You know, for the past years, I always like to watching brand new movies releasing on theaters then later with digital or physical copies, especially for not only collections, but also my full of plans of future reviews. But one thing that its new is reviewing movies or shows on Streaming platforms. It is a big deal ever since Netflix give us, before Netflix… Well, being Netflix. Despite that, I’ve never done any reviews that are exclusive on streaming platforms, which, as im writing this, all I got is Crave and Disney+.
Speaking of the latter, today’s review is gonna be my second that I review Disney+ content since Turning Red last year, this time, this is yet ANOTHER movie based on true stories, involving an invention of Cheetos that’ll burn your mouth.
“Flamin’ Hot” is a 2023 comedy-drama film based on true story that directed by Eva Longoria (yup. A legendary actress made her directorial debut), produced by DeVon Franklin, and written by Lewis Colick and Linda Yvette Chaves.
While Eva wanted to having her own passion project to making her directorial debut with DeVon Franklin’s production company, they took the idea after from the memoir by the creator of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos named Richard Montanez to having their take of the movie out of creation of overly spicy cheese curl corns. Even though the movie didn’t have a recommendation of anticipation, it was released on both Disney+ and Hulu.
So, with all that said, will this movie worth of learning of Montanez’s life with his creating to Cheetos?
Only way to find out.
For the story, most origins have some promising and cleaning, but when it comes to Richard Montanez, its no stranger that had some troublesome starts. Born as a Mexican-American and lived in California, he started to live in a family business, as well as trying the way to making money by selling his burritos to kids, but not before life as changing he’s living in criminal activities of robbery to get the money or even selling drugs. Of course, despite of living gangstas in downtown, he’s trying to turn his life back to normal once his wife Judy is pregnant. However, while they have two kids, they’re still struggling for financially, so Richard decided to work on factory in Frito-Lays, as an unlikely low tier employee as janitor, which, while he’s doing a janitorial business, but it got him curious with all the factory, even if janitor is his main job. While he has a good start at first, but not before when Ronald Reagan (President of US at the time in the 80s) creating administration from many jobs, it unfortunately screwing over business including Frito-Lays when Richard is in there, causing a minimal of pay and even laying off employees, it wasn’t until while living in a town with Lantino community, it give him an inspiration when seeing people love eating foods with extra spicy flavor, it up to Montanez to creating spicy flavor chips (mainly the curl corns of Cheetos) to save the business without putting the factory where he’s working for and his livelihood on the line.
I find the story itself is fairly descent for the introduction of Flamin’ Hot, but its more like focusing the life of Richard Montanez for his struggling to get his new life and money for the job, as well as the job in Frito-Lays of look around and the struggles from laying offs, which the Flamin’ Hot parts wouldn’t be until in the half-way through the movie. You know what this movie kinda remind me of? “The Founder”, a movie about man trying to shaping up the business to regain the population, it may sounds like it for similar plot, but the difference is that The Founder is all about the creating population of McDonald’s after the McDonald brothers, this one is more about climb back factory with innovation of one snack after Frito-Lays, which il give a credit what they’re trying. However, the writing is also felt like to add some humors, mainly the silly imagination view of expectation to reality, which im pretty sure they took it as a main joke about more than three times, which I will admit, it made me chuckle, but sometimes I wasn’t as sure to gave me chuckle or not, since this film is meant to be “Comedy-Drama”, which I find the humors are rather forgotten, for the most parts.
Even though the writing aren’t as great with some exaggeration part, but at least il give a credit how to acknowledging some parts of Montanez’s life and the origin of Flamin’t Hot.
The presentation itself is passable for say the least, since the film’s budget is rather low with filming location in the Mexican community in US to the factory of Frito-Lays. Though Il give appreciation with some beautiful shot and nice to see the factory itself. Though sometimes, I just wish if they show us how to creating either the chips or even cheese curly corns, sure we can see Montanez family creating a Flamin’ Hot flavor, but what about the making of Frito-Lays’ chips and corns? Im not sure why we never able to see the making of chopping potatoes and creating a curl corns, im guessing its the budget to saving it as a low budget film for Disney+/Hulu.
Despite some flaws, but il give a credit for the film’s presentation, and at least the music is fun to hearing Mexican music unlike borrowing some songs that you heard the radio everytimes.
As for the characters, they’re fine for their typical character portraits, but at least, in my credit, at least their acting are good that they’re probably having fun.
There’s the movie version of Richard Montanez (played by Jesse Garcia), a Mexican-American janitor of Frito-Lays that, while struggling to get the money for his family, but he’s both fascinated and curious to working in the factory, even if he’s meant to be in low tier, but he brought the next flavor for the support of Latino community. I find him both fine and somewhat relatable, even if some parts he brought up could be exaggerated, but to be fair, il give a credit for Garcia did a fun work of his movie version of the creator of Flamin’ Hot.
While the rest of the casts aren’t as much to say for one-dimensional roles, Judy (played by Annie Gonzalez) is Richard’s wife in born again Christian to think peace, cleaned and love of family, Vacho Montanez (played by Emilio Rivera) who’s the father of Richard in his doubt of his goal, Clarence Baker (played by Dennis Haysbert) is the engineer maintenance leader where he likes to work with Richard at the time for their bonding, Tony Romero (played by Bobby Soto) is former hoodlum to motivated Montanez to get a job, Lonny Manson (played by Matt Walsh) is a serious floor head of the factory to taking the business seriously, and Roger Enrico (played by Tony Shalhoub, aka Luigi from Cars) who's the CEO of PepsiCo (the corporation of Frito-Lays) at the time and respectful man.
While il give a credit for some good acting, but the characters' portraits are either not bad to average.
And in the end, its a averagely passable film that its not hard to see why it didn't have recommendation that its only on Disney+ or Hulu.
While i appreciated the acting, the ideas and sets, but i just wish if they could talk about the factory how they made some snacks, as well as long concept journey of Flamin' Hot than a life of Richard Montanez, even if some of the writing could've gone better.
I don't know if i recommend this movie, but this is the film that you can watch it once, whether you like it or not. For me, i'd say its passable at best.
So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil.
Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.
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