Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 98
May 29, 2024
Zac Effron Woos Nicole Kidman in ‘A Family Affair’ Trailer
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“You’re not Jack and Rose, get out of the car!”
This line from “A Family Affair” trailer totally cracked us up, where a young woman yells at her mom for bidding a wistful goodbye to her new boyfriend after their car ride ends.
The upcoming Netflix romantic comedy brings viewers a fresh onscreen pair—Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron. Joey King plays Zara Ford, who is shocked to find out that her mom Brooke (Nicole Kidman) is having an affair with her boss Chris (Zac Efron). Zara comically struggles to accept the new romance blooming between the unlikely pair. Will she accept it or scheme to break them up? That seems to be the premise from the trailer.
It’s been a while since viewers have seen either Nicole Kidman or Zac Efron headline a romantic comedy. Nicole’s last role was of a woman navigating loss and grief in the somber drama series “Expats,” while Zac was in the buddy-comedy “Ricky Stanicky.” The age gap between the lead actors has already prompted comparisons from online viewers to Anne Hathaway’s romantic movie “The Idea of You,” which is about a single mother falling for a younger singer. However, the trailer for “A Family Affair” promises to be much more comical in nature.
Nicole Kidman and Joey King make an endearing mother-daughter duo in the brief two-minute teaser, although viewers will have to watch the movie to find out about the romantic chemistry between Nicole and Zac.
“The Family Affair” will be streaming on Netflix from June 28. You can watch the trailer on YouTube or it’s also embedded below.
City Hunter: Ryohei Suzuki’s Ryo Saeba Is Foxily Comical
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“He’s like a pervert Aladdin,” a character says about Ryo Saeba, the protagonist of the action-comedy movie “City Hunter,” which is adapted from the popular manga series “Shitī Hantā” by Tsukasa Hojo. It appeared in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from 1985 to 1991.
Directed by Yûichi Satô, the movie stars Ryohei Suzuki as “City Hunter” Ryo Saeba, a private Tokyo detective, who is obsessed with busty women, but is otherwise busy solving crimes with his partner Hideyuki Makimura (Masanobu Andô), a former police officer. When Hideyuki dies in a violent attack, Ryo is forced to team up with his sister Kaori (Misato Morita), to investigate his death. Their biggest clue is a missing cosplayer called Kurumi (Asuka Hanamura), who might be linked to a string of mysterious crimes taking place in the city.
As soon as “City Hunter” (“Shiti Hanta”) begins, you can’t help but feel like you’re being pulled back to the 1990s. Even though the story is very much set in the present, the aesthetics, comedy, and portrayal of characters feel slightly dated, likely because the creators tried to maintain the tone of the original manga, although they do add a lot of their own tweaks. One thing remains the same – protagonist Ryo Saeba is super strong, an ace shooter, who is mad about girls with big bosoms, and Ryohei Suzuki hilariously manages to capture the essence of the playboy-detective character. Interestingly, Tokyo’s Shinjuku ward emerges as the second-most vibrant character in the film, with the cinematography vividly bringing to life its neon-lit streets, lively clubs, and patrons dressed in an array of colors and fashions, showcasing the area’s eclectic and dynamic spirit.
With a 1 hour 42 minute runtime, you cannot help but feel that maybe “City Hunter” should’ve been made into a proper action-comedy series by Netflix, instead of a choppily paced movie, where some characters just don’t get enough time to grow on the viewers. Besides, two of the most prominent characters in the movie are portrayed as total bimbos – Misato Morita as Kaori is earnest about avenging her brother, but has no coherent plan and is far too naive and trustworthy of strangers; while Kurumi (Asuka Hanamura) is a total Otaku, who’d rather be murdered by goons than miss out on a cosplaying event. Their scenes are just not as funny as the creators intend them to be. Instead, it’s some of the situational comedy that gets you laughing, like a scene where Ryo Saeba crashes into a couple’s house while they are trying to take a nice warm bath together, and then goes flying out the window like a “pervert Aladdin”.
