January 14, 2024 “One More Shot” (*** out of four) was a pulsating action melodrama about a navy seal (Scott Adkins) who is ordered to escort an international terrorist (Waleed Elgadi) to D.C. for an interrogation but encounters violent duplicity at every turn from friends and fellow agents (Tom Berenger, Michael Jai White, Alexis Knapp, and others) as he tries to ensure who he can trust in order to stay alive. Good of its kind, with tense direction from James Nunn and better-than-usual dialogue and plenty of nonstop action. Film marks the fourth (and best) collaboration between Adkins and Jai White. Continue reading →
January 14, 2024 “Squealer” (*1/2 out of four) was a squalid serial-killer melodrama about a world-weary cop (Tyrese Gibson) and one of his partners (Wes Chatham) who team up with a hard-nosed social worker (Danielle Burgio) to try to track down a vicious murderer (Ronnie Gene Blevins) who also works as a farmer. Ugly and unpleasant, to say the least, as film is a lurid collection of low-lifes and people you never care to come across again. Gibson is simply killing time between “Fast And Furious” entries and is wasted but Blevins is well-cast as the butcher farmer. Continue reading →
January 13, 2024 “Role Play” (** out of four) was a strained, improbable romantic action comedy about a husband and wife (David Oyelowo and Kaley Cuoco) who try to rekindle and reinvigorate their marriage by taking part in a “role play” in which they meet for the first time but through this- he subsequently discovers that she is an assassin for hire and they are both immediately plunged into international espionage! Opening scenes are done with sardonic flair, especially involving Bill Nighy in a funny minor role, but contrivances ultimately take over as film becomes more-and-more implausible. Film has some story threads of “True Lies” and “The Long Kiss Goodnight”, among many others. Continue reading →
January 12, 2024 “The Beekeeper” (** out of four) was middling action vehicle about the title beekeeper (Jason Statham) who in turns out is (yawn) a former international agent who seeks revenge on a multimillion dollar scam operation headed by a vindictive czar (Jeremy Irons). Statham has a beard here but that’s about it for originality; both he and Irons seem to be going through the motions in roles they’ve played dozens of times before. Features enough action to make it watchable but lacking enough sting and supple intrigue to make it worthwhile. Continue reading →
January 12, 2024 “Lift” (**1/2 out of four) was a sturdy if generic action comedy about a master thief (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and her ex-boyfriend (Kevin Hart) who team up to steal $100 million in gold bullion being transported on a 777 airplane flight but various other friends and players (Vincent D’Onoffrio, Jean Reno, Sam Worthington, and others) get in the way. Fast-paced and efficiently directed by F. Gary Gray but it gets overly mechanical and contrived after a while. Hart’s effortless likeability and charisma and strong supporting cast give this a significant boost. Continue reading →
January 11, 2024 “Welcome To The Darkness” (*** out of four) was a stirring rock documentary about the hard-rock band who struggled for years only to have 15 minutes of fame and then quickly watch it slip through their fingers due to addiction and various health issues and their attempts to reform and persevere even as they knew that their best days and moment of glory might be very well behind them. Very well-done “Behind The Music”-like documentary about a band that fought hard to have one hit and some momentary success which they all became addicted to. Even for those who weren’t fans of The Darkness (I wasn’t), film features lots of good interviews and concert footage. Continue reading →
January 10, 2024 “The Bastard Sons” (*1/2 out of four) was a tediously derivative underworld thriller about a group of tight-knit blue-collar friends (Kevin Interdonato, Charles Malik Whitfield, Frankie Edgar, and others) who seek revenge by any means necessary when one of their own is killed by an integral member of the mob. A vanity project for write/director/star Interdonato who obviously spent much of his formative years watching too many Scorcese movies (“Mean Streets” in particular) and also Rob Cohen’s “Amongst Friends.” Low-rent all the way through and ends pretty abruptly, if you even make it that far. Continue reading →
January 10, 2024 “Justice League: Crisis On Infinite Earths- Part One” (**1/2 out of four) was an uneven entry in the DC comic series about the Justice League (voices of Matt Bomer, Jenson Ackles, Stana Katic, and others) who have to do battle with The Monitor (voice of Jonathan Adams) who is attempting to corrupt the league and overtake the planet. Features enough colorful and psychedelic animation and pervasive action for DC diehards and series fans but story gets lumpy and talky at times. This film and its sequel will mark the conclusion of the Tomorrowverse of DC comic films. Continue reading →
January 9, 2024 “Waitress: The Musical” (***1/2 out of four) was a dazzling musical adaptation of Adrienne Shelly’s 2007 cult smash about a small-town waitress (Sara Bareilles) who works through her frustrations at a diner in the South and begins an affair with her new doctor (Drew Gehling) and dreams of a way out to a new life. Glitzy production numbers performed by a bright and high-spirited cast make this a heartfelt smash and a rare musical that significantly adds to (and improves on) the initial film it was based on; kudos to Scott Pask’s colorful and eye-catching production design and Bareilles who is wonderful in the lead. Goes on a bit too long but never fails to keep you entertained. Continue reading →
January 9, 2024 “Old Henry” (** out of four) was a logy Western about a farmer (Tim Blake Lewis) who takes in an injured man (Scott Haze) with a satchel of cash but when a violent posse (led by Stephen Dorff) comes looking for him and puts his family in jeopardy, he is forced to question whether to turn him over and save his family or keep his honor and protect what is right. Gorgeously shot by John Matysiak and does have some nice moments of lyrical elegy but is too lumbering and laconic to achieve much more desired impact. Dorff stands out as usual as the sardonic villain. Continue reading →
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