Below are my reviews for the week of January 1st-6th.
Movie: The Bad Guys Directed by Pierre Perifel and Screenplay by Etan Cohen
Summary:
The Bad Guys is an animated movie based on the popular illustrated children’s graphic novel series by the Australian author Aaron Blabey. The story follows a group of villains, including a wolf, snake, shark, and tarantula. When the group is caught, they hatch up a plan to be released by pretending to reform themselves. Eventually, they embark on a mission to prove themselves by undertaking a daring heist to save their city from a mysterious evil threat. The movie combines humor, action, and adventure, targeting a family audience with its lighthearted and entertaining storyline.
Summary written with the help of ChatGPT.
My Thoughts:
First of all, I loved this movie’s animation style. I don’t really know how to describe it, but I can maybe say that at times it reminds me of Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse, Sunny With a Chance of Meatballs, and The Mitchells vs. the Machines. I also loved how there’s no explanation as to how these anthropomorphic animals just coexist in a world with humans.
This movie felt a bit similar to Zootopia. Both movies feature animals that are generally thought of as devious “predators” who then learn to embrace their potential for goodness and prove to their communities that there’s more to them than what meets the eye. There are some other similarities, mainly when it comes to the true villain of the story, but I might get into spoiler territory if I explain them.
Overall, I think this is a fun heist movie for all ages. Although it’s kind of a simple story, the core message can resonate with all of us, and I appreciate any story that encourages us to spread goodness. While our society might be quite individualistic and encourages us to look out for our own self interests, there is a joy, a “tail wag” kind of feeling, that we can only find in doing good for others. This movie shows this feeling perfectly when Mr. Wolf is told that he is a “good boy” for the first time:
My Rating:
Book: Mango, Mambo, and Murder by Raquel V. Reyes
Summary:
Miriam Quiñones-Smith, a Cuban-American food anthropologist, moves from New York to Coral Shores (a wealthy neighborhood in Miami). She puts her academic career on hold to stay at home with her young son and settle into her new life. In her short time living in this new place, Miriam witnesses two deaths under suspicious circumstances. She becomes an amateur sleuth to help clear her best friend’s name, all while juggling being a mother, suspecting her husband of having an affair, dealing with her mother-in-law’s expectations, and starting a new part-time job as a cook-show host on a Hispanic TV channel.
My Thoughts:
I’ve shared before that I’m a huge fan of “cozy mysteries.” They’re definitely comfort reading, and when I’m looking for an easy read, I will rotate between reading cozy mysteries and romance novels.
My friend chose this book for our book club last month. I wasn’t really expecting much, just another simple, cozy mystery, but with some added Hispanic flavor. After finishing this book, I was surprised to find that it was more complex than I had anticipated. It had a lot more exposition than I had expected, and Miriam doesn’t begin her sleuthing until about the book’s half-way point. I didn’t mind it though! I think the world-building was important, and it really makes the characters feel alive. I am Mexican, and I love learning about other cultures’ experiences here in the US. I am not super familiar with the Cuban-American experience, and so I enjoyed getting a glimpse into what life is like for some Cuban-Americans in Florida.
The only thing I found “cringe” about this book is the way that Miriam constantly talks out loud to herself. I don’t think this was necessarily an important characterization for this character, and I don’t think it was ever used as a way to really push the plot forward. The author also uses some cliched lines every now and then, like the, “I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding” kind of lines. Other than that, this book was a fun read, and I loved experiencing Coral Shores and Miami through Miriam. I also liked that the author wasn’t afraid to touch on the social dynamics that Miriam has to navigate as a Cuban-American living in a predominantly rich, white neighborhood.
I look forward to reading more books in this series. I’m curious to see how Miriam will continue sleuthing in other books and how her career as a morning-show cooking host will pan out.
My Rating:
One Per Week 
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