#ReviewByC

[xolarajean]

Feel the Beat - Movie Review

Plot: Feel the Beat is a film that combines dance, comedy, and drama. It is directed by Elissa Down and stars Sofia Carson, Enrico Colantoni and Wolfgang Novogratz. Carson stars as April Dibrina, an aspiring Broadway dancer in New York City. Unknowingly, April steals a taxi from Ruth Zimmer, the producer of a major Broadway show April is going to audition for. After the realization she tries to plead with Ruth not to get cut, only to accidentally cause her to get injured. To make matters worse, the entire encounter was recorded by another dancer. After the embarrassing video of her goes viral, April returns to her small hometown in Wisconsin. April reluctantly accepts an offer to coach the local dance team in hopes of getting the attention of a famous Broadway producer, Welly Wong, at the national competition. Throughout the journey, April struggles with figuring out what her dreams are while also trying to mend relationships with the people she left behind years ago -- one of them being her ex-boyfriend, Nick. The movie shines a light on the rigorous training and pressures professional dancers go through. 

Rating: 3/5

I would say it is PG-13. The only curse word that I can remember that wasn’t censored was “ass” near the end. It also shows some little girls twerking/doing suggestive dancing in somewhat skimpy outfits in dance competitions -- for me it was awkward and I skipped through those parts, but I guess it also highlights the sexualization of young girls in the dance industry. 

Pros: 

Diversity (out of the main cast) - Zuzu is deaf and everyone knows/learns sign language which is used throughout the film.  Kari is African American and comes from a struggling household. June is of (I believe) Japanese descent (based on her Instagram account). In addition, Dicky joins the dance group and no sexist comments are made about it. Oona is not made fun of for her weight (if I recall correctly). Deco is also African American and honestly slays throughout the movie (Such a queen, I aspire to be him)

Supportive side characters (especially dads) - all the townspeople are super supportive of April and the girls. The dads tho came THRU. I really enjoyed the scenes of them taking notes on the dances and helping their daughters with practicing at home. The football coach (father of Dicky and one of the girls) especially surprised me because I thought the movie was going to make him the stereotypical sexist dude with him being against Dicky joining dance and overall looking down on dance, but I was pleasantly surprised when he started going full cheerleader mode when Dicky joined in. 

Sofia Carson and Wolfgang Novogratz - I really enjoyed their acting and chemistry together. Though, I wished their was more time to develop their relationship before getting back together because it felt very rushed/abrupt when they kissed. Either way, I really liked their banter and interactions, it felt really realistic. 

Kinda enjoyed the little crush Sarah had on RJ because I’ve been there lmao.

Cons:  

Cheesy and predictable - going into it I already knew what was going to happen obviously which kinda made it more bearable I guess? Kinda overdramatic with some characters like Miss Barb but at the same time endearing.

Sometimes the dialogue felt weird and cringey - this was mostly felt in the parts at the beginning with April begging Ruth and her going back to Wisconsin.   

April in the beginning - I know the whole idea is to show the major growth April goes through from start to finish and that the protagonist is not perfect, but it felt so weird for April to be so blatantly bitchy and moody to the girls the first time they meet. I feel that most people at least would put on a fake smile at the start and try to answer the questions in a respectable way. Tho I would like to mention that I love Sofia Carson even when acts like a villain lmao. Plus the way she treated Ruby was just not cool??? Like at least be a decent human being and say something along the lines of “you could practice harder and be better” instead of just crushing her dream??? 

Some of the dancing scenes where girls twerked/did very suggestive dancing - I skipped through these parts b/c I was so uncomfortable from the first second. Enough said.

