My 500th Post // Thoughts on + Mini Reviews of More Movies I've Seen in the Theater

Happy June! How's it going, bloggers and readers alike? I've been done with school for almost completely three weeks now, but the last two weeks have been...more school. Summer school. Which has been so fascinating, but also makes me feel like a combination of Stitch and Wanda about everything (i. e. either I'm super groggy or lack motivation).

Today is a big day because this is my 500th post! I thought I would hit that mark back in January, but...school. So, here we are! I used to do Top 10 posts to celebrate, but now that that's my common form of blogging I thought I should shake it up. Back for my 200th Post in 2018 I talked about Movies I Saw in the Theater. Because that was almost 5 years ago (how did I get to 200 posts in just over 2 years and now it's taken 5 years to get to 300 more? Life, I guess) I've seen some more in the theater, so I thought I'd talk about them!

Last time I just kind of...listed them out? All the previous 25? That's boring. Today I'm going to give a few thoughts on either the movie itself or the experience of seeing it in the theater. Some of these I actually reviewed in days gone by, so if you want those full thoughts, they will be the titles linked in blue.

These are all without spoilers for the movies. I repeat, there are no spoilers.

Robin Hood (2018)

This was the emptiest I've ever seen a theater. It was just me, my mom, and my older sister. I thought Jamie Foxx was so cool and the action was pretty epic, but the story? Meh. It was more about "look how cool we can be breaking the law" instead of talking about WHY the law was unjust? And I didn't like the forced triangle and position that Robin and Marian were put in. But it was one of the first stories one of my roommates and I bonded over, so I'm grateful for that!

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)

My sisters and I went to see this on the very last day before they started showing Aquaman. It opens with an owl flying over whatever city it's supposed to be; that was magical to see in the theater. Especially the theater that I usually go to. In my home town there is only one screen so they only play one movie (usually for two weeks) but it's a BIG screen. Really cool.

Mary Poppins Returns (2018)

My mom, sisters, and I went to see this before I went on a retreat. I had been sick and on top of that had gotten my wisdom teeth out a week before. This was such a balm. I had nonstop fun (okaaaaaay, not nonstop because I was crying, too) and it is to date one of my favorite sequels. I loved getting to see all the surprises with my mom.

How to Train Your Dragon: Hidden World (2019)

My older sister and I had just earned money from dog sitting and went to see this. Again, any movies with flying are worth the entrance fee for movie theaters. It was EPIC. Even though this stinking movie messed with me with the score. It wouldn't play what I wanted it to play, but kept faking me out. Then it finally did it and I bawled. My sister didn't catch any of that. I just rewatched the first for the millionth time, so I should check this one out again...

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

I'm pretty sure I've told this story many times; after digging I found when and where I told the story, but apparently it's only been once? Weird. Anyway, link HERE (it's at the end of that post).

TL;DR: My Spanish teacher made this possible for me by getting me a DVD copy of Infinity War.

Let's see what new things I can add about the experience:

-This is to date the only movie that I've seen in a theater that didn't have any ads. They jumped right in, which was cool but also very shocking. Especially because it starts with my favorite character.

-My younger sister had basically NO CLUE what was going on because she had only seen: Doctor Strange, Thor: Ragnarok, and Infinity War. So I was whispering to her throughout (*gasps* Oh the horror!) things like "That's Scott Lang, he's Ant-man." She LOVED it even for not knowing anyone.

-Something really big happens in this movie (if you know you know) and for a reaction, some guy behind us said, "Well, that sucks" which nearly made me start laughing. Which is definitely not appropriate.

Aladdin (2019)

In which I was so relieved there wasn't a snake. My older sister and I went and were quoting the Genie for days. This is one of my favorite live-action remakes because it is so colorful and full of life. The direction is punchy, the costumes are to die for, and the humor is right up my alley. Mena Massoud just IS Aladdin.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

My dad came with my sisters and I for this one. Even though he hadn't seen any others, we let him. My younger sister watched Homecoming for the first time on the same day, so she was very full of Spider-man. If I remember correctly, due to when I ranked the MCU movies, it's pretty high on my list! The conflict in this movie is what solidified most teenagers in the opinion that this version of Peter was one of us.

Who knows how many times I've seen it since then? I don't think I've watched the whole thing in one sitting since then, but I've seen lots of bits and pieces.

