Happy Gilmore 2 — Movie Review

After winning his first Tour Championship in 1996, Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler) continued to dominate the golf scene and build a fulfilling life. Over the years, he secured five more championships and had five children with his wife, Virginia Venit (Julie Bowen).

But everything changed when tragedy struck. During one of his games, Happy’s powerful drive accidentally killed Virginia. Devastated by guilt and grief, he quit golf to focus on raising their five children. The loss also pushed him into alcoholism.

For a long time, Happy disappeared from the spotlight. He lost their home, ran out of money, and now works in a supermarket just to get by. His four sons take on jobs to help support him and their younger sister, Vienna (Sunny Sandler). Vienna dreams of studying ballet, but the tuition is far more than Happy can afford.

One day, Happy is approached by Frank Manatee (Benny Safdie), the flashy CEO of Maxi Energy Drink and the new golf league called Maxi Golf. Frank invites him to play in an upcoming tournament. Happy declines and their meetup ends with Frank swimming with fishes.

But still, the encounter sparks something in him. With support from his kids and encouragement from his tenant, John Daly, he picks up a golf club again for the first time in years.

As Happy returns to the green, he discovers that he still got the powerful drive in his arsenal. But one the major problem keeping him down is his alcoholism. He must find the strength to overcome his addiction and confront his grief head-on if he wants any chance of making a real comeback.

And the Breadwinner Is… — Movie Review

When OFWs return, they are often excited, with huge smiles on their faces. No more lonely days. No more video calls. No more packing of balikbayan boxes. 

Finally. Home.

But when Bambi Salvador (Vice Ganda) first steps back into her hometown of Pampanga, her face reflects confusion and frustration. For years, she worked tirelessly, doing odd jobs, from being a masseuse to drag, just to earn money to renovate their family house. Yet, the house remains the same, only older.

Apparently, the money for the renovation went elsewhere.

Bambi is understandably furious. Her brother, Biboy (Jhong Hilario), admits he mishandled the money. Although Biboy’s wife, Mayet (Gladys Reyes), insists that it was spent on efforts to earn more, it’s the feeling of betrayal that hurts Bambi the most. Her other two siblings, Buneng (Maris Racal) and Boying (Kokoy de Santos), also lied to her about the supposed renovation.

To make matters worse, Baby (Eugene Domingo), her estranged older sister, mysteriously returns from Italy, further complicating Bambi’s situation.

Despite being back to square one, tired, angry, and disappointed, Bambi, as the breadwinner of the Salvador family, picks herself up. She must do whatever it takes to save her family. 

Elio — Movie Review

When a boy named Elio Solis (Yonas Kibreab) discovers the Voyager Golden Record at a space exhibit, a wild idea occurs to him: maybe aliens exist.

Elio is a sad and lonely boy. His parents have died, and he now lives with his Aunt Olga (Zoe Saldaña). But she doesn’t seem to want him around. She is always busy, always scolding him, and worst of all, she is sending him to a youth camp.

Elio just wants to belong somewhere. Somewhere he is needed or wanted. He believes that place might be far from Earth. That is why he dreams of being abducted by aliens.

Then, one day, it actually happens.

Because of the Golden Record and a signal sent from Earth, a group of aliens arrives and abducts Elio. The problem is, they mistake him for the leader of the planet.

The aliens want Elio to represent Earth in the Communiverse, a council of alien civilizations. But first, he has to prove himself. Afraid of going back to his old life, Elio plays along. He must now convince Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett), one of the most powerful creatures in the universe, not to destroy the Communiverse just because they rejected him.

Along the way, Elio meets Glordon (Remy Edgerly), Lord Grigon’s son. Glordon is cheerful and carefree. He is nothing like his father, who is obsessed with blasters, power, and destruction. Glordon does not want to hurt anyone, but he is scared to stand up to his father.

Elio and Glordon form an unlikely friendship, a friendship that could change the future of the universe and both of their lives forever.

Deep Cover — Movie Review

Deep Cover follows a group of improv comedians who are unexpectedly recruited by a police officer (Sean Bean) to infiltrate a dangerous drug gang.

