Movie Review: The Odyssey (2026)

Title: The Odyssey

Length: 2h 52m

Released: 2026

Genre: Drama, Dark Fantasy, Action/Adventure
Rating: R
Where I Got It: Theaters

SUMMARY:

After the Trojan War, Odysseus faces a dangerous voyage back to Ithaca, meeting creatures like the Cyclops Polyphemus, Sirens, and Calypso along the way.

Trailer

REVIEW:

I really, really wanted to watch this on the big screen. How can you not? This story has remained a classic for a reason. 

Here we follow Odysseus and his family. Odysseus went to war and then tried to come home. Along the way, he will suffer many of the gods' creations. Is it a test? Is it a punishment? Is it both? While he is making his journey, his wife and son are at home trying to keep his throne open, but Penelope is forced to house suitors who want her hand so they can rule. 

Man, this was an amazing cast. Even the side characters were amazing. Don't listen to the haters who hated that they cast a diverse cast. THIS IS A FANTASY. THIS IS NOT A BIOGRAPHY. Everyone was cast perfectly. They all did amazing!!! I was especially in awe of Robert Pattinson playing our main baddie of a suitor. Damn, he was good at being evil, but also being a coward. Loved it.

The way they told  this story was awe-inspiring. I loved how the past was told in story form. We only got glimpses when someone was telling the story. It really is a lovely nod to how stories used to be told. It was clever and amazing. 

I am SOOOO glad we had limited CGI. The CGI we did have was clean and nice. It was nice seeing some old Hollywood tricks coming into play. 

AND THAT ENDING? OMG the big reveal was heartbreaking and beautiful, and I couldn't stop the tears from falling. Man, that was a powerful scene. 

But yes, this is bloody, and it is set during ancient Greece....so it is dark, and human and animal life meant little. 

5 stars from me. I want to watch this again!

Movie Review: Enola Holmes 3 (2026)

Title: Enola Holmes 3

Length: 1h 45m

Released: 2026

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Action/Adventure, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Where I Got It: Netflix

SUMMARY:

Detective Enola Holmes heads to Malta, where her aspirations merge in her most complex and dangerous case yet.

Trailer

REVIEW:

Number 3 babbbyyyy!

We are back with Enola and crew. This time they are in Malta, and Enola is about to wed. Gasp. But a kidnapping, murder, and many a mystery land on her shoulders to solve, so the wedding is postponed. 

Like the others, this was fun. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and neither should the viewer. There is humor and a LOT of fourth wall breaking. 

My biggest issue with the film was the lack of mystery. Yes, it is "there," sure, but the first like 5 mins for sure ruins the mystery. Sure, our fearless detective doesn't know, but we know. I did not like that one bit. Like, come on. 

It was fun to uncover the what and why. Enola was on a clock and 10 steps behind for so long. Plus...fixing what she broke was nice to see. I think he was being a little.....dramatic. But it is what it is. 

Oh! I did like the serious tones near the end. It was nice to keep this from being too campy. 

In the end, I had fun with this. The local was fun, the mission was okay, and there were some nice serious tones attached that helped deepen the story. Yes, yes, I laughed a few times at the funny moments.

3 stars from me. 

Movie Review: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026)

Title: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Length: 1h 38m

Released: 2025

Genre: Comedy, Action/Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Rating: PG
Where I Got It: Theater

SUMMARY:

Mario ventures into space, exploring cosmic worlds and tackling galactic challenges far from the familiar Mushroom Kingdom.

Trailer

REVIEW:

Weeeee! Mario is back with another movie!

Mario and the crew are back. This time, they will have to venture into space and tackle some big galactic challenges. 

Last minute, I made Hubby go with me to the movie. I needed something funny and light. This was precisely what I needed, and I'm so glad we saw this on the big screen. 

Lots of laughs. Lots of action. Lots of references. Lots of awwwwwes. Adorable and def need to see. 

I will say that this was super action-packed. Maybe a bit TOO action-y. They were shoving a LOT of stuff into one film, and it never seemed to stop. I would've loved to see some more relaxing and chatting between the characters to establish more of the friendship elements, especially with "newer" characters being introduced.