Which brings me to the action sequences of “City Hunter” —some evoke the playful, acrobatic style of Jackie Chan’s action-comedy era, while others are more stylized, reminiscent of the high-octane action found in Mission Impossible style films. Obviously there are a lot of exaggerations, but they are mostly fun, especially the chaotic climactic fight between Ryo Saeba and practically a platoon of armed goons, with some help from the clumsy Kaori.
Like I’ve already mentioned, “City Hunter” has a lot of potential to become a full-fledged action-comedy series. Netflix and the producers should have considered investing a bit more money to maximize its potential, since some of the costumes, especially Kurumi’s cosplaying clothes look underwhelming. Nevertheless, this 2024 version is an amusing watch, especially for those who aren’t familiar with the manga and can experience the mad adventures of Ryo Saeba and his oddball personality with fresh eyes.
Rating: 6 on 10. Stream “City Hunter” on Netflix.
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City Hunter Review: Ryohei Suzuki Playfully Brings Pervy Ryo Saeba to Life
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“He’s like a pervert Aladdin,” a character says about Ryo Saeba, the protagonist of the action-comedy movie “City Hunter,” which is adapted from the popular manga series “Shitī Hantā” by Tsukasa Hojo. It appeared in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from 1985 to 1991.
Directed by Yûichi Satô, the movie stars Ryohei Suzuki as “City Hunter” Ryo Saeba, a private Tokyo detective, who is obsessed with busty women, but is otherwise busy solving crimes with his partner Hideyuki Makimura (Masanobu Andô), a former police officer. When Hideyuki dies in a violent attack, Ryo is forced to team up with his sister Kaori (Misato Morita), to investigate his death. Their biggest clue is a missing cosplayer called Kurumi (Asuka Hanamura), who might be linked to a string of mysterious crimes taking place in the city.
As soon as “City Hunter” (“Shiti Hanta”) begins, you can’t help but feel like you’re being pulled back to the 1990s. Even though the story is very much set in the present, the aesthetics, comedy, and portrayal of characters feel slightly dated, likely because the creators tried to maintain the tone of the original manga, although they do add a lot of their own tweaks. One thing remains the same – protagonist Ryo Saeba is super strong, an ace shooter, who is mad about girls with big bosoms, and Ryohei Suzuki hilariously manages to capture the essence of the playboy-detective character. Interestingly, Tokyo’s Shinjuku ward emerges as the second-most vibrant character in the film, with the cinematography vividly bringing to life its neon-lit streets, lively clubs, and patrons dressed in an array of colors and fashions, showcasing the area’s eclectic and dynamic spirit.
With a 1 hour 42 minute runtime, you cannot help but feel that maybe “City Hunter” should’ve been made into a proper action-comedy series by Netflix, instead of a choppily paced movie, where some characters just don’t get enough time to grow on the viewers. Besides, two of the most prominent characters in the movie are portrayed as total bimbos – Misato Morita as Kaori is earnest about avenging her brother, but has no coherent plan and is far too naive and trustworthy of strangers; while Kurumi (Asuka Hanamura) is a total Otaku, who’d rather be murdered by goons than miss out on a cosplaying event. Their scenes are just not as funny as the creators intend them to be. Instead, it’s some of the situational comedy that gets you laughing, like a scene where Ryo Saeba crashes into a couple’s house while they are trying to take a nice warm bath together, and then goes flying out the window like a “pervert Aladdin”.
Which brings me to the action sequences of “City Hunter” —some evoke the playful, acrobatic style of Jackie Chan’s action-comedy era, while others are more stylized, reminiscent of the high-octane action found in Mission Impossible style films. Obviously there are a lot of exaggerations, but they are mostly fun, especially the chaotic climactic fight between Ryo Saeba and practically a platoon of armed goons, with some help from the clumsy Kaori.
Like I’ve already mentioned, “City Hunter” has a lot of potential to become a full-fledged action-comedy series. Netflix and the producers should have considered investing a bit more money to maximize its potential, since some of the costumes, especially Kurumi’s cosplaying clothes look underwhelming. Nevertheless, this 2024 version is an amusing watch, especially for those who aren’t familiar with the manga and can experience the mad adventures of Ryo Saeba and his oddball personality with fresh eyes.
Rating: 6 on 10. Stream “City Hunter” on Netflix.
