December 24, 2017 “Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle” (** out of four) was a wholly unnecessary sequel to the original which came out 22 years ago about four teenagers who play the same game Jumanji and become sucked inside the game and become adult avatars (Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black) in the jungle fighting for their lives. Lots of action and visual effects but no sense of awe or wonder like the original had, and it goes on forever. Nice ending and good cast can’t save it. Gives new meaning to the term “bored games”. Continue reading →
December 24, 2017 “Pitch Perfect 3” (** out of four) was a cloying third entry in this popular series about the Bellas (Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, and many others) who reunite one last time for an overseas USO tour but face their toughest competition yet from a group who plays their own instruments and Becca is later courted and offered an individual solo career apart from the Bellas. Fans of the original (I wasn’t) will probably like this but it’s a mediocre tune for the rest of us. Musical numbers are a highlight but this still feels like an unnecessary sequel. John Lithgow is unusually hammy as the villain and Wilson is annoying as usual. Ciao, bellas! Continue reading →
December 24, 2017 “Bright” (***1/2 out of four) was a riveting, electrifying cop thriler about a middle-aged officer (Will Smith) who has to team up with an alien cop (an unrecognizable Joel Edgerton) but they soon find themselves in the midst of a conspiracy with the cops and the underworld which is much bigger than they realize and forces the two of them to go on the run as they fight for their lives. Director David Ayer pins you to your seat and doesn’t let go until the final third when it gradually starts to wane. Smith has his best role and starring vehicle in years and him and Edgerton have great chemistry in a first-rate script which combines hard-boiled dialogue, humor, and suspense in equal measure. Bullseye! Continue reading →
December 22, 2017 “Hellriser” (*1/2 out of four) was a slapdash, chintzy horror thriller that sadly isn’t as clever as its title set in London in which a veteran detective (Steven Dolton) and his young partner (Charlie Bond) investigate a series of brutal murders which leads them to an insane asylum under the domination of a sadistic doctor (Andrew Coughlan) and his experiments on patients. Low-rent horror story starts off as a slasher thriller and then merges into another boring story about the gateways to Hell although I guess that’s what you should expect from a movie with the title “Hellriser.” Dolton’s strong performance is wasted. Continue reading →
December 20, 2017 “Blood Circus” (** out of four) was a routine underworld melodrama about a retired MMA champion (Jamie Nocher) who becomes entangled in an underground club of brawlers called the Blood Circus in which he must fight to stay alive and protect his family while a concerned former friend and cop (Tom Sizemore) investigates. Half-baked and half-hearted rip-off of “Fight Club” is predictable every step of the way although Sizemore has one of his best roles in years as a sympathetic cop and so does Robert LaSardo as a treacherous thug who puts the club together. Continue reading →
December 20, 2017 “Hitchhiker Massacre” (*1/2 out of four) was a wretched throwback to grindhouse cinema about numerous young beautiful hitchhikers who are being kidnapped and killed across the American Midwest and how one such hitchhiker (Ely Lamay) attempts to stand up to the killer and to survive. For freaks and masochists only and for those who simply can’t wait for the next “I Spit On Your Grave” and “Saw” entries. Katherine Cronyn who plays one of the hitchhiking victims is actually the granddaughter of both Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy but let’s just be kind and say this is no “Cocoon.” Continue reading →
December 19, 2017 “Just Getting Started” (** out of four) was a disappointing comedy about an elderly retired mob lawyer (Morgan Freeman) and an ex-F.B.I. agent (Tommy Lee Jones) who are forced to team up when they are targeted by the mob and a beautiful older woman (Rene Russo) begins to come between them. Contrived mix of buddy comedy, action, and AARP jokes but the similarly themed “Last Vegas” and “Going Out In Style” were much funnier. While it is always a pleasure to watch Freeman and Jones on screen, they are unable to enrich the silly script and story. A mediocre effort from director Ron Shelton who in better days made “White Men Can’t Jump” and “Bull Durham”; this marks his first directorial effort in nearly 15 years. Also noteworthy as being the final film for great supporting actress Glenne Headly but this gives her nothing to do Continue reading →
December 18, 2017 “Michael Meyers: Absolute Evil” (* out of four) was an absolute bore done in the form of a pseudo-documentary treating the Michael Meyers and “Halloween” stories as real facts and featuring interviews with several people from the Haddonfield area, police workers, doctors, and several “survivors” and “victims.” Sounds interesting but is worthless on every level. This was allegedly a fan-made documentary but fans of the series would be better off re-watching the original or even its sequels because this offers zero in the way of insight or sick thrills. Continue reading →
December 18, 2017 “Stronger” (***1/2 out of four) was an exceptionally moving drama based on the true story of Jeff Bauman (Jake Gyllenhaal) who lost both legs in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing but became a symbol of determination and perseverance as he had to depend on family and friends and start his life all over again. Harrowing story of one man’s transition and trauma is also an uplifting story of hope and refusal to give up in life. Gyllenhaal is terrific in one of the best performances of his career but he’s surrounded by an equally strong supporting cast including Miranda Richardson, Clancy Brown, and Tatiana Maslany. Watch for the closing credits which show the real Bauman and his family Continue reading →
December 17, 2017 “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (*** out of four) was an overall solid second entry in the new series trilogy about Rey (Daisy Riddley) developing her newfound abilities under the guidance of the newfound Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) but there is trouble on the horizon as the Resistance prepares to do battle with the First Order. Somewhat lumpy as film opens up with a bang in setting up the story for Skywalker’s return and then begins to drag in film’s midsection but the final third and big action climax are sensational and will send out audiences (and especially series fans) with a jolt. Jammed with visual effects and grand spectacle to give fans their money’s worth. Hamill is livelier than usual and it’s a touching farewell to Carrie Fisher in her final role as Princess Leia but Oscar Isaacs and John Boyega are the real standouts with terrific performances and characterizations. Continue reading →
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