MOVIE REVIEW: HEART EYES

 
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A masked maniac with glowing, red eyes returns every Valentine's Day to slaughter unsuspecting couples. When a cynical ad executive and her hopelessly romantic colleague become the next target, they decide to fight back and end the reign of terror.

Director: Josh Ruben

Cast: Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Gigi Zumbado, Michaela Watkins, Devon Sawa, Jordana Brewster

Release Date: February 7, 2025

Genre: Comedy, Horror, Mystery

Rated R for strong violence and gore, language and some sexual content.

Runtime: 1h 37m

Review:

Heart Eyes is a fun slasher/rom com mash up that works more often than not thanks in large part to its tongue in cheek tone and strong chemistry from Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding.  Josh Ruben shows off his ability to balance the horror and rom-com elements with general ease much like he did in his 2021 sleeper, Werewolves Within, which hit some similar notes.  He leans into the general silliness of both genres by playing up the clichés by peppering the film with elements of each throughout.  Outside of a few clunky moments here and there it mostly works in the film's favor which makes it surprisingly likable even with its occasional stumbles.  There's a fun, playful spirit running through the film that should make it readily apparent that this whole endeavor is more of a lark than a straightforward slasher which may leave a few people wanting for more straight up scares to go along with the blood and guts.  The rom-com elements work more organically thanks to the film's two leads who clearly understood the assignment.  Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding share some strong chemistry onscreen with both showing off some impressive comedic timing during the mayhem.  They both fully buy into what Ruben is trying to do with the film, and both are clearly having a ball onscreen which makes them a likable pair that's easy to root for.  The supporting players are equally locked with Gigi Zumbado and Michaela Watkins leaving the biggest impressions with their limited screentime.  Devon Sawa and Jordana Brewster's detectives are fun but underutilized even though both are more than ready to ham it up.  It makes for a slightly uneven final act especially once the predictable reveal occurs.  It ultimately doesn't keep Heart Eyes from being an enjoyable endeavor especially for anyone who's sat through one too many slashers or rom coms in their time.

B

Cindy Prascik’s Review of Fast & Furious 6

Dearest Blog, today it was off to the cinema with one of my favorite girls to see some of my favorite guys in Fast & Furious 6.
Agent Hobbs uses a ghost from their past to enlist Dominic Toretto and crew to bring down a dangerous international criminal mastermind.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

Huge action, loud music, and plenty of eye candy make the Fast & Furious franchise my kinda movies, and the sixth installment does not disappoint.

I consider a big screen full of Vin Diesel the noblest and best use of a big screen. The Fast & Furious films don't tax what some might (cruelly!) call his limited abilities, and he capably leads the ensemble through its high-octane paces. Dwayne Johnson brings his customary charm back to the table, and great banter between Chris "Ludacris" Bridges and Tyrese Gibson provides most of the movie's comic relief. Luke Evans shines as a baaaaaaaaaaad baddie who poses the team's biggest threat yet. If you aren't a Luke Evans fan, well, you haven't been listening to a word I've said these past three years, but you're sure to be impressed with him in FF6. I only wish he'd had more screen time...but then again I always wish that!

As usual, jaw dropping car chases and stunts provide Fast 6's centerpiece. Had this film been in 3D, I might have gotten carsick! There's also a fair bit of impressive weaponry and plenty of hand-to-hand combat, including a hot girlfight between Gina Carano and the glorious Michelle Rodriguez. Though it's never slow, Fast 6 does run a tad long, something that easily could have been fixed by cutting some shots of gears being shifted. The car's going fast. Now it's going faster. We get it already.

Fast & Furious 6 clocks in at 130 minutes and is rated PG13 for "intense sequences of violence and action and mayhem throughout, some sexuality and language."

Fast & Furious 6 is, in the immortal words of Sergeant Nicholas Angel, "an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride," sure to please old and new fans alike. Even a mid-flick theatre evacuation today couldn't derail the fun! The movie will never win any Academy Awards, but it's everything it promises to be and everything fans expect. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Fast & Furious 6 gets eight.

Until next time...


Luke Evans...as awesome as I promised you he is! ;-)