‘King Richard’: How Breakouts Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton Aced Venus and Serena Williams

No one else on this planet has accomplished what Venus and Serena Williams have. For the Williams sisters, their unmatched success in tennis is just the tip of the iceberg. And even that seems as if it should never have happened: for a pair of Black girls growing up in Compton, California, an elite sport that requires copious amounts of money, access, and time — in addition to plain old talent — shouldn’t have even been on their radar.

But as the crowd-pleasing new drama “King Richard” suggests, Venus and Serena’s parents were determined to give them (and their sisters) a better life and all the opportunities that comes with it. That drive and ambition, along with the family’s shared worth ethic, helped launch the pair into superstardom at a young age, ensuring that they will forever go down as two of the greatest athletes ever to live.

Continue reading at Indiewire.

Will Smith Is the Best Part of the Live-Action ‘Aladdin’—Honestly, Truly

So you know we had to do it. We saw the live-action version of Disney’s Aladdin and here’s a reviewof our many thoughts. When Disney first announced that they were bringing the epic tale of Princess Jasmine and the thief from Agrabah to the big screen, we were a bit taken aback. After all,Aladdin is a ’90s classic from our childhoods, and since Robin Williams passed away in 2014, we had no idea who would take over the legendary role of Genie.

As more details about the Guy Ritchie-led film began to leak to the press, we’re just going to admit that our uncertainty grew. There were whispers about the cast not being Middle-Eastern or North African enough for their roles, and once the first photos leaked people literally rioted on the internet.

However, we knew we had to give Aladdin a chance–the man has a magic carpet after all–and we’re glad we did. Despite that tragic top-knot and Yaki braid, Will Smith is legendary as Genie. He makes the character his own, adding a bit of the flair and charm that Robin Williams delivered in 1992. Also, the animation is genuinely extraordinary. When you consider what the animated film looked like and juxtapose it against this flick less than 30-years later, Disney deserves a reward. Aladdin isn’t perfect. It’s a bit too long at 2 hours and 8 minutes, the opening sequence is puzzling, the soundtrack is full of autotune, and we couldn’t really take Jafar serious as a legit villain, but it has a lot of the whimsy of the original.

Feel free to dive into the Cave of Wonders with 7 magical things we love about the live-action Aladdin.

Continue reading at STYLECASTER.

Netflix's 'Bright' refuses to take any real risks (Review)

Fans of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings have probably all wished at some point that they could arise one morning and walk amongst magical creatures. These mystical beings might make our world more enticing and adventurous or at the very least break up the daily monotony that seems to bog us all down. With his new film Bright, Suicide Squad director David Ayer unveils a futuristic graffiti laced Los Angeles where Orcs, Fairies, Elves, and Centaurs live and thrive amongst human beings. Will Smith and Joel Edgerton star as LAPD Officers Daryl Ward and a Deputy Nick Jakoby-- a human and diversity hire Orc respectively, who are reluctantly bound together as partners on the force. With just five years until he receives his pension, a weary Ward is clinging to his job and his life so that he might be able to provide a future for his family. However, retiring unscathed might be more difficult than he expected. In this world, racism looks different. Humans rank well below the glamorous Elves who have taken over the posh districts of the city. In contrast to Ward, Jakoby adores his position on the force, though he’s ostracized by other Orcs who turn their nose down at him for betraying their race. Things are also difficult for him on the job where officers berate, abuse, and distrust him. With glimpses of vicious Fairies, magic wands and the upper echelon of the Elf communities, Bright sets the scene for a nuanced and detailed LA that should be right out of a fairy tale. However, things don’t stay quite so magical.

Out on the beat one day, Ward and Jakoby stumble across Tikka (Lucy Fry), a young Elf with powers (called a Bright) in possession of a coveted magic wand. On their quest to get Tikka and the wand to safety, Ward and Jakoby must evade a diabolical Elf named Leilah, a witch who seeks the power of the wand for herself. The men are also up against their fellow police officers, Orcs, and LA gangsters who are also desperate for the potent artifact. This is where the storyline stops being riveting and fresh. Ayer who wrote the screenplay for the phenomenal Denzel Washington led Training Day, takes a significant trope from the older film --one so easily recognizable that it was almost comical to watch again, sixteen years later in Bright.

Continue reading on Shadow and Act.

Review: ‘Suicide Squad’ Is Vibrantly Dull

When I first began seeing promo materials for “Suicide Squad,” whether on subway platforms or splashed across my TV screen, I was struck by the vibrant, in-your-face nature of the trailers and posters. It was riveting in a way that films rarely are. Warner Bros. seemed to be ripping this story straight from the pages of their beloved DC comic books, bringing the infamous Task Force X to life through stunning pop-up art and vibrant letters. A highly-anticipated film, with a diverse and star-studded cast, the villain riddled “Suicide Squad” got me all the way into the theater, only to abruptly leave me hanging a mere twenty minutes into the film.

Written and directed by “Training Day” scribe David Ayer, the story opens shortly after the events of “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” (which I called aggressively overblown, but fun to watch). Government Agent Amanda Waller, (who is played ferociously by Viola Davis) has managed to round up some of the worst criminals in society. Holding them hostage at a Black Ops site, Waller hopes to manipulate them into becoming a team of super villains. It is her hope that this team will help serve her in taking other meta-humans and evildoers down.

So who are these mega villains? There is a motley crew, which is where I think the film began to trip over itself. Along with Davis’ Waller, the main cast consists of Will Smith as the assassin Deadshot, Margot Robbie and Jared Leto as Harley Quinn and The Joker respectively, Joel Kinnaman and Cara Delevingne star as Rick Flag and Enchantress, and rounding out the supporting cast is Australian actor Jai Courtney as Boomerang, Jay Hernandez as El Diablo, British-Nigerian actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaj as Killer Croc, Adam Beach as Slipnot and Karen Fukuhara in her first ever film appearance as Katana. With a cast bursting at the seams, there was little room left for poignant storylines and a well thought out trajectory. Furthermore, the gaps in acting ability were glaringly obvious. When juxtaposed with heavyweights like Davis, Smith, Leto and even Margot Robbie’s topsy-turvy Harley Quinn, Delevingne and Kinnaman’s performances as star crossed lovers felt false, and fell flat.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Image: Warner Bros.