Triple Review Vol. 2

The ninth movie from Quentin Tarantino, James Bobin's second try on bringing a television icon to the big-screen and a personal story from Lulu Wang. Worth the watch or skippable flicks?

Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood (B)

Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt are Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth. One is a fading television actor trying to salvage his career, the other is his stuntman who carries the load in front and behind the camera. Dalton's next door neighbor happens to be Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), who recently moved in with her husband Roman Polanski, fresh off his success of Rosemary's Baby. Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood, is Tarantino at his most mature. A love-letter to sixties Hollywood in its final days. It's on the level of a Disney fairy-tale that paints a pretty picture of that era while also acknowledging some of the darker aspects as shown with the Manson Family lurking about. Like a Disney movie, it takes some creative choices that may raise some eyebrows. It's also Tarantino at his most tame, with none of his signature violence until the last ten minutes. Age may be catching with our two male leads, but this movie proves that they still got it especially Pitt who steals the show with his canine co-star Brandy. If Pulp Fiction or Django Unchained proved to much for you, Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood scales it down with its nostalgic movie-making journey.

Dora and the Lost City of Gold (D+)

Having lived in the jungle most of her life, sixteen year-old, Dora (Isabela Moner) is sent to live in the city with her cousin Diego (Jeff Wahlberg) while her parents (Michael Peña and Eva Longoria) search for a lost city of gold. Bright and cheerful Dora can't seem to fit in with her peers, but no time for that as she is kidnapped with her cousin and two other classmates. Taken back the jungle by a rogue band of treasure-hunters, the group escape their captors, with the help of a guide (Eugenio Derbez) they search to find Dora's parents before the villains do. This isn't the first preschool television program to have a motion picture; there's been Thomas and the Magic Railroad, Clifford's Really Big Movie, Barney's Great Adventure, and The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. James Bobbin, who directed The Muppets and its sequel Muppets Most Wanted, does an admirable job on capturing the corny charm of the cartoon, with the results ranging from cute to just bizarre. Benicio del Toro and Danny Trejo fans, don't get your hopes up. Swiper the Fox (voiced by del Toro) has only one good scene while Boots (voiced by Trejo) is given one line of dialogue. Why Swiper can talk but not Boots, only adds to the confusing logic. I get it, its Dora the Explorer and meant for little kids but after Paddington and Christopher Robin, the bar has been set high for these kinds of adaptations. 

 
The Farewell (B+)

When Nai-Nai (Zhao Shuzhen) is diagnosed with cancer with only months to live, her family living in the east and west, immediately pay her a visit in China to spend what could be their last chance with her. Billi (Awkwafina), Nai Nai's granddaughter living in New York, is shocked to discover that her family is refusing to tell Nai Nai that she is dying. She's told that it is better for the family to carry the emotional burden than the one who has the terminal illness, a practice that is actually common in China. To cover-up the lie, Nai Nai is told that they are here to celebrate the wedding of Billi's cousin, a commitment that he clearly isn't ready for. The Farewell is based on director Lulu Wang's own experience, in this touching and funny family portrait. The story and resolution is magnificent but the characters are thinly written that we know little of them to be invested in, outside of Billi and possibly her father (Tzi Ma). For a movie that's promoted as Billi "rediscovering the home county she left as a child," we see very little of it. I don't mind that Billi is conflicted if she should tell Nai Nai the truth (who wouldn't be) but she spends most of the movie moping around then trying to bond with her grandma or the rest of the family, most of whom she hasn't seen in years. The movie could have used more scenes like Billi trying to connect with the place she used to call home and the people she used to know. Learning more of China's culture were the best parts including a compelling and tense scene during dinner that had cultures clashing. Despite not exploring further on the premise, The Farewell is still worthy of your time.