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It was a week without a major blockbuster tent pole release, but there were still options out there! Here’s a look at the new movies I saw this week.

Joy Ride (Theaters)
Starring: Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, and Sabrina Wu
Synopsis: It’s been said that friends are the family we choose. They’re the ones who know us best and who stick by us. When needed, they also challenge us to be our best selves. Joy Ride, a new comedy from Adele Lim, delivers on this theme. We begin with Audrey (Park) and Lolo (Cola) meeting as children. As the only Asian kids in a fairly white neighborhood, Audrey’s adoptive parents hope they can bond. Turns out it doesn’t take much for them to become fast friends. Fast-forward 25 years and they are leading completely different lives. Audrey is a high-achiever and a lawyer on the fast-track. Lolo is a free spirit and an aspiring artist. But they’re still fast friends. And when Audrey needs to make a trip to China for business, Lolo tags along as a translator. While in country, they are joined by Lolo’s cousin, Deadeye (Wu), and Audrey’s college roommate Kat (Hsu), a famous actress. The squad is coming together to help Audrey close a big deal but soon it turns into a journey to find her birth mother. Along the way, she learns more about herself and what it means to find a place to belong. During the summer season we often get wild and over-the-top comedies that become classics. In fact, it’s a hallmark of the summer season. It’s easy to see Joy Ride becoming that film of summer for 2023. The story was crafted in part by Lim with a final script from Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao. It’s a moving story with wild comedy sequences but also a surprisingly emotional third act. Lim serves as director, creating an energetic and engaging film. I loved some of the chaotic comedy sequences and the way a number of things are cut together in one sequence, such as when the girls connect with a China league basketball team at a hotel. I also loved the K-Pop inspired musical number and sequence, which has a jaw-dropping closing sequence. What drives the story is the performances. Park is a delight in the lead role. She plays more of the straight woman in the high comedy sequences, but the heart and deep emotion in the arc for her character in the third act brought the film home for me. Meanwhile, Cola, Hsu and Wu are pure delight. They create unique and incredibly engaging characters. Cola and Hsu, in particular, are hilarious in a number of sequences. They have strong and delightful characters. While Wu’s Deadeye is one of the most surprising and engaging characters in the film. Overall, I loved the journey here. I wanted a big, broad comedy and I got that. But I also got a story with a lot of heart. It’s a great and memorable journey that lives up to the name Joy Ride.
Rating: Rated R for strong and crude sexual content, language throughout, drug content and brief graphic nudity.
Verdict: Four Stars out of five

The Out-Laws (Netflix)
Starring: Adam Devine, Pierce Brosnan, Ellen Barkin, Nina Dobrev, and Michael Rooker
Synopsis: Weddings are stressful, especially when it comes with meeting the in-laws. In the case of this new comedy on Netflix, the in-laws turn out to have a few challenges of their own. Owen (Devine) is a successful bank manager who is cruising toward his impending nuptials with Parker (Dobrev). But he’s never met her parents, who live away and are a bit reclusive. When they shift course and show up for the wedding, Owen tries to make a good impression on his future in-laws (Brosnan and Barkin). When his bank is robbed soon after they arrive, he begins to suspect they might be infamous criminals. Mayhem and hilarity then ensue. At least that’s the blueprint for the film. Devine is fine, as are Brosnan and Barkin. Dobrev does fine in a fairly two-dimensional role. Much like her parents, you spend time wondering why Parker was drawn to Owen. Rooker, Richard Kind and Lil Rel Howery show up in supporting roles. The film moves at a decent pace, owing to its 95-minute run time. It’s fine and a decent watch if you’re looking for a little escape, but there’s not much to it. I hoped for a little bit more.
Rating: Rated R for language throughout, violence, sexual material and brief drug use.
Verdict: Two stars out of five

Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken (Theaters)
Starring: Lana Condor, Jane Fonda, Toni Collette, Colman Domingo, Sam Richardson, Annie Murphy and Will Forte
Synopsis: We have gotten a handful of animated features this summer, both on the big screen and streaming. And several of them have been impressive and moving stories. Ruby Gillman doesn’t live up to that billing. The film follows a teenage kraken, Ruby (Condor), who is trying to be a normal teenager, hiding the kraken of it all. She’s been warned to stay out of the ocean. But when she ends up in the ocean, she transforms into a giant kraken, which is a lot to hide. Turns out her mother (Collette) and father (Domingo) have been hiding a lot about their family. When her uncle (Richardson) turns up and takes her down to meet her grandmother (Fonda), Ruby learns a lot about her family history and her place in the ocean. Will she rise to the occasion when a vicious mermaid (Murphy) threatens her family and her community? That’s the question for which you likely already know the answer. This film has gotten a fair deal of flack for the lack of originality in the story. That’s somewhat fair. Turns out this is something of a Little Mermaid rip off in reverse. It’s only 91 minutes but it drags despite a decent voice cast. There isn’t enough time spent building up these characters and this world. By the time you get to the predictable third act you’re still hardly invested. It is perhaps a clever idea, but the execution just isn’t there. This is a slog.
Rating: Rated PG for some action, rude humor and thematic elements.
Verdict: One and a half stars out of five