Drive-Away Dolls, Bob Marley: One Love, Netflix’s The Last Airbender Review | See It or Skip It

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4) — From the new Bob Marley biopic to a road trip comedy, this week is full of choices to go see in the theaters. Netflix has premiered its adaptation of the animated show Avatar: The Last Airbender. ABC4 Film Critic Patrick Beatty is here to tell us what to see and what to skip.

We’re going to start things off with a biopic about one of the greatest Rastafari singers we know, Bob Marley. In Bob Marley: One Love we’re delving into the history of Bob Marley when it comes to his roots in Jamaica, his life in America, and the political uprisings and problems that were happening when he made his music. Not only did his music change the world in many ways, but it also changed politics in his hometown.

Kingsley Ben-adir continues to prove that he is an incredible leading performer and fully embodies Bob Marley. The music is moving and a great listen, especially for Bob Marley music fans. This is one that you’re going to leave with a tune in your head the whole way home. That being said, if you’re looking for something new in the biopic genre, I don’t know if Bob Marley: One Love does more than what we’ve seen already.

There are a lot of the tropes that you’ve seen for movies like this such as Walk the Line or Bohemian Rhapsody that continue to plague this genre to make it less enticing for people who want to see something new. The third act seems to wrap up a lot of moments that I wish were fleshed out more. There’s a lot more stuff about Bob Marley as a person that I wish we could have explored in the film.

But if it’s something that you’re looking forward to, definitely go and check it out. For me, I would say you could wait for it until it comes out on streaming.

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Next, we have a new Coen brother film. But maybe one Coen brother is just enough to give you the movie that you’re looking for with Drive-Away Dolls.

I found this to be a pretty amusing story. We have two girls who are set on a road trip to explore more about themselves, and who they are in this coming-of-age story with a murderous twist. It’s also somewhat of a love story, and our two leading performances are very good. Margaret Qualley does a pretty great impression of George Clooney from O Brother Where Art Thou and her accent work lends to her comedic performance.

The film has an independent vibe. The story elements feel like they could be perfect for an LGBTQIA love story. As far as the plot twists go, for somebody who can generally spot plot twists coming, I had no idea what to expect.

There’s a special cameo from somebody who seems to be doing a lot of these in almost every film nowadays. Still, they also do a fantastic job with the part they have. This probably isn’t going to be a film to watch with family. Maybe this is up your alley, but if you’re going with your grandma, make sure to cover her eyes for pretty much the entire last third of the film. It might be too niche of a subject for some people.

I feel like the independent vibe is great, however, it might not find its footing in the theaters. It could end up going into the cult classics if people end up picking it up later on when it hits streaming and digital.

If the jokes are a little too crass, it might not be the choice for you. But for me, I would say this is one that you can wait to stream or check out with your buddies for a fairly entertaining night.

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To round out this episode, we have Avatar, The Last Airbender. No, we’re not talking about M. Night Shyamalan’s version. This is the Netflix adaptation that they have been working on for the past couple of years.

We have a new cast that feels like they were ripped right from the animation. It feels like a much more faithful adaptation of the animated show that I think fans may end up liking. There’s more humor and sincerity than the film, while still giving you a darker tone that could do more in this format than an animated film could do.

The live-action fighting sequences and the way they use water bending, fire bending, and earth bending are pretty spectacular. I did like the visual effects and I enjoyed how they choreographed these fights. They do make some changes and not necessarily ones that are for the better, but just changes that fit the story that they’re trying to tell.

At the end of the day, if you want to be a couch potato for the weekend, this is definitely a see-it

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Note: See It or Skip It is proudly owned and produced by Patrick Beatty. ABC4 is a broadcast partner, but the show, its content, and opinions are independently created.