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Film reviews

Gran Turismo Review

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Outside of my love for movies, I also love race car events. I have attended many NASCAR races and have traveled to different states for races. Gran Turismo is not NASCAR, but it highlights the importance that winning and losing has in auto racing. Ultimately, it proves that perseverance is essential when getting behind the wheel of a race car and when taking risks.

Gran Turismo is based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough (played Archie Madekwe), and how he went from a teen video gamer to becoming one of the most talented racers in the world. With the help of former race car driver Jack Salter (played by David Harbour) and motorsport executive Danny Moore (played by Orlando Bloom), they form a team that rises to the top. Mardenborough is the one behind the wheel, but Salter and Moore show him the ropes. They teach him the difference between a video game simulator to a real race car. They also teach him in-depth tactics while in a real race. The practice and the races are the daring aspects of Gran Turismo. It is so daring that at times I felt like I was in the passenger seat next to Mardenborough in this wild, inspiring, and true adventure. Gran Turismo is a ride that will make its viewers anxious for wins from Mardenborough.

Skills, reactions, sensitivity, and quick decisions are the components of success in Gran Turismo. The more Mardenborough wins, the more other racers come after him and the more dangerous the races become. The race scenes will leave the audiences breathless and mesmerized. Talent combined with sacrifice and devotion helps Mardenborough rise to the top. He is destined to be the best, despite problems and errors along the way.

Even though the races are invigorating, there are moments where the danger brings a lot of physical and mental pressure. When someone dies in a race Mardenborough feels guilty and distraught. He is told, “Someone is dead because racing is dangerous,” and those dangers hold true even as Mardenborough keeps rising to the top.

There is no easy way to handle the unexpected on the track. There is no way to change the infrastructure of the track. The only thing that can be handled is how Mardenborough mentally chooses to drive on the track. His mental preparedness invigorates the film and propels Mardenborough to his successes. Gran Turismo is about a person who never gives up and who takes serious what it means to be a champion. There are all kinds of champion moments in Gran Turismo, and it is visually stunning. It shows how emotional a loss can be, but it also channels what it takes to overcome the losses and be a stronger competitor. There is no quitting in Gran Turismo. There is only trial, error, and achievement.

I loved the Gran Turismo video game as a kid and Gran Turismo is a faithful film that feels like a simulator experience. But it took the experience up many notches beyond a video game. Three and a half out of four stars for Gran Turismo.

Film reviews

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah Review

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“Being Jewish” is at the center of this film about a traditional family. The vibe Adam Sandler creates in You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah is full of relatable personalities in partbecause his daughters, Sadie and Sunny, are in the film with him. Adam Sandler plays the classy father who is faithful to his religion. The film does an average job of resembling a traditional family. However, in many ways the story is about revenge and adolescent life more than family. The traditions which are part of being Jewish play a prominent role in the movie.

The plot revolves around adolescence and the peer pressure which hits in early puberty. The film is centered on Stacey (Sunny Sandler), a middle school girl getting ready for her bat mitzvah. Her parents are Danny and Bree (played by Adam Sandler and Idina Menzel). Stacey also has an older sister, Ronnie (Sadie Sandler.). The family is loving and supportive and will do whatever it takes to make her bat mitzvah special. However, due to a conflict with a close friend, Lydia (played by Samantha Lorraine), the plan for a memorable bat mitzvah begins an ugly downward spiral. Stacey cares about being vindictive and having power over Lydia. From my perspective, the real problem is teenage nonsense which is where the film is relatable for young adults.

The age of peer pressure and popularity cross paths with the various aspects of religious practice in You Are So Not Invited to my Bat Mitzvah. Culture and tradition hit plateaus for the film’s characters and are demonstrated in the performances of Sandler and his daughters. Being Jewish as opposed to practicing thereligion always comes as a reminder for the harsh actions that sporadically occur in this bizarre comedy. The film itself is notterrible but the writing begins to fade easily, and only shines when there are twists like blindsiding and revenge. In all honesty, the story is a fairly accurate representation of adolescent life with typical frustrations to be navigated.

You Are So Not Invited to my Bat Mitzvah tries to be consistentlyfunny but only succeeds in an average way. Frankly, some of the comedic moments did not add up for me. I felt that the movie kept trying to jump between dark comedy and real comedy. Overall, it feels more like a real comedy that tries to have a heart. The premise focuses on a teenager experiencing jealousy but wanting to feel empowered. The movie does offer some moments of connection that provide meaning for adults as well as younger viewers.

The era of teen popularity keeps going awry in You Are So Not Invited to my Bat Mitzvah, although adolescence is depicted with some class. There is a quote in the movie comparing soccer and dancing, “Soccer’s a sport, dance is an art.” I feel the sport of the film is represented by the efforts to get revenge, and the art is in the reactions to those efforts. I’m having a hard time explaining the true experience of this film which is why I remain neutral. Two and a half out of four stars.

Film reviews

Blue Beetle Review

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This is one of those comic book films that at first seemed like it was going to be silly. For the first several minutes I was thinking it was going to be ridiculous and a waste of time. But I was wrong. Blue Beetle is actually quite entertaining, especially because it introduces a new superhero, Blue Beetle, who is kind of like Iron-Man, Ant-Man, and Spiderman all rolled into one.

Our new superhero is a young guy named Jaime Reyes (played by Xolo Maridueña). Jaime is a college grad whose family has a lot of financial problems. He does what he can to find a job and his lucky day comes when an alien scarab chooses him, and he becomes … Blue Beetle!

The film gives a good backstory to the powers of its hero, how he gains the powers very unexpectedly and so quickly. This gives a very good foundation, for what makes Blue Beetle who he is, and for the storyline to come. There are plenty of enemies and people to save for the hero in the film. But background in superhero films serves a bigger purpose than all kinds of CGI action and violence, which often seems to be more about profit than entertainment.

The characterizations and writing in Blue Beetle are solid and steady, the structure works, and Maridueña makes a very intriguing and invigorating superhero with excellent fundamentals. It’s great that he’s so young. He almost seems like he could become another hero like Spiderman. The film also brings some nostalgia that fans of superhero movies have not seen in a long time. The scenario of debt is also unique to superhero movies. The film transitions to the risky business of wealth and deceit, a new structure for a superhero film.


Blue Beetle is also jam-packed with robot joy, and the robot action really helped hold my attention. There are not many films that can pull that off much better than Blue Beetle.

The film is not perfect, and it does lack in some of its components. The deliveries were a little cheesy at times and some of the moments didn’t really make sense or add up. But the superhero vibe and the introductions to our new superhero is where Blue Beetle is top-notch. There are hidden connections that correlate to other aspects of the film, there are moments of truth in many corners, and Blue Beetle becomes the only one who can overcome the unexpected dangers that add to the fun of the film. So Blue Beetle is definitely entertaining and I’m glad that I took the time to watch this flick. I predict a bright future going forward for this superhero. Three out of four stars for Blue Beetle.