One of Them Days:
Plot Summary: Dreux Jones and her roommate, Alyssa, are forced to scrape together $1500 over the course of nine hours after Alyssa’s boyfriend, Keshawn, wasted their rent money on his failing start-up t-shirt company. The film follows their various ventures to try to get the money, balance a tense friendship and try to make it to an important job interview that could change their lives.
One of Them Days is a unique and hilarious new comedy by director Lawrence Lamont that tells a simple and effective story about making it through life even on the worst days.
Despite most of the marketing focusing on singer-songwriter SZA, actress KeKe Palmer shines in the role of Dreux (pronounced like Drew) Jones. Jones, a level-headed waitress, serves as the perfect foil for her hilarious but idiotic roommate Alyssa (played by SZA.) SZA’s role gives surprising depth to a woman music fans might believe is rather level-headed, considering her mature discography.
A unique feature of ‘One of Them Days’ is the utilization of a rolling timer throughout the film that periodically tracks how long the roommates have to turn in their missing rent money. Chance encounters with homeless people, loan sharks and more eccentric characters continue to draw laughs even as time is running out and the stakes get higher.
‘One of Them Days’ is not without its flaws. It stretches believability in a few scenes, such as a fight scene that utilizes a combination of kung-fu and twerking, and a more than hectic third act, but it doesn’t stretch itself too thin and is rescued by the movie’s realistic and memorable dialogue.
While the film focuses on issues more relatable to Black America and down-on-their-luck women, people of all ages, genders and races will find ‘One of Them Days’ an enjoyable and humorous flick. It is a must-see movie that will keep viewers wishing for more.
FINAL VERDICT:
SEE IT!
4.0 / 5 Stars
Sonic 3:
Plot Summary: Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) and his team of speedy creatures must team up with their former nemesis Doctor Robtonic (played by Jim Carrey) to face a terrifying new threat to Earth: Shadow the Hedgehog (voiced by Keanu Reeves).
‘Sonic 3’ is not only another great entry in the Sonic movie universe, it is the best to date. It touches on heartfelt themes such as found family and forgiveness, while managing to balance the darkest installment yet in an otherwise light-hearted children’s movie series.
What makes ‘Sonic 3’ stand out from its predecessors is its ability to “yes, and” everything that made previous entries so special. Audiences loved Jim Carey’s role as the eccentric Doctor Robotnik, and now Carey plays two similar-yet-distinct roles in the Robotnik family in the threequel (including a tongue-n-cheek fourth wall break regarding the matter). Enjoyable human side characters also return in expanded roles, with the peculiar Agent Stone getting a surprisingly emotional role in a previously one-dimensional character.
And, a focus on the darker parts of the franchise instead of toning them down heightens the film’s storytelling (a few nameless goons are even vaporized in the film, a step up from having no death in the first two movies.)
Sonic 3 still has too much hand-holding during montage and flashback sequences (a problem overall with the film industry,) but (mostly) tones down the obnoxious toilet humor and lets Sonic 3 elevate itself to a new high not only as a video game and kids movie, but as a film.
It’s probably best that potential ‘Sonic 3’ viewers wait until its release to streaming, expected to land on Paramount+ sometime in mid-February/March. Viewers will want to catch up on not only the previous two movies but also maybe explore the ‘Knuckles’ TV show (this author skipped it and was unaffected in their viewing experience, so it’s your discretion) before seeing ‘Sonic 3.’ However, it is one of the best children’s movies to come out in the last twenty years and should be seen whenever convenient.
FINAL VERDICT:
STREAM IT
4.5 stars out of 5 stars.
“What is See it, Stream it, Skip it?”
“See it, Stream it, Skip it” is a movie review column by writer Cody Buskohl that aims to save viewers from wasting money at the theaters on movies they might not enjoy! It serves to give readers two to three spoiler-free reviews every week of new box office films and report back on whether they should see it now, wait until it comes to streaming services, or skip it all together.