Hustlers (2019)

The film slow-motion walks in high heels the fine dramatic lines of morally iffy but thrilling crimes and flawed but engaging characters with few missteps (the interview framework felt unnecessary). Fantastic performances (Lopez as the intoxicating matriarch Ramona and Wu as the volatile Destiny especially), great style (the constant music is perfect) and countless deftly crafted, naturalistic scenes (see first day at the club; rooftop in fur; laughs in the dressing room; lavish Christmas).

8

Ice Age: Collision Course (2016)

Manny, Diego, and Sid join up with Buck to fend off a meteor strike that would destroy the world. (IMDb)

Manny, Diego, and Sid still don’t have that hilarious chemistry they once had (though Sid still gets a few moments to shine-see the failed proposal; wedding planning) but there’s plenty of comedic energy found elsewhere, with Granny and Buck as colourful as always (“I’m out of cake, but I got salami!”; see Buck’s mind-trip) and Scrat’s escapades still fresh and fun. Neither the new villains or the out-of-this-world plot take themselves too seriously, which help keep the film entertaining.

6.5/10 (Alright)

Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)

Manny, Diego, and Sid embark upon another adventure after their continent is set adrift. Using an iceberg as a ship, they encounter sea creatures and battle pirates as they explore a new world. (IMDb)

The protective dad and wants-to-be-popular teen daughter drama couldn’t be more bland, so the film does well to focus more on the high-seas adventure plot, which is predictable and simple but full of rambunctious action (see the ship hijacking), engaging secondary characters (Dinklage’s captain is truly frightening; Sykes’ senile granny hilarious), and wholly entertaining tangents (see the brilliant pirate shanty; Scrat’s ever-escalating adventures to the core of the earth and Scratlantis).

7/10 (Good)

The Wedding Planner (2001)

Happy Valentines Day, folks. Here’s a really bad rom-com to enjoy on this day of love <3333

Mary Fiore is San Francisco’s most successful supplier of romance and glamor. She knows all the tricks. She knows all the rules. But then she breaks the most important rule of all: she falls in love with the groom. (IMDb)

All the typical rom-com ingredients (wittily flirtatious dialogue, quirky supporting characters, grand romantic climaxes) are thrown in but they are severely under-cooked. There’s a hint of flavour during an unexpected turn to a refreshingly less-than-perfect conclusion, but then with the most horrendously convenient of plot points (two weddings are called off with literally no harm done) the expected ending arrives, and to zero fanfare because the couple never had any chemistry to begin with.

4/10 (Bad)