January 30, 2019 “Serenity” (** out of four) was a disappointing thriller about a grizzled fishing boat captain (Matthew McConaughey) who encounters a woman (Anne Hathaway) from his past and they conspire to free her from her loveless marriage to her loutish husband (Jason Clarke) by killing him but naturally all is not what it seems. Starts off intriguing but story goes so far afield and becomes bewildering, pretentious, and extremely weird that by the time of its climax it winds up empty. McConaughey’s usual charisma and sleek photography on the island of Mauritius help to keep this watchable. Hathaway is miscast as a femme fatale. Continue reading →
January 28, 2019 “The Kid Who Would Be King” (** out of four) was a mediocre children’s fantasy adventure about a group of kids (Louis Ashborne Serkis, Tom Taylor, Dean Chaumoo, and others) who find King Arthur’s sword and find they are destined to embark on a quest to thwart a medieval force of evil which threatens destruction to all of England. Some good action scenes and impressive visual effects (love the climactic battle in the school) but film takes too long to get going and then too long to get where it’s going at two hours. Young cast of kids are likeable but this is best left to young kids. Patrick Stewart, who once starred in “Excalibur”, has a small but key role as the wizard Merlin. Continue reading →
January 28, 2019 “If Beale Street Could Talk” (** out of four) was a heavy-handed story of a woman in Harlem (Kiki Layne) who discovers she’s pregnant which leads to clashes within her family and this becomes even more difficult when her fiancee (Stephan James) is arrested and she has to attempt to help prove his innocence. Director Barry Jenkins once again proves he’s strong on atmosphere and works well with actors but story wanders and is unfocused and is thus never as compelling or moving as you want it to be. Many loved this film so you may want to judge for yourself. Layne is strong in the lead role and Regina King is first-rate as usual as her mom. Continue reading →
January 28, 2019 “Loophole” (** out of four) was a muddled futuristic thriller about (yawn) the fate of humanity hanging in the balance in the midst of an all-out spiritual war and one college student (Chloe Lukasiak) who finds herself in the midst of this war and is kidnapped and then rescued and finds she has to be the savior of humanity. Fairly fast-moving story covers all-too-familiar ground and never fully takes flight. Lukasiak is good but her character is one-note and annoying. Yet another movie inspired by “Bladerunner” and “Total Recall” which can’t come close. Continue reading →
January 27, 2019 “Close” (*** out of four) was a jaggedly intense and exciting action melodrama in which a bodyguard and counter-terrorism expert (Noomi Rapace) takes a job protecting a young rich heiress (Sophie Nelisse). They initially don’t like one another but a violent kidnapping and shakedown forces them to go on the run and to both protect one another and stay alive and at the same time find out the evil conspiracies that are at work. Less-than-perfect script, with numerous “Bourne” undertones, is more than compensated by first-rate and compelling action scenes and swift direction that never stops moving. Rapace is rock-solid as usual and helps make up for script and story shortcomings. Continue reading →
January 26, 2019 “City Of Lies” (*** out of four) was an engrossing melodrama about the labyrinthine investigations into the deaths of Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac and how a hard-nosed former cop (Johnny Depp) and a determined reporter (Forrest Whitaker) sought out to find the truth but found that the path was a political minefield, involving corrupt cops, gang members, and money. Interesting film for fans of the two hip-hop stars and their murders which remain unsolved to this day. Depp is outstanding in easily his best performance in years. Starts to lose some focus in the second half as it covers too much ground (and too many characters) but still overall well-made. Key ’90’s supporting actors Glenn Plummer, Peter Greene, and Xander Berkeley all make good returns here in minor roles. Continue reading →
January 26, 2019 “Killer High” (*1/2 out of four) was a mindless, silly horror romp about several dimbulbs (Kacey Rohl, Humberly Gonzalez, Asha Bromfield, and others) who gather for their high-school reunion which soon turns into a bloodbath when the school’s mascot (!) comes to life and begins devouring them all one by one. Threadbare movie is yet another throwback to ’80’s horror and a reminder on why these movies were more fun back then and why they died once the ’80’s were over. At least it’s mercifully short at only 85 minutes Continue reading →
January 25, 2019 “The Upside” (*1/2 out of four) was a downbound comedy drama about the unexpected relationship that develops between a quadriplegic millionaire (Bryan Cranston) and his helper (Kevin Hart) who is on parole and is trying to turn his life around. Terminally predictable story is needlessly silly at times and contrived and overlong and winds up a waste of time, with only the good-natured performances of its leads to carry it. Will someone please give Hart a different role to play? Nicole Kidman is wasted as Cranston’s assistant. Continue reading →
January 23, 2019 “Pledge” (*1/2 out of four) was a slapdash horror thriller about a group of none-too-bright college freshmen (Zachery Byrd, Phillip Andre Botello, Zack Weiner, and others) who pledge an exclusive fraternity but soon realize they have to endure a series of sadistic tests in order to belong. Evidently, though, none of these guys have watched any prior fraternity comedies or college horror movies because they all make the same continued bad mistakes. Both predictable and confusing and runs out of gas pretty quickly. Pledge to watch something else instead. Continue reading →
January 22, 2019 “Polar” (*** out of four) was a wildly entertaining Netflix action thriller about a world-weary former top assassin (Mads Mikkelsen) who begins to settle into retirement when his former employer (Matt Lucas) double-crosses him and decides not to pay him his pension and he finds himself in a final fight to the death for his life against a band of ruthless younger killers. In-your-face mix of style, ultraviolence, and sex never stops moving and thus never stops entertaining. Goes too far at times but excess is the name of the game here. Mikkelsen is perfectly cast in the lead and Richard Dreyfuss has an amusing cameo as a turncoat former friend. Continue reading →
dlepikcom 