June 30, 2016 “Independence Day: Resurgence” (**1/2 out of four) was a reasonably entertaining and exciting sequel to the blockbuster 1996 original about a second alien invasion that threatens Earth and all of mankind. Will Smith is M.I.A. but returning from the original are Bill Pullman as the former President, Jeff Goldblum as the worried scientist, and Judd Hirsch as his overbearing dad. New players are Chris Helmsworth as a rookie fighter pilot and a rock-solid William Fichtner as the new President. Full of great effects and features enough good action scenes to give fans of the original and sci/fi junkies their money’s worth. Director Roland Emmerich (“The Day After Tomorrow”, “2012”) may have done one too many disaster movies by now but this is still much better than critics have been saying. Continue reading →
June 30, 2016 “Vigilante Diaries” (**1/2 out of four) was an action-packed thriller about a team of black-ops agents turned crime fighters led by a warrior named “The Vigilante” (Paul Sloan) who leads his time on a rescue mission that takes them from the underworlds of L.A. to Iraq, Armenia, and Russia. Not always the easiest movie to follow but is packed with enough hand-to-hand combat, explosive action, and good internatioal locales to make it fun to watch just the same. It’s also fun seeing forgotten character actors Michael Madsen, James Russo, and also Jason Mewes in key supporting roles. Continue reading →
June 30, 2016 “Chrysalis” (** out of four) was a dour horror melodrama about two survivors (Sara Gorsky and Cole Simon) of a deadly infection that laid waste to humanity 25 years ago and they soon encounter one other survivor (Tanya Thai McBride) and try to ward off the remaining infected. Give writer Ben Kurstin and director John Klein credit for a more artistic approach to well-worn material but the results still feel like a washed-out retread of both “The Walking Dead” and “28 Days Later.” Interesting story elements of isolation are isolated by film’s grim tone and look. Continue reading →
June 30, 2016 “Dear Eleanor” (*** out of four) was a sweetly affecting adolescent comedy about two teenage girls (Isabelle Fuhrman and Liana Liberato) who travel across the U.S. in 1962 during the chaos of the Cuban missile crisis in search of Eleanor Roosevelt; along the way, they pick up a friendly escaped convict (Josh Lucas) and a helpful exotic dancer (Jessica Alba). Slice of Americana in the 1960’s never really takes off but is winningly told and acted by all. Director Kevin Connolly (from “Entourage”) shows a good eye for period detail and has a lot of great period music on the soundtrack. Continue reading →
June 30, 2016 “Kidnapped In Romania” (* out of four) was a dreadful Redbox melodrama that kidnaps the audience for nearly two hours with poor writing and direction, annoying supporting characters, and molasses pacing. In Romania, two Italian-American journalists (Abraam Fontana and Andrea Stefancikova) go missing and are held hostage by exploitative sadists. Everyone has to pay the bills but it’s even more exploitative seeing one-time great character actor Michael Madsen continue to waste his talent in more direct-to-Redbox junk. Film attempts to rip off both “Taken” and “The Vanishing” but this should hopefully vanish from Redbox machines soon. Continue reading →
June 30, 2016 “The Shallows” (**1/2 out of four) was a tense thriller about a young surfer (Blake Lively) in Tijuana who is attacked by a great white shark after she is only 200 yards away from shore and becomes stranded both physically and emotionally in a battle of wills to survive. Some truly harrowing and suspenseful moments but story is more than a bit reminiscent of “Jaws”, especially it’s far-fetched finale. Beautiful photography and Lively’s sincere and strong performance makes this worthwhile. Continue reading →
June 30, 2016 “Falsely Accused” (*1/2 out of four) was an artificial and confusing drama about a young girl (Emma Holzer) who needs to catch a killer in order to prove her innocence in her brother’s murder and takes it on the run where she falls in love and begins to understand (!) the true meaning of life and self-perception. “Falsely Made” would have been a better title for this tripe. Film blends elements of thriller, love story, and adolescent discovery and succeeds at none of them. Rosanna Arquette has a key supporting role as the young girl’s aunt but this is unlikely to revive her career anytime soon. Continue reading →
June 20, 2016 “No Stranger Than Love” (** out of four) was a hokey and strange romantic comedy about a young girl (Alison Brie) who suddenly has a big hole that develops in her living room floor and her friend (Colin Hanks) suddenly falls inside it! Could this be a sign that they are meant for one another? Or is it more of a sign and concern for the filmmaker’s mental health problems for coming up with such a demented story? Lackluster comedy gets all the mileage and charm that it can from Brie and Hanks’ winning performances but the script should have been thrown down the big hole instead. Continue reading →
June 20, 2016 “Mob Handed” (** out of four) was a well-made but unpleasant Redbox underworld crime melodrama about a female journalist who joins a vigilante group after her daughter is murdered and the child molester and killer is set free by the courts. Stylishly directed by Liam Galvin and features some interesting commentary on the criminal justice system and the grief many victims have to endure but it’s overshadowed by film’s excessive violence and dour tone. Over 40 years later, “Death Wish” is still being retooled and remade in multiple films. Continue reading →
June 20, 2016 “Adventures In Babysitting” (** out of four) was a contrived and confusing remake of the 1987 teen classic about two rival teen babysitters (Sabrina Carpenter, Sofia Carson) who have to head into the city to find one of their kids when he runs off to go to a concert. Kids may like it but it’s tough going for anyone else. For a better “adventure”, watch the original again instead. Continue reading →
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