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Also Read: Mother-Daughter Murder Night Book Review (Audio version below)
May 28, 2024
Box Office Poison – Graphic Novel Review
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
This loooong book can seem bit of a whine in most parts, but the heck – if you could pour all your problems with the world in a 600 long graphic novel, wouldn’t you?
“Box Office Poison” by Alex Robinson follows a group of 20-somethings bumbling through life, each trying to make it as a writer or a cartoonist—a tough path to tread. Again, it took me days to finish this since it’s just a meandering college drama seen through multiple point-of-views. Most of these characters aren’t exactly likable or even memorable, but reading about them feels like catching up with an old friend who gives you a lot of gossip about people you went to college with but weren’t friends with.
Sherman aspires to be a writer but instead spends all his free time at a part-time job he hates: working at a gigantic bookstore with an awful manager and a constant rush of clueless customers. He starts to date magazine writer Dorothy, who has some history with his current flatmates Stephen and Jane, who don’t like her at all. Sherman’s best friend, Ed, is a cartoonist stuck living and working for his parents. However, things change when he starts assisting Mr. Flavor, a down-on-his-luck crusty cartoonist who was kicked out by the biggest comic book publisher despite creating their best-selling character. Ed takes it upon himself to get Mr. Flavor justice and learns a thing or two about how big publications exploit artists.
The artwork in “Box Office Poison” is comic-book goodness. It’s black-and-white, with characters drawn like caricatures of real people but without excessive exaggerations. And even though there are dozens of characters that make their way through the graphic novel, Alex Robinson gives each person distinct personalities and features, so you never get confused about who is who. I’ve read comics and graphic novels with half the characters where I’d still mistake one for someone else. For instance, Sherman looks like a nerdy lanky American guy, somebody who’d get into the tech sector, while his flatmate Stephen, a history teacher, looks like a cross between Jesus Christ and Keanu Reeves.
The graphic novel casually explores the challenges of first-time relationships, the frustrations of being stuck in a job you hate, and the feeling of being trapped in a relationship without knowing whether to break up or make up. Its primary themes delve into the regular challenges of ordinary young adults navigating life in the big city. However, it sometimes randomly pivots to characters who have nothing to do with the primary set of friends. There are surprisingly many errors in the language, which I am willing to overlook, but the grammar-police kinda readers will be left seething over the typos.
I’ll have to say that Dorothy, who works for a Magazine called “Metro Chick”, reminded me a lot of someone I know – she is fun to hang out with, but once you get too close, you realize she is a whole lot of trouble. Dorothy is smart, cheerful when needs be, but exceedingly and sub-consciously self-centered, and a total slob. There’s a hilarious scene in the book, where Sherman walks into her flat for the first time, and damn, her place is so messy, if you had any sense, you’d run out the door and maybe pass her the number for a mental health practitioner. You’d perhaps find some other character relatable, since a lot of different personality types keep making their way into the book.
The balding rotund Ed, who wants to publish his own comic book series is probably the most likable person in “Box Office Poison”. He is 20-something, but still lives with his parents, forced to work at his father’s shop for extra cash. He is shy, and very insecure about the way he looks, convinced “no girl would want to date a fat guy” like him (in Ed’s own words okay, not mine). But he has a sunny personality, he is hardworking, and fails to see that he can be quite charming. Towards the end of the book, Ed takes over the narration, leading readers through updates of what his friends are doing in life and the story ends on a mostly happy note.
“Box Office Poison” can get challenging for readers expecting a coherent plot and takeaways from the graphic novel, but otherwise, it’s a pretty entertaining read for comic-book enthusiasts. I quite enjoyed reading this book over a couple of weeks, it’s just that kind of meandering story with often feels pointless, but can be amusing for some readers (like me).
Rating: 3.5 on 5. The book is also on Kindle Unlimited.
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Aavesham Review – Fahadh Faasil & Gang Are A Riot
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
When three college freshmen are beaten to a pulp by seniors for defying their ragging attempts, the trio vow revenge and end up befriending a powerful local gangster named Ranga to help them.