STAR WARS IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

The only movie that I saw MORE THAN ONCE in the theater. I saw it twice. It was grand. I haven't seen it since Jan. 2020, but I now own a DVD copy mwahaha, so one of these days!

The summer before I had been working and thought of the best way this sequel trilogy could end. And then that IS how it ended. The most satisfying thing in my life. Is this movie perfect? No. There was a lot of sidetracking as people tried to "fix" what wasn't broken, but it means A LOT to me. 

Little Women (2019)

This movie is still as near and dear to my heart as it was that day. Maybe even more so. I should've waited to go with my younger sister, and I'm sorry about that.

This movie is part of my soul. My sister and I started off the year with watching this and the 1994 almost back to back, and guys *whispers* I like this one better. *yells* I LOVE THIS MOVIE. I also cried the whole way through. I'm not kidding. Starting when John Brooke makes some goofy joke about the "lovely greenhouses" I burst into laughter which then turned into sobbing and it. never. stopped. Good times. But I've already defended it a lot, so just go read the review.

Knives Out (2019)

In which my sister totally called what was going to happen. This was a fun one to see in the theater because I usually go for more action-oriented movies. And this one is mystery...if it must be put in one genre. I don't know another movie like it and dig it muchly. And have talked about it enough on this blog so I'm trying to hold it together like Marta is after telling lies...

Moonfall (2022)

Yes, the first after the big time gap. This started the trend of going to movies paid for by my college and I love this. It should be a tradition still. This featured one of the professors giving a talk beforehand all about astronomy and what would make the moon fall. Watching the movie we all felt so smart because we knew what all the technical terms meant. And, this was my first experience with that professor, but he is now one of my FAVORITES and I'm so stoked to be in his department because he makes life worth living.

The friend I went with couldn't believe that I cried during this movie, but yeah, I'm a crier.

Death on the Nile (2022)

I had been waiting YEARS. Years, people. So when my grandma said we should see it over my spring break I was so down.

And it shocked my system to the core.

I loved it. It took a very different perspective that the book does, meaning what it highlighted to be the message, and yet it felt so in character for Branagh's Poirot. I have read the book twice and they really kept me on my feet by changing details! Which I used to be really picky about but now I love when movies are different from books because I get two versions of something I love? 

Father Stu (2022)

I think it's a bit hyped up. So many people I know seem to think it's the best religious movie ever, and I have seen many that I personally have enjoyed much more. This one just seems very aggressive? The experience was really cool, though, because I went with the girl who would become my roommate and it was our first event together!

Mother Teresa: No Greater Love (2022)

Okay, okay, this is a documentary, but I still went to it in the theater (something I had never done before!) so it counts. I also went with the biggest group, so that was exciting? The story of Mother Teresa is so inspiring.

El buen patron (The Good Boss) (2022)

Milestone: my first foreign language film in theater! I drug my roommate to this. I wasn't completely proud of that because I was NOT fan of this movie, but oh well.

Smile (2022)

I'm still not pleased with this movie so I'm still not putting an image. No thank you. I'm just really mad at it because you can scare me all you like, but you should have a BLOOMING POINT. *sulks* This didn't. And that's a real shame if you're creating a story.

But, I guess I'm glad I went? Had free tickets. If you were ever going to watch a horror movie, I would recommend seeing it in a theater with a lot of people because the collective crowd reactions are the best part. It's really uniting? I didn't go with anyone but ended finding an acquaintance there and sitting next to her, which worked out because whenever one of us had our eyes closed, we could whisper "WHAT JUST HAPPENED?". Also, according to her, I'm not so much of a screamer (it FELT like I was screaming a lot...) but I say "Oh no, oh no, oh no" a lot.

Living (2022)

First movie in a theater in 2023! This movie is so pure. It lifts you up and inspires you. It has a kind of typical premise that is handled magnificently. Needless to say, my roommate and I both loved this! It was a nice treat after just getting back into school for the new semester. And I think it subconsciously powered me through the semester.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

(I was going to keep this short and snappy like all the other thoughts, but well, that failed.)

