Skip to main content

Joy Ride (2023)

 


Joy Ride is a comedy about a group of Chinese-American women being awkward and girlbosses in China.

Adele Lim tries to recreate her prior success with Crazy Rich Asians with this female-centered comedy. I'm sure there are many cultural references that went over many US audiences, but the intentional comedy scenes weren't landing. The cuts were so quick it was like watching the film through the eyes of an ADHD child. There were many scenes in which you had to suspend your disbelief to make it through. I'm fine with that if the payoff works and there's a laugh, there wasn't.

While Ashley Park is a beautiful woman, she's not that funny. The film also addresses the fact that Park, the actress, is Korean but plays a Chinese woman in the film. Sherry Cola is given the most comedy to work with but she's so insufferable and rude that she just comes off as annoying. Stephanie Hsu probably has the best comedic timing but isn't giving her enough of the lines to really improve the movie. There is another woman in there but she's so inconsequential.

I generally measure comedies with how many times I laugh. It's better directed than some other entries this year, but in terms of comedies, it's pretty bad. I wasn't dreading every moment like I was with Your Place or Mine or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, but the film exhausted me. Result: D+.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Housemaid (2025)

The Housemaid (2025) is directed by Paul Feig , best known for comedies like Bridesmaids and Freaks and Geeks , and the tonal clash is noticeable. Feig leans into slick presentation and surface-level tension, but the film never quite reconciles its thriller ambitions with its obvious messaging. As an adaptation, it feels safer and more predictable than it wants to be, especially given how clearly it telegraphs its twists. Sydney Sweeney , known for Euphoria and Anyone But You , plays a down-on-her-luck woman recently out on parole who is desperate for work. She does what she can with the role and brings some emotional weight early on, but the writing limits her range. Her character cycles through bashful and annoyed so often that it starts to feel repetitive rather than psychologically layered. Amanda Seyfried , recognizable from Mamma Mia! and Mean Girls , plays the wealthy woman whose life slowly unravels as the power dynamic flips. Seyfried is solid and more controlled than Sw...
Post a Comment
Read more

Marty Supreme (2025)

Marty Supreme (2025) is written and directed by Josh Safdie , who previously directed Good Time and Uncut Gems . This film carries that same frantic Safdie energy, with constant motion and pressure that rarely lets the audience breathe. It is chaotic by design, sometimes to a fault, but the intensity feels intentional rather than sloppy. Even when the pacing threatens to overwhelm, the film remains compelling due to the strength of its performances. Timothée Chalamet , known for Dune and Call Me by Your Name , plays the title role and fits it perfectly. He fully commits to the character’s ambition and volatility, balancing confidence with insecurity in a way that feels natural for him at this stage of his career. This is not a transformative performance, but it is a highly effective one, and he clearly understands the rhythm and demands of a Safdie-style film. Odessa A’zion , who audiences may recognize from Grand Army and Hellraiser (2022) , is a standout as the love interest. S...
Post a Comment
Read more

Anaconda (2025)

Anaconda (2025) is a reboot comedy of the 90s film, written and directed by Tom Gormican , who previously delivered the clever and self-aware The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent . Unfortunately, that lightning does not strike twice. The core problem is simple. The jokes do not land. If horror films are judged by scares per minute, then comedies should be judged by laughs per minute, and this one delivers virtually none. Any humor that works was already burned in the trailer, leaving the film feeling empty and painfully drawn out. Jack Black , known for School of Rock and Jumanji , leans heavily into his loud, chaotic persona, but here it becomes grating rather than charming. His performance feels unchecked and repetitive, as if volume alone is meant to substitute for comedy. Instead of elevating scenes, he often drains them of momentum. Paul Rudd , who audiences know from Ant-Man and I Love You, Man , somehow comes off just as irritating. Rudd is usually likable even in weak m...
Post a Comment
Read more