Wish is the latest film to release for Disney, in celebration of their 100^th anniversary.

Set in the Kingdom of Rosas, founded by King Magnifico and his wife Queen Amaya on an island in the Mediterranean Sea.

Magnifico studied magic and gained the ability to grant the wishes of his subjects. When each resident turns 18, a ceremony is held where they give their wish to Magnifico, who keeps them “safe” in his observatory.

Every month, Magnifico selects one of the residents’ and grants them their wish.

Young girl Asha, full of hopes and dreams, applies to be Magnifico’s apprentice. A highly sought after job as everybody loves and respects the King. In the process, she is disappointed to find out that most of these wishes will never be granted.

This begins her crusade to fight for what she thinks is right and out of frustration she wishes upon a star.

I appreciate that the story isn’t based on a sequel, remake or something that already exists and Disney tries to introduce new characters and settings.

You’ve got all the key character types, a cute star, quirky animal sidekick… I did pick up on the reference to classic Disney characters but didn’t feel like it added much to the film.

There were cute moments but it lacked a charm of the good old Disney princess movies which makes it pretty difficult to fully engage with emotionally or to care for. The villain came across as sudden and forced, like it was only for the purpose of having a villain.

As a 100th anniversary celebration, I don’t think it met the expectations. It’s still a decent family movie, but not something you would reach out to watch over and over.

Disney has set a pretty high standard with its past films and as much as I wanted to love this one, it just wasn’t memorable.

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The storyline will have you intrigued for Good luck to you, Leo Grande.

Nancy Stokes (Emma Thompson) is a widow after 30+ years of marriage, who has never really had a positive sexual encounter, just very mundane and routine. Two years after her husband’s passing she decides it’s time to become “worldly”.

We first see Nancy fidgeting in a hotel room when Leo Grande (Daryl McCormack) knocks on her door and asks if he may kiss her on the cheek. We soon find out the reason behind her nervousness is due to her hiring sex worker Leo, to assist with knocking a few things off her to-do list of unfulfilled intimate activities. See, Nancy has only ever had sex with her husband and not only that, she also has never had an orgasm. Feeling unfulfilled, she longs to feel young and excited again and hopes this adventure will scratch that itch in just the right way.

Their initial meeting is fascinating to watch. Nancy, a former religious studies teacher, is a planner, list-maker, and steps-follower. She’s also filled with nervous energy and a bit embarrassed by the situation, clearly wanting to move forward, while trying to convince herself she doesn’t really want it.

On the other side of this would be tryst, Leo is the master of calm demeanour and smooth talk. He’s a professional who takes pride in the “service” he provides, and he recognises what to say and when, to try and put Nancy at ease. It’s clearly not his first rodeo.

In this initial meeting, Nancy and Leo literally dance around the sex, and instead focus on conversation. She wants to know all about him, while he just wants to do the job he was hired for.

Subsequent meetings between the two occur in the same hotel room and Nancy continues to poke the personal boundaries that Leo tries to uphold. As happens with human nature, barriers begin to break down. This intrusion changes the dynamics and causes quite the mood shift as personal lives and relationships open wounds that are probably best left to a situation where one hasn’t contracted for the sexual services of another.

The only part of this film that was “expected” was the ending where she has the first orgasm in her life, but the symbolic part is that she gave it to herself while looking at him.

This was almost like a coming of age movie, but not. There was something so seriously raw and real about it. It was very authentic as to how I imagine this sort of situation would go, nothing wrong with it following along the lines of reality.

The setting is simple, it was basically just the two actors and the hotel as their backdrop, which meant there was really nowhere to hide. That is what really shines through with the extraordinary performance from Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack complimenting beautifully to keep us interested in the characters.

‘Good Luck to You, Leo Grande’ is a surprisingly enlightening, lovely, amusing story about sex, pleasure, self-acceptance, and genuine human connections. It’s a fun film that peaks your curiosity, definitely a must see.

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When Superman is down for the count, who can save the world?

Superman (John Krasinski) has a dog called Krypto (Dwayne Johnson), gifted to him when he was a baby back on his planet Krypton.

As the planet fell apart, his parents sent Superman to Earth, Krypto jumped in to protect Superman.

Thats his mission, man’s best friend.

But after one of the smallest of the pet world, a hair-less Guinea Pig (Kate McKinnon) sets her sights on world domination and having, ah, some ties with Lex Luther (Marc Maron), she gains super powers from an asteroid Lex trapped and boom she is now a force to be reckoned with.

DC League of Super-Pets sees the whole DC League gang in action along the way and by mistake a varied bunch of homeless Pets also gain Super powers from the same asteroid. A turtle, a pig, a squirrel and another dog with an attitude. Oh and also an evil kitty.

What plays out is pure animated entertainment with a few swipes at Marvel and all of DC making light of itself.

A longer than expected film (if it is actually made for kids) at almost 2 hours.

But there’s so much goodness in the humor that adults will enjoy this more than kids.

DC League of Super-Pets is the animated film to see this year.

