EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE | FAIRFAX Season 2 | HUSTLE | JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION
Pop Culture Weekly Round-Up 10/06/2022
Hello, hello! I hope you guys are well. Right now, I'm dealing with allergies and not really feeling so great. But hey, still showing up to give you some Pop Culture recommendations for your weekend. This week’s newsletter has some thoughts on the absolutely horrendous new JURASSIC WORLD movie. The other two movies of this trilogy were bad but with this one, they reached another level of awfulness. On the other hand, I share many thoughts on the masterpiece, EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE. The film was released on VOD and now everyone can finally watch it. I also talk about the new Adam Sandler movie which is a good watch and the second season of the always fun animated series FAIRFAX. And as always there is a playlist with five songs I enjoyed last week.
QUICK THOUGHTS
FAIRFAX (Season 2) is an irreverent animated comedy about the shenanigans of four middle schoolers that feverishly want the clout that may transform their lives and make them famous. If you haven't seen it yet, FAIRFAX is sneaky smart. A great satire of Generation Z/hype culture. Also, the writing casts a bright light on things that are problematic with social media, influencers, and how corporations exploit them to control their customers without their knowledge. I had some good laughs watching both seasons and also learned a few interesting things about hype culture. This is a must-see for anyone who likes sneakers, and streetwear or is simply a hype monster. But if you’re not into any of these things, you should definitely skip it.
New episodes of FAIRFAX drop on Prime Video today, June 10th.
HUSTLE Stanley Sugerman's (Adam Sandler) passion for basketball is immeasurable, but the road-weary Philadelphia 76ers scout, who aspires to be a coach, is trapped on the hunt for the next unknown gem. His quest takes him to Spain, where he meets Bo Cruz (NBA star Juancho Hernangómez), an exceptional street-ball player with a tumultuous history. Stanley and Bo bond on and off the court, sharing a love for the game as well as a desire to prove they can win in both basketball and life. I enjoyed this flick. For me it was fascinating to witness Sandler’s character go through enormous heights to succeed at any means, driving himself and others around him to their brink. I also liked how the movie turned the very tired sports-movie clichés into a good narrative. It was lovely to see how training Bo, reinvigorates Stan. Subtly flipping the mentor-mentee dynamic. Sandler’s character not only has a true basketball fixation, but he also has the usual mid-life problems. He obviously loves his family but he also wants more from life. Specifically, he wants a more fulfilling job. Visually the movie is also interesting and I felt like they did a wonderful job of creating the basketball action scenes. The flick does not overstay its welcome and the pacing is good too. Some might say that HUSTLE is basically an NBA commercial. Maybe because there are many appearances from current and retired NBA players. But that is not a fair assessment. The storyline isn't really original, but it's decent enough to keep the movie on track, and it's ultimately a pleasant experience. Even if you aren't a basketball fan, I believe you will enjoy it.
JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION is supposed to be the conclusion to the Jurassic era. It takes place four years after the destruction of Isla Nublar. Dinosaurs currently coexist with humans all over the planet, hunting and living alongside them. So yeah, this new entry to the Jurassic franchise is awful! There is much going on in this movie but at the same time, nothing really got my attention. I think the only thing I liked about it was the good combination of CGI and practical effects. But besides that, I would dare to say this is hilariously terrible. With stale characters and an abundance of clichés, the movie relies too much on nostalgia. It also lacks suspense, and thrills, and is far too lengthy. JURASSIC WORLD may be a successful franchise but for me, it is just a sad reminder that corporatism has won. And I also highly doubt that this is the last time we hear about these dinosaurs. Expect more terrible movies and some bad TV shows for streaming services that just like this trilogy, have no reason to exist.
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE follows a middle-aged woman named Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh). She was living a mundane life. Just trying to do her taxes. But suddenly she gets sucked into a bizarre journey in which she is the only one who can save the world by traveling to alternate worlds and interacting with her other selves.
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert also known as “The Daniels” are an edgy and fresh director combo with a wacky and unique approach. They made an incredibly cool and amusing film. The writing is fantastic, the execution is flawless, and the performances are superb.
At its core, EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE is basically a story about a mother and her daughter trying to understand each other and deal with generational trauma. But the way the Daniels delivered it is so unique, breathtaking, and unforgettable. The film is full of twists and turns. It's also absolutely packed with terrific action, impressive set-pieces, and a lot of heart.
Although I absolutely loved the film, I recognize that EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE is not for everyone. This is not for those who can only watch formulaic and safe films. So, if you're expecting one of those big-budget movies, the kind of movie that you have to turn your brain off to watch, you'll be disappointed. This is much more than just visual noise and sequences that feel more like a series of video game cut scenes than an actual movie. Yes, there are action scenes, amazing ones. But they aren’t there to distract the viewer from the plot holes and bad writing like in most blockbuster movies. They actually enhance the experience and help to add layers to the film.
Overall, EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE is a very interesting movie with plenty of action, laughs, and some tears as well. I was blown away by how complex the plot was and how well it came together in the end. I'm sure that the Daniels will continue to create more awesome films in the future. I'm excited to see what they come up with next.
TOP 5 SONGS
These were the 5 songs on heavy rotation in my house last week. You can listen to them on Spotify and YouTube.
It's peak allergy season here too. I hope you feel better ASAP!