Written and directed by Jithu Madhavan, the 2024 action-comedy movie “Aavesham” stars Fahadh Faasil as Ranga, who doesn’t make his entry until the 28th minute of the film. Until then, the story introduces its college-going protagonists – Aju (Pranav Raj, known as Hipster), Bibin (Mithun Jai Shankar), and Shanthan (Roshan Shanavas), who are in their first year of college in Bangalore. They become friends and are brutally thrashed by their seniors for instigating a rebellion against their bullying. So, Aju comes up with a plan for vengeance – the friends should become pals with local goons, to get their aide in hitting back at their seniors. Will they get their revenge? And what after that? That’s the crux of the story.
The amount of effort the boys put in to find themselves support from goons in “Aavesham” isn’t just hilarious, but younger viewers should be able to imagine one of their parents sarcastically saying “if they put in so much work into their academics, they’d become multi-millionaires”. Debut actors Hipster, Mithun Jai Shankar and Roshan Shanavas as the lead trio are convincingly entertaining as college freshers who rarely attend classes, and spend most of their time drinking, smoking and trying to get close to gangsters in local bars.
Once Fahadh Faasil’s Ranga makes his entry, things heat up in “Aavesham” – his introductory scene sets the stage for the proximity and friendship he and the boys will soon share. Ranga first appears in a public toilet, asking Bibin for a lighter, he then simply leans in and lights his cigarette from the glowing tip of Bibin’s. Even though Ranga’s entry isn’t as flamboyant as typical action hero movies (think Rajinikanth or Rohit Shetty movies), it’s memorable, funny, and leaves a mark.
“Aavesham” has a killer soundtrack running throughout its 2 hour 35 minute runtime, which makes everything in the action-comedy feel theatrically engaging. The music been composed by Sushin Shyam, who is known for his work in “Kumbalangi Nights”, Netflix’s “Minnal Murali”, and the more recent “Manjummel Boys”. With nine original tracks, the songs are upbeat, groovy, and fantastically enhance the mood of each scene. If-fact, a lot of sequences in the movie feel grittier because of the energetic numbers accompanying them, although it does lack a signature number that would get stuck in your mind longer after the curtains come down.
As the plot progresses, Bibin, Aju, and Shanthan form an unlikely friendship with Ranga and his gang. However, they rarely see Ranga in action; instead, his lackey Amban (Sajin Gopu) constantly spins tall tales about Ranga’s violent past and his decision to give up arms for sentimental reasons. Initially, it’s all fun and games for the boys, but they soon find themselves in a situation that’s difficult to escape. Fahadh Faasil is riotously good as the dreaded gangster Ranga, whose violent actions are only shown in flashbacks. Fahadh’s younger version is dapper; he looks like a rap star ready to cut an album or, well, a gangster new to the hood. This is a complete “all boys” show, with some of the moms playing passive roles in the background. For instance, Bibin’s mother frequently calls to check if he is studying and if he is happy.
There’s plenty of fight sequences in the story, although some of them are choreographed in a generic manner and aren’t very engaging. While the first-half of “Aavesham” is solidly entertaining, its pace and energy dips for a bit in the second-half. A lot of the film is quite formulaic, however Ranga’s keenness to impress and protect his new college-going friends keeps things interesting. What director Jithu Madhavan does best in “Aavesham” is keep Ranga’s character bubbling like a dormant volcano on the verge getting active again, so you never know when he’ll explode, if ever. At the same time, the movie almost always maintains its comedic tone.
Definitely watch “Aavesham” if gangster-action-comedies are up your alley. The film is available to stream on Prime Video.
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May 27, 2024
Lore Olympus Season 1 Review
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Greek Gods and legends are all about war, violence, love, hate, lust, curses, vengeance, incest, betrayal and a whole lot of not so pleasant themes. So, Rachel Smythe in her webtoon “Lore Olympus”, takes those larger-than-life tales about Gods, Goddesses, Nymphs, Monster and humans, wraps them up in colorful-cute dreamy illustrations, retelling them in the vein of “young adult romances”. However, the primary focus of “Lore Olympus” is the slow-burn romance between Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, and Hades, God of the underworld, who meet at a party hosted by Zeus.
