Over the Moon - familiar but touching

movie review

Over the Moon

Starring (voices): Cathy Ang, Phillipa Soo, Ken Jeong, John Cho, Ruthie Ann Miles, Margaret Cho, Sandra Oh

Directed by: Glen Keane

Netflix made a successful foray into the world of animated features with the release of two terrific films – Klaus and The Willoughbys (both of which are highly recommended if you haven’t seen them yet) – within the span of months. The streaming service continues this trend with its latest animated movie, Over the Moon, a charming fantasy musical that is very likely to entertain its viewers.

The story’s heroine is the feisty Fei Fei (voiced by Cathy Ang) who grows up listening to her mother’s (Ruthie Ann Miles) renditions of legends about a Moon goddess named Chang’e (Phillipa Soo), a lonely immortal heartbroken over her lost mortal love. 

Fei Fei and her family live happily in their village where they make and sell mooncakes. But her mother’s illness and death soon bring sorrow to the youngster’s life. Four years later, when she finds out that her father (John Cho) plans to remarry, an upset Fei Fei decides to build a rocket to the Moon so that she can prove that Chang’e – and therefore true love – is real in the hopes that this will stop her father from starting a new family.

Her subsequent journey does not go quite as she had planned, but she eventually ends up learning the very lessons that she needed.

The build-up is sweet and touching, which makes it easy to care for the protagonist. The film does jump from its initial realistic setting to a fantasy-drenched follow-up, and while the transition is a little jarring, the bright and colourful visuals are still fun to watch. 

Despite its uneven tone, the warmth of the tale is sure to win you over. For the most part the drama is moving, even when the developments are either too convenient or just unclear. It is also good to see Asian representation in a mainstream release. Plus there are several (some would say too many!) lively sidekicks (including a possible step-brother (Robert G Chiu), a pangolin (Ken Jeong), and a cute pet bunny), and the tunes are enjoyable too.

Many of the film’s thematic elements, however, are familiar. Several movies by Disney and Pixar have explored the ideas of loss, overcoming grief, and embracing change. And while Over the Moon may not be as memorable or impactful as instant classics like Up and Coco (and even the recent Onward), it is still a heartfelt, touching, engaging episode that tries to keep you entertained from start to finish.

- By Sameen Amer

Young World, Dawn - 14th November, 2020 *

Physics will not judge you

book review

A compendium of impractical but entertaining and scientifically solid advice that will help you see everyday issues in a new light

When we run into a problem, most of us are inclined to look for the simplest solution. Randall Munroe, on the other hand, seems to have a very different philosophy when it comes to handling problems: make them as complicated as humanly possible and see where that leads you.

That is precisely the approach he takes in his book, How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems, a tome that shows there’s clearly no issue that can’t be made more complicated with a little bit of science and a whole lot of imagination!

Best known for his delightful webcomic xkcd, Munroe — formerly a roboticist at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) — has been amusing us with his nerdy stick-figure creations for nearly 15 years. Along with his online offerings, he has also employed his wit and wisdom to create interesting books, such as 2014’s What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions, in which he provides logical answers to humorously bizarre user-submitted queries, and 2015’s Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words — another very self-explanatory title.

Munroe’s latest volume finds him exploring unusual approaches to accomplishing seemingly simple (as well as some not-so-simple) tasks. Each of the book’s 28 chapters is dedicated to a different topic and applies science, research and creativity to come up with fascinatingly convoluted scenarios.

Many subjects seem like practical concerns before the author takes them to impractical extremes. In ‘How to Throw a Pool Party’, for instance, Munroe doesn’t provide us with a tutorial on putting together the invitations, snacks and décor for a social gathering. What we get instead is a humorously thorough manual on how to build and fill the pool that you would need for the aforementioned party. And, thanks to the magic of science, you are no longer bound to create an average, conventional pool. “Physics doesn’t care if your question is weird. It just gives you the answer, without judging,” Munroe reassures us — before explaining how we can construct a pool out of cheese and fill it with 150,000 bottles of Fiji water.

The discussions don’t degenerate into absurdity, though. The author and illustrator makes sure that he examines interesting ideas along the way. There is something fascinating in every chapter. For instance, ‘How to Tell If You’re a Nineties Kid’ explains the impact of nuclear tests on unsuspecting humans; ‘How to Send a File’ delves into the migration of butterflies; and ‘How to Take a Selfie’ teaches us about occultation (when an object in the foreground blocks an object in the back).

While most chapters are inspired by fairly routine tasks — such as jumping really high, digging a hole, sending a file online, charging your phone or mailing a package — a few stranger ones are also thrown into the mix. If you want to learn how to build a lava moat, keep your house from moving, or power your house on Mars, then this book has you covered.

