Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 169
May 20, 2023
A Boss and A Babe – Endearing Duo, Tiresome Runtime
After playing romantic leads in “Enchante,” actors Force Jiratchapong Srisang and Book Kasidet Plookphol have been paired together again in the 2023 Thai series “A Boss and A Babe,” where their roles seem to be aptly tailored to their personalities.
Directed by New Siwaj Sawatmaneekul, the 12-episode-long series follows the antics of energetic gamer-boy Cher (Book Kasidet Plookphol), who lands an internship with a gaming company and manages to steal the heart of his cold, aloof boss Gun (Force Jiratchapong Srisang), who is feared by everybody else in the office. The fluffy romantic comedy vibes in the first few episodes make the show seem a lot more promising than the rather bland “Enchante.”
Gun’s character as a snooty, misunderstood boss was at odds with how quickly he falls for the new intern in his office, but apart from that one anomaly, it was refreshing to see the principal protagonist being quite forward and honest about his feelings for someone. By episode two, things were already heating up between the cute Cher and the handsome, charming Gun, and there’s an interesting little backstory added to explain why the boss is such a fan of the new boy.
Book and Force are adorable as a romantic pair throughout the series, however, the secondary plots were weak and unnecessary. For example, Cher tries to support the younger brother of a girl he used to be in love with, and that secondary plot didn’t add any weight to the overall story and was a pointless distraction. The writers should have focused on more comedic elements or witty dialogues instead of forcefully injecting serious side stories that were simply awkward. By episode seven, the pace slows down significantly. I had to double-check if this series was only eight episodes long because, with little story left, it made sense to wrap things up soon. GMMTV’s “Moonlight Chicken” deserved to be 12 episodes long, not this one. I lost interest in the show by episode eight but continued watching until the end just to see what happens. Despite having its share of many charming and cute moments, “A Boss and A Babe” was too overstretched and should have been at least four episodes shorter.
It’s a 5 on 10 from me. You can stream the series on YouTube.
May 19, 2023
‘XO, Kitty’ is Cheery, With Too Many Coincidences
Lara Jean was 17-years-old when she had to choose between her boyfriend and dream college, and her spunky little sister Kitty is the same age in the 2023 Netflix series “XO, Kitty”, where the teen embarks on a big Korean adventure to discover her roots and pursue the boy she likes. Anna Cathcart portrays the protagonist, Kitty, who gains admission to a Korean International School, where her mother had once studied, and her long-distance boyfriend Dae (Minyeong Choi) is a student.
Created by Jenny Han, the ten episode long “XO, Kitty” is colorful, cute and filled with adorable characters. Only problem? The story is contrived, with too many co-incidences that will make you sigh. The first person Kitty runs into in Seoul is Yuri (Gia Kim), who turns out to be Dae’s girlfriend. The first boy she meets from her new school turns out to be Dae’s best-friend. The first teacher she spots on campus was her mom’s former best-friend. And these “co-incidences” keep coming. Oh wait, Kitty likes to call it all “fate”.
Despite the plot holes and clichés, the pretty-looking sets and talented actors make “XO, Kitty” a fun, escapist teen drama that has its own share of K-drama style twists. As Kitty tries to figure out why Dae was seeing some other girl behind her back, she also makes new friends, including the athletic but sweet Q (Anthony Keyvan) and the vain yet caring Min Ho (Sang Heon Lee). Like his character Rahim in “Love Victor”, Anthony Keyvan plays a dependable friend who comes from a conservative family but is openly gay. Interestingly, most characters overshadow the overenthusiastic Kitty and the shy reliable Dae. Gia Kim looked slightly old to be playing a teenager, however, her portrayal of the rich confident Yuri was immaculate. She delivers a stand-out performance as a closeted young woman whose parents care too much about their “image” to see the hurt and isolation they are causing their child. Yunjin Kim plays Yuri’s mom Jina, who is also the school principal and is hiding a bunch of secrets from her daughter. Peter Thurnwald is charming as a Korean-born Australian, who is a new teacher at Kitty’s Seoul school and the two share a sweet student-teacher bond as two foreigners trying to find their place in Korea.