I went to this with my roommate, and y'all, this is probably going to be one of my favorite movies for the year. Which is strange considering I do not like Chris Pine as an actor and almost always think he's annoying. Here he didn't annoy me once! The movie was rollicking good fun. ROLLICKING. I can't stress how much I loved it. All the humor was exactly up my alley, the plot was so creative (which is hard when it comes to fantasy because most feel like they are copying something) and the character dynamics? We need to talk about the character dynamics. I don't know the last time I was so impressed with such a healthy found family. I really appreciated that there was no forced romance (just Simon trying with Doric which was more hilarious than anything, but no pressure). I mean, the friendships in this movie?? My favorite is between Edgin and Holga. It was so refreshing and now everything I want in life is a friend like they are to each other (note, with NO ROMANCE. GIVE ME MORE).

Also, I probably shouldn't like Sofina, and I didn't like her character, but can we talk about how gorgeous Daisy Head is? An absolute queen who can pull off a shaved head like no one else. Both her and Regé-Jean Page we absolutely stunning. Though, the character Xenk owned all of my heart because he is so pure, regal, and noble. Usually characters who don't get sarcasm or jokes are there for laughs in contrast (see Malvolio in Twelfth Night) but there was nothing to laugh about him. He added a great balance and was the perfect character to give Edgin a push to his arc.

The plot was so well set up, too. Man, I wish I could make a story with such good foreshadowing.

Ahem. Anyone have any questions or have I established what I can in a "mini-review"?

The Little Mermaid (2023)

Is this the whole reason I started this list? Oh yeah. My mom and I went to this together and we hadn't been to a movie just the two of us since Incredibles 2! The best movies to see in a HUGE theater are those in the air or in the water. And this happily checks the last box. It's where you feel such a part of the movie with every swish of the water. So much that you get a headache but in the best way.

I am not a fan of the animated Little Mermaid, but I had so much fun with this! It fixed many of my complaints about the original 1989 film, so I applaud their good work there. The actors were all perfect for their roles and the new songs were fun (which I'll probably sing a lot in the future). I'm excited to see it again!

There you have it, the 19 movies I've seen since December 2018. I don't know how I've accomplished that AND 300 more posts in the same time? I couldn't do the posts all without the support of my readers, so thank you!!

And because it's June, I made a new header!

Which we have to throw up here just for posterity. So in the future I'll know when I switched it.

How have you guys been? What have you done the first week of June? I'm trying to make some more videos for my YouTube channel but someone *glares at reflection* can't make decisions of what to cut to make it the right length. Look for that in the future, though!

What are some of your favorite movies you've seen in theater? Craziest experience? Best? I hope the best is yet to come, so what are some upcoming movies you're looking forward to?

Chloe the MovieCritic

Movie Review: Clouds (2020)

Hello, my friends!

Iʼm reviewing a movie today that I recommend for all people to watch. Why? Donʼt worry, Iʼll give you the reasons soon enough.

Plus, you'll be hearing thoughts from someone who has never been on this blog before, even though I mention her a lot...

The downside of this movie is that you can only watch it on Disney+. I know what youʼre all thinking, “MC, you finally got it!?” No, my sister got it and Iʼve been enjoying watching it with her. Iʼm not being paid to say this, but I think it is worth it to get it to watch this film. The reasons why? Read on.

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. This is spoiler free!

Clouds (2020):

Based on: The true story of Zach Sobiech, and the book Fly a Little Higher, How God Answered a Momʼs Small Prayer in a Big Way - by Laura Sobiech.

A boy in high school who is fighting with cancer learns that he only has so long to live and decides to make the most of it. The movie follows him and his family through it as they deal with the struggles, and all the while Zach fights the sadness that hits him as he just wants to make others laugh. He starts writing songs with his best friend and begins to hang out with the girl he has a crush on. How can he encourage others to live their lives when his is slipping away from him?

Genre: Biography, Drama.

Length: approx. 121 minutes.

Script: 8, this is rated PG-13 for “brief strong language”, but I actually didnʼt notice it. Yikes, now Iʼm afraid that Iʼm becoming too used to it.

Crew: Directed by: Justin Baldoni. Written by: Kara Holden, Casey La Scala, Patrick Kopka, Kara Holden, & Laura Sobiech.

Starring:

Fin Argus as Zach Sobiech.

Sabrina Carpenter as Sammy Brown.

Neve Campbell as Laura Sobiech.

Madison Iseman as Amy Adamle.

Tom Everett Scott as Rob Sobiech.

Lil Rel Howery as Mr. Weaver.

Summer H. Howell as Grace.

