I have two different movies to review today. I will be reviewing "Love, Simon" which is a coming of age/romantic comedy based on the novel "Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda" and "Tomb Raider" which is a reboot of the action franchise based on the video game of the same name. Before I get started, I'd like to give a shoutout to the Free Gamer's Alliance YouTube channel. Their videos cover everything from walkthroughs, glitches, easter eggs, and various amusing video game related content, all of which is delivered with some colorful commentary while they have buckets of fun doing it. Here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC03E6K3QHRMp7Vs0S6wHm6Q
Lets start with "Love, Simon." Here is the trailer:
- The cast absolutely nails it. The obvious star of this, however, is Nick Robinson. I believe this may very well be a breakout role for him. Even though he has been in other/bigger movies ("Jurassic World" comes to mind), this is the first time I have seen him in a movie that really allows him to show off his theatrical skill. He plays the character with such sincerity and emotion that it becomes impossible not to root for him.
- The soundtrack is awesome and it always manages to suit what is happening in the movie.
- There are some really humorous moments that will have the you laughing out loud.
- There are also lots of really well done emotional moments that will hit you right in the feels (to emphasize this point, they were effective enough to make me break my promise to myself that I would do absolutely everything I could to not use the term "the feels" when writing this blog).
- Finally, where this movie really shines is in the writing. It all feels kind of simple but it also feels grounded and real. Also, many of the characters are given a lot of dimension. They are loveable, relatable, and at many points deeply flawed. This is especially the case with the main protagonist, his parents, and the main antagonist.
The Bad:
- If there is one thing this movie is guilty of is that it does rely on quite a few cliches of the romantic comedy/coming of age genre. While I thought they were executed decently, I could see these making a few eyes roll at times.
"Love, Simon" is a romantic comedy/coming of age movie told from a fresh perspective that does just about everything right. It makes you laugh while making you feel all sorts of things. I absolutely recommend seeing this movie.
It is time to talk about "Tomb Raider." Here is the trailer:
- Alicia Vikander absolutely works as the lead in this movie. She embodies everything that I would expect out of Lara Croft. She is tough and very charismatic. Overall a joy to watch on screen.
- This movie feels much more grounded than previous "Tomb Raider" movies. There is one point in the movie where I thought it would fail at this but it managed to surprise me in a great way.
- There are some thrilling action scenes that will have you on the edge of your seat.
- During the first part of the movie, they really take the time to develop the main character which movies of this nature often don't.
- While the movie is generally more grounded than other "Tomb Raider" movies, there are a couple things that are way goofier than they should be.
- The CGI looks overall pretty terrible. There are many scenes where the effects look rather cheap and it can be a bit jarring.
While it certainly has it's fair share of issues, "Tomb Raider" is one of the only video game adaptations that is competent enough to feel like an actual movie. I would say that this is worth seeing if you just want something to watch while you turn your brain off but it wouldn't be worth it if you are expecting a masterpiece.
Thanks for reading everyone!! As usual, feel free to leave a comment but please be advised that if you read any potential comments that spoilers may be present.