Tag: movie

The Little Mermaid 2023 Review

This is weird but I decided to watch the new Disney version of ‘The Little Mermaid’ without having seen the original. I mean, I knew the main songs from Disney compilations and specials. But I never got round to watching the whole first movie. Anyway, I was keen to try out the live action version so here is my The Little Mermaid 2023 review.

On a recent visit to Denmark I was shown where the writer of the Little Mermaid actually lived (see photo). I also got to see a remarkable statue of a Merman (below) and one of a Mermaid (but it was raining so I never got a good picture of that one).

The Merman.

The home of storyteller Hans Christian Anderson

My Review

I was interested in the movie as it was directed by Rob Marshall who has a great track record. I enjoyed his recent ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ film and ‘Into The Woods’ a few years before. I’d also seen Jonah Hauer-King in the dramatic series ‘World On Fire’ and ‘Flatshare’ so wanted to see how he portrayed Prince Eric.

Halle Bailey was introduced to the role of Ariel and her singing voice was perfect for this. She sang ‘Part Of That World’ so brilliantly and her acting was believable. She and Jonah worked well together as potential lovers. The original songs were added to with a lovely song for Prince Eric, which he performed flawlessly.

Melissa McCarthy played an evil sea witch known as Ursula. She was a good fit for that role and showcased her comedy skills alongside her singing and threatening side. With side characters such as a seagull, a fish and a lobster, the cast was complete.

The CGI was really magical and the storyline was paced nicely. The only thing that irritated me was a rap that the seagull did which felt out of place.

Final Thoughts

The Little Mermaid 2023 was magical and the soundtrack soothing. I especially enjoyed the performances by Halle, Jonah and Melissa. I would totally recommend checking out this two hours and fifteen minutes live action remake. It is heart-warming, keeps you interested and full of Disney beauty.

For my last movie review, check out my The Mother Film Review. Also, please consider following my blog for future reviews and similar content.

The Mother – Film Review

As someone who loves watching films at the cinema, I have been impressed by the number of movies made for streaming services too. Lately there have been some really entertaining ones such as Boston Strangler and The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die (which I should have reviewed by now). This week I want to share my film review of ‘The Mother’ – a thrilling new movie starring Jennifer Lopez.

A wolf and her pack play a part in The Mother.

‘The Mother’ had an exciting trailer showing J-Lo doing pull ups in the Alaskan forest and readying her rifle for battle. It suggested that she had a daughter who she was determined to protect at all costs. As far as trailers go, it definitely made me look up and take notice.

So when it was released on Friday on Netflix I quickly started watching. Here are my thoughts about this Number One Netflix film.

What’s It All About?

The funny thing about this movie is that we don’t really hear Jennifer’s character’s name spoken. In fact, the subtitles and IMDB refer to her simply as THE MOTHER. This made me chuckle but as you watch the movie, it kind of makes a lot of sense.

J-Lo literally is THE MOTHER of this film, dominating every scene with her likeable but tough leading role. I have always been fond of Jennifer but even my friends who don’t normally watch her films have warmed to her in this.

The Mother gets caught between two moguls in an arms deal and tries to inform the police. At the start she is pregnant and we can only guess that one of these bad guys might be the father. Joseph Fiennes plays Adrian who is one of these deadly characters who is constantly in hot pursuit of J-Lo and eventually the daughter too.

The Mother helps an FBI agent who later makes it his job to keep an eye out for the daughter. He becomes an ally to J-Lo and does a lot to keep her informed and defend her too.

The daughter is adopted for her own protection. Zoe, played by Lucy Paez, has no idea about who her mother is but soon is put in danger and comes into contact with The Mother.

Will The Mother reveal her identity or can Zoe guess? Can The Mother keep her safe from the militia? Is Adrian the dad or Hector? You will have to watch to find out.

Positive Points

– Niki Caro did an excellent job of directing this fast paced story. She followed the live action Mulan movie with this juggernaut.

– There was a heart to this story. Stripped down, it was all about a relationship between a mother and her daughter. It brought a tear to my eye.

– The parts of the film based in Alaska at winter were breathtaking and the cinematography was great.

– Jennifer and Lucy had good chemistry and you believed J-Lo’s motivations for going to extremes.

– At 1 hour 55 mins the film still flew by as it was thrilling, intriguing and well acted.

Shortfalls

– Perhaps there could be slightly less violence and more dialogue. The script is great but I would have liked a little more balance.

Final Thoughts

This film is jam-packed with thrills. It is well written and has a good story arc. Jennifer is incredible in this role, where she obviously had to do a lot of physical preparation. The actress playing the daughter will no doubt appear in more high profile movies as she was excellent too.

Definitely check out ‘The Mother’ on Netflix and let me know what you think about this film in the comments.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my film review of ‘The Mother’. Perhaps also consider following my blog for future similar articles about movies, TV, books and climate change.

More Star Wars – News!

If you are anything like me, you will have watched all of the Star Wars films several times over the years. I was born in 1977 when the original Star Wars movie came out. This fact makes me feel like I am part of a Star Wars generation. TV series and movies come and go but right now I am excited to see that there have been more Star Wars news announcements over Easter.

I was beginning to wonder what comes next after the disappointing news that Willow won’t be renewed in the near future. Never say never though. It feels like this is the right time for some big feature films to appear on the horizon instead.

So we all need to get ourselves ready to be wowed by the amazing special effects of ILM (Industrial Light and Magic). I was recently watching a documentary about how they began with Star Wars – Episode 4. George Lucas gathered together a group of model makers and technology wizards to push the boundaries of film making. Now they make so many epic movies and lead the way with CGI.

Anyway, here is what we know so far about the new Star Wars developments. So, strap yourself in and get ready for more light-speed action and heart-warming Jedi orientated narratives.

Mandolurian Paved The Way

As the Mandolurians say quite often, ‘This is the way.’ For me, it is a no-brainer that Lucasfilm are continuing to extend the Star Wars Universe. George Lucas always saw the possibility of lots of storylines existing on the same timeline.

With the popularity of Baby Yoga (Grogu) and his companion Mando (the Mandolurian) there was bound to be more. The spin-off Star Wars series such as Obi-Wan and the Book of Bobba Fett have roped in younger fans and kept Star Wars popular and relevant. Rightly so.

What’s New?

Legendary Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy announced that there will be three more movies in the Star Wars franchise. They will be covering different aspects of the Galaxy and set at different times.

Dave Filoni, who fronted Mando and Bobba Fett, amongst other TV shows, is directing a film about the New Republic. I have been loving the new Disney Plus seasons and wondered how they all connected. Maybe this film will bridge the gaps.

James Mangold will apparently direct a movie taking us back to the dawn of the Jedi. Meanwhile, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will be directing as we watch Rey (played again by Daisy Ridley) trying to build a new Jedi order after the events of the last film.

In A Nutshell

I have to say I wish I had had tickets to the Disney Celebration event last weekend. It must have been amazing to witness Kathleen Kennedy announce these incredible new films. Since producing Jurassic Park, ET, Schindler’s List and the newer Star Wars movies, I have always found her an inspiring film maker.

Are you excited about three new Star Wars movies? Do you have fond memories of growing up with the franchise? Let me know what you think in the comments. Perhaps you are a lifetime fan of Yoda, Leia and R2D2, like me.

Also, have a look at my recent Dungeons and Dragons review. Perhaps also consider following my blog for future similar content. I especially love reviewing books, TV shows and movies. My blog also keeps you up to date with environmental issues and how to be ecofriendly.