Vivien Endicott-Douglas as Alli.

Dylan Everett as Sam.

Tyrone Benskin as Doctor.

Benjamin Roy as Eli.

Aida Yirga as Tessa.

Morgana Mogent as Janie.

Mitchell Kluesner as Mitch.

Jason Mraz as himself.

There are many cameos of actually people that the characters are based on.

Costumes: 8, just standard, but there is a scene when someone isnʼt wearing a shirt.

 Cinematography: 9, you know how there are those movies that as you watch it you think, “Wow, this is spectacular!”? Then there are the ones that you watch and think, “That is painfully bad”? Then you have ones that you donʼt remember because it was nothing special? This is none of the above, but rather one of those that gets you in the mood and gently puts you in every single scene without you even noticing. Pretty cool.

Cinematography by: Ben Kutchins.

Music: 10, all of these songs are so incredible and inspiring. The title of the movie is after the song “Clouds”, and it is so fitting and beautifully tied in. Now, for contentʼs sake I will mention that there is a suggestive song, but itʼs supposed to be funny and the performance is so ridiculous and cringe worthy that you canʼt help laughing and doesnʼt do any harm. Listening to it again you think, “Wow, thatʼs really bad.”, but then you just continue with the movie.

Music by: Songs written by Zach Sobiech and Sammy Brown.

Quotability: N/A, as I watched it recently, but one line about painting masterpieces has really stuck with me. I didnʼt take my signature notes while watching it, so I canʼt tell you any exact lines.

Oscars won: N/A.

Content: 7. This movie involves a disease and the treatment of it, and while there are some details including throwing up and looking at scars, it focuses more on the mental side and doesnʼt show anything that would make anyone too queasy. There are one or two suggestive comments, and some kissing where it looks like itʼs going to get bad for a minute, but I promise that nothing happens. Also, the above song that I mentioned.

It also had a part where they are talking about Christian religion, and there are a few joking comments, but later there are some beautiful parts as well and I almost wish that they had expanded on that.

Originality: 10, I always give this score to true stories because it is real life. Especially in this movie everything was so creative and you constantly felt like you were seeing something new.

Good For: Anyone who has gone through cancer or has known someone who has, anyone who loves music, everyone.

Age Range: I mentioned that it was rated PG-13 for language, and I would agree with that but for some kissing. It depends on the person, and this is an important movie to watch, but it might just be too much for little kids.

Overall Score: 9!

Worth watching?: Oh my word, yes. This film was so powerful and inspiring. I am sure that I will never forget about it and the messages that it carries. I would expand more, but really, all of this review is me talking about how worthy it is of watching so Iʼll keep it short here.

Will I watch again?: Yes, and I actually plan to very soon! My little sister and I want to watch it with our older sister now and plenty of times after that.

Bonus thoughts:

I never know where to start telling people about how good movies are. This movie made me want to just know so much more about all of these real people. Like, apparently Sammy Brown was an Irish dancer! I now want to read Laura Sobiechʼs book that she wrote that this is based on.

In my mind I automatically start comparing this film to the movie Midnight Sun (2018) because their storylines are very similar. Personally, I think this one is better. First of all, it is a true story. Now, Iʼm not downing fictional stories at all, in fact I usually prefer to write them. Like in the book The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, one of the girls Jane Penderwick, has to write an essay about a famous woman, and she writes about one of the characters in her book. Thatʼs me. I always prefer to make something up and just write whatever comes into my mind to doing research about someone actually alive.

And just because cancer is a more well known disease than xeroderma pigmentosum doesnʼt make the other one less important or the people less worthy of care. But reading about the disease, Iʼve come to the conclusion that they “ramped it up” for the movie to make it more dramatic. Having the sun hit your skin for five seconds is not going to harm you that much, but five minutes could cause you to burn. Now, Iʼm not an expert, but you get my point.

Another thing is that in Midnight Sun (2018) you can tell that the filmmakers really wanted to make you cry. Which was very annoying that I fell for it. In here, Zach says that he doesnʼt want to be a “sob story”, and it actually just shows you the struggles of being terminal without trying to make you cry. It is painful, but in a natural and not forced way. These filmmakers didnʼt say, “Cry! You have to! If you donʼt youʼre a heartless human being!”

Instead they showed you good and bad and let you process your emotions how you wished.