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Where the Crawdads Sing is the film adaption, based off best selling novel by Delia Owens.

The title comes from Kya Clark, the main character of the story’s interpretation of the phrase “where the crawdads sing”. It means far in the bush where critters are wild and still behaving like critters, or a place to embrace nature removed from people and society.

We first see Kya as a young girl, also known as The Marsh Girl by the residents of Barkley Cove. Living in a modest hut on her own after being abandoned by every member of her family. Torn apart by their drunken, abusive father.

Not only is she completely alone to fend for herself, she is also shunned from society for being a peculiar girl.

This is a story of triumph and strength. Kya’s way to survive the world is by finding sanctuary in a place free of discrimination, where nature’s laws rule and freedom means risking everything.

She is introduced to a new and starling world when she is drawn to two young men from town.

When one of them is found dead, it quickly turns into a murder trial with Kya being the main suspect. As the case unfolds, the verdict as to what happened becomes increasingly unclear, threatening to reveal many secrets.

Even though the way it answers its central mystery can be a little frustrating, Where the Crawdads Sing is still a really good drama that has performances and visuals strong enough to keep you engaged from beginning to end.

I must have really enjoyed watching this, as it left me wanting to read the book!

The post Where the Crawdads Sing (Sony Pictures – 2022) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Everything Everywhere All at Once follows the story about Evelyn, a laundromat owner in her mid-life dealing with where she came from and where she is going.

Never really committing herself to any of her dreams or interest, she goes about her day with a lack of enthusiasm.

The laundromat is failing and being audited, but yet she has dreams of expanding the business. All while her relationship is becoming strained with the rest of the family.

This seems like an ordinary start but when all hell breaks loose, the story becomes increasingly complex. It explains the world revolving around the main character, propelling the plot into motion.

The narrative manages to be exciting and outrageously wild but reasonable within its own multiverse contexts.

It is anything but dull, it keeps you entertained and the punch lines are delivered at just the right pace to really make you laugh out loud.

The different lines of Evelyn’s life are interesting and imaginative. She is both in admiration but also pity’s herself when she sees what her life could have been. She taps into the other universes to harness the skills she needs to help fight off the bad guys.

You’ll find that it’s just like it says in the title. It can be a lot to process but it is captivating and you just roll with it, eager to know what craziness is going to happen next.

It does slowly tie the ends together as there is a core meaning behind it all.

Everything, Everywhere, All at Once feels like you’re on an acid trip experience and there is no limit to what you can do and where you can go, that is what makes this such a fun film to watch.

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Since Quiet Place hit our screens, we have been eagerly waiting for Part ll to release.

And boy, it does not disappoint.

Quiet Place Part ll delves into life before it became quiet. On a day that seemed so ordinary but quickly turned to carnage within minutes.

Because we are introduced to when the creatures arrived, we get a lot more action in the opening scenes and it is exciting with intense moments of pure chaos.

It also picks up where we left off, with the family forced to venture into the unknown but with the added addition of a newborn baby.

Of course it’s not an easy path and upon finding a new place to reside in, there are a few mishaps along the way, including being ambushed by a man with a warning.

It is completely thrilling, tense at times and never dull. Brilliant performances and great pacing.

If you liked the first film, then you’ll love this one.

It has now left me craving more, which is definitely possible with it ending on a note that leaves room for a third.

The post Quiet Place Part II (Paramount Pictures – 2021) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The film Voyagers is a futuristic space odyssey for Lord of the flies.

If you have read or seen that old classic, you will soon realise the similarities with the characters and storyline which asks the question “What would happen if a bunch of teenagers were in charge?”

The answer you soon find out is absolute chaos.

It is a mix of the unknown, along with hormones running high and acting out with lack of what the consequences it might have. Completely consumed by fear, lust and an insatiable hunger for power.

These kids were breed and put on a ship with the knowledge that they will never reach their destination, but instead their grandchildren would. It is the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good.

They essentially hold the cards for the future generation and gives them the choice to be responsible or completely selfish, giving a glimpse of what humans can be like at their core.

Things get pretty crazy if there are no set rules and this is what made this film interesting and an enjoyable watch.

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Minari offers an encouraging and engaging view of the immigrant experience while also recognising the hardships that go alongside.

It’s a story that follows a young Korean family moving to Arkansas to start a new life.

After a bumpy start, the children’s Grandma moves in, which causes more distress as she is not your “conventional” Grandma.

The father of the children spends all his time trying to build a farm while struggling financially but he is determined. To the point where it almost tears his family apart as he reaps no rewards for his labour.

What initially confused me was title of the film but you soon find out it is a herb.

A herb that is distinctly Korean and is able to thrive wherever it is planted, symbolising the same resilience of the family. The best part of the film is not knowing what will happen next and which direction it is going.

You’re able to pick up on key themes of the story and able to follow through and enjoy these moments.

Minari has a pleasing mix of family dynamics over-shadowed by the complexity and difficulty of being foreigners in a foreign land.

A definite must watch.

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