LuBetcha Reviews

A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish (2019 Video)

Maybe I'm not the intended audience at all

[24 December 2019]

I have to be honest here, I love romantic comedies, I love musicals and I love fairy-tales. It's my guilty pleasure of choice. That being said, this movie was really bad: it's watchable but I laughed at parts that weren't supposed to be funny and cringed at a lot of interactions between the protagonists. I understand I may not be the intended audience, it felt like it was aimed at preadolescents who know and love the actress from her Disney show and could overlook the auto-tune.

I, on the other hand, still remember the masterpiece it was the original Cinderella retelling, with Hillary Duff and Chad Michael Murray. All the movies that followed were progressively worse.

Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

A romantic comedy with cute romance and funny comedy.

[24 December 2019]

I enjoy romantic comedies as my go-to genre when I'm in the mood to watch something I know I'll enjoy, I find that I can relax in the knowledge of an imminent HEA (Happily Ever After) and love that idealistic view of relationships. I think of these movies as the equivalent of a bubble bath with soothing music or a beer in the balcony feeling the good weather, meaning I do not, by any means, expect to be blown away by the depth of the plot, the thrill of the unexpected or unforgettable acting performances. I simply enjoy the experience and end up content because even if I'll probably forget the specifics of this particular movie in a month, I had fun watching it.

Overall, Crazy Rich Asians was a great experience: I laughed with the good-hearted humor (nothing controversial, which I appreciate), I fell in love with the protagonists and rooted for them, and I even teared up a little in the end. Definitely not the best movie ever (it doesn't claim to be that either), but a success nonetheless.

Charlie's Angels (2019)

Badass women kicking on the screen, what can go wrong?

[20 December 2019]

I have to admit, I was not expecting to like this movie as much as I did: I thought, and I quote myself, this was going to be "another pointless reboot to profit from feminism". I still think this is true: the plot itself is good enough to tell a story but mainly this is about badass and beautiful women kicking ass on the screen. I loved it.

It seems most people here are crying about how awful this movie is and how embarrassing it is for women in general. I mean, really? Is the movie really that bad or are people just whining because men are basically non-existant and women are the protagonists and the heroes in a non-sexual way? I believe it's feminism that bothers them, not the movie itself. I believe, if this movie had been about men instead of women, they would be all over it. Honestly, if this movie can make men cry baby tears because "women suck at action movies" I count that as a win. If you don't want to see a female action movie, then go watch something else and shut up.

As for the movie itself, I loved how it seemed more of a rendition to the series in general, especially the original Angels, than a complete reboot. It felts nostalgic but at the same time, funny and action-packed. The actresses are on point and the plot-twist is surprising enough to be good. Overall, this is the perfect popcorn movie to watch on a Sunday.