Other than that, I still enjoyed the film. I would for sure watch this again. 

4 stars from me. 

Movie/Play Review: Frozen (2025)

Title: Frozen - Broadway Musical

Length: 1h 51m

Released: 2025

Genre: Musical, Play, Family, Adventure, Romance
Rating: TV-PG
Where I Got It: Disney+

SUMMARY:

Queen Elsa's hidden powers plunge Arendelle into an eternal winter and her sister Anna sets out to find her and save the kingdom. As the storm rages on, both sisters must learn that only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart.

Trailer

REVIEW:

Awww I hope we get more Broadway musicals on these streaming apps. I love plays! I love broadway! Eeeeee. 

This is a stage adaptation of the popular movie 'Frozen'. When Elsa is made queen her powers plunge Arendelle into an eternal winter. It is up to her sister, Anna, to save her and the kingdom. 

This was fun. I really enjoyed it! The cast was lovely. We got some additional songs which were entertaining! The costumes? BEAUTIFUL. 

OMG the scene with Elsa changing her dress? That was awesome! I literally gasped!!!!!

I did have to chuckle at how they did Olaf. The actor was perfect and funny, but when they would lean down and talk to Olaf....it looked like they were talking to his crotch. I couldn't help but chuckle. I feel like they should've made Olaf a little taller or something. (See pic below) But it didn't make or break the play. I still enjoyed his performance. 

But this was lovely and I really enjoyed it. I'm so happy they put this on the screen for us all to enjoy. I hope we get more of these. Yes, it is always better to see these live but it's still fun to watch on the screen. 

I'll give this 5 stars. 

 

Movie Review: Enola Holmes 2 (2022)

Title: Enola Holmes 2

Length: 2h 9m

Released: 2022

Genre:  Mystery, Drama, Action/Adventure
Rating: PG-13
Where I Got It: Netflix

SUMMARY:

Now a detective-for-hire, Enola Holmes takes on her first official case to find a missing girl as the sparks of a dangerous conspiracy ignite a mystery that requires the help of friends - and Sherlock himself - to unravel.

Trailer

REVIEW:

Finally decided to turn this on. I'm so bad at watching movies. LOL

Enola is back at it! She gets her first official case to find a missing girl. This sparks a dangerous conspiracy. She will have to learn to turn to her allies for help...which includes her brother. This will take everything they have to unravel the conspiracies and mysteries. 

Honestly - I didn't know there was a book series. Eee. Whoops. I should read those someday. 

But yes, I enjoyed movie 1 and I enjoyed this one too. I'm actually really excited for movie 3 which is slated to come out in late 2025. The ending has me itching to see what is next!!

The cast is great. The mystery was fun. Now...I did guess who the big baddie was after a small clue. Yayy! I was right. But how deep it went and some of the twists? I was shocked a certain character was actually good. Oooo. No spoilers from me!

Am I a grouchy old lady?? Enola talking to the camera annoys me still. I hate when movies do this unless it has a good reason for it. WHO is she talking to??????? I get it when it is 'The Office' and it is a camera crew for a documentary....but is she talking to her imaginary friend? I don't really get it and I loath those bits. 

Other than that, I still enjoyed myself. I love Sherlock. I love mysteries. It was a blast. 

In the end, 4 stars is what I'll stamp it. 

 

Movie Review: Red One (2024)

Title: Red One

Length: 2h 3m

Released: 2024

Genre:  Comedy, Action/Adventure, Fantasy
Rating: PG-13
Where I Got It: Amazon Prime

SUMMARY:

After Santa Claus is kidnapped, the North Pole's Head of Security must team up with a notorious hacker in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.

Trailer

REVIEW:

I've been wanting to watch this since I first seen the trailer. How freakin' fun!

Santa is kidnapped right before Christmas and now the North Pole's Head of Security must team up with a notorious hacker and tracker. The two will travel the world to find Santa. 

This was refreshing and different and kick-ass. 

