Flashback Friday: 3 Ninjas (1992)

The bond between a grandparent and their grandchildren is an important one. It has the potential to forever have an effect on the younger generation, regardless of their age.

In the 1990s film, 3 Ninjas, Rocky (Michael Treanor), Colt (Max Elliott Slade), and Tum Tum (Chad Power) spend every summer with their grandfather (Victor Wong). Grandpa is a Ninjutsu master who has taught his grandsons everything he knows.

They are kidnapped by Snyder (Rand Kingsley), a former pupil of their grandfather’s. Snyder plans to use the boys to get to their FBI agent father Sam (Alan McRae). He thinks that his plans will work. He has no idea that the kids can fight back.

Obviously, this is a kid’s movie. Anyone over a certain age will likely pass on it.

Looking back, I was the perfect age for the film when it was released 30 years ago. But as an adult, I obviously look at it with different eyes. Beyond the lack of female characters outside of the traditional roles, the narrative is simplistic and almost too predictable.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

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Thoughts On the Hocus Pocus 2 Trailer

When Hocus Pocus premiered in 1993, critics didn’t have a high opinion of the film. Almost thirty years later, it has become a cult classic and a staple of the television schedule in the fall.

The teaser trailer for Hocus Pocus 2 was released this week. The story as we know it to be (as of now) is as follows: three young ladies light the black flame candle and bring the Sanderson sisters back to life. Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary (Kathy Najimy) are once more eager to wreak havoc on the residents of Salem.

Though it is not clear if the original child actors (Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw, and Thora Birch) will be returning, it looks (as of now) to be a perfect follow-up to one of my favorite childhood films.

Hocus Pocus 2 will be available for viewing on September 20, 2022, on DisneyPlus.

Flashback Friday: Air Bud (1997)

Stories about a child and their pet are a staple of the fictional world.

In the 1997 Air Bud, Josh Framm (Kevin Zegers) is a young man who loves basketball. He would like to join the school basketball team. His obstacles are threefold: he is the new kid in town, he is mourning the loss of his father, and he lacks the confidence to try out. All of that changes when he meets Buddy, a golden retriever who matches Josh’s love of the game and his skill level.

With his beloved dog by his side, Josh not only makes the team, but they both become stars of the show. Their bubble bursts when Buddy’s abusive former owner, Norm Snively (Michael Jeter) demands a piece of the action. Will this boy and his dog stay together or be forced apart?

Air Bud is one of the mildly appealing 1990’s films that I suppose is entertaining. But it depends on the audience. If you’re a preteen child, I can see how you might enjoy it. But as an adult, I would rather watch something else.

Do I recommend it? Not really.

He’s All That Movie Review

Movie remakes are the rage in Hollywood, they have been so since nearly the beginning of the film industry. There are two ways this reboot could go. The first is that it stands on its own two feet while paying homage to its predecessor. The second is that on the surface has the imagery of the previous film, but it is nothing but a hollow shell of its forerunner.

The new Netflix film, He’s All That, was released on August 25th. A gender swap reboot of the late 1990’s classic, She’s All That, the new teenage would be lovers are popular girl/social media influencer Padgett Sawyer (Addison Rae) and artistic rebel Cameron Kweller (Tanner Buchanan). As in the original, Padgett’s boyfriend publicly cheats on her. When she makes a bet that she can do a makeover on any of her male classmates, the chosen candidate is Cameron. As they spend time together, they begin not just understand each other, but fall in love. But the revelation of Padgett’s initial impetus has the potential to break them apart.

The truth is that it does not take a rocket scientist to see where the narrative is going. But, that is this charm of both films. Its sort of a wish fulfillment fantasy about romance that has just enough of reality in it to keep it grounded.

What I liked was that it was not a line by like copy. It has enough of the 1999 film to keep old fans like me entertained while still being set in 2021 with everything that did not exist when I was that age. Add in Matthew Lillard and Rachael Leigh Cook as the high school principal and Padgett’s mother respectively (now I really feel old) and you have an entertaining 90 romantic adventure.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

He’s All That is available for streaming on Netflix.

Throwback Thursday: Dumb and Dumber (1994)

We all enjoy a good laugh. It is the best feeling in the world, especially after a long and difficult day. But the thing about comedy is that it can also be subjective. What is funny to one person falls flat for another.

The 1994 Dumb and Dumber is one of the classics of the 1990’s, Lloyd (Jim Carrey) and Harry (Jeff Daniels) are the best of friends. They also not the brightest bulbs in the box. When Mary (Lauren Holly, Carrey’s IRL ex) one of Lloyd’s clients leaves a briefcase in the limo he drives for a living, he and Harry go on a cross country journey to return it to her.

Sometimes, you just want to laugh. You don’t want to really think about it. Dumb and Dumber is one of those films. Even re-watching the trailer, I could feel my stress and my anxiety leaving my body, if only for a few minutes.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.