Nick - look he is hot and I loved the few scenes of banter between him and April, but I felt that he wasn’t really developed? I understand that he is not the main focus so there might not have been enough time for him too. Honestly, I think its because he seems WAY TOO PERFECT and I wish to find a guy like that haha (my hopeless romantic heart beats so fast when he is on screen) Guess who found their new celebrity crush

So those were my thoughts on Feel the Beat! My PMs/replies are definitely always open to discuss this movie or any other movie/shows that I’ve seen/reviewed. I would love to geek out with anyone! <3

#feel the beat #feel the beat netflix #sofia carson #wolfgang novogratz #april dibrina #ReviewByC #netflix #netflix movie

[xolarajean]

Macgyver 4x10-4x13

Honestly, there is a lot to unpack in these episodes that I binged and honestly I’m probably forgetting A LOT of details. I really loved the last 2 episodes especially. This took me like a month to write because I have been procrastinating writing down all my thoughts lol. Enjoy and feel free to message me because I would love to talk with someone about this amazing show! 💓💓💓

Ep 10: I watched this episode the day it came out but totally forgot to write a post for it. I have mixed feelings about the dream sequence. It was cool to see Mac interact with his mom and lets the audience know how he is feeling. But, I kinda got confused with the Nikola Tesla plot throughout it and kinda felt like it dragged on. Having Lasky come back in the dream sequence broke my heart because I really liked his character and honestly I teared up watching him die in the previous episode. I’m glad in the end there was some action with Scarlett and her team attacking Desi, Riley, and Russ. 

Ep 11: I honestly forgot about the Merchant and who he was until he mentioned the soccer game lol. They got me in the first half ngl so when they revealed that Mac was acting in the cell I was super surprised lmao. The Mac + Desi shower moment was cute but kinda awkward at the same time. Anyway I really liked the dramatic and action-packed ending and the hella smart plot twist with the fake getaway.

Ep 12: I liked the talk between Mac and Aunt Gwen in the beginning. Adding to the tension was Russ not trusting Mac which I liked and thought the writers did a good job with. Though, I thought there was going to be more corruption in the federal government (the only part I really remember was that one soldier who controlled the plane). Honestly, I liked this “dark” Mac side. It felt more new and I was so excited in this part (even though it was completely crazy). Him and Scarlett got along better than I thought and she of course was a complete badass. I mean the part where she just knocks out the guy on the BMX was so cool! I was super nervous at the end because Russ was very certain on Mac being evil and sending the missile towards the safe house. That only heightened with the soldier didn’t listen to Russ. I’m so glad Matty was there to save the day by flying the 2nd missile away. Also the underground town was hella cool.

Anyway by far my favorite part was the MacRiley moments and this definitely solidify their ship them more than Mac + Desi in my mind.(but still doesn’t justify any hate towards that ship/shippers! just respect everyone!) Anyways, it just shows that Riley knows Mac so well and trusts him a lot even when he does crazy shit like that. Them holding hands when they thought they were going to die was so cute. (I think it was a reference to episode 4 with their conversation about dying alone which I LOVE). Though to be fair I kinda feel for Desi since Mac did put up a really good act especially with the taking-the-oxygen-out-of-the-room part. Then again, she was already hesitant in supporting Mac before then. I think the thing that would have made it a little better was if Boze joined Mac and Riley.

Ep 13:  I liked the flashback to Mac’s mom and Gwen during the birth of Mac. I laughed when they panned up to the billboard of the steakhouse. I was super nervous for Mac as he was talking with Leland. I got annoyed at Desi and Russ when they stopped Mac and Riley because I was frustrated how they couldn’t trust Mac. Leland blowing up the warehouse with all those agents SHOOK me. Like I understand attacking Mac, Riley, and Scarlett but I was surprised that he would kill basically the entire team. Aunt Gwen crying broke my heart and shows that she really does care for Mac along with little gestures like fixing his collar and just looking at him so lovingly. Moreover, part of me wants Scarlett to be alive somehow (which isn't possible I know) because I liked her in the short time we got to know her plus I’m a sucker for sibling relationships. After the truck scene I was sure she would help him and when his make-shift bomb was broken I knew she would be the sacrifice. The parallel between Mac’s dad and aunt sacrificing themselves for Mac hit me right in the feels (is that even a relevant saying anymore?) I was tearing up at this part. I feel so bad for Mac 😢😢😢. He had to watch 2 of his family members die for him. I am glad that he is honoring both his mom and aunt by promoting environmental legislation and it was honestly kinda hot. The conversation between Mac and Desi right before was cute but I still ship Mac + Riley whoops.