There was humor but I really appreciated the fresh take on saving Santa and Christmas. It's so nice seeing something original. 

Loved the cast. They were great!!

The action was a hoot. 

I loved the humor. It was there but it wasn't overdone or campy. 

The big baddie was a nice touch. Won't spoil anything. 

I'm disappointed that Krampus didn't more time at the end there. Again...no spoilers....but I was hoping for....more? Maybe there will be a movie 2. 

I also wanted more of the North Pole agents. They needed more kickass time. 

But yes, I really enjoyed this movie. It was fresh and fun and made me want Santa to be real. 

4 stars from me. 

ONE WORD SUMMARY: Kickass-y 

Movie Review: Despicable Me 4 (2024)

Title: Despicable Me 4

Length: 1h 34m

Released: 2024

Genre:  Comedy, Family, SciFi, Action/Adventure
Rating: PG
Where I Got It: Peacock

SUMMARY:

Gru, Lucy, Margo, Edith, and Agnes welcome a new member to the family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal and his girlfriend Valentina, and the family is forced to go on the run.

Trailer

REVIEW:

Yayy I love these movies. I would say guilty pleasure, but I have no shame in liking kid or family movies. *sticks tongue out*

The story continues with our beloved ex-baddie Gru and his makeshift family. The introduce a new lil baby Gru Jr who seems to hate Gru. The family is forced to go on the run after Maxime and Valentina want to kidnap Gru Jr and ruin Gru's life. 

I was watching this while baking. Weeee so fun. I didn't realize this was on Peacock yet. I was waiting for this to show up. I'm bad and I hate going to the cinema lately. So expensive. Too many people. Gross. 

This was so entertaining! So funny! So adorable! 

I loved the scene with the honey badger. I hope he shows up more in the future. What a cutie pootie!!!!!!!!!!!

The side story of the minions was fantastic. The references were hilarious and great. 

I do recommend watching the past movies first to truly appreciate it, however, this was A-OK to watch on its own. Hubby sat down halfway through this and had no issues understanding things. I explained a thing or two, but he got it. Heck, he even chuckled at some parts. 

You know what? I'm give this 5 stars. This was enjoyable and if you need a good laugh....watch these movies. 

ONE WORD SUMMARY: Hilarious

Movie Review: The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)

Title: The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Length: 2h 2m

Released: 2024

Genre:  War, Comedy, Action/Adventure
Rating: R
Where I Got It: Delta

SUMMARY:

The British military recruits a small group of highly skilled soldiers to strike against German forces behind enemy lines during World War II.

Trailer

REVIEW:

I watched this on the plane while flying out to LA. I've been meaning to watch this so why not on a 4 hour flight??

The British are struggling against the flood of the Nazis. They are up against the wall, so Churchill and his group recruit a small group of highly skilled soldiers to strike against the Nazis behind enemy lines. They need to strike them where it hurts and in the most ungentlemanly way possible. 

So this was based off a true story. Records were recently released that Churchill authorized an unauthorized group of saboteurs to do what they can to give the US the open they need to enter the war and help the British. I feel like we keep finding out more and more about WWII. I don't think we'll ever know everything those men and women did to fend off the Nazis. It's unbelievable sometimes. 

I really enjoyed this. It was..........fun. I hate to say a war movie is "fun" but it really was. These guys in this group really don't take themselves seriously. They don't even really care about King and country. They want to kill Nazis and win and live. So yes there really was a humor behind all the seriousness of a serious war. 

The acting was great. I loved everyone they got. They worked well off of each other. 

The ending was great. I wouldn't mind seeing more of their adventures, but they gave the "what happened to them after the war" thing so I doubt we'll get more. 

All-in-all, I had a great time watching this action-packed war movie while flying. I was chuckling and rooting for these guys. I'll stamp this with 5 stars. 

ONE WORD SUMMARY: Absorbing

Movie Review: The Little Mermaid (2023)

Title: The Little Mermaid

Length: 2h 15m

Released: 2023

Genre:  Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Romance, Family
Rating: PG
Where I Got It: Disney+

SUMMARY:

The youngest of King Triton's daughters, Ariel is a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. Longing to find out more about the world beyond the sea, Ariel visits the surface and falls for the dashing Prince Eric. Following her heart, she makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, to experience life on land.

