Things have been a little crazy with my other projects and I have not had as much time as I would like to watch and review movies. So let’s do a quick little October Review Round-up of some of the latest films I’ve seen. Yes, I know it’s mid-November.
Halloween Ends
While I appreciate the wild swings this film took I can’t help but feel like it did a major disservice to the two lead franchise characters. Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie is cast to the side for most of the film’s runtime and lets newcomer Corey (Rohan Campbell) take center stage. He ends up in a very ill-advised love story with Allyson (Andi Matichak) whose character development from the last two movies is just thrown out the window.
The worst sin is that the film is boring. Director David Gordon Green wanted to create a battle for Corey’s soul that ultimately rings hollow. For a film set in a universe of dumb decisions, this film throws out logic and continuity for a tedious story with very little payoff. The final battle between Laurie and Michael Myers (you know what was advertised) was fun but could have been tacked on to the end of Halloween Kills. Actually, I think I prefer Kills over this slog.
1.5/5
The Greatest Beer Run Ever
Technically this movie came out in September but I caught it on Apple TV+ in early October. Much like Green Book before it, The Greatest Beer Run Ever is a glossed-over history lesson told from the point of view of a well-off white man. Beer Run is better than Green Book though as it lacks most of the tone-deafness that Green Book had. Director Peter Farrelly takes an anti-war stance on Vietnam which is popular now but falls short of connecting to any larger current-day issues.
Zac Efron tries his best as the lead character and is charming and funny enough to coast through the film. His change of heart is not quite done perfectly but with a little suspension of disbelief, you can buy it. The film bounces around in tone, jumping from a Forrest Gump-like comedy toserious drama and it creates a little bit of whiplash. It’s a pleasing film that won’t stir up controversy and a good watch that’s ultimately very forgettable.
3/5
Ticket to Paradise
One thought that crossed my mind while watching Ticket to Paradise was “they don’t make movies like this anymore.” It’s a studio rom-com that feels like it’s from a bygone era of filmmaking before the obsession with franchise filmmaking took over the box office. Lead by the charm of George Clooney and Julia Roberts, Paradise is a simple film that’s full of some decent laughs, good chemistry, and a sense of fun we’ve long forgotten.
It’s not a perfect film and it requires you to not question the logic of the characters but it’s well-made escapism. A love letter to rom-coms and feel-good movie that never takes itself too seriously. It’s fun to watch actors having a good time in a story that feels more relatable than gods and superheroes. I hope we keep getting a little variety at the box office like this film. Then a film that would normally be middle of the road won’t seem so groundbreaking.
3.5/5