Enough about comparisons! Thatʼs not what weʼre doing here! I want to just talk about how amazing Clouds is.

There is one element that I want to scream about for ages: The subtly.

I mentioned in the music section about how fantastic the songs, and how it features the songs that Zach Sobiech and Sammy Brown wrote, which are heartbreakingly gorgeous. In addition to that, the background music and score are phenomenal. One of the reasons is that it is so subtle. I can be a little dense sometimes and donʼt get subtle things, as I need the facts to be yelled at me. In here, though, they had a magical balance. They use to music to tell you what is happening.

In one spot in particular, you can hear the opening of a song being played while characters are talking, and I lost it. I was bawling so much that my sister had to pause the movie until I got it under control. She said, “This is a happy part! Why are you crying?”

Because the music had just told me so much.

Later, in a sad part, my sister was shocked when she was crying but I wasnʼt. I didnʼt need to, because I had already been told what was going to happen in that happy part. It is a joyous part in the movie, but they beautifully wove in the sadness along the edges and made it even more special.

My sister didnʼt know what the song was because she hadnʼt heard it before, but if you have heard it then I bet youʼll react like I did.

Another thing was the relationships between all of the characters contained that same subtly. People would squeeze each others hands and throw jokes around and other little actions so we didnʼt need to be told how they felt about each other, because we could SEE it. In one place that Iʼm thinking of the characters did talk about their feelings, but that was important because even though we could already see it, one of the characters couldnʼt. It was a really sweet moment.

One relationship did depend on it a little too much, I thought, but thatʼs just me.

Ah, and the little girl! Anytime in any movie their is a scene with a little kid, it utterly breaks me. This little girl was so adorable and sweet and amazing. This was before the moment that really destroyed me, so it helped contribute to it.

After all my talk, what does this movie mean to me? It showed me that life is beautiful even through the ugly parts. It seems like a simple sentiment, but it really affected me, and I hope that anyone who watches this is impacted as deeply as I was.

I watched this with my younger sister, FionaCateCreates so she is going to tell you her thoughts, too! She will be typing in italics. Take it away!

Hello! I am Fiona, MC's younger sister. These are my thoughts on the movie "Clouds":

This movie is a really inspiring and motivational movie. I would also recommend it to anyone. This movie reminds you of how truly special, what a gift, life is. Every moment matters, every day, every minute. Make the most of it. The only thing you need to hear to be convinced to watch it is a quote from Zach Sobiech "You don't have to find out you're dying to start living.".

 

When we hear true stories of people doing amazing things, they inspire us. They kick us back into full gear, wake us up from our state of putting only minimal effort into the things we do. For me, through this pandemic I have changed because I have always been a very motivated and productive person. I have always had big dreams and goals. But I lost my motivation back in March. I felt like all my dreams would never come true. But unlike Zach Sobiech, I decided to give up on everything and I didn't care about my hopes and dreams anymore. I became a different person, but the truth is we can't always be motivated. We get burned out. But I watched this movie back in October, and I feel like it lit a new fire in me. He was diagnosed as terminal, with only minimal time left to live, but he pushed through all the way, to make the most of it.

"You don't need to find out you're dying to start living" hit me. Even though I can't do much right now, this is a world of technology and we're growing everyday, I can do quite a lot. Even though things are going to be different, doesn't mean we should just give up on everything. We can make the most of what it is, do our best to make the most of everyday. So, I encourage you to watch this movie if you feel dead inside, lacking motivation, or hope. Especially now, during the holidays we can use this, but also anytime and every time of our lives.

Thanks, Fiona!

And thank you for reading! I want all of you to go watch this so we can talk! If you've seen this, please tell me all of your thoughts and which song is your favorite. Are there stories that feel like are just trying to make you cry and others where it comes naturally? Enjoy!

MovieCritic

Movie Series Review: Twitches

Hey, guys!

Usually I review movies singularly, but today Iʼm going to be reading two at a time today because they are in a series. I know that this seems a little strange for me as Iʼve never reviewed a Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM), but I promise you that there is a method to my madness. Read on and find out why!

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning. These reviews are both spoiler free!

Twitches (2005):

Based on: The Twitches series - by H. B. Cilmour and Randi Reisfeld.