Leading the team is Kat Boyles (Bryce Dallas Howard). She’s a struggling stand-up comedian who also teaches improv on the side. Joining her is Marlon Swift (Orlando Bloom), an aspiring dramatic actor and one of Kat’s improv students. Completing the trio is Hugh (Nick Mohammed), a socially awkward IT worker who gets pulled into the mission despite his poor improv skill.

At first, everything goes surprisingly well. Using their skills, the trio manages to earn the trust of the drug lord, Fly (Paddy Considine). Their improvisational talents keep their cover believable, and for a moment, it seems like the mission might actually succeed.

But things quickly spiral out of control.

Suspicion starts to build and Fly begins questioning their identities. To make matters worse, the police seem oddly uninformed by the operation, leaving the trio out in the cold with no backup.

Now trapped in a dangerous game and with their lives on the line, the three have no choice but to rely on what they know best: improv.

Migration: Movie Review

It feels like 2023 is a year of breakthroughs in animation. There were so many good animated movies released last year, like TMNT: Mutant Mayhem and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Both of which defied the boundaries of the genre. But while everyone is pushing the envelope of what animation can do, we get movies like Illumination’s Migration, which is content just to be part of the flock.

Migration is about the Mallard family and their first migration from New England to Jamaica. The head of the family is the always-anxious Mack Mallard (Kumail Nanjiani), who loathes the idea of ever leaving their home. But he decided to migrate anyway after his always optimistic wife, Pam (Elizabeth Banks), and his always dopey uncle, Grand Dan (Danny DeVito), convinced him.

Upon their arrival in New York City, the film immediately shows us the impact of modernity on animals. They almost hit a crane, a car, a building, and a billboard. Their journey was impeded by this so-called progress, and now they're lost.

The Mallard family then meets a pigeon named Chump (Awkwafina). Chump shows them around the city and introduces them to Delroy (Keegan-Michael Key), a Jamaican-accented parrot. Delroy knows the way to Jamaica, but they must free him first from the clutches of an evil chef so he can help them out.

From there, it feels like we're at an impasse with the story. With no grand message about the human-animal relationship, the story heads nowhere. The overall message about family lacks the genuineness to make an everlasting impact. The only good thing that remains in the end is the voice work of Caspar Jennings, who played Dax Mallard, and Tresi Gazal, who played Gwen Mallard, and their funny banter with each other.

Migration never turns into the movie that director Benjamin Renner wants it to be. It awfully still feels like an Illumination comedy that relies on zaniness over emotions, story, and relevance.

It also didn't bring anything new to the table. The movie is a typical animated family movie meant to entertain kids and amuse adults. It's not even smart or fab. It has no splash. It's happy to just float along the ocean as the waves of bigger and better animated movies keep coming along.

2/5

Next Goal Wins: Movie Review

Taika Waititi must’ve found something humorous about the determination of the Football Federation of American Samoa. Even when they disgustingly lost 31-0 to Australia and never scored a goal in the next 10 years, they still played the game.

It’s not a secret that a lot of people think the American Samoa national football team stinks. Even their own players think they stink. Well, it is all because no one really ever taught them the game of football properly. So maybe, with a new coach, they’ll get to play the game the right way and hopefully end their scoring drought.

It is bad enough that they cannot win even if their lives depend on it, but somehow it got a lot worse when the alcoholic Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender) got assigned to be their head coach. He coached national teams before but got such a bad reputation in games for his anger issues that the U.S. Soccer Federation President, Alex Magnussen (Will Arnett), and his ex-wife, Gail (Elisabeth Moss), had to expel him to American Samoa.

But Thomas is so wrapped up in his own mad world that he fails to connect with his new team. He disrespected their traditions. He disrespected their laws. He disrespected their team captain, Jaiyah Saelua (Kaimana). Despite the best efforts of the manager of the American Samoa team, Tavita Taumua (Oscar Kightley), they can’t seem to get along with him.

But over the next few weeks, Thomas could no longer ignore the perseverance of such a losing squad to play the game. They’re not competitive. They’re not fit. Yet, they show up for practice and work multiple jobs to keep the team alive.

Thomas eventually feels that the team needs him, and they’re not really asking him that much. All they want is for him to help them score a goal. Not to win. But to score a single goal.

Flora and Son: Movie Review

John Carney’s musical drama is about expectations, failures, and finding true connection through the power of music.