Munroe’s intelligence and knowledge shine through with his unique take on each subject. Along with his own insights (which are often built upon research or backed by calculations), the author also occasionally reaches out to some experts in their fields in order to “apply their unique expertise to ridiculous tasks.” Most prominently, he interviews astronaut Chris Hadfield on emergency landings and, in what is perhaps the book’s most memorable moment, recruits tennis superstar Serena Williams to help test whether tennis serves could be an effective countermeasure against hovering drones.

The writer’s witty geek humour, and the stick-figure cartoons that accompany the text, make the book a fun read. The more theoretical elements have generally been made accessible to the layperson, although there are a few parts that might still be a little difficult to follow if you aren’t well-versed in basic science.

The material is perhaps easier to digest if it’s read a section at a time instead of being devoured in larger chunks. The mathematical components can occasionally be a bit dry, while some theories and formulae might leave you wishing you’d paid more attention in your high-school physics class. It’s a good thing then that Munroe’s enthusiasm for science is absolutely contagious. How To is likely to motivate you to further explore the ideas discussed therein, and might even inspire you to look at the world in a fascinatingly offbeat way.

All in all, this compendium of impractical advice might not teach you how to actually do anything in a simple, easy way, but its amusingly convoluted takes serve as an entertaining, thought-provoking read that will help you understand different topics, learn random scientific trivia and see things in a new light.

- Sameen Amer

Books & Authors, Dawn - 8th November, 2020 *

Trolls World Tour - warm and bright

movie review

Trolls World Tour

Starring (voices): Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Rachel Bloom, James Corden, Ron Funches, Kelly Clarkson, Anderson Paak, Sam Rockwell, George Clinton, Mary J. Blige

Directed by: Walt Dohrn

Four years after entertaining us with their first adventure, the bright and cheery Trolls are back on our screens in the sequel Trolls World Tour. We revisit their colourful world of singing, dancing, and hugging in this second outing which retains the joy of the 2016 instalment but lacks the imagination to make the journey truly memorable.

The jukebox musical reunites us with optimistic Queen Poppy (voiced by Anna Kendrick), her cautious sidekick Branch (Justin Timberlake), and their many friends, who are now living merrily in Troll village. But their lives are disrupted with the revelation of a secret. It turns out that there are actually six Troll tribes, each of which represents a different type of music: pop (which is, naturally, Poppy’s tribe), rock, classical, funk, techno, and country. Each tribe has a magical string that powers their music.

A threat emerges in the form of Barb (Rachel Bloom), the queen of the Rock Trolls, who is aiming for world domination. She plans to steal all the strings, destroy all other music, and turn everybody into rock zombies! It is up to Poppy, Branch, and their buddies to stop Barb and save the Troll kingdoms.

Geared primarily towards very young viewers, Trolls World Tour is one of those sequels that seem to exist not because the filmmakers had an interesting tale to tell but because the success of the first movie signalled the potential of a franchise. The story is basically just an excuse for more singing and dancing. The main journey sees the characters visiting each kingdom, hopping genres and thereby giving the film a chance to give us (mostly overplayed) songs (or, in some cases, snippets of songs) in each of their styles.

It isn’t, therefore, the most exciting ride. But it is, nonetheless, colourful and fun and filled to the brim with joyous energy. The lessons about tolerance and diversity that we are left with at the end are also worthy (even if they are repeated a little too often in such movies).

All in all, Trolls World Tour is a warm and bright adventure, but a little more imagination and a better selection of songs could have made the film a lot more impressive.

- By Sameen Amer

Young World, Dawn - 17th October, 2020 *

The Sleepover - a silly, predictable caper

movie review

The Sleepover

Starring: Sadie Stanley, Maxwell Simkins, Cree Cicchino, Lucas Jaye, Ken Marino, Joe Manganiello, and Malin Åkerman

Directed by: Trish Sie

Tagline: To rescue their parents, they need to get a clue.

The ongoing pandemic may have forced cinemas to shut down but Netflix has made sure that we stay entertained even during these strange times. The streaming service has been releasing movies all summer, including fun new films for viewers of all ages. Its latest family-friendly adventure arrives in the form of The Sleepover, a new action comedy that relies mostly on old tricks.

The film revolves around the Finch clan – school lunchtime supervisor Margot (portrayed by Malin Åkerman), her pastry chef husband Ron (Ken Marino), and their kids, teenage cellist daughter Clancy (Sadie Stanley) and imaginative son Kevin (Maxwell Simkins). The family may seem average when we first meet them, but their lives soon take an exciting turn.

Secrets are revealed when dangerous people show up at the Finches’ house and kidnap Margot and Ron. It turns out that Margot used to work with criminals. Her old associates now want her to take part in one more heist and threaten to hurt her family if she refuses.

