Mom's Minute

Introduction to Netflix Project Power Movie

If you would like to watch a film with lots of action, you may want to check out Netflix's new movie, Project Power, starring Jamie Foxx. In addition to the film being action packed, the writer, directors managed to  insert some light comedic moments in the movie as well.

Plot of the Project Power Movie

The plot revolves around pills that are able to give humans different types of superpowers if ingested as well as the people that control them. The pills are illegal drugs sold on the streets. Jamie Foxx’s character at first appears to be after the mastermind of these pills, until you find out later in the movie that he is really trying to locate and save his daughter who had been kidnapped.

Characters in the Project Power Movie

In addition to Jamie Foxx starring in Project Power, Joseph Gordon-Levitt also appears as a police detective and Dominique Fishback has the role of the teenage pill dealer.

There were other random characters in the film demonstrating powers that were gained when one uses the pill.

The Incredible Hulk in the Project Power Movie

If you watch Project Power, there is a scene where the pill caused one of the villains to grow at an enormous rate. In fact, you may even compare  him with Marvel’s, The Incredible Hulk. I think the movie would have been more interesting if this character had additional screen time since in many cases this superhero is a fan favorite. Instead, I believe the “Hulk” character as a person who gained power from this plll had one of the shortest screen times in the movie.

Testing the Viewing Audience’s Intelligence in the Project Power Movie

Of course Project Power is a movie, so everything is fabricated in an attempt to make a good story. However, you may wonder how even in a fictional scenario, one of the characters who played a teenage dealer was able to operate probably a complex security system in one of the scenes.  

Additionally, a reason was not given as to why Jamie Foxx’s daughter was kidnapped in the first place. It seemed to me the kidnap angle was added to extend the length of the movie.

Assessment of the Project Power Movie

As I alluded to earlier, there were some light, humorous moments in this movie, along with the action. One such instance was the dialogue between Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Dominique Fishback’s characters relative to Clint Eastwood's famous, one line movie sayings. Additionally, I think you may enjoy all the stunts in this movie, as well as the action which seemed to go on mostly non-stop. 

Rating of the Project Power Movie

Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate the Project Power movie 3 ½ stars.

Introduction to After - A Netflix Movie Review by Ms. H

The movie After was a surprisingly entertaining film. I say “surprisingly” because initially, I thought that this movie would be your run-of-the-mill college dating-type films with the wild frat parties, dorm room fights, etc. However, I believe you may enjoy watching this movie -- especially since the movie is told in such a way tha draws you into the story along with the characters.

Title of the After Movie

In my opinion, the movie’s title, After, did not convey fully what the story is all about. Let’s face it -- the word “After" can mean just about anything depending on the circumstances and scenarios. On the flip side, maybe the writer was looking for a movie name that was short and one that you could easily remember. No need to try to figure out the meaning of the title for yourself before you watch the film. Why? Because within  the first few frames of the movie, the reason for the title is clearly revealed.

Skills of the Actors in the After Movie

For the most part, the acting skills were adequate for the movie. There was one actress who started off  playing the “bad girl” part but  unexplainably softened up during the middle and end of the movie. Looking back on the movie After, it’s interesting to me that she did this, especially when she knew what was going on. You will know what I’m talking about if you watch the movie After.

Authenticity of the Characters in the After Movie

The casting staff did an expert job of selecting the two actors who would essentially carry the movie -- Hero Fiennes-Tiffin played the part of Hardin Scott and Josephine Langford played the part of Tessa Young.Their acting relationship seemed to be genuine and sometimes you may forget that you are watching a movie with feigned emotions, acting lines, scripted dialogue, etc..

Little known fact: Alicia Keys teamed up with Michael Bay to sing the song “I Believe in Us” in 2018, even though he had already released it as a solo song. The solo song can be heard during the movie After. Be careful. Cautionary warning: If you listen to this song often enough on itunes, etc., the tune may get stuck in your head.

Music - Songs in the After Movie

Speaking of songs -- I think that  the background music played during the movie was worth listening to even after the movie concluded. The song that stood out to me was Michael Bay's song called “I Believe in Us.”  Believe it or not (no pun intended), this song came out back in 2018; however, I never heard it before. There were other musical selections as well that you may want to check out. Just remember my cautionary warning about a particular song -- "I Believe in Us" as stated above. 

Assessment of the After Movie

I know some people may label this movie a “Chick Flick” but I think males and anyone else who likes a good story with a huge unexpected twist will enjoy this film. Additionally, the story was told in an entertaining way that will probably keep your interest. 

