Reviews

I'm not one for Lifetime or Hallmark movies. The cliche plots, predictable story lines, cringey moments, and flat characters... It's never been my taste. I went into this movie thinking I would likely lose interest within the first thirty minutes, assuming it was that sort of storytelling. I was happily surprised.

It was a Hallmark movie with a mature twist. The plot was predictable, of course, simply because you know the main leads are going to end up together despite the obstacles and resistance. Let's be real -- you don't watch these sort of movies not wanting that to happen anyway.

What helped it stand on its own was the adult humor, the believable characters with actors who know what they're doing without it feeling flat and dull, and allowing the characters to develop on their own instead of rushing it along. The two leads also worked well together with great chemistry.

I give it 7/10 stars because some of the adult humor did feel more crude than necessary. Also, a couple moments were simply "meh" (i.e. Losing a finger). The ending was cute and well-delivered, but I also wish we had maybe 5 more minutes of seeing a full circle of them spending Christmas together. Maybe even jokingly donning two ugly sweaters together.

Overall, I think this could become a holiday movie for me, and I'm happy I finally gave it a chance even if it's a year late.

The trailer on Netflix sucked me in. I've never been a "OMG IT'S TAYLOR SWIFT I LOVE HER" fan. Yes, I like some of her songs on the radio but haven't had any interest in spending money on an album or going to a concert. I grew up with her, though, even if I didn't follow her fame. I remember her stepping onto the music scene and sweeping the awards up with a broom, I remember Kanye dissing her at the awards show, I remember the feud between them and Kim later, and I remember the release of Reputation. I also remember her speaking up about politics for the first time.

I remember it all from a distance.

And this was a wonderful documentary to show how Taylor felt behind the scenes during all of that. You don't really think about how the media impacts the celebrities they're too happy to trash or how stunned Taylor felt when she was publicly humiliated on that stage at only 17 years old. As terrible as it sounds, this documentary helped further shape her into a 3D person instead of just a voice through the radio or a face on the screen. People call her fake, but this documentary showed she's anything but.

I was excited for this movie the second the trailer dropped. It looked incredible, and seeing it in theaters, it did not disappoint. Ever since Disney started their live-action track, most of those films have been lack-luster, B-rated movies. Maleficent is everything but that. It actually breathes new life into its characters. It keeps you on the edge of your seat even though you have a fairly good idea what is going to happen. The acting doesn't feel dry, the CGI is incredibly beautiful, the story flows nicely. You just need a black bow to wrap up this movie because it all just works -- which is surprising for a sequel!

I don't know what the critics are talking about. Does this movie involve political talk? Yeah, sure. Is the love story on the back burner and mostly used as a plot device? Yep. But this movie isn't about Aurora and Philip, and we can't exactly expect automatic peace just because the first film ended on a happy note. Maleficent is supposed to be a villain even if the true story behind her is that she's only evil because her story was told wrong. That's what the movie is about! Don't go into Maleficent if you're expecting Sleeping Beauty. I think you know that's not what you're going to get.

This was a great sequel to the first one released back in 2014. The two main actresses slid right back into their characters, and as expected, Michelle Pfeiffer did a fantastic job as the real villain. Go see this movie. It's worth the price of admission and more.

I've been wanting to watch this film because I absolutely love the original, and I went into the film with low expectations. I didn't mind the idea of a gender swap because as a remake, I feel it's okay to switch things up to make the idea still a remake but a fresh take on it as well.

There was absolutely NO CHEMISTRY between Kate and Leo. None. Their acting was horrible, the lines were cheesy, the writing was awful. The plot was there, but the delivery was subpar. Yes, it came right out of the original, but the original delivered it flawlessly. This one, not so much. Kurt and Goldie had amazing chemistry which is what helped drive this plot in the original. Without that chemistry, it felt so very flat in this film.

The only piece of character change I enjoyed was Kate studying to be a nurse and just needing a partner to help shoulder the weight of everyday life in order to have that extra time to devote to achieving something new. I also liked seeing Leo bond with the guys, so that when he would go back to his life, he wouldn't just miss the love and family but also a good group of people.

The nods to the original film were nice, particularly when they were at the hospital and the doctor mentioned the only other amnesia case was a pretty, young woman in the 80s. I also enjoyed how they showed us more after their reunion at the end (even though they completely ruined the romantic reunion in the water).

Overall, watch this movie if you wish for a light-hearted movie with a happy ending, but don't go in with any expectations of it living up to the original.

This movie came out when I was two, and no matter how much time passes nor how many times I rewatch it throughout the years, I still love The Swan Princess. Can it be a bit corny? Yes. Is Odette a bit dull for a heroine? Yes. Could the plot have been solved within 10 minutes if Derek (or Odette) was a bit smarter or William a bit less vague in his final moments? Yes. But then is the music fun to listen to, the characters enjoyable and the experience memorable? Yes!

The animation is not as great as Disney, but it isn't hard to overlook because the film is good overall. Speaking from a feminist side, I do wish Odette had a rounder personality and more drive to save herself instead of waiting for Derek to find her. While she did plot to get the map and lead Derek to her, she did it after Puffin and her friends worked her up to it. Before Puffin arrived, she was seemingly content to spend the evenings moping to Jean-Bob and Speed about her curse and how she needed Derek to save her from it and then spent her days pouting on the lake. You've got wings, baby -- use them!

Derek isn't the smartest person in the movie, but you gotta love him for his drive and his self-awareness, knowing he was an idiot who said the wrong thing. It was also refreshing to see the hero actually be physically capable of the rescue. The plot nicely demonstrates his talent as an archer so we are able to believe the incredible save at the end.

The movie also has memorable lines that I've jokingly quoted throughout my life. It's an all-around fun movie. Don't take too much stock in the people, but remember the lesson -- Love is more important than beauty.

Speaking of love, the other piece this movie has going for it is the relationship development that trumps its Disney competitors. This isn't love at first sight! This is a slow growing love after years of being forced together that first bred distain before love ever thought to bloom. It was wonderful to watch two people actually know each other from child to young adult instead of two young adults meeting for the very first time and BOOM, it's love! One of the best parts of this movie.

TL;DR: This movie is one of the classic greats. It's worth a spot in anyone's personal collection.

My boyfriend and I decided to give this movie a try because the previews looked good. It was one of those movies we weren't super excited about seeing, but we didn't think it would be an entire waste of time.

We were happy we went. It was well worth its 108 minutes' length.

This movie was wonderful. It kept our interest throughout every thrilling, comical, emotional, unraveling moment. We like to predict the movies we see as it unfolds before us. Even though this is a "kids" movie, it kept surprising us with its twists and turns. The voice acting was spot on; Ginnifer and Jason were a delightful duo. The CGI was lovely to see, and the plot was never dull. If you and your family are looking for some great entertainment, look no further. This is a movie we'll be buying as soon as it comes out on DVD. If Zootopia is any indication of this year's animation films, we're in for exciting year full of potential.