I love Rachel Smythe’s cutesy illustrations; they are what make “Lore Olympus” a sumptuous, engaging read. Persephone is a short, pink-colored, gorgeous goddess, described as a cinnamon roll at some point in the webtoon, and funnily, she does look like a wholesome dessert throughout most of the story. Hades has blue skin, silver hair, and looks like he belongs in a Disney animated film. Imagine King Triton from Ariel (The Little Mermaid) in his late 20s or early 30s —he has that “sexy daddy” vibe, which is definitely what the creator was aiming for. “Lore Olympus” is essentially like those age-gap romances where a naive, beautiful young college girl and a much older, handsome, wealthy business magnate fall for each other, and the girl’s fierce, overprotective mother is the least of their problems.
While “Lore Olympus” does stay true to many original Greek myths and legends in its depiction of the relationships between the various Gods, Nymphs, Demons, and mortals that appear throughout the webcomic, Rachel Smythe obviously tweaks a lot of events and takes many creative liberties with their portrayal, interactions, and dynamics. The biggest divergence is that the story takes place in modern times, so all the Gods use phones and even social media to interact with each other. They travel in swanky cars, even though most of them can probably teleport wherever they want. And then there’s Hermes, who can simply fly. Persephone, who is just a college student, has to take the metro to school and work. She lands an internship in the Underworld, a ploy by Hera to see if something brews between her and Hades.
Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades in “Lore Olympus”My favorite departure from the original legends is perhaps the way “Lore Olympus” depicts the Olympian brothers Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon as “dude bros” – the three often hang out over drinks, gossip about everybody, and generally have a good time. Their basic personalities are familiar, Zeus rules over Olympus and is the most powerful brother, so he often bullies the others, and his relationship with wife Hera is just as tumultuous as the Greek myths. Hera is portrayed as a golden-haired beauty, who keeps an eye out for the young Persephone, even though Persephone does have her own group of powerful friends.
Season one of “Lore Olympus” spans a total of 119 episodes/chapters, which are also available in paperback format. Volumes 1-5 of the books encompass the first 126 episodes of the webtoon. However, since I’ve read the webtoon online, this review focuses solely on season one, which is a slow-burn romance between Persephone and Hades. Rachel Smythe also includes a smattering of other legends in this season, the most popular being the romance between Aphrodite’s son Eros and Psyche. Eros is a total mama’s boy in the webtoon, the duo causing trouble wherever they go, but he also becomes close friends with Persephone and is often there for her whenever she is going through a tough time.
While it is love at first sight for Hades, Persephone takes her time to realize her fondness for him, and a whole lot of complications make it difficult for them to become an official couple, the primary of them being the fact that Hades has a fiery, moody, on-and-off girlfriend, and that Persephone has no experience whatsoever with matters of the heart. There’s also another major catch, but it’s a fun little twist, and would be a major spoiler, so I won’t write about it. Since we’re used to seeing Hades depicted as not so attractive in popular culture, “Lore Olympus” will make many readers see the Greek God of the Underworld in a whole new light. Apart from the fact that he remains asocial, reclusive, he is depicted as kind, shy, and considerate, and often he comes across as a teen boy grappling with his first crush.
The clashing personalities of Hades and Persephone in “Lore Olympus” is absolutely entertaining, even though the two also share a lot of personality traits which draws them towards each other. Their character interactions are almost always sweet, or awkwardly cute. But it’s not all romance, and sunshine in season one, Rachel Smythe does explore darker themes like stalking, sexual abuse, and trauma, even though they aren’t explore very seriously, because hey, this is a webtoon. The creator includes trigger-warnings for readers atop each chapter that dwells into themes that could be uncomfortable for some, so you can watch out for that.
Overall, if you enjoy reading comics or webtoons and have a soft spot for the romance genre, “Lore Olympus” is a solid choice. It’s like a starter pack for readers interested in Greek legends with modern twists.
Rating: 4 on 5. You can read season 1 of “Lore Olympus” for free on Webtoons.