Trailer

REVIEW:

Well....I bit the bullet and decided to watch this. I'm not crazy about Live Action adaptions so I'm so picky on what I'll watch. This had such mixed reviews so I wasn't sure...well...the siren's call finally got me.

Here we have Ariel who is a mermaid and she wants more. She wants a different life...she wants to be human. This desire becomes more ardent when she sees Prince Eric and how amazing he is. He is compassionate, passionate, adventurous, kind to animals, and handsome. When her family won't listen, she turns to the evil sea witch to help. 

Oh Ariel you innocent gal. I will say this version of the Prince I can see why she fell for him. She actually got to see him in action and hear him speak. Any young gal would find it hard not to fall for him. 

Now...there are some minor changes to the plot and to some of the songs. I didn't mind them at all. I did appreciate the mention of the siren's song and how its magical and actually saved Eric at the same time as cursing him. That addition made me happy. I also loved the addition that when Ariel was turned she was given a little bit of amnesia. She couldn't remember the fact that she HAS to kiss him before the sun sets. I honestly felt like this made her not seem desperate. She got to know him and fall for him and then WANT to kiss just to kiss him. I liked that. 

I am SUPER bummed that they cut out the French cook. Booo! I loved his little feud with the crab and the song lives in my head rent free.

The cast was okay. Surprisingly....I felt the weakest was King Triton. The actor is amazing but...he didn't seem hot-headed enough for the role. He had the sad thing going well, but when he was supposed to be angry....I just didn't buy it. I loved our Ariel and our evil witch. The voice acting was fun! I liked how they made the creatures look like actual creatures. Very cute. 

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the whole race thing. People lost their minds. But let's be real....it's a damned mermaid in a FANTASY movie. Who cares? She had the red hair still and a beautiful voice. That's all Ariel really is. I found it interesting pretty much all the daughters were of a different race. That was different. Did they all have different moms? I'm curious about the lore there. 

But again......everyone chill on the race thing. It's a mermaid movie for kids. No one cared when they casted Brandy as Cinderella with an Asian prince who had a white dad and black mom..............Not sure why THIS is the hill people want to die on. The actress did a wonderful job and that is all I care about. 

All-in-all, I did enjoy this much more than I thought I would. Some changes were great...some cuts I missed, but not enough to naysay the whole film. This was fun and a nice nod to the original. Casting was 95% okay. I had some issues with King Triton (he was too kind). Def worth the watch if you like the original. I'll give this 4 stars.

ONE WORD SUMMARY: Surprising

Movie Review: Godzilla x Kong - The New Empire (2024)

Title: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

Length: 1h 55 m

Released: 2024

Genre:  Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Comedy
Rating: PG-13
Where I Got It: Movie theater

SUMMARY:

Two ancient titans, Godzilla and Kong, clash in an epic battle as humans unravel their intertwined origins and connection to Skull Island's mysteries.

Trailer

REVIEW:

I am such a sucker for Godzilla. Love that beasty. I've never been a huge Kong fan (there's something about monkeys and gorillas that I'm meh about). I missed the Kong movie and the last time these two shared the screen. However, I was assured that you could watch this fine without watching those two movies. 

Here we follow a group of humans trying to keep the peace between all the titans and the humans. Things start to bubble up (literally) and it's time to take action. There is something dark heading to the surface. They will have to try and get Kong and Godzilla to join forces. Yikes. 

Oh Godzilla! Love you! But we did spend more time with Kong here...and suprisingly....I wasn't mad about it. Kong actually had a storyline. He feels so alone since he thinks he's the last of his kind, but low and behold...he learns more. His knowledge quest, though, will unlock some secrets that could destroy the fragile peace. He'll need help from the humans and enemy...Godzilla. 

The people were right and you can def watch this film without the knowledge of the past movies. They give you JUST enough info to be all, "Ah. Okay. Fair enough" and keep watching on. 