The first time we see Flora (Eve Hewson), she’s uncaringly dancing the night away in a nightclub. The scene ends with Flora sleeping with a stranger. Despite her disappointment of ending the night with meaningless sex, she casually tells the guy that she has a son. He then leaves without saying another word.

Flora might be brash, but she’s never ashamed to say that she’s a mother. At the young age of 17, Flora is already a mother to Max (Orén Kinlan). Like her one-night stand, her husband, Ian (Jack Reynor), left her too. They’re still co-parenting, but he stays with her most of the time. 

Flora is now 31 years old, and those 14 years of raising her son, mostly alone, really pushed her to be better. It's not easy raising a kid like Max. For one, he’s got a boatload of criminal cases. The police eventually let him go, but it is clear that his desire to become a rapper leads to numerous run-ins with the law.

One day, Flora saved a broken guitar from a dump truck. She asked for it to be fixed so she could give it to Max. However, Max stoutly declined it. So Flora decided to learn it instead. She then meets Jeff (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a guitar tutor who will change the way she views her life.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar: Movie Review

Wes Anderson's second feature in 2023 is about a gambler finding a greater purpose in life after developing the ability to not see with his eyes.

While the extremely wealthy and compulsive gambler Henry Sugar (Benedict Cumberbatch) waits for his friend Sir William W., he ambles aimlessly around his room looking for a book he can read. He then discovered a small exercise book by Dr. Chatterjee (Dev Patel) on the life of Imhrat Khan (Ben Kingsley), a performer who can see without his eyes.

Henry Sugar thinks that Khan’s ability will help him win games in casinos. So he goes through the same training described in the book to also gain the same power. After three years and three months of concentrated work, Henry Sugar can now read the back of a card in five seconds.

He quickly amassed a huge amount of wealth from gambling because of it. But despite his great success, Henry Sugar was puzzled by the little satisfaction he felt. There was no thrill, no suspense, and no danger of losing anymore. Could it be that his newfound ability somewhat altered him inside?

Rye Lane: Movie Review

Romantic relationships are tricky. You have needs, but you also have to consider the needs of your partner. You have to strike and maintain a perfect balance in the relationship to keep the fire alive. But bumps are often inevitable. Yes, communicating with your loved ones is the answer to all problems, but some people would rather jump ship than drown.

Take it from Dom (David Jonsson) and Yas (Vivian Oparah).

Dom’s long-time girlfriend (Karene Peter) cheated on him with his best friend, Eric (Benjamin Sarpong-Broni). Oh, it hurts to get replaced by your pal, but the really painful part about all this mess is that Eric has no job and is a little slow. Whereas Dom is nice and considerate and a successful accountant.

Yas is also fresh from a breakup. But unlike Dom, she dumped her boyfriend (Malcolm Atobrah) for simply refusing to wave at people on boats. She believes that her man hates joy. He also treats her like she’s insignificant. He has a new girlfriend now.

The two meet inside an all-inclusive restroom. Yas heard Dom’s helpless whimpers as he watched her ex’s videos. She is naturally curious about him, so she strikes up a conversation outside. As they uncover each other’s sob stories, they discover that there are things they can learn from each other and that there’s more to life than their ungrateful exes.

Triangle of Sadness: Movie Review

"Triangle of Sadness" is divided into three acts.

The first act focuses on two model couples, Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean). The two are engaged in a "transactional" relationship to increase their respective social media influence. Although both of them admit that they liked each other for real, it is not smooth sailing. They still fight over petty things such as their dinner bill, which quickly spirals into heated discussions about gender roles.

The next act sees Carl and Yaya aboard a fancy ship with an always drunk shipmaster (Woody Harrelson). Along with them are an uber-rich yet dysfunctional group of entrepreneurs. Paula (Vicky Berlin), the strict head of staff of the mega yacht, wants to make a good impression and maybe get paid more, so she tells her people to always do whatever the guests ask. They were cruising through a heavy storm, and after a series of unfortunate events, the boat immediately fell into chaos until it capsized.

The last act happens on an unidentified island. The story now follows a ship worker named Abigail (Dolly De Leon) as she tends to the needs of the surviving guests, including Carl and Yaya. After realizing that she was the only person capable of living on the deserted island, she decided to reverse the tide and leverage her power over them.

Miss Granny — Movie Review

Happiness comes even after the age of 70.