There is a darkness threatening to consume the land of Coventry. The king gives the last of his magic to his daughters in order to save them, and their guardians hide them away in the modern world. Both of them grow up separately until their guardians decided to bring them together on their 21st birthday, which is Halloween. At first they canʼt believe it, but through the day they spend time together and try to learn how to use their magic. They have had it their whole life, but never used it, with just a dayʼs training will it be strong enough to defeat the darkness? They get scared, so will one of them have to do it alone?

Genre: Fantasy, Family.

Length: approx. 86 minutes.

Script: 10, no bad words.

Crew: Directed by: Stuart Gillard. Written by: Melissa Gould, Dan Berendsen, H.B. Gilmour, & Randi Reisfeld.

Starring:

Tia Mowry as Alex Fielding.

Tamera Mowry as Camryn Barnes.

Kristen Wilson as Miranda.

Patrick Fabian as Thantos.

Jennifer Robertson as Illeana.

Pat Kelly as Karsh.

Jessica Greco as Lucinda.

Jackie Rosenbaum as Beth Fish.

Arnold Pinnock as David Barnes.

Karen Holness as Emily Barnes.

Jessica Feliz as Nicole.

Kathryn Haggis as Housekeeper.

Costumes: 9, nothing indecent. Iʼll talk more about them later...

Cinematography: 5, this movie was a ton of fun, but this is the one place where they couldʼve improved it. The CGI is so bad! Every time it was suspenseful because of the “darkness”, my sister and I would burst out laughing because it was so cringe-worthy.

Cinematography by: Manfred Guthe.

Music: 8, I couldnʼt remember what the score or soundtrack was so I had to look it up and listen to it, but it is pretty different from anything else that Iʼve heard.

Music by: John Van Tongeren.

Quotability: N/A as I just watched it, but I would give it a tentative 8.

Content: 10, there are really no content concerns. For those of you who are wondering, yes there are witches (as you can guess from the title), but this is how the magic system works. In Coventry everyone has magic and is born with it. You can sometimes give people part of your own magic to strengthen theirs, but it can never be forced and is only done willingly. There are darker parts of magic (the “darkness”), but the good characters donʼt use it.

Originality: 10, Iʼve read a lot of books or seen a lot of movies with magic, but this was so different and original!

Good For: DCOM fans and sisters.

Age Range: There are some scary and intense moments that might be a little much for tiny kids, but I think that 8 is a good guess for the age where it starts. Probably most people over 40 wouldnʼt be that interested. Of course, it depends on the person.

Overall Score: 8.5.

Thoughts:

I was surprised because I thought that this was going to be really cheesy (and the CGI was), but it was actually really fun! First of all, I love that Alex and Cam are actually played by twins! Iʼm so used to twins being played by the same person, and the characters never have the same connection that real siblings do. Both of the characters Alex and Camryn felt so real! Their characters were consistent the whole time and the struggles and fears really fit in. It made so much sense how one character was really cautious at first then became more confident, and another was really enthusiastic in the beginning and got afraid later on. Well done!

It was kind of neat to see a DCOM with main characters who were so much older than their usual crowd. Usually the movies are about teenagers and there is nothing wrong with that, but I really appreciated having them be 21 because it made so much more sense.

The side characters were a lot of fun, too! Camrynʼs relationship with her parents was the best, and all of it felt so natural with the playful teasing and jokes. Karsh and Illeana were comic relief, but such good comic relief. Lucinda was a really good friend for Alex. The story and messages were great, too! Overall a really fun time.

&

Twitches Too (2007):

Based on: The Twitches series - by H. B. Cilmour and Randi Reisfeld.

Camryn and Alex are getting used to how this whole sister thing works. Camryn wants to learn how to use her magic and take responsibility with what she can, while Alex feels that sheʼs missing something. She keeps writing strange stories, and she knows that all of her stories are true. Is someone calling to her? Who, and why?

(Iʼm sorry that Iʼm being super vague! Thatʼs how this whole second review will be because I donʼt want to give away spoilers for the first movie.)

Genre: Fantasy, Family.

Length: approx. 83 minutes.

Script: 10, once again, no bad words.

Crew: Directed by: Stuart Gillard. Written by: Dan Berendsen, H.B. Gilmour, & Randi Reisfeld.

Starring:

Tia Mowry as Alex Fielding.

Tamera Mowry as Camryn Barnes.

Kristen Wilson as Miranda.

Pat Kelly as Karsh.

Leslie Seiler as Illeana.

