed by it personally. I can see myself revisiting this one after a long day when I’m looking for a chuckle to help me unwind.
Marty Supreme: When a Movie Is Good… But Just Doesn’t Click
Usually I either like a movie or I don’t. But rarely, I’ll run across a movie that I think is very well made…I just don’t know if I enjoyed watching it.
That’s kinda the way I feel about Marty Supreme. It’s a well directed and well acted sports drama, but I don’t know that I personally connected with it.
The movie is based on the life of American table tennis player Marty Reisman, though I’m not certain of how accurate it is or whether it’s more of an “inspired by” story.
Although I’m a big fan of Timothée Chalamet and he does a great job portraying the lead character, Marty isn’t necessarily a likeable person in the film. He’s selfish and entitled, and he doesn’t treat his family and friends with the respect they deserve. At 150 minutes, the movie also felt like it was longer than it needed to be, and the middle section drags a little.
However, there are some great cinematic moments, and I was particularly drawn to two scenes that broke through Marty’s barriers and showed his humanity: his final match against rival Koto Endo, and a scene in a hospital at the very end of the movie. Marty breaks down emotionally in both these scenes, and we get to witness a more vulnerable side of him.
Overall, I’m glad I watched this movie, and even if it wasn’t my personal favorite, I still feel like it’s good to break out of my cinematic comfort zone sometimes and try something different.
People We Meet on Vacation: Familiar Tropes, Fresh Charm
I have always loved a good rom-com, even those that dial up the levels of cheesiness. My favorites are timeless classics, such as Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (perhaps controversial, but I technically would call this a rom-com, since it has elements of both romance and humorous/witty banter). I also love more modern examples that are fun but also sweet, such as Crazy Rich Asians (which I will watch anytime it pops up on Netflix). I even adore some of those delightfully cringe-y streaming hits, such as The Princess Switch, a franchise that somehow grows even more ridiculous with each new film.
So it’s no surprise that Netflix’s recent People We Meet on Vacation was an instant watch for me. Based on a novel by Emily Henry, the story follows two unlikely best friends, Alex and Poppy, who meet every year to take a summer vacation and then slowly come to realize that — yep, you guessed it! — they are falling in love.
While this is neither a ground-breaking nor genre-defining movie, I really enjoyed watching it. Emily Bader and Tom Blyth make for charismatic leads, and I was rooting for their love story. There are plenty of rom-com tropes in the script, but this movie had enough freshness and energy not to feel stale.
This is a feel-good flick that I’ll probably return to when I need cheering up.
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