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Demon Slayer Hashira Training Arc – Ep 3 Review
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After spending an patiently exhausting amount of time stalking and cheering Water Hashira Giyu Tomioka in Episode 2 of Demon Slayer’s Hashira Training Arc, Tanjiro Kamado is now ready to take on his next challenge – training under his seniors to take on Muzan Kibutsuji.
Titled “Fully Recovered Tanjiro Joins the Hashira Training!”, episode three of Demon Slayer Hashira Arc begins with junior demon slayers undergoing harsh training under retired sound Hashira Tengen Uzui. Fans will remember the flamboyant Uzui from the Entertainment District arc, where he helped Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke fight upper-rank demons in Yoshiwara. In the current timeline, he has retired to live a peaceful life with his wives but steps up to help the Slayer Corps prepare for their impending war with Muzan Kibutsuji.
As in the manga, the animators have updated Tengen Uzui’s style and appearance post the grave injuries he suffered from battling Gyutaro. He no longer sports his flashy headband and wears his hair loose, with a jeweled eye patch covering his eye, his appearance is a dignified departure from his earlier muscly playboy look, with a yukata covering his ripped arms. It’s fun to see his interactions with Tanjiro in this episode, with the latter giving the training his all, despite just having recovered from near-death injuries. Even though the episode is slightly slow, it’s peppered with comedic moments, most of which hinge on how the younger slayers feel like they are dying due to Uzui’s training, while he constantly berates them for having no spirit, style, or strength.
Also Read: Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc Review
Most of the episode focuses on the Hashira training; however, the middle of the episode briefly shifts to a meeting between Sanemi Shinazugawa and Obanai Iguro, the two Hashiras who had briefly seen Muzan Kibutsuji‘s Infinity Castle in the opening episode of this season, although they aren’t sure what it was. The rest of the time is spent on Tengen Uzui’s stamina training, with an interesting friendly face-off between him and Tanjiro.
The animators should have put more effort into the character illustrations of the junior demon slayers, as they all look very similar. Overall, this is an entertaining episode, and even though it doesn’t feature any demons, it does hint at a potential high-ranking monster lurking around the corner to ambush the young trainees. The climax promises viewers even harsher training in the next episode and reunites Tanjiro with yet another Hashira he fought alongside against top-ranking demons.
You can stream the series on Netflix, CrunchyRoll and JioCinema.
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May 26, 2024
Maxton Hall: The World Between Us Review – Predictable Max
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
The ‘handsome, sexy, rich boy’ – ‘smart but poor girl’ trope seems to be romance’s favorite love-child. Fans love to read about the girl getting swept off her feet in a private jet, no less, and frankly, it’s beginning to get tiring. It’s not like I am completely jaded with the genre. I did enjoy the recent Anne Hathaway Movie – “The Idea of You,” where a single working mom is romanced by a dashing superstar singer (they travel around in a private jet), and I loved “Young Royals,” where a literal prince woos a poor scholarship student. But this (Maxton Hall), this was just not it. But if you haven’t read or seen enough ‘rich person falls for poor person’ tales, then you might just like the 2024 German teen romance series “Maxton Hall: The World Between Us” (Original title: Maxton Hall – Die Welt zwischen uns) a lot more than I did.
Directed by Tarek Roehlinger and Martin Schreier, this six-part series is based on the novel “Save Me” by Mon Kasten. The first episode opens with a sensual shot of a shirtless Damian Hardung, who plays the primary protagonist, James Beaufort, a popular, wealthy teen playboy attending the elite Maxton Hall, a school for the super-rich. Harriet Herbig-Matten portrays Ruby Bell, a scholarship student who prefers to remain invisible on campus until she accidentally walks in on her classmate Lydia Beaufort (Sonja Weißer) doing something she shouldn’t be. While Ruby quickly extricates herself from the scene, a panic-stricken Lydia seeks her brother’s help. Keen to keep his sister’s secret, James Beaufort sets out to silence Ruby Bell, but as the two spend more time together, their feelings of mutual hatred turns into love.
Visually, “Maxton Hall: The World Between Us” looks great, on par with any other OTT show with a decent budget to bankroll pretty sets, stylish clothes, and attractive actors. It also has a killer soundtrack, featuring popular romantic English songs sprinkled throughout the runtime. However, the plot is ridiculously formulaic, the dialogues are mundane, and there’s zero fun banter between the high-school kids. Ruby Bell’s younger sister, Ember (Runa Greiner), is the only cheerful and relatable character in the show.