Spoiler Alert:  One of the downsides of the movie was the way everything turned out in the end -- which could be realistic for some and may be an attempt to satisfy the audience desire for a “happy ending” for others. My take is that it was unrealistic. That being said and despite the ending, I think you will agree with me after you watch the movie that watching the film Afrer was not a waste of your time. 

Rating of the After Movie

Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate the After Netflix movie 5 stars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXe4rqxWvqY

Introduction to Da 5 Bloods Review

I would like to warn you that some scenes in this movie are disturbing and intense. That being said, I think you will find value in this movie as I did. More importantly, while watching the movie, you may learn something about African American history.

Plot of Da 5 Bloods Movie

You probably have heard the saying that the love of  money is the root of all evil. You may think of this saying as you watch the events unfold in Spike Lee’s Netflix movie, Da 5 Bloods.  In a nutshell, the movie is about old friends from the Vietnam War meeting up and taking a trip back to the areas where they fought; however, this time with a different motive.

Entertainment and Educational Value of Da 5 Bloods Movie

I believe you will be entertained by Da 5 Bloods movie so much so that you may not want to stop watching before the complete movie has ended. Da 5 Bloods movie has plenty of action to keep your interest. A bonus is you learn something about the personality of each of the characters as the movie progresses.

 Additionally, you will witness the volatile status of various relationships between the characters in Da 5 Bloods movie. Another bonus, as I mentioned previously is during the movie you get to look back at some of the famous and unforgettable prominent African American leaders and heroes -- some who you may or may not already know about.

I liked that Da 5 Bloods movie had scenes from Black History, not only during current day, but also from the days of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others.  It is this uniqueness of including historical events that makes the movie stand out.

Search for Riches in Da 5 Bloods Movie

Da 5 Bloods movie is similar to other stories where people return to certain areas searching for wealth regardless of the form, i.e. money, maybe buried treasures, etc. However, in the DA 5 Bloods case -- wealth was represented by a huge stack of gold bars left buried somewhere in Viet Nam during the war. 

Assessment of Da 5 Bloods Movie

Some may say that Da 5 Bloods movie is overly long -- lasting a little over 2 hours -- 2 hours and 34 minutes to be exact. In my opinion this is a plus because the extended movie time allows you to get to know various personalities of the characters. You may also want to guess from the start of the movie, who will probably survive the many dangerous excursions they faced when they returned to Viet Nam.

Now for the negative -- To me there was sort of a low point in the movie -- even though it probably looked like an oscar-moment for a particular actor. It seems to me that the writers wanted to incorporate dialogue reminiscent of the academy award winning movie Training Day which earned Denzel Washington an Oscar.  You will know what I’m referring to if you watch the movie. 

Back to the positive -- By the way the actor who is refefenced above is Delroy Lindo who played the part of Paul. To his credit, I think he did an excellent job in his role.

If you want to watch a full-length feature film about friendship based around some of the great deeds and advancements made by African Americans, check out Da 5 Bloods movie on Netflix now.  Aside from some of the language in this movie, I recommend you watch Da 5 Bloods film. You will be glad you did.

Rating of Da 5 Bloods Movie

Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate Da 5 Bloods movie 5 stars.

Introduction to Broken Ceiling - An Amazon Prime Video Movie Review by Ms. H

This movie is a film of suspense and intrigue. Unless you watch the complete film -- you may make assumptions relative to the sequence of events. Since I would like you to watch this movie for yourself, I will generalize my movie review of Broken Ceiling without any spoilers.

Setting of the Broken Ceiling Movie

As indicated by the title, Broken Ceiling is a work-related movie -- hence the title -- Broken Ceiling.  You probably have heard of the term glass ceiling which deals mostly with the corporate advancement limitations some people, mostly women, seems to reach in the work place.  For example, they may reach a certain level where there are chances for promotion -- however, not for them but for others.   

Broken Ceiling takes this problem to a whole new level as the story unwinds and goes into depth relative to the sense of competition for job advancement . You will know what I’m talking about if you watch the movie Broken Ceiling.

Acting Skills Displayed in the Broken Ceiling Movie

I think all of the actors did an adequate job in their roles. The stand out actor -- at least in the beginning of the movie is the temperamental  “boss” who is anxious to get rid of anyone who stands in his way of  progress.  In fact, this character’s actions may in turn cause you to keep watching the movie Broken Ceiling to find out what his fate is.

