Stargirl:
Synopsis: Leo Borlock is an average student at Mica High School. He gets decent grades, is a member of the school's marching band and has always been content flying under the radar. But all that changes when he meets Stargirl Caraway, a confident and colorful new student with a penchant for the ukulele, who stands out in a crowd. She is kind, finds magic in the mundane and touches the lives of others with the simplest of gestures. Her eccentricities and infectious personality charm Leo and the student body, and she quickly goes from being ignored and ridiculed to accepted and praised, then back again, sending Leo on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
My thoughts: Disney used this as a starring vehicle for Grace Vanderwaal who won one of those reality talent shows so she was a known commodity for most but not me and that inexperience shines through at times but the chemistry between the cast works well. The movie overall was good as it would rank somewhere in the middle of John Hughes filmography which is clearly the feeling Disney was going for.
Final verdict: 3.5 ukuleles out of 5.
Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn:
Synopsis: You ever hear the one about the cop, the songbird, the psycho and the mafia princess? "Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)" is a twisted tale told by Harley herself, as only Harley can tell it. When Gotham's most nefariously narcissistic villain, Roman Sionis, and his zealous right-hand, Zsasz, put a target on a young girl named Cass, the city is turned upside down looking for her. Harley, Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya's paths collide, and the unlikely foursome have no choice but to team up to take Roman down.
My thoughts: I was on the borderline with my rating for this one as I was comparing it to Sonic and in the end I went with the higher one here as I just kept remembering how much fun this flick was. From the off the wall set pieces to colourful costumes to go along with slick action choreography and jokes for days to go along with the bone crushing assaults all the while backlit by a fantastic cast. These birds are worth your time.
Final verdict: 5 oversized mallets out of 5.
Miss Americana:
Synopsis: Miss Americana is a raw and emotionally revealing look at one of the most iconic artists of our time during a transformational period in her life as she learns to embrace her role not only as a songwriter and performer, but as a woman harnessing the full power of her voice.
My thoughts: I like most Taylor Swift music so I was interested in this doc however I don't follow the media around her so most of the negative stuff that came up about her in the film I had just learned so I felt a bit out of the loop. Overall it tells the story well enough through Taylor's eyes but I like docs that actually show several points of views which we don't get here. Only Taylor and the media through past broadcasts. Overall it was fine but not sure it's something I'd revisit.
Final verdict: 3 political stances out of 5.
