July 21, 2018 “Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again” (** out of four) was a tired sequel to the original adaptation of the Broadway musical set 5 years after the original as Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is now pregnant and learns more of her mother’s (Meryl Streep) past. Cher shows up late as Streep’s mom and Streep herself appears in flashbacks but Cher looks more like Lady Gaga’s mom than anything. Lacks the fizz and exuberance of the original and most of the musical numbers aren’t that well-staged, with the exception of “Dancing Queen”. Seyfried is good as usual but most of the supporting cast (Julie Walters, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard) are wasted. Die-hard ABBA fans may want to take a look but before taking a chance on this- they may as well re-watch the original. Continue reading →
July 21, 2018 “Unfriended: Dark Web” (*1/2 out of four) was an unbearable follow-up to the 2014 hit about a teen (Colin Woodell) who comes into the possession of a new laptop but soon finds that the previous owner is watching him and his friends online but also will do anything to get it back and they are unable to exit their online watch or else they will be killed. It’s much easier to exit the movie instead. More-or-less a rehash of the original but unlikeable characters, uninvolving story, and unpleasant violence make this a request not worth answering. Inauspicious directing debut for noted horror writer/producer Stephen Susco Continue reading →
July 21, 2018 “The Equalizer 2” (*1/2 out of four) was a dull sequel to the dull 2014 original which became a surprise smash showing the further vengeance of a former CIA agent turned rogue vigilante (Denzel Washington) who is trying to lead a peaceful life as an Uber driver but is brought back and drawn into underworld espionage by the murder of his close friend (Melissa Leo). Opens with a great train sequence but then quickly derails, as film becomes talky and tedious and actually gets slower as it goes along. Even Washington’s effortless charisma can’t breathe much life into this one. This marks the fourth collaboration between him and director Antoine Fuqua but this is no equal to their previous teaming on “Training Day” and “The Magnificent Seven.” Continue reading →
July 21, 2018 “Krystal” (**1/2 out of four) was an odd but curiously endearing story set in the South of a young man (Nick Robinson) who has lived a sheltered life with his family (William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman) and suddenly falls in love with a stripper (Rosario Dawson) and then joins Alcoholics Anonymous just to be close with her but soon finds she has lots of extra baggage to deal with. Hard to swallow as a story but kept watchable by its engaging characters and cast and Dawson is first-rate as usual. Macy also directed; T.I. and William Fichtner are also good in key supporting roles. Continue reading →
July 21, 2018 “Father Of The Year” (**1/2 out of four) was a sporadically funny Netflix comedy about two friends (Joey Bragg and Matt Shively) who start a drunken debate about whose father would win in a fight which leads to one of the boy’s redneck fathers (David Spade) taking this seriously which leads to unexpected consequences for all of them. Uneven but has its share of laughs and is helped by its enthusiastic cast. Spade, in particular, seems to be having fun and more-or-less is playing the same role as he did in “Joe Dirt.” Continue reading →
July 20, 2018July 20, 2018 “The Miracle Season” (** out of four) was a maudlin sports drama based on the true story of a high-school female volleyball team whose star player (Danika Yarosh) suddenly died in a car accident and how their determined coach (Helen Hunt) inspired them to rally together and persevere towards winning the state volleyball championship. Well-intentioned story of teenage determination, young love, and the difficulties of grief at a young age is too pat and predictable to really score. At least the final championship game is exciting and well-staged. William Hurt has a key role as one of the girl’s fathers. Continue reading →
July 19, 2018 “Tully” (** out of four) was a hokey soap opera about a feisty mother (Charlize Theron) who hires a free-spirited nanny (Mackenzie Davis) to help with her newborn child and the two develop a connection and relationship that helps the both of them re-examine their lives and its purpose. Strange story is helped by Theron’s usual sincere performance but story never takes off and is very limited in its emotional power and depth. A huge disappointment from director Jason Reitman whose previous works were the incendiary “Thank You For Smoking” and “Up In The Air.” Continue reading →
July 19, 2018 “Hidden Peaks” (*1/2 out of four) was a dreary sci/fi action thriller set in (yawn) yet another post-apocalyptic futuristic wasteland in which two survivors (Tamara Guo and Laurent Boiteux) struggle to stay alive as society is crumbling and they are hunted down by evil and sinister forces. Can’t there be at least one movie made in which the future turns out to be a nice and happy place? Uninspired and derivative movie is a series of ideas borrowed from “28 Days Later” and other movies and you’ll likely forget this within at least 28 hours. Watch “Twin Peaks” reruns instead. Continue reading →
July 19, 2018 “Billionaire Boys Club” (*** out of four) was a sharply engaging comedy melodrama set in the 1980’s based on the true story of the title boys club (led by Ansel Elgort and Taron Egerton) who established a series of get-rich-quick schemes that turned into a deadly scandal. Very entertaining movie turns unexpectedly dark in the second half but is carried along by fun performances and director James Cox’s lighthearted comic touch. Some scenes are directly inspired by “Wall Street” and “Boiler Room” which this sometimes resembles. Kevin Spacey plays a key supporting role as a Beverly Hills high-roller who plays a part in their scheme. Continue reading →
July 17, 2018 “The Honey Killer” (* out of four) was an abysmal “comedy” about a femme fatale (Santana Munoz) who kills her various boyfriends for money and two such patsies (Peter Cadwell and Ruben Crow) who wind up in the midst of one of her schemes and in the palm of her hand. Incoherent story changes moods and practically changes story with almost every scene but it hardly matters since it’s all bloody awful. Inauspicious directorial debut for Richard Hariison who directs the movie like someone with split personality disorder. Continue reading →
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