Review of THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR – Rated PG-13 – 1 hr. 40 mins.

This Review is brought to you by Kathy Kaiser

THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR – Rated PG-13 – 1 hr. 40 mins.

DIRECTOR:  Ry Russo-Young

WRITERS:  Based on a Novel by Nicola Yoon, Tracy Oliver (Screenplay) 

STARRING:  Yara Shahidi, Charles Melton, Keong Sim, Jake Choi, Gbenga Akinnagbe, and John Leguizamo

Based on the Novel by Nicola Yoon, we meet soon to be Med student Daniel Bae (Charles Melton) capturing a glance of fellow New Yorker Natasha Kingsley (Yara Shahidi), when he becomes instantly smitten.  Assured that Love-at-first-site is only something that happens in movies ~ and not in real life ~ Natasha isn’t quite to hurried to give Daniel the time of day.   With his convincing demeanor, and gorgeous smile, Daniel finds himself persuading Natasha that there is definitely more to life, than what she is willing to believe.  As their encounter continues, it seems that Daniel’s life goals are shifting with each passing hour, as are Natasha’s hopes that she can continue to live in New York City.  Torn between their new relationship, and the pressures that face them both in this thing we call LIFE, Daniel and Natasha both find that sometimes, one day, is all you need to set your mind free…

I give THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR a rating of WAIT AND CATCH THIS FILM ON DVD or NETFLIX:  Although I thoroughly enjoyed the chemistry between Shahidi and Melton throughout, this film definitely lacks depth in its slow-moving storyline, and its lackluster character development throughout too.  Having not read the novel by Nicola Yoon, I can’t say for certain that the book was better than the movie, just like I can’t blame screenwriter Tracy Oliver, for its less than impactful presence on screen. s I must also share that THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR does manage to play out like an homage to one of my favorite cities on this planet – with scene, after scene, after scene of the beauty that makes New York City one of the coolest places in the world.  THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR is one of those films that isn’t bad, it’s just not one of those films that you have to rush out the theater to catch either…leaving me suggest that if you want to catch the adorable Yara Shahidi hand-in-hand with Riverdale, American Horror Story and Glee Alum Charles Melton, you’re more than welcome to head out to a theater near you this weekend, don’t let me hold you back. I am just suggesting that your money might be better spent waiting until THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR hits on DVD or Netflix – or something more intellectually stimulating or exciting hits at the theater in a few weeks…enough said 🙂