Overall: Aunt Gwen and Scarlett grew on me more than I expected. I loved the idea of Mac "turning” on the Phoenix. I am really excited for season 5!!! I can’t wait to see where the writers go from here and I can’t wait to see these characters kick more butt. :)

#MacGyver #Angus MacGyver #macgyver spoilers #macgyver 4x10 #macgyver 4x11 #macgyver 4x12 #macgyver 4x13 #desi Nguyen #riley davis #lucas till #reviewbyc #cbs #codex #russ taylor #matilda webber #wilt bozer

[xolarajean]

Find Me in Paris S1+S2

This is super random and a little later, but I recently stumbled upon the show “Find Me in Paris” and damn I fell in love with it. Despite having countless plotholes and historical inaccuracies, I still am addicted to watching it? Maybe it’s the chemistry between Max and Lena or Ines’s sarcasm or Jeff’s (wholesome) goofiness idk. I just hope to find a community where I can talk about it because it looks like I’m pretty late to the game about it lol. Honestly, I can’t wait to binge-watch season 3 whenever it comes out. Hopefully, the entire cast from previous seasons stay because I would cry if any of them left. Anyway that my rant about it haha. 

#fmip #find me in paris #lena grisky #Max Alvarez #Ines Lebreton #jeff chase #Thea Raphael #Henri Duquet #jessica lord #rory j saper #eubha akilade #castle rock #hannah dodd #Christy O'Donnell #lena x max #also rory j saper is my new crush omg #like boys that can dance are so hot #especially ballet omg heart eyes #ReviewByC

[xolarajean]

Macgyver - 4x09

I’m really happy that we got to see more into Riley’s past. She really stepped up in this episode. I also enjoyed the last scene between Riley and Kai. The Lasky part almost made me cry though. Also, the very last scene I hope Russ got down all the numbers because tbh I wouldn’t be able to. The idea of “can we save everyone” and “who are the white hats, black hats, and gray hats” was also interesting to say the least. 

edit: forgot to mention how glad I am that Russ is there to call out Mac and his mental health. It will be interesting to see how that will go down as the season progresses...

#macgyver #angus macgyver #desi nguyen #riley davis #russ taylor #wilt bozer #matilda webber #season 4 #episode 9 #4x09 #spoilers #nuclear #pork buns #macgyver spoilers #macgyver 4x09 #lucas till #ReviewByC

[xolarajean]

Greenhouse Academy S1-4

Preface: So, I finally have gotten around to writing a review about S1-4 of Greenhouse Academy. I finished over a week ago and watched all 4 seasons in about 4 days haha. Honestly, I’ve been procrastinating this review because I have A LOT to write about. So here we go!

Plot: Eight months after losing their astronaut mother in a rocket explosion, brother and sister Alex and Hayley Woods enroll at a private boarding school, the Greenhouse, for gifted future leaders. Separately, they join two competing houses, Ravens and Eagles, within the school and tension builds up between the two siblings as they adjust. Soon, mysterious events catch the attention of the students from both houses and forces them to work together in order to find out what is happening at the draw the Greenhouse.

Review: 3.5/5

I found the plot really intriguing at first. In addition, I liked the actual events that happened and where the story could head in the future. Though, the execution was not as great. The acting I felt was good for the most part, but the writing seemed a little awkward and cringey at some points. But bear in mind that it is targeted at kids/teens (even though at some points in season 3 and 4 there were some curses thrown around) so it is kind of expected to have those moments. Either way, those moments are bearable to watch through. I personally liked season 1+2 more than season 3+4 for the most part. There is one main issue I have with this show, but I can’t describe it without spoiling it. So, continue reading if you’ve watched the show/don’t care about being spoiled (It’s mostly about season 3+4).