All the friendships and family dynamics that find their place in “XO, Kitty” are a lot more interesting than its romantic subplots. However, a crucial romantic twist introduced in the second half felt forced and seemed like it was added solely to shake things up and make the story appear less formulaic than it really is. Also, I don’t understand why Jenny Han believes that the protagonist has to be the “prettiest” person in their school or wherever. While Kitty is undeniably adorable, the writers include dialogues and scenes that emphasize she is the “hottest” girl on campus. For instance, there’s a scene where Min Ho’s jaw drops when he sees Kitty walk into a party. Writers should normalize the idea that people can fall for someone even if they are not the “hottest” person in their world. Kitty’s sweet and sunny personality is enough for any peer to fall in love with her; she doesn’t need a tight black dress to do the job. Anyway…
School dances, parties, outdoor hikes, sleepovers, petty fights, big fights, secrets, crushes, hook-ups… this series has all the entertaining elements of a teenage romantic comedy. If you ignore the farcical co-incidences, “XO, Kitty” is a cheerful entertaining watch and the finale leaves plenty scope for a season two.
It’s a 7 on 10 from me.
Mrs. Chatterjee vs. Norway Review – Mom vs World
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Directed by Ashima Chibber, the 2023 Bollywood movie “Mrs Chatterjee vs. Norway” seems like a movie about a mother fighting to get back her kids, while in reality, it’s about a woman fighting practically everybody in her life for what is rightfully hers. Rani Mukerji plays Debika Chatterjee, a Bengali homemaker living with her husband and two kids abroad. Rani Mukerji portrays Debika Chatterjee, a Bengali homemaker residing abroad with her husband and two kids. Her world shatters when social workers covertly remove her baby girl and toddler son from her house. What ensues is a lengthy legal battle, where Mrs. Chatterjee faces constant vilification. Nevertheless, each setback fuels her determination to reunite with her children.
Loosely inspired by a real-life case, “Mrs. Chatterjee vs. Norway” could have benefited from a more fitting title, as Debika’s true battle commences within her own home. Though it may initially seem that Debika’s family is unjustly targeted by child protection services, who stand to profit financially from placing children in foster care, viewers also learn that the Chatterjees draw scrutiny after their friends report Anniruddha Chatterjee (Anirban Bhattacharya) for assaulting Debika. It is frustrating how the script downplays the role of domestic violence in the case. Debika is wronged by her husband, in-laws, social workers, lawyers, media, and even her parents, who passively stand by when Anniruddha mistreats her.
Jim Sarbh delivers a measured performance as Daniel Singh Ciupek, the lawyer fighting for the Chatterjees. Unfortunately, all the other Norwegian characters are too one-dimensional and farcical to make viewers care about their actions and cinematic smirks. And if the “firangs” are underwhelming, Rani Mukerji overdoes the theatrics of an emotional Indian mom like she is in some 1990s soap-opera. There’s one scene, where she video calls her father and breaks down, the outburst was so jarring, it looked like a good example for “crocodile tears”. However, she does manage to tug at the heartstrings by the end of the film and her ordeal will hit a chord with viewers. Nevertheless, the filmmakers overly rely on Rani to carry the weight of the entire production on her shoulders.
It’s a 6 on 10 from me. Stream the film on Netflix.
May 18, 2023
Conspiracy of Ravens Review – Chaos Unlimited
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Think I have a bit of a headache from reading the graphic novel “Conspiracy of Ravens” by Leah Moore, John Reppion
and Sally Jane Thompson. In just over 130 pages, the story packs in about five protagonists, a couple of villains and a whole lot of sci-fi action fantasy. For those like me who feel overwhelmed with too many characters, “Conspiracy of Ravens” is going to be a challenging read. It’s hard to recall “who is who” by the end, and also, some characters are simply forgotten completely.
Anne Ravenhall is the principal protagonist of this book, a teenager living in a boarding school who unexpectedly inherits mysterious family heirlooms and a crumbling mansion from an aunt she never knew existed. From being an ordinary nobody, Anne finds herself thrust into a fantasy world of magical beings and discovers that she comes from a long lineage of powerful women who have passed down their ‘gifts’ through generations.
While the basic premise is intriguing, the execution feels chaotic and the pace is dizzying. However, as a graphic novel, the predominantly blue-toned artwork is captivatingly expressive and kept me eagerly turning the pages until the end. Despite this, a few hours later, I find that I don’t remember much from the novel, making it a rather forgettable read. Younger readers who love fantasy might like this book a lot better.
I would rate it a 2.5 on 5.
