{"id":6138,"date":"2019-04-10T09:00:24","date_gmt":"2019-04-10T09:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog-proxy.atomtickets.com\/?p=6138"},"modified":"2019-04-19T22:05:45","modified_gmt":"2019-04-19T22:05:45","slug":"little-review-three-reasons-to-see-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/little-review\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Little&#8217; Review: Three Reasons To See It"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As 1998\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Big<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0once saw a child morph into Tom Hanks overnight after wishing to become an adult, Tina Gordon\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.atomtickets.com\/movies\/little\/267799\"><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Little<\/span><\/i><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0offers the reverse scenario. Regina Hall plays\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Jordan Sanders<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, who was bullied as a science-loving child but now is the bossy CEO of her own app development company JSI. She\u2019s a tyrant who belittles employees in meetings, pushes children out of her way, and after harassing a young girl who just wants to show Jordan a magic trick, finds herself at the receiving end of a curse that turns Jordan, well, \u201clittle\u201d (and now played by\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Marsai\u00a0Martin).<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Jordan wakes up the following morning to find herself half her normal size and forced to go back to school instead of managing JSI on the eve of a massively important pitch session. That\u2019s when assistant April Williams (<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Issa Rae) has to step up and take control for now adolescent Jordan.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/66joPGqFue4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Little\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">releases\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">this weekend with early showings starting this Thursday, April 12th, and looks to make its comedic mark opening against the demonic darkness of\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Hellboy\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">and family goofs of\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Missing Link<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. Here are three reasons why you should check out this body-swap comedy!<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>1. Young Actor-Producer Marsai Martin Steals The Show<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Marsai\u00a0Martin is only fourteen years old but has already successfully pitched to Will Packer (<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Girls Trip<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\/<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Night School<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">), founded\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Genius Productions<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, and secured a first-look deal with Universal. The actress\/creator is undoubtedly on her way to a lifetime of ambitious development, which is made clear throughout\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Little<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. Her presence is not that of \u201cchild actor\u201d preconceptions. Martin &#8211; who\u2019s no stranger to comedy given her background on\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Black-ish<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0&#8211; mirrors the maturity and witticisms of co-star\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Issa Rae with remarkable ease. She may be \u201clittle\u201d in stature but commands the screen with her own gravitational pull &#8211; sometimes even overshadowing Rae and other adult co-stars.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The allure and entertainment factor of Martin\u2019s role is that she\u2019s playing a grown-up trapped inside a pre-pubescent body. Jokes range from Lil\u2019 Jordan trying to sneak glasses of\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ros\u00e9\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">to driving a souped-up sports car despite barely reaching the pedals. Martin succeeds in transplanting Regina Hall\u2019s personality into a pint-sized vessel, strutting through public school halls with the fashionista swagger of a New York City millionaire while still retaining childhood innocence. What it\u2019s like to remember a time when our personalities were free, not beaten into form by society\u2019s rigid structures. Whether Jordan\u2019s confronting bullying (for the second time) or performing\u00a0<em>Fortnite<\/em>\u00a0dances with newfound friends during a talent show, Martin is a multi-dimensional talent. Impromptu restaurant duets alongside Rae and very inappropriate flirting with teacher Mr. Marshall (Justin Hartley) most definitely included.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>2. A Comedy With Purpose<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">By flipping the\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Big\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">narrative and having an adult shrink down instead of child sprout up,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Tina Gordon and writer Tracy Oliver can revisit playground bullying from a reversed perspective. Early on in the film, as we meet Jordan during her actual childhood, her response to parental encouragement in the form of \u201cnone of this will matter when you\u2019re older\u201d is a simple, vindictive, \u201cbecause I\u2019ll bully them first.\u201d We then fast-forward to older, entrepreneurial Jordan, who treats others the way she was treated &#8211; and where Martin\u2019s message of paying it forward takes hold. An eye for an eye and all that &#8211; breeding more hatred isn\u2019t the answer. We get to see both sides of the coin, and evolution in wrongdoing, instead of just one generational standpoint.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Don\u2019t get me mixed:\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Little\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">is a comedy at its core and does bring the giggles &#8211; but there\u2019s still a heart beating inside. Mini Jordan befriends the lunchroom \u201coutcasts\u201d given her re-entry into the bottom rung of schoolyard social acceptance and tries to improve their status. Fancy clothes, flashy jewelry, social media fakeness &#8211; reprogramming one\u2019s self to be accepted &#8211; but individuality eventually prevails. Likewise, April starts running JSI without all the rants and insults Jordan once spewed at everyone and morale improves. All this from a pitch cooked up by\u00a0Marsai\u00a0Martin, don\u2019t forget. That\u2019s where\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Little\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">gets its honesty from, promoting positive values to combat everyone who\u2019ll do anything to stop you from being yourself.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><\/b>3. Issa Rae Is Us All<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We\u2019ve all had <em>that<\/em> job or <em>that<\/em> boss &#8211; it\u2019s inevitable. Actress Issa Rae balls all those frustrations and beatdowns into a workhorse character who craves the simple pleasures in life &#8211; carbs in the form of bagels or donuts, mostly &#8211; while slowly snatching back what\u2019s rightfully owed to her. Then the plotted switch happens with Jordan and tides begin to turn once the abused employee gets to throw shade in the form of jokes like calling Jordan \u201cChucky\u201d (when still not believing her story of shrinking) or demanding to be referred to as \u201cMiss.\u201d Rae plays the undervalued, unsupported, and rolled over assistant while doubling as a babysitter who must dodge obstacles from child services to JSI\u2019s top client who\u2019s on the verge of walking (\u201cbad boy\u201d Connor, played by\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Mikey Day).<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Rae does not require Regina Hall or\u00a0Marsai\u00a0Martin to flank her comedic efforts as a crutch. Interactions with developer crush Preston (<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Tone Bell), Mr. Marshall, and Jordan\u2019s booty call Trevor (<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Luke James) accentuate awkward romanticism with thirsty lines impeccably delivered under her breath. Callbacks to\u00a0gettin\u2019 \u201cwhooped\u201d by your mama for misbehaving make a memorable rumble between April and transformed Jordan before class. Rae\u2019s constant energy in\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Little\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">is a combination of disbelief, frustration, and enjoyment at the sight of someone so deserving get their just desserts. She\u2019s got the zingers, indulges in confusion, and showcases her talents. If you\u2019re already sold on\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Little<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, you\u2019re in good hands.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:276}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Little<\/em> is in theaters this weekend. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.atomtickets.com\/movies\/little\/267799\">Get your tickets here.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As 1998\u2019s\u00a0Big\u00a0once saw a child morph into Tom Hanks overnight after wishing to become an adult, Tina Gordon\u2019s\u00a0Little\u00a0offers the reverse scenario. Regina Hall plays\u00a0Jordan Sanders, who was bullied as a science-loving child but now is the bossy CEO of her own app development company JSI. She\u2019s a tyrant who belittles employees in meetings, pushes children [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":6139,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[40,37],"class_list":["post-6138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-review","tag-featuredpage","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6138","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6138"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6138\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6140,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6138\/revisions\/6140"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6139"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6138"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6138"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}