But the main issue I have were the character changes. The obvious ones are the actual cast changes for Emma and Brooke. And the fact that Jackie left... that broke my heart. I still have this naive hope that she will come back though. It sucks that the original actresses could not continue with season 3 and 4, but you can’t really blame anyone since those decisions are based on personal reasons. It’s hard not to prefer the original actresses because well they are what we are used to. Though, I can’t understand why everyone is hating on them sooooo much. I personally think they were fine at acting. The REAL problem was the writing. In season 3 and 4, the personalities of so many characters were switched and the plots were messier. 

To start off, the whole love triangle between Daniel-Hayley-Leo was annoying. I DID ENJOY Daniel and Hayley, but Leo was just being a dick for the entirety of season 3. Obviously Leo was already a bit of an ass with the whole Aspen and LDR drama, but in season 3 the writers just made him 10x that (especially with the whole leading Beca on and straight up insulting Hayley at every chance he got). As you can tell I’m not a big fan of Leo, but the thing that got me is that the writers made Daniel such a jealous boyfriend? It seemed really out of character to me for Daniel to go through Hayley’s text like that and be paranoid of Leo (I mean hello this is the guy that is just straight up insulting your girlfriend and cheated on her. I don’t think you have that much competition or so I thought -- ending of season 4 was annoying). Like I know he was probably scared of Hayley getting back with Leo because of the Brooke and Alex thing, but honestly he knew that his relationship with Brooke was already sinking before Alex came into the picture. Plus, Hayley wasn’t flirting with Leo like Brooke was with Alex in Season1+2. The only good part about this love triangle was how supportive and understanding Daniel was with Hayley at the end. I mean done get me wrong I was thrown off by the huge 180 his personality took, but I’m just gonna believe that Daniel is just that good of a guy to be that mature. Anyway I’m just gonna end it with I prefer Dayley because their relationship felt more real (also I’m so glad that she told Daniel about the button and secret room right away and the writers avoided the keeping secrets to protect you which leads to tension trope because I would have imploded if they did that) and I want to erase the ending of season 4 from my head. 

Next up: Emma and Max. Honestly in the first episode when I learned that Jackie was gone and both Emma and Max started lying about being in LDRs, I knew the writers were gonna try and pair them up. I had hope that they would pull a twist and have Jackie show up in the middle, but NOPE. Like this pairing is just super... boring? Like they are both sweet characters, but they really don’t bring that much to the table in terms of romantic chemistry. I liked them better as best friends who geek out together. And because the writers focused so much about their relationship it left almost no room for actual individual screen time or character development for either of them. Like all they did was use some algorithms and their intelligence to solve some seriously hard problems, but it made them seem more like robots and tools to solve the conflicts in the plot. All I have left to say is that I still ship Jackie+Max.

Now I wanna talk about Alex and Brooke. Tbh I never saw much chemistry between the two characters in any season. Like yeah Alex was a good guy that was with her at the right time when she went to the cave at night in like season 1 where he fought off the park ranger, but still it didn’t feel like a real relationship. This continues into season 3+4 and I was sooo happy when they broke up (but why did she have to do it during a basketball game? Heat of the moment I guess) Also, even when Alex was “trying to be a good friend” to Brooke, it came off that he was still trying to get back together with her even though it is obvious that she is just not ready? And near the end of season 4 after she talks to Jason in the hospital when she and Alex were talking, I cringed so hard when he admitted that he was having trouble being just friends because it felt to me that he was trying to guilt trip her into getting back together with him which is just so wrong?!?! Again, I wish to delete this scene from my brain.