Karen Holness as Emily Barnes.

Arnold Pinnock as David Barnes.

Nathan Stephenson as Marcus.

Chris Gallinger as Demitri.

Jackie Rosenbaum as Beth.

David Ndaba as Felix.

Patrick Fabian as Thantos.

Jayne Eastwood as Mrs. Norseng.

Costumes: 9, all good, and Iʼll talk about it later.

Cinematography: 5, yeah, in two years the CGI didnʼt improve any.

Cinematography by: Manfred Guthe.

Music: 8, same as last time.

Music by: John Van Tongeren.

Quotability: N/A again, and I donʼt even have a guess for how quotable it would be. Content: 9, one or two crude jokes are added in, but same as last time. There is danger, which could be frightening to little kids.

Originality: 9, I wasnʼt as wowed with the creativity here, but it was still good.

Good For: DCOM fans, sisters.

Age Range: About 8-40, same as the first!

Overall Score: 7.5.

Thoughts:

Ah, sequels. It is rare that they are as good as the first, right? This was alright, but I just felt that the story was tacked on and so unnecessary. It was fun to spend more time with all of the characters, but some parts felt forced. I liked, though it was brief, to see the girls in college. It was weird that someone else was playing Illeana, but she did a fine job. I missed seeing some other characters that seemed to just be abandoned. Overall cute, but I wonʼt be watching it nearly as much as I plan to see the first one.

This is my entry in my Fifth Costume Blog Party! 

From now on, there will be SPOILERS. So don't read any further if you haven't seen both movies!

Now you must be wondering, “MC, why in the world did you pick this?”

Great question.

I forgot to take photos without our faces, so it's a little blurred.

When I announced this blog party, I had a completely different idea in mind for what I was going to do. I had no clue about what I was going to do this year, but I was going to talk about a costume I had a few years ago. Leading up to Halloween my sister and I were watching a lot of movies in the spirit of it. She has a goal to watch all of the DCOMs, and even though Iʼm not as into it as she is, I like watching them with her. We watched the first Twitches movie, which we had never seen before, and liked it. After that we couldnʼt stop calling each other Twitches! No, we arenʼt twins (Iʼm older), but we look a lot alike and are the closest that you imagine. On October 30th we watched the second one, and on the spot decided to dress up like them.

How Alex and Camryn look isnʼt super recognizable. If I were to just show you photos of their costumes, even if it was exactly on point, it is very doubtful that you would be able to recognize them. But, what they wear is important to each other. Being identical twins it can be hard to tell them apart and how you can do that is by their clothing!

Do we look like them?

For example, in the second movie a character talks to Alex for a few minutes, the whole time thinking that she is Camryn. When the character leaves, Camrynʼs best friend Beth comes over and thinks that is hilarious because she knows that it is Alex.

“I knew it was you, Camryn wouldnʼt be caught dead in those jeans. But, you look good in them!”

“Beth, weʼre identical twins, you basically said that I look bad.” (Paraphrase)

Another occasion they used their magic and temporarily changed how they look, so they switch places and look like each other. It is pretty funny because they are bad at being each other because they are so different.

Just because they look the same doesnʼt mean that they have the same interests. Alex loves to write, and Camryn loves drawing. One thing that quickly defines them is their necklaces. Camryn has a necklace with a sun on it, meaning that she works better during the day, and Alex has a moon pendant indicating that she is most creative and active during the night. 

"The powers of the sun and the forces of the moon..."

In addition to that their styles are very unique to them. Their different styles are shown right away when they meet each other, because Camryn is shopping and Alex is just looking for a job. Camryn also has curly hair while Alexʼs is straight.

Because my sister and I had this idea a day before doing it, we didnʼt have great materials. We ended up just dressing in anything orange or purple that we had. My younger sister is dressed more like Alex complete with a moon necklace, while Iʼm wearing a flowing dress which is something more like Camryn. I couldnʼt find a sun necklace of any kind, so I have a lightbulb charm (donʼt ask). But, in personality my sister is more like Cam and Iʼm like Alex.

Though we donʼt look that much like either of them, we had so much fun. The whole day we just hung out and would randomly yell, “Go twitches, go twitches!”

Thank you for reading! Were you surprised by my sisterʼs and my costumes? Have any of you seen these movies? Check out all of the other costumes for this party HERE!

MovieCritic