The biggest twist of “Maxton Hall: The World Between Us” occurs in episode one itself, after that, it’s one predictable turn after the other. Except for one scene that managed to get a small laugh out of me, I had a bored expression throughout the six episode, sadly wondering why Amazon Prime Video not give viewers the option to speed-up their videos.
Warning – minor story spoilers ahead
A major sub-plot in “Maxton Hall: The World Between Us” was simply a big ‘ick’ for me – in the first episode, Ruby Bell accidentally walks in on Lydia Beaufort making out with their literature teacher Graham Sutton (Eidin Jalali). The writers romanticize the teacher-student relationship as the plot progresses, with Lydia explaining how she and Graham had known each other for months before he was hired to teach at Maxton Hall, which only makes their story more problematic – because in the current timeline, Lydia is 18 and if her dalliance with Graham goes back several months, she would’ve been a minor. Lydia’s story continues to get worse by the last episode, even though the makers try to dress it in a progressive light.
There aren’t any villains in the story, except for James Beaufort’s classist dad Mortimer Beaufort, who is played perfectly by Fedja van Huêt – Mr Mortimer is egoistic, manipulative, ruthless and solely driven by monetary benefits and social reputation. So, evil rich dad versus ‘teens in love’ becomes the primary conflict in “Maxton Hall: The World Between Us” towards the second half.
Damian Hardung is undeniably stunning as James Beaufort; however, the character’s transformation from a brash, promiscuous brat to a deeply caring and artistic guy with a heart felt entirely unconvincing and hokey. Why a girl like Ruby Bell falls for him after her initial hatred is also not convincing (yeah, it’s just for the good looks and body). Besides, their chemistry is lukewarm at best.
As if the story wasn’t slow and predictable enough, “Maxton Hall: The World Between Us” doesn’t even end conclusively! The climax does mark a “happy ending” of sorts between the primary leads, yet ends in a way that makes it feel like a lot more seasons are on the way. I don’t think I would want to watch a season two.
You can stream the series on Prime Video.
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To Be Continued Review – Estranged BFFs to Lovers
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Can a handsome, popular actor win over a busy doctor who prefers to run in the opposite direction at the mere sight of him?
Jirawat, an orthopedic doctor leading a low-key yet busy life, faces an unexpected disruption when he encounters his estranged high-school best friend, Achivich, after a decade. This unexpected meeting occurs during a brief visit to his hometown for their school reunion party. It’s evident that they had more than just platonic feelings for each other in the past, but seemed to have ended their friendship on a bitter note. As they reconnect, Achivich, who is now a famous movie star, makes advances towards Jirawat, setting the stage for a romantic story about whether the doctor is ready to open his heart again.
Directed by Kla Nathawat Piyanonpong, the 2024 Thai romance series “To Be Continued” (คุณได้ไปต่อ) has been adapted from a novel of the same name by Nottakorn. Spanning eight episodes, the series stars Fluke Pongsapat Kankam and Junior Kajbhunditt Jaidee as lead couple Jirawat and Achivich respectively. Flashbacks to their high-school life slowly reveals what really transpired between the two over the course of the show, while Achivich attempts to win over extremely aloof Jirawat in the present.
“To Be Continued” (คุณได้ไปต่อ) is a rather straightforward story that introduces two unnecessary romantic subplots involving different characters apart from the primary leads. One subplot follows Jirawat’s younger brother Ki (Franky Weerapat Onsa-ard), who is a vlogger, and the other involves Jirawat’s friend Dr. Peh (Poppy Ratchapong Anomakiti), who has a crush on another doctor. These additional pairs are completely boring, and the writers should have used them for brief character interactions with the primary leads, dedicating more time to exploring Jirawat and Achivich’s dynamics. For example, the creators don’t properly explain why Achivich decides to re-enter Jirawat’s life after ten long years.
