October 8, 2017 “Walking Out” (** out of four) was a languid thriller about a teenager from the city (Josh Wiggins) who journeys to the outdoors of Montana to hunt for the first time with his gruff and estranged father (Matt Bomer) as they struggle to re-connect until they are stranded and left for dead in the middle of the wilderness and are forced to reconcile in order to survive. Visually crisp cinematography from Todd McMullen and beautiful Montana locations makes this lovely to look at but unfortunately story fails to garner any momentum. Father-son dynamics are too underwritten to evoke any emotion. Bill Pullman has a very minor role in flashbacks. Any one scene in “The Revenant” easily outdoes anything here. Continue reading →
October 8, 2017 “Batman vs. Two Face” (** out of four) was a forgettable animated entry about the Dark Knight (voiced by Adam West) who becomes involved in an escalating battle against Harvey Dent (voiced by William Shatner) who becomes scarred by acid and mutates into Two-Face who becomes a criminal mastermind and threatens all of Gotham City. Kudos for bringing back original Batman actor Adam West in his final film role but otherwise this is thoroughly routine. Colorful animation can’t revive weak script and story. Continue reading →
October 8, 2017 “Overdrive” (** out of four) was a sputtering action thriller about two car-thief brothers (Scott Eastwood and Freddie Thorp) who journey to France to look for new prospects and new cars but manage to enter into the crossfire of a local international crime boss (Clemens Schick). Reasonably stylish and watchable but story and script similarities and derivations from “The Fast And The Furious” series put the brakes on this and as a result it never takes off. In fact, Eastwood just got done starring in the last “Furious” entry. Continue reading →
October 6, 2017 “My Little Pony: The Movie” (*** out of four) was a cute expansion of the cartoon series about a dark force threatening Ponyville and how the Mane 6 (voices of Tara Strong, Ashleigh Ball, Andrea Libman, Tabitha St. Germain, Cathy Weseluck) are forced to embark on an incredible journey outside of Equestria to obtain new friends and save their home. Full of nice animation and positive messages about friendship and family for young kids. Hardly a masterpiece but should satisfy and entertain families and fans of the television series. Continue reading →
October 6, 2017 “Blade Runner 2049” (** out of four) was a joyless, empty sequel to the groundbreaking 1982 original about a determined cop (Ryan Gosling) who uncovers long-buried secrets about the replicants and seeks out former blade-runner cop Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) who has been missing for over 30 years as they both attempt to discover secrets to their past that will unlock keys to their future. Visually spectacular and hypnotic, as you would expect from a sequel to the one of the most influential sci/fi movies of all time, but film moves like molasses and goes on forever at nearly three hours. In all fairness, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the original so the original’s legion of fans may want to check this out but it’s tough-going for anyone else. Continue reading →
October 5, 2017 “Amityville: The Awakening” (**1/2 out of four) was an eerie and creepy entry in the haunted house series about a single mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who moves her two teenage children (McKenna Grace and Bella Thorne) and her son with brain damage from a tragic accident (Cameron Monaghan) into the house with a cursed history and (naturally) strange occurrences soon begin. Story has been told so many times already (this is actually the 18th “Amityville” entry) but this is one of the rare sequels that effectively recreates the dread and scares of the original and has some real jolts along the way. For heightened irony and comic effect, the characters actually sit around and watch the original 1979 “Amityville Horror” on DVD. Made in 2014 and only being released now but this is one of the best entries since the original. Continue reading →
October 5, 2017 “Landline” (*1/2 out of four) was a crude, silly comedy set in 1995 Manhattan in which a rebellious teenager (Abby Quinn) realizes her iconoclastic father (John Turturro) is having an affair on her overbearing mom (Edie Falco) and her and her best friend (Jenny Slate) discover drugs and sex for the first time. The type of comedy that virtually cries out for Woody Allen or Robert Altman in their prime. Only Falco seems to be in tune with the movie’s comic whimsy. Hang up on this wrong number. Continue reading →
October 4, 2017 “Deadly Expose” (** out of four) was a predictable thriller about a hard-nosed cop (Melissa Archer) who starts investigating a case that could possibly lead back to her best friend (Alyshia Ochse) and long-term boyfriend (Graham Hamilton) and she is unsure of where to turn. Murder, sex, and interrogations by-the-numbers in this wannabe-erotic cop drama. Archer’s strong performance can’t inject much suspense or tension into the story. It’s movies like these that make you realize more how “Basic Instinct” really was a masterwork all the way back in 1992. Continue reading →
October 4, 2017 “An Ordinary Man” (*1/2 out of four) was an unusually dull and strange melodrama about a war criminal (Ben Kingsley) in hiding who forms a relationship with his maid (Hera Hilmar) as he tries to make the most of the years of his life he has remaining. Kingsley is strong as usual but his character is wearying and him and Hilmar have little chemistry together. By the end, it all seems pointless despite striking cinematography from Magdalena Gorka and a nice music score by Christophe Beck. Continue reading →
October 3, 2017 “Mother” (*1/2 out of four) was a maddening horror story about a distant married couple (Javier Bardem and Jennifer Lawrence) whose tranquil existence is suddenly disrupted by an uninvited guest (Ed Harris) and his bizarre wife (Michelle Pfeiffer). And that’s unfortunately just the beginning of the story. A huge disappointment from talented director Darren Aronofsky whose in-your-face directing style is extremely annoying in a story that was all-too-obviously ripped off from “The Shining” and “Rosemary’s Baby.” By the end of this mess, you may feel as if you need psychiatric help. Good performances can only do so much with a movie this overbearing and empty. Continue reading →
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