Two queens don't get the script they deserve, and a popcorn manages to fail to deliver on its name.
Dave: When I was in grad school, I got a little bit into couponing. There was a definite high when you could buy, say, 5 toothbrushes and 3 things of sinus medicine at Target for 50 cents. Also, I was trying to stretch grad school wages. In addition, I love Kristen Bell, so I should have been the target audience for this movie. While the jokes were funny, the two leads, Kirsten Bell and Kirby, were fun to watch, and the character actors that filled out the cast were hilarious, I’m not sure what I was supposed to take away from it. The Robin Hood angle, where the two leads take a bite out of big corporations doesn’t quite come through, since the film spends so much time with the oddball loss prevention officer who, really, is more likable than either of the leads in the end. It was a bit of a mess, but there were some really good jokes. (️️️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
I guess we’e been spoiled by the dozens of sweet popcorns that I’ve made Joe eat over the years. We have a pretty tried-and-true recipe for caramel popcorn now and, while this was a super-easy alternative, it didn’t quite live up to the real thing. It smelled heavenly when we sprinkled it on with a bit of butter, though it smelled more like maple syrup at a pancake house than caramel popcorn. But the taste was a bit underwhelming, even when we piled more on. Still, as usual, we ate the entire bowl. (️️⭐️⭐️1/2)
Joe: I've never seen Veronica Mars, so I wasn't even aware of Kristen Bell's existence until The Good Place which is, no hyperbole, one of my Top 5 favorite television shows. She brings the same level of dizzying enthusiasm to her roll in Queenpins, but she's no match for her counterpart, played by Kirby Howell-Baptiste whose comedic timing is damn near flawless. Both women seem to be having a blast, but they're done no favors by a script that can't seem to decide if it's slapstick, caustic satire, or buddy comedy. There was a real missed opportunity for some scathing commentary on rampant commercialism and capitalism and corporate greed, but the threads never come together. Still, I was engaged for the entire running time, so that's something. (⭐️⭐️⭐️)
When someone (hi, Chris!) gives you a collection of popcorn enhancers to try for your weekly popcorn & movie night, it would be rude if you didn't try them and report back. The people need to know! A couple weeks, we indulged in the Chili Lime. It was good! This week, I opted to go sweet the sweet route. As I was shaking the sprinkle onto the popcorn, I became deliriously exciting. It. smelled. like. pancakes. Was "buttery caramel" code for "delicious weekend morning breakfast"? Reader, it wasn't. The scent was the best thing this popcorn topper had going for it. After the first disappointing handful, we poured more on the popcorn. The result? More brunch aroma, still no flavor. More shaking. Still nothing. Repeat in both shaking and utter, unyielding dismay. What a bust. (⭐️1/2)
Popcorn recipe from: Joe Prince 💅🏻😒
Queenpins on IMDB.
Comments