When the kids find out that their parents have been abducted, they set out on a quest to rescue the grownups. With the help of a couple of their friends, Clancy and Kevin must follow the clues that their mom has left for them, stop the bad guys, and save their parents (who are, by this point, trying to steal a crown with the assistance of Margot’s handsome old flame, Leo (Joe Manganiello)).

It’s a fun-filled journey that entertains but doesn’t do anything particularly different or surprising. So many elements of the movie feel familiar; you are more likely to find the tale exciting if you haven’t already seen similar films, like the Spy Kids series. Also, there are a few ideas that the movie doesn’t take full advantage of. It could have, for instance, done more with the cool gadgets that the youngsters discover while trying to find their parents. 

Still, even though this isn’t the most creative project, The Sleepover does keep you engaged, thanks in part to its charming cast who make sure their characters remain likable. If you are in the mood for a silly adventure with some witty banter and a few amusing hijinks, then The Sleepover just might be worth a watch.

- By Sameen Amer

Young World, Dawn - 26th September, 2020 *

In the picture: The Babysitter: Killer Queen

movie review

McG gives us more of the same in his sequel to The Babysitter

The Babysitter: Killer Queen

Starring: Judah Lewis, Emily Alyn Lind, Jenna Ortega, Robbie Amell, Andrew Bachelor, Leslie Bibb, Hana Mae Lee, Bella Thorne, Samara Weaving, and Ken Marino

Directed by: McG

Some films are created to express artistic ideas, engage viewers emotionally or intellectually, and/or hold a mirror to society. Others just aim to provide silly, escapist fun. The Babysitter falls firmly in the latter category. It may not have been a masterpiece by any means, but the 2017 comedy horror flick did manage to have quite a bit of fun with its R-rated Home Alone premise that revolved around a young boy trying to outwit his occultist babysitter and her minions. The characters now return for another zany, gory adventure in the sequel, Killer Queen, a retread that sticks to the style and tone of the campy original.

Things get off to a slow start as we are reunited with Cole (Judah Lewis) who is trying to navigate the hell that is high school two years after the events of the first movie (although he seems to have somehow aged about a decade during this time). Not only is he carrying the trauma of dodging death but he is frustrated by the fact that no one believes a satanic cult led by his former babysitter, Bee (Samara Weaving), really tried to kill him. His only ally is Melanie (Emily Alyn Lind), his neighbour and best friend, who witnessed some of the events during the fateful night.

The story finally makes some headway when Cole joins Melanie and her friends for a lake party where things take a fittingly crazy turn. Familiar faces return, and another attempt to perform the wish-granting demonic ritual ensues. New student Phoebe (Jenna Ortega) soon joins the action, as Cole tries, once again, to defeat the cultists.

If you have seen The Babysitter, then you know exactly what to expect from this sequel. There are plenty of silly jokes, random pop culture references, lots of gore and over the top kills. We also get several callbacks to incidents and gags from the original, flashbacks that show us how each of the baddies were recruited in the cult, and the ending gives us some closure although the film leaves the door open for a sequel/spin-off.

But the proceedings aren’t quite as entertaining as they were the first time around. For starters, the action takes a while to get going; the initial high school setup isn’t particularly interesting, and it takes a while for us to get to the craziness. And, perhaps even more importantly, the initial absence of a primary character makes the movie less engaging than its predecessor; as ridiculous as it was, the previous outing did have a more solid emotional core than the sequel does up until the final act.

All in all, the campy gorefest of The Babysitter: Killer Queen isn’t going to impress you with the depth and dexterity of its filmmaking but it is likely to please fans of the original who just want another dose of silly horror comedy.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 20th September, 2020 *

In the picture: I'm Thinking of Ending Things

movie review

A captivating build-up leads to an unsatisfying conclusion in Charlie Kaufman’s latest drama

I’m Thinking of Ending Things

Starring: Jesse Plemons, Jessie Buckley, Toni Collette, David Thewlis, and Guy Boyd

Directed by: Charlie Kaufman

His style may not vibe with everyone, but Charlie Kaufman’s idiosyncratic storytelling has certainly made him a fascinating filmmaker. And while his latest project – the eerie I’m Thinking of Ending Things – is as intriguing as you would expect, the psychological thriller is just as likely (if not more so) to confuse viewers as it is to captivate them. 

On the surface, the film appears to tell the story of a young woman (portrayed by a perfectly cast Jessie Buckley) who is going on a journey with her boyfriend (Jesse Plemons) to meet his parents (Toni Collette (wonderful, as always) and David Thewlis) while thinking of ending their six-week relationship. But Kaufman soon makes it abundantly clear that things aren’t exactly as they seem.