Fluke Pongsapat Kankam and Junior Kajbhunditt Jaidee look good together as Jirawat and Achivich, but their chemistry is hit-and-miss; sometimes it’s convincing, other times, not so much. Junior Kajbhunditt Jaidee’s portrayal of Achivich was slightly reminiscent of Nubsib from “Lovely Writer”, a popular actor who pursues an author, although Junior isn’t as charming and is pretty stiff in many scenes. Fluke Pongsapat Kankam also wavers in his delivery, but he shoulders the emotional parts well, especially one particular scene where he is completely blindsided and heartbroken for the first time.
The high-school flashbacks make “To Be Continued” interesting, as the friendship and closeness between the leads are endearing. However, the incident that triggered their estrangement is only revealed in episode seven, the penultimate episode, leaving considerable suspense about why Jirawat is upset with Achivich. This slow-burn pace can test the viewer’s patience. Ultimately, the “misunderstanding” between them is smoothly resolved for the climax, leading to an overly sweet ending where they bury the hatchet.
With stronger writing, and a better sound-track, “To Be Continued” could have been much more entertaining. In its present form, it’s far too long and overstretched, but probably a decent one-time watch if you’re looking for a simple romance that doesn’t delve deeply into the dynamics between the main protagonists.
Rating: 5.5 on 10. You can stream it on Netflix (only in some countries).
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May 25, 2024
Atlas Review – One Where JLO Gets An AI Bestie
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“If you make a smart robot, the first rule should be: Do not harm people”
If Jennifer Lopez played a hopeless, wide-eyed romantic who’s always rushing into a new relationship in her last film, “This Is Me… Now,” she takes a complete U-turn in the 2024 sci-fi flick “Atlas,” where she plays protagonist Atlas Sheperd, a brilliant but “anti-social” analyst with extreme trust issues and a passionate dislike for both human and AI interactions.
Directed by Brad Peyton and written by Leo Sardarian and Aron Eli Coleite, “Atlas” revolves around sci-fi’s favorite trope – robots gone rogue. Simu Liu plays Harlan, the world’s first “AI terrorist,” who reprograms himself to carry out a genocide; he is like a robot version of Thanos but with a criminally short screen time. After getting several robots to go rogue with him, Harlan escapes Earth, promising to return and finish his plan to wipe out humans. When an elaborate space mission is launched by the military hunt down Harlan, top analyst Atlas Sheperd (Jennifer Lopez) who helps trace his location, insists she join the mission. However, to defeat Harlan, Atlas will have to team-up with something she distrusts most – AI.
Jennifer Lopez isn’t completely convincing as the coffee guzzling misanthrope, smart enough to constantly defeat artificial intelligence in a string of chess games, but she does give the character her best shot. For someone branded as “anti-social” by colleagues, Atlas is excessively emotional, and talks about Harlan like one would talk about a back-stabbing ex-boyfriend one just cannot get over with. A significant portion of the runtime is devoted to Atlas talking, arguing, fighting, and bonding with an AI called Smith. She teams up with Smith to survive on the alien planet where Harlan is hiding, and their banter is honestly quite amusing in parts.
“Atlas” features several battle sequences with humans in giant robotic armored suits that look like a mash-up of “Transformers” and a first-person shooter mecha game. While the special effects aren’t exactly cutting-edge, they have an entertaining 3D action-game feel, like watching someone’s gaming live stream from a few years ago. The fight scenes are chaotic, to say the least, but they still offer some thrills. However, the cinematography of the alien planet includes several bizarre elements that don’t make sense, like flies hovering over dead bodies.
Considering “Atlas” is a sci-fi action movie, it was slightly disappointing not to see Jennifer Lopez kicking some butt, especially since she has proven her action-star potential in the Netflix movie “The Mother.” The writers should’ve tweaked Atlas’ character a bit to give JLo a chance to show off some combat skills. Although, for all you know, it might have been her choice to play an intellectual recluse instead of her usual softer romantic roles.
Overall, “Atlas” is formulaic, even though it does include some fun existential interactions about the future of human-AI relationships. It’s one of those “guilty pleasure” flicks, which is quite watchable if you’re a fan of the actors and enjoy the occasional no-brainer movie.
You can stream “Atlas” on Netflix.
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