Suspense in the Broken Ceiling Movie

Without going into any details, there is a certain amount of suspense in Broken Ceiling throughout the movie.  There is a segment of the movie when two unexpected events happen at once, and sets the stage for the continuing actions in the movie.  I’m sure you will realize which moment is referenced here if you watch the movie.

Extreme Measures in the Broken Ceiling Movie

As you watch the Broken Ceiling movie, you may be amazed at the trials and tribulations certain people seem to go through for advancement or promotions. The obvious question is if someone is not moving up, then why wouldn’t they simply “move out" to opportunities elsewhere? This is the option that had me on the fence in giving this movie a high rating.  However, after seeing the complete film, I feel that my rating of Broken Ceiling is warranted, even though there may have been some “movie license” going on in order to move the story along.

Assessment of the Broken Ceiling Movie

I found the Amazon Prime Video Broken Ceiling movie to be entertaining to watch.  In spite of the obvious not being done in the movie as stated above, I think the movie got its point across by letting the characters stay as is.   In my purview, after watching the movie -- I think my time was very well spent. If you watch the Broken Ceiling movie  -- maybe yours will  be too.

Rating of the Broken Ceiling Movie

Based on a rating of 1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate Broken Ceiling 5 stars.

Introduction to Uncut Gems Review by Ms. H

I saw Uncut Gems in the movie theater a few months ago. Looking back, I recall the fast talking and pace of the movie. I also remember the ending of the movie.  Don’t worry, I won’t spoil it for you. However, if you want to find out if I recommend you watch the Uncut Gems mociw, check out my review to find out.

Plot of the Uncut Gems Movie

You’ve probably heard of people with a lucky rabbit’s foot, a horseshoe or other objects they think will bring them good luck. Uncut Gems ties into this belief in a way because the film is about how this gem became an item that a pro-basket ball player believed would bring him good luck, especially when playing pro basketball.

A subplot of the Uncut Gems movie is the gambling habit of the main character, a jewelry store owner, played by Adam Sandler. Needless to say, this habit is causing him a lot of strife and stress.  As expected, Adam Sandler’s character is in debt and has promised numerous times to pay money back to some seedy characters.

Dialogue in the Uncut Gems Movie

You may notice that there is hardly a movie frame without Adam Sandler talking with a very strong accent. I give credit to the writers for being able to move the story along not only by actions but also by the continuous talking of Adam Sandler’s character.  

When I watched the movie, I was annoyed at first with this dialogue.  However, looking back on the movie, I realize how much work probably went into writing such a dialogue in the movie -- unless, of course, there were ad libs.

Money Payback Time in the Uncut Gems Movie

If you watch the Uncut Gems movie, you may be amazed at how many times Adam Sandler’s character was able to get away with not paying back the money after he said he would. The interesting part about this movie is the payback money was intricately tied to a large, unassuming looking gem the pro basketball player really believed was his good luck charm. In fact Adam Sandler's survival depended on the basketball player winning a game with or without the gem. 

Suspense in the Uncut Gems Movie

There is suspense in the Uncut Gems movie regarding whether Adam Sandler’s character will be able to scrounge up enough money to pay back these unsavory characters.  When I watched the

film, I wondered why he did not raise money from his jewelry store. But in hindsight, just because someone has a jewelry business, does not mean that they necessarily have money.  In fact, during the movie when Adam Sandler was attempting to explain when and how he would pay this money back, the jewelry store was mentioned. 

Women Roles in the Uncut Gems Movie

The plus of writing a screenplay or a story is you can determine how you want characters to be depicted by revealing their personality to the reader. Unfortunately, in the Uncut Gems movie, women were used mostly to do the bidding of the male. For example, one of the female workers in his jewelry store ventured out to perform a deed for Adam Sandler only because she supposedly was romantically involved with him.  

Assessment of the Uncut Gems Movie

I think the movie conveyed the urgency of why Adam Sandler’s character needed this money and brings out the downside of gambling, whether or not you owe money or not. So there is a lesson to be learned here. 

 I like how the writers had the characters complain about a stuck door during the early part of the film, and then used that same stuck door to be the mechanism (sort of) that would protect Adam Sandler from his enemies when tthey confronted him. I also believe Uncut Gems was an excellent title for the movie. On the flip side, I was not a fan of the profanity or how the women were treated in the movie.  I was also disappointed in the ending.

Do I recommend this movie to you? Yes, I recommend you watch the Uncut Gems movie for some of its entertainment value and because it reminds you that gambling is well....a gamble.

Rating of the Uncut Gems Movie

Based on a rating of  1 star to 5 stars with 5 stars being the highest, I rate the Uncut Gems movie 3 ½ stars.