Lastly I wanna share my opinions about Sophie, Parker, and Enzo. Let me start out by saying I think in season3+4, Sophie was my favorite character. I mean come on how could I not love her? She is determined to chase her ambitions like the bad ass she is even with her past (which I’m super mad that they didn’t really delve into her past because that could have made the show a lot more interesting). I also liked the introduction of a character like Enzo since it brings a new kind of person into the show and makes it more realistic because for the most part these kids seemed a little “too perfect.” Though, the writers didn’t use him to the full potential that he has which sucks for the viewers and the actor too and based on what we saw he is pretty good. Anyway I liked how he is actually a softie at heart and does the right thing for Soph. Now I wanna talk about the Sophie+Parker ship. Honestly, are the writers trying to pair up literally all the students together?!?! Again like Emma and Max, I felt that this wasn’t a real relationship; we’ve barely seen these two have any romantic chemistry and I view them more like a good pair of friend (class clown/funny + class president/serious dynamic is something I love). That’s all.

Quick opinion: Louis just felt off since the S3. I mean I get that he wants to better the students, but causing fights seemed wayyyy out of line for his character. So that was weird. 

Anyway that was all of my thoughts (at least for now) about Greenhouse Academy! Even though it seems like I hate the series based on my complaints above lol I actually really liked it and hope for a season 5 (crossing my fingers) where the writers and other staff can hopefully redeem themselves by fixing the problems above. If you have any thoughts about the show, please do talk to me about it because I LOVE chatting about the shows I’ve watched. 

#ReviewByC #the greenhouse academy #greenhouse academy #netflix #binge #netflix show #greenhouse academy season 1 #greenhouse academy season 2 #greenhouse academy season 3 #greenhouse academy season 4 #greenhouse academy season 5 #GHA #Hayley Woods #Alex Woods #Leo Cruz #Daniel Hayward #Brooke Osmond #Jackie Sanders #Max Miller #Parker Grant #Emma Geller #Sophie Cardona #Ariel Mortman #Finn Roberts #Chris O'Neal #Dallas Hart #Grace van Dien #Danika Yarosh #Jessica Amlee #Benjamin Papac

[xolarajean]

The Little Mermaid (2018 Film)

Plot: Cam, a reporter, takes care of his niece, Elle, after her parents die. Elle has some undiagnosed condition with no cure which causes Cam to be overprotective of her. He is assigned by his boss to report on a circus in Mississippi that is advertising “mermaid healing water” and Cam hopes that this is true (even though he does not believe in magic) in order to cure Elle. When they arrive in Mississippi, they slowly learn about the darkness that happens behind the circus’s curtains.

Review: ★✰✰✰✰ (1/5 stars)

Honestly, I had high hopes for this film based on the trailer (though it should be noted that I watched the trailer like 2 years ago but I remembered liking it) and the cast (I’ve been in love with William Moseley since the Narnia movies and I liked Poppy Drayton’s acting in the few clips I’ve seen from the Shannara Chronicles) Though, the movie was pretty stale. To start it off, the dialogue felt very stiff and didn’t really flow if that makes sense. It just seemed super unnatural which I can’t tell if it is due to the actors or just a badly written script. Secondly, the plot is super predictable and I never really felt scared for the main characters even during the climatic points. Though, at the same time, I felt super confused on what was happening in the film. Like they added in this elephant subplot for no reason. Also, there are so many questions about the plot that are never answered which was really disappointing. The plot dragged on at some points and the relationship between Cam and Elizabeth (the mermaid) had like no chemistry/development. Lastly, the CGI and editing was just plain BAD, especially since this movie is on Netflix smh. It was so bad that it was funny. The Google Reviews about this movie are so good and I agree with all that I read, so if you want more bashing about this movie go check them out lol. I guess the last thing I want to say is that this plot had so much potential, but the execution was really bad and disorganized.  

#reviewbyc #the little mermaid #the little mermaid 2018 #william moseley #poppy drayton #loreto peralta #lexy kolker #claire crosby #netflix #netflix binge #quarantine #quarantine binge