Glitches and anomalies enter the tale as the narrative soon degenerates into what feels like a fever dream. Details, ages, personas, behaviours, settings. circumstances … everything keeps shifting. But what exactly is going on?

It’s hard to tell. 

It all seems like (to borrow from Winston Churchill) a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. And it is a riddle that the average viewer does not have a reasonable chance of decoding, not without a superhuman ability to decipher vague clues anyway, or, barring that, at least some prior knowledge of either the Iain Reid novel the movie is based on or the many works the film references. There are some elements that are fairly obvious from the get-go (like the double meaning of the title, for instance) and other things you can pick up on if you pay close attention, but a cohesive whole remains elusive even after the end credits have rolled.

The acting is brilliant, the visuals are stunning, the creepiness is riveting, the execution is artistic and creative. But by the end, the obtuseness is frustrating and how the story is handled feels unsatisfying. In making things inaccessible, Kaufman strips the film of the impact a more comprehensible ending could have delivered. 

Ultimately how you feel about I’m Thinking of Ending Things will come down to how much you enjoy abstract filmmaking. You’re probably going to need to give this one time to fully appreciate it. The more you think about or discuss or read up on the movie (or novel – Reid’s original does seem more powerful than this adaptation), the more admiration you are likely to develop for the poignancy of its tragic tale. A second viewing thereafter is likely to be a more rewarding experience (although admittedly, if you didn’t enjoy the slow-burn drama of this movie the first time around, then you probably won’t want to sit through 134 minutes of this dark strangeness all over again).

Rating: 3 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 13th September, 2020 *

In the picture: Good Girls (season 3)

television series review

Comedy drama Good Girls doesn’t do anything particularly remarkable in its abbreviated third season

Good Girls

Season 3

Starring: Christina Hendricks, Retta, Mae Whitman, Reno Wilson, Manny Montana, Lidya Jewett, Isaiah Stannard, and Matthew Lillard

Created by: Jenna Bans

As productions ground to a halt earlier this year because of the menace that is COVID-19, several television series had to cut their ongoing seasons short and retool (partially or completely) filmed episodes into early finales. Among those affected was the comedy drama Good Girls. Originally renewed for a 16 episode third season, the show only managed to make it to the eleventh instalment before the pandemic forced the crew to suspend production. What we were left with, as a result, was a truncated outing that basically gave us the (very languid) build up without delivering the payoff.

The dramedy – the story of three suburban moms who venture into the world of crime after struggling to make ends meet – maintains its tension in its latest block of episodes but the story fails to make significant headway.

Still fearing for their lives, Beth (Christina Hendricks), her sister Annie (Mae Whitman), and best friend Ruby (Retta) continue trying to get out from under Rio’s (Manny Montana) thumb, but just keep digging a deeper hole with each attempt to one-up their nemesis. Their latest money laundering venture sees them printing counterfeit bills, and, as you would expect, their activities end up hurting those in their orbit. Meanwhile, law enforcement remains on the trio’s tail; this time, it is agent Phoebe Donnegan (Lauren Lapkus) who is closing in and seems determined to take the girls down.

But it often starts to feel like the story is going around in circles. Good Girls seems stuck in a cycle of repetition, constantly putting off the change, comeuppance, and upheaval that is much needed at this point. Partially because of the stalling, certain elements of the proceedings are becoming increasingly unconvincing. Sure the last five episodes that were supposedly meant to deliver some excitement are missing because of the shutdown, but that does not excuse how slow and repetitive the 11 aired episodes have been.

It isn’t just that the storyline is dragging, but that the characters aren’t getting the development they require. While a few supporting players – like Dean (Matthew Lillard) and Ben (Isaiah Stannard) – have made meaningful progress, others, including the leads, aren’t being handled as well as they should be. Annie, for instance, slides back to her old ways just when you think she is about to show growth. And Beth still lacks the courage and control (or even the smarts to outwit Rio) that she should have had by now.

That’s not to say that the season has been an irredeemable mess altogether. Its premise, despite being derivative, remains compelling. We are invested in the tale of these complicated women who seem to want to do what’s best but often choose to dive deeper into trouble. The drama is still dark and tense, and often makes for entertaining, if frustrating, viewing. Hendricks is still terrific as the ringleader, and Montana and his smirk are still perfect.

Good Girls, in short, has a lot going in its favour, which is why it’s easy to see how much better the series can be. We have had two solid seasons, but the dramedy now seems unwilling to take the risks that are necessary to move the story forward.  The show has a good cast and setup; it just needs better writers to tap into its potential and shake things up. It’s time for the ladies to either face the music or call it a day.

Rating: 3 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 30th August, 2020 *