SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (The Daily Dish) — Its-AH never been a betta time to be a Mario lover, but is the movie blow-away, or is it a throwaway? Here to tell us all about the weekend watches is film critic Patrick Beatty.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Where to Watch: Theaters
Directed By:
Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic
Written By:
Matthew Fogel
Starring:
Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day
Genre:
Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Rated PG for action and mild violence.
All media courtesy of Universal Studios.
Illumination Studios is taking a break from lowering the collective intelligence level of kids with Minions- and are teaming up with Nintendo to bring the most iconic video game characters to life on the big screen. Mario and Luigi are plumbers trying to start a business in Brooklyn. They’re swept into another universe where the evil Bowser is conquering all the land in hopes of whooing Princess Peach. That’s how the adventure starts, you get taken through different homages of games and incredible animated sequences that are sure to make any kid or fan of the games satisfied.
It’s hard to phrase this without it coming across as insulting- but even with the concerns when Chris Pratt was picked to voice Mario- I ended up thinking he did a fairly good job with it. Charlie Day as Luigi is incredible- and I do hope we get a Luigi’s Mansion spinoff. Seth Rogan as Donkey Kong fit like a glove- and Jack Black as Bowser was inspired casting. I wish there was more with Princess Peach’s character- Anya Taylor-Joy was good- but the character just didn’t have a lot to say other than exposition.
When it comes to kids’ films, there are different levels of complexity based on what age group the films are made for. With Mario- I would say this is skewed towards a younger audience as opposed to something like The Spiderverse films. While I wanted to see maybe a more complex story here, I understand and respect that I’m not the target audience, and for who this film is geared to- It’s easily going to be a hit. I still found myself laughing and enjoying myself in the theater, so I’d still recommend it!
See It or Skip It: See it
Air: Courting A Legend
Where to Watch: Theaters
Directed By:
Ben Affleck
Written By:
Alex Convery
Starring:
Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker, Viola Davis, Marlon Waynes
Genre:
Drama
Rated R
All media courtesy of Amazon Studios
Ben Affleck returns to the director’s chair teaming up with Matt Damon to make the most engaging film about marketing ever put to screen. Nike in the 80’s was not known for Basketball shoes, let alone having a good basketball star to promote them. Matt Damon plays Sonny Vicaro, a scout for talent that spends his nights going through tape after tape of high school and college basketball games to find a potential star.
When no options seem to be plausible, Sonny decides to bet it all on the line and get one of the biggest names in the NBA, Michael Jordan. But in order to do that, he must go through his agent, and more importantly, his mother, played by Viola Davis.
This is an excellent film, Matt Damon and the supporting cast completely enhance the film and make the stakes feel as real as possible. I loved the writing, and the nostalgic nods to the 80’s, and was pleasantly surprised to have the focus be on Viola Davis’s character, as opposed to Michael Jordan. Yes. the film is about that iconic shoe, but this is a sports film not about sports, and that makes it all the more interesting. Look for this come awards season.
See It or Skip It: SEE IT
BEEF
Where to Watch: Netflix
Created By:
Lee Sung Jin
Starring:
Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, Joseph Lee, Young Mazino, David Choe
Genre:
Comedy, Drama
Rated TV-MA
All media courtesy of Netflix
See it or Skip It: See it
How far can a grudge take you? We’re seeing it on the news every day- people being gunned down on the freeway for cutting someone off, or someone getting mad at an order being incorrect at a drive-in. People are becoming way too quick to escalate- and that’s what makes Beef so fascinating and terrifying.
The altercation between Steven Yeun and Ali Wong’s characters starts not too dissimilarly from reality. He almost hits her backing up in a parking lot, she didn’t see him back up. He honks, she gives him the bird- and rage ensues. After a very intense car chase through the town, and getting it all captured and spread around a neighborhood app, the two begin a dance damning themselves and their families to endure the rage they’re desperate to have the other enveloped in.
What makes it brilliant is the writing and acting. Ali Wong has been on my radar since her first Netflix Stand-up special, and seeing this whole new dimension of her as an actor is really special to see. Steven Yeun continues to show how much of a leading man he is. Both of their performances are heartbreaking, hilarious, and cautionary. You’ll be screaming at your TV for them to stop escalating, to quit drinking the poison… but you also can’t peel your eyes away.
If you can’t tell, I really enjoyed this show. I think it has the potential to be my favorite of the year, and I cannot wait to see if they continue the story. If they do- and I understand this was meant to be the case and he was going to be in the show- but Bobby Lee MUST be involved. Much love to all of the supporting cast, they were fantastic- but being a fan of that podcast world I know Bobby Lee would’ve been the magic spice in the David Cho group.
It’s only 10 episodes- and it’s a breeze to watch. Cannot wait to discuss spoilers with you all soon!