May 17, 2023
‘Carmilla: The First Vampire’ – Graphic Novel Review
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
The only reason I am giving this modern rendition of “Carmilla” in graphic novel format a 3 out of 5 stars is because it managed to keep me hooked from start to end, despite being underwhelming and disappointing in the end.
Created by Amy Chu and Soo Lee, “Carmilla: The First Vampire” leaves readers wanting more from the story, but before you know it, the book is already over! Based on the 1872 vampire classic by J Sheridan Le Fanu, the graphic novel is novella-sized, which is where the problem lies. Athena, a Chinese-American social worker, lives with her nurse girlfriend Morgan and begins her own investigation into a series of mysterious murders of young women, all of whom have some connection to a club called Carmilla’s in Chinatown.
The character interactions are too swift and brief, the “romance” is a rushed superficial fling and worst of all, there’s almost no vampire action. Readers are only informed that a few young pretty girls were found murdered and there’s some paranoia over a beast responsible for the killings. Apart from that, there is little else happening, except for a ridiculously convenient climactic fight. Calling it a “fight” is a bit of a stretch for what happens.
As far as the artwork is concerned, the illustrations exhibit the distinctive DC/Marvel aesthetic, perfectly complementing the narrative set in the 1990s with a nostalgic nod to the era’s vibrant comic-book art. The multi-cultural elements along with the queer representation was nice, however, the short length of the novel isn’t able to reach its full potential, despite having solid material to lay back on. The book never gets spooky, blood-curdling or terrifying enough, and all of this even after the creators straight up lift off several quotes of the original novel to carry their own spin-off forward.
It’s a 3 on 5 from me.
The Mother Review – JLo’s Action Star Christening Comes Late
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
If Jennifer Lopez has done a movie like “The Mother” some ten-fifteen years ago, she would’ve probably been heading a whole action franchise by now, with at least five sequels so far. I mean, Chris Hemsworth’s “Extraction” is getting a sequel, clearly the bar isn’t too high for action films when it comes to script and logic. Most action fans understand that as long as creators deliver a few impressive killer moves, blood, gore, and deaths, we’d give them a thumbs up.
Directed by Niki Caro, “The Mother” follows an unnamed protagonist, played by Jennifer Lopez (JLo), who has been living in hiding due to her past involvement with dangerous criminals. After twelve years of relative tranquility, the protagonist is forced to break her exile when her former enemies kidnap the daughter she had given up at birth to ensure the child’s safety. Will the mother be able to rescue her daughter?
For someone over 50, JLo is phenomenally fit and largely pulls off her role as a former soldier turned assassin who can take on dozens of men by herself. Unfortunately, the action choreography is not up to the mark, and one cannot help but notice that JLo looks slightly frazzled in chase sequences where she should appear more agile. This is in contrast to watching Lucy Liu in the action-fantasy flick “Everything Everywhere All At Once”. And Lucy Liu is both a year older than JLo and also plays an older character in the film.
Despite a generous runtime of one hour and fifty-five minutes, most characters in the film are underdeveloped and forgettable. Joseph Fiennes and Gael García Bernal are criminally under-utilized as JLo’s evil ex-boyfriends and crime bosses. It’s hard to recall their names by the time the credits roll. The flashback to explain why the protagonist becomes entangled with mobsters is pointless and could have been omitted. Additionally, the writers want you to feel sympathy for a criminal who was perfectly fine with illegal arms trade but suddenly grows morals when it comes to human trafficking. Lucy Paez plays JLo’s daughter Zoe and there’s a surprising soft second-half where the two get to bond, but in a “Karate Kid” meets “Bear Grylls” style.
I think JLo’s “Marry Me” was a lot more fun and entertaining than her 2023 outing as killer-machine mom in “The Mother”. But it was definitely engaging to watch a woman massacre a bunch of men like a character out of a video game. Wish such roles had come by for JLo early on in her career.
It’s a 6 on 10 from me. Stream the film on Netflix.
May 16, 2023
Extraction 2 Feels Like Deja Vu
Rake is alive, guys! Netflix just dropped a longer trailer for Extraction 2, starring Chris Hemsworth as the legendary assassin slash child protector. This time, he’s not only saving one kid, but a bunch of them in the sequel.
There are two major differences between the first film and the second one. Firstly, Chris’ Rake has to rescue more than one little kid this time. Secondly, there’s no orange filter on locations, indicating that the story doesn’t take place in a poorer country where directors tend to drench everything in a dusty shade. In fact, the trailer shows a lot of snow, and some of the action sequences look pretty great. Perhaps Extraction 2 will be even more entertaining.
Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc – Ep 6 Review
Genya. Genya. Genya. What a weirdo! Totally scared some of us with all that frothing in his mouth at the end of episode five when he turned towards Tanjiro during their brutally bloody fight with the upper moons. Turns out, the angry intimidating brat also has a tragic childhood like the protagonist and feels the desperate need to prove himself as a worthy demon slayer.
Also Read: Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc Review
Titled “Aren’t You Going to Become A Hashira”, episode six of “Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc” is interspersed with flashbacks of Genya’s childhood as he, Tanjiro and Nezuko battle Hantengu’s four powerful clones. Genya’s painful past is worth re-telling, but I wish they had played those scenes a little earlier on in the season instead of a critical “do or die” juncture. Tanjiro brainstorms hard to figure out how the trio can defeat their opponent and there’s a funny little twist that makes the rather dark bloody chain of events entertaining. Muichiro Tokito on the other hand is completely trapped by Gyoko’s blood demon art and Mitsuri Kanroji surprisingly had no scenes in this edition.
Overall, episode six was swiftly paced, with some stark violence that will have action fans thrilled and the face-off between the demon-slayers and the two top demons are far from over. Given the fatal blows the human heroes are taking, it’s going to be extremely surprising and unreal if nobody dies in this season!
Stream the series on Netflix.
May 15, 2023
Disney’s Got Little Mermaid & Netflix Has MerPeople!
Thanks to the intriguing corners of YouTube and its unique recommendations, some of us were already aware of the extensive world of professional performing mermaids. And now, thanks to Netflix’s trailer for its series “MerPeople,” a larger audience will come to realize that it’s actually a substantial half-a-billion dollar industry!
The teaser for the show appears significantly more captivating than the numerous generic dating reality programs found on streaming services. “MerPeople” entices viewers with a captivating journey into the sparkling realm of underwater performers while offering a glimpse into the less glamorous aspects of the industry: the hard work, perspiration, and emotional investment required for a job that may or may not pay the bills.
From putting on dazzling small-town shows in Florida to the crowning of the King and Queen of the Seas in the Bahamas, this series will take you on a journey of passion and perseverance. Get ready to set sail on an unforgettable voyage and immerse yourself in a world where fantasy becomes reality. – Netflix
“Royalteen: Princess Margrethe” Movie Review
Since the 2022 teen flick “Royalteen” was so generic, viewer expectations were pretty low for the 2023 spin-off movie “Royalteen: Princess Margrethe” starring Elli Rhiannon Müller Osborne as the titular lead. However, with a different director, Ingvild Søderlind, steering the sequel, it turned out to be engaging enough.
Plot overview: Princess Margrethe finds herself in the midst of a scandal when she has to be hospitalized on the night of her prom. While the media speculates about what went wrong, the royal teen struggles to keep things under control, including dealing with a problematic new addiction and her fraught relationship with her parents. On holiday with Denmark’s King and Queen, the princess sees her chance at romance with their handsome young son and the possibility of starting over.
The basic conflict in “Royalteen: Princess Margrethe” is similar to season one of Netflix series “Young Royals” and the two also share a lot of themes in common. It’s the scenic locations, snowy slopes and beautiful wardrobes that make the movie visually pleasing. Elli Rhiannon Müller Osborne is splendid as Princess Margrethe, who’s having a hard time fitting with her “normal friends”, who aren’t under constant media scrutiny. From being a confident young woman, to crumbling into a insecure mess, Elli captures different shades of being a teen poignantly. Mathias Storhøi reprises his role as Kalle, the crown Prince of Norway and Ines Høysæter Asserson plays his girlfriend Lena. However, the two are just minor characters this time around.
At 1 hour and 38 minutes, the film is crisp but could have wrapped up ten minutes earlier than the eventual climactic scenes, which were excessively clichéd and provided viewers with a typical romance-movie ending. Considering it’s a story about a girl trying to find her voice, a more effective ending could have been when Margrethe has a heart-to-heart with a friend and the two share a light moment. Regardless, this “Royalteen” sequel is a decent one-time watch for those seeking a teen drama and don’t mind watching the problems of affluent youngsters.
It’s a 6 on 10 from me. Stream the film on Netflix.