Yes, we get to see Godzilla, but he isn't doing much besides kicking ass of other titans (don't worry they are baddies) and getting ready for the battle. Godzilla doesn't know what's coming, but he can feel it and he hears a call in the air warning and asking for his help. Love it, but yes, not much story there so we only get to Godzilla for a little bit until the big battle. 

WHICH I had more hope for that big battle. It seemed the baddie wasn't THAT bad on his own. He just has a secret weapon, but without that weapon. Meh. Weakling. 

This was loads of fun even the human stories! Whaaaa?! I know crazy. I actually cared about this group of humans and their part in the story! 

OOOOO! That twist melted my wee little heart. I was so excited to see a certain character!!!! Didn't see that coming!!!

TBH...I'm now curious to backtrack and watch the Kong movie and the previous Kong/Zilla films. This Kong isn't too shabby. He has personality and I was intrigued. Wow.....is this creator making me LIKE Kong? Past Carole is shocked and shook. 

All-in-all....this was fun. I enjoyed it. Beautiful CGI and I loved all facets of the story. The humans, Zilla, and Kong. I'll always be a Godzilla Gal, but I can appreciate Kong a little more. Strange when a movie can change your opinion a bit ;) 5 stars from me. 

ONE WORD SUMMARY: Exciting

Not-So Saturday Movie Night: Damsel (2024)

This month we decided to review 'Damsel'. 

Blodeuedd is in purple and Carole is in red.

Title: Damsel

Genre: Action/Adventure, Fantasy

Released: 2024

Rating: PG-14

Site: Netflix 


A dutiful damsel agrees to marry a handsome prince, only to find the royal family has recruited her as a sacrifice to repay an ancient debt.

Click here for the trailer. 

DISCUSSION:

Movie review time!

Yayy! Movie!!! 

I wanted to watch this because it looked pretty awesome, and it was pretty kick-ass. She was certainly no damsel in distress.

Agreed! I wanted to watch this because it looked badass and a twist on the atypical story. I also wanted to learn the WHYS and HOWS. I’m glad we watched it. 

Of course I knew something bad is coming, hello trailer, but it is really bad isn¨t it. Like wtf those people!!??

THOSE PEOPLE! OMG!!! Especially when we learn….more….and the truth. No spoilers from me, but damn. 

You all effing disgust me! It was a lot. But it made for a good storyline as she learns more.

For real. And I was so mad at the dad for a while there. Ugh. Why are people so greedy???

I was mad too, but at the same time I understood. His kingdom and people were dying. Dunno what much help money will do though, it is obvi pretty bad there.

Yess, the money doesn’t seem that helpful at the end of the day. They literally need to move or something. The area is R.O.U.G.H. 

I kind of wanted to know why that was? Everything should suffer. I am thinking Volcano? Or little ice age for it to look that bad. But then here comes a green paradise

Yes….I feel like they should’ve showed us WHY it was so rough. Bad winter(s)? And I also wanted more in the end. I feel like we needed to see more. 

We will never know….

Sadly not. I can’t imagine a 2nd movie. Not sure where they can go with the whole thing. Unless they do something with the sister. Or if Elodie is THAT unlucky and finds herself in a whole different wild situation. 

I am good with no more. It was a good movie, and it ended. More would be…tricky. I do not want to see Elodie getting unlucky again. Then they are surely cursed. Oh and I will try to say this without spoilers. So at the end the island is just left…like who. And they just can. Dunno if you know what I am getting at. Turmoil people, turmoil!

Same. I’m fine with it being one movie. Elodie is a gem and doesn’t need more struggles. Same with that surprise/twist character. Eeeee. Okay. I need to spoil….[SPOILER ALERT] I wonder if Elodie is going back to their home to bring them back to this land? I mean…it is empty now. Unless the land will go to being poopy because they won’t have the dragon’s heat keeping everything like paradise? [END OF SPOILER]

Ooo! There is a book FYI. I wonder if we could get more answers LOL.

