Emma Ebben

Honestly? A little disappointing. This would be a 2 star rating if it weren't for Bruno. I honestly wish there was a 2.5 star option. It deserves better than a 2 but a 3 feels too high. I'm sorry this is so harsh, because I love Lin-Manuel Miranda and these last few years I feel like Disney's had a lot of good movies, but this one was a miss for me. I thought the music was just alright overall, but it didn't feel like the songs fit cohesively together as a part of one project. Also I felt that the family's powers were severely underutilized as a part of the plot, and only one of them (Bruno) really helped to drive the story forward. Additionally, I feel like there was a lot left unexplained, like why the house was breaking in the first place. Was it because her sisters and uncle felt burdened by their gifts? Or because the grandma was pushing them too hard? And if it was either of those or a different reason...why now? And why when it seemed like the other half the family was like...fine with their gifts? I dont know. Also it's never explained why Mirabel didn't get a gift, which in itself isnt bad, but they start the movie in a way that makes you think she's gonna figure out why, or is gonna go on some journey of self-discovery that ends with her loving herself as ordinary and like...that kinda? Happens? But also not really and the plot is resolved really easily when it is. Also maybe a small thing but it bugged me when Bruno finally came out of hiding after years and years only for his mother and everyone to like, hug him and then not ask any questions about where he's been or how he's doing, and it feels like his problems with feeling like everyone hates him for predicting bad stuff in the future, (aka the reason he's been in hiding for literal years) is easily resolved as soon as he's back, like all of his negative feelings about himself and his gift have just vanished. Overall it's a cute movie and it had its moments, but it felt very very underdeveloped and surface-level for me.

Just...its so bad. Vince Vaughn being a teenage girl is funny, sure, but I can watch Jack Black do the same thing in the Jumanji remake and I don't have to sit through absolute garbage writing to do it. I keep typing out long-winded explanations about why I dislike the writing so much and then deleting them because it's hard to even put into words just how absolutely surface level every single character and thing in this movie is. I get that they were trying to be self-aware and be like "haha! What a fun twist on the cliche horror movie archetypes where they switch bodies!" But like the writing is genuinely not clever enough to make it obvious that that's what they're trying to do, and as a result, every single character is annoying and so many of the things they do make literally no sense. (Especially like...the serial killer waking up in a teen's body and then...deciding to do her hair and makeup? Before school? Even though he makes no effort to 'blend in' when he gets there, and we know he usually doesnt shower and sleeps on the floor surrounded by animal carcasses?? But like okay sure I guess on top of everything else we're throwing in a She's All That-style cliche where everyone's suddenly gonna be like ":O! She's hot!?" in a way that makes virtually no sense) Also everyone looks like they were dressed by a costume designer and most of the sets looked like they were designed by a set designer...and like obviously they were but in a *good* movie, I wouldn't notice because like...not every teenager puts *that* much effort into every outfit, and I'm willing to bet most serial killers don't sleep in garage-things that are...gory but artsy? Anyways sorry if that's harsh but I seriously hated this movie.