When old crone Fely Malabao (Nova Villa) overheard the news that she would be taken to a nursing home for being the main stressor of her daughter-in-law, she came across a magical photo booth that transformed her back to her younger self. 

Out with the old and in with the new. Fely Malabao is now Odrey De Leon (Sarah Geronimo). Younger and prettier, it is finally her chance to follow her dream of becoming a singer. 

But as it turns out, this transformation comes with a price. Something that Fely would later find out.

Hintayan ng Langit — Movie Review

Dan Villegas’s not-so-typical love story is about letting go, moving on, and finding closure.

"Hintayan ng Langit" (or Heaven's Waiting) is set in a place called "The Middle," a hotel-turned-way-station for souls awaiting their clearance to go to heaven.

The film follows Lisang (Gina Pareño), a stubborn and grumpy old woman who has lived in "The Middle" for two years already. For some reason, heaven is not opening its doors for her yet. However, she claims that her husband is already petitioning for her. 

In the meantime, she spends her time working on different community projects.

One day, a surge of new souls entered "The Middle," and one of them was Manolo (Eddie Garcia), a charming, level-headed, and nice old man.

Since almost all of the rooms in the place are full, the Tagasuri (Joel Saracho) decided to temporarily let him stay with Lisang.

As it turns out, Manolo and Lisang are ex-lovers. The two parted ways without closure a long time ago. Now they both have their own respective families, though the wounds from that relationship never healed.

As the two spend their time together, they bicker and tease each other. But most of the time they found themselves reminiscing about the love they have lost, the lives they have built, and the "what ifs" of their relationship.

Zombieland — Movie Review

Want to know the secret to surviving in a zombie apocalypse? Follow a set of rules.

Ruben Fleischer's 2009 zombie movie banners an all-star cast of Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, and Emma Stone.

The film is set in a post-apocalyptic United States where an outbreak of mutated "mad cow disease" has turned people into zombies.

Following the outbreak, Columbus (Eisenberg) decided to travel to Ohio to check on whether his parents had survived the apocalypse. Along the way, he met Tallahassee (Harrelson), who was searching for the last Twinkie on Earth.

They eventually meet Wichita (Stone) and Little Rock (Breslin), the cunning sisters who just want to take refuge in Los Angeles' Pacific Park. They believe that it is the only place in the USA free from zombies.

Enchanted — Movie Review

Disney spiced up their fairy tale game through this wonderful rom-com drama about a princess lost in New York City.

The film follows Giselle (Amy Adams), a young woman living in the fictional world of Andalasia, who is bound to marry Prince Edward (James Marsden) after sharing a romantic duet about true love's kiss.

Afraid that she would lose her right to the throne, Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon), an evil witch, pushed Giselle into a well to a place where, as they explained, "no happily ever after."  

Lost and confused, Giselle accidentally met the cynical divorce attorney, Robert Philips (Patrick Dempsey), who agreed to help her until Prince Edward came to her rescue. 

As the two spend some time together, Queen Narissa is becoming more determined to kill Giselle, Prince Edward gets lost in New York, and Robert and Giselle's feelings are becoming deeper.

Boy — Movie Review

This entertaining and touching story is about an odd family plague with insecurities and dilemmas.

"Boy" follows the lively and imaginative Boy (James Rolleston). Alamein is his real name, named after his dad. He has a very shy brother named Rocky (Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu), who believe his power has caused the death of their mother. 

The story basically starts upon meeting their estranged father, Alamein (Taika Waititi), after being in-prison for a long time. Optimistic that their father return will make their life better, Boy soon realize the true sentiment of his father towards them.

What We Do in the Shadows – Movie Review

In Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi's terrific masterpiece film, three old-school vampires try to adjust to the modern world.

The film follows a group of vampires headed by the uneasy Viago Von Dorna Schmarten Scheden Heimburg (né von Blitzenberg), played by Taika Waititi. A movie crew follows him as he narrates his everyday life with the rebellious Deacon Brucke, played by Jonathan Brugh, the insecure Vladislav the Poker, played by Jemaine Clement, and the 8,000-year-old vampire Petyr, played by Ben Fransham.

Soon, the supposed-to-be dinner guest turned vampire, Nick, played by Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, joins them. His addition adds substance to the overarching narrative. He's a representation of modernity and youth, a direct contrast to Viago and his roomies.