I was also worried near the end, I wanted the story to happen in a certain way, and it did! But I was wondering there for a moment

TBH…I had no idea how it was going to end. SO many twists and turns. When we learned a certain fact, I had an idea in mind…and I’m glad I was right but OMG I was worried!!!

Make it happen any other way and I would have been maaaad! A really good ending. Hahaha

Yes, a good ending even though we needed more answers. 

I honestly do not have a lot more to say, it would be all spoilers. Def worth watching.

It’s so stinkin’ hard to not give away more spoilers than I already did. Hahahaha. This was a nice watch. Fun, action-y, and loads of twists.

The end?

The end! ‘Til next time!

Movie Review: Barbie (2023)

Title: Barbie

Length: 1h 54m

Released: 2023

Genre:  Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
Rating: PG-13
Where I Got It: Vudu

SUMMARY:

Barbie suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence.

Trailer

REVIEW:

The moment this movie was about to come out the gals and I decided to have a gal's day viewing party. Took forever to get everyone together, but we finalllllly managed. 

Here we follow Barbie who has had the perfect life but she then suffers a crisis that will lead her to question her world and even existence.

Let me first say...this was slightly overrated. It is not the movie of the century or whatever people are saying. Okay...got that out of the way. 

NOW, I did enjoy this A LOT. It was fun. It was interesting. It was funny. It had meaning. 

The songs were fun. The cast was great! 

The scene were the mom talks about life as a woman in this modern society had me wanting to clap. YAS. 

BUT I loved the subtle message that even in a perfect girl world, we need to be careful to not demote men and treat men like how we have been treated. It was nice. Poor Kens. 

Now...the ending was slightly underwhelming for me. Don't want to spoil anything, but I honestly feel that she should've done something else. It wasn't BAD, but I wanted other stuff to happen.

All-in-all, watch this movie if you need a good laugh with some meaning and LOTS of barbie references. Even Hubby enjoyed it. :)  The ending didn't hit me as much as I wanted, but it wasn't bad. I'll give this 4 stars. 

Movie Review: Napoleon (2023)

Title: Napoleon

Length: 2h 49m

Released: 2023

Genre:  Historical Fiction, Action/Adventure, Biography
Rating: R
Where I Got It: Theater 

SUMMARY:

An epic that details the checkered rise and fall of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and his relentless journey to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his wife, Josephine.

Trailer

REVIEW:

The moment I first saw the trailer I KNEW I had to see this in theaters. There was no other option for me. The cast....the director....the subject matter? Yes. 

This is about the infamous Napoleon Bonaparte. We get to witness his rise and fall politically and with Josephine. While he conquered the world....Josephine conquered his every waking thought. 

The reviews of this are SO polarized. Which is fitting for Napoleon. In his life and even today he is either loved or hated. Makes sense the film would settle in the hearts of people differently. 

Personally....I ended up LOVING this movie. It was really good. I will admit that it was a slow, slow burn...........but it oddly fit. I loved watching the tension rise and rise until everything shattered at the Battle of Waterloo. Damn, that was a scene. 

The cast was brilliant and I loved watching them. I honestly couldn't take my eyes off Napoleon and Josephine. They were captivating in their portrayals and if they don't win SOMETHING I would be utterly shocked.

Lots and lots of people are mad since there were some liberties taken like the first scene with Marie Antoinette. Many claim Napoleon was not there. Well..........do we know 100% for sure? Who knows. And yes I could spot a couple of historical inaccuracies but you have to take Hollywood historicals with a grain of salt. The creators will change things and for lack of a better phrase...butter up the screen. Now there is a fine, fine line to be careful of and I found that they did a good job on that line. Historically accurate enough for History Nerds like me to enjoy it, but still have it be entertaining enough for people like my husband who is meh about history. *chefs kiss* Very nice. 

But yesssssss I loved it. It was good. I wouldn't mind a re-watch one day. I think it's going on the Apple Streaming Service (boo), so I may have to buy it on DVD one day. 

5 stars for sure. I for sure recommend this BUT be warned that there is a lot of blood. It is a war film at the end of the day.