June 9, 2024 “Ship Of The Damned” (*1/2 out of four) was a listless horror thriller about a 500-year old shipwreck that is discovered by a historian (Hannaj Bang Bendz) who goes to investigate and finds that is cursed and is out to (yawn) overtake mankind. Sluggish and tedious thriller goes over all-too-familiar territory and rips off “Dead Calm” in particular. Bendz does what she can with a cardboard role. Continue reading →
June 8, 2024 “Bad Boys: Ride Or Die” (**1/2 out of four) was an engaging sequel about the title cops (Will Smith and Martin Lawrence) who try to clear the name of their deceased captain (Joe Pantoliano) falsely accused of conspiracy and instead find themselves on the run and having to clear their names and simultaneously clean up the streets. Fourth entry in the series is mechanical and follows the usual formula and pattern but still manages to crank enough action and (at times) laughs to make it fun. By the end, though, you may start to wonder if perhaps they’re getting too old for this shit. Continue reading →
June 8, 2024 “The Hangman” (*1/2 out of four) was forgettable horror claptrap about a troubled father (LeJon Woods) who takes his son (Mar Cellus) camping in Appalachia when he is kidnapped by the title evil character who he must confront and defeat. Title is another in assembly line of horror characters (“Candyman”, “The Bye Bye Man”, etc) and film plays like an assembly of horror movie cliches. Watch “The Hangover” instead for a movie with more scares and laughs. Continue reading →
June 7, 2024 “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (*** out of four) was a visually enthralling prequel about the origins of Furiosa (Anya Taylor Joy) showing her kidnapping as a child by a vicious warlord (Chris Hemsworth) to becoming a lieutenant in an underworld army and eventually seeking vengeance later in life. Imperfect, with a few too many characters and side-plots at times, but yet another impressive achievement from writer/director George Miller who (at 79) ably replicates the previous film’s style and propulsive energy. Some sensational action sequences as you would expect and stunning cinematography from Simon Duggan. Continue reading →
June 7, 2024 “Shadow Land” (*1/2 out of four) was a trite melodrama about an aging Biden-like former President (Jon Voight) who is haunted by premonitions of his untimely demise and summons his psychiatrist (Martin Csokas) to his residence who discovers that this threat might be much more real than he thinks. Intriguing story is stalled by meandering pacing and never catches fire. Good actors do their best but film is only a “shadow” of their former best work. No relation to the 1993 Anthony Hopkins-Debra Winger film “Shadowlands.” Continue reading →
June 6, 2024 “Die Hart 2: Die Harter” (*1/2 out of four) was a mindlessly dumb follow-up with Kevin Hart once again playing himself and trying to cement his legacy as an action hero by planning an action film with unscripted and unexpected scenes but he soon falls victim to a plot featuring a former cohort (John Cena) from the past. One-joke movie with only Hart’s good-natured comic persona to carry it but runs out of steam (and laughs) very quickly. Cena’s terrible wig is almost as funny as the hilarious title. Continue reading →
June 5, 2024 “Paradox Effect” (** out of four) was a half-baked suspense potboiler about a former drug addict (Olga Kurylenko) who witnesses a murder and is forced to cooperate with the killer (Oliver Trevena) to save her daughter’s life and this all leads back to an aging crime boss (Harvey Keitel) they all want to take down. Tense story is watchable but lacks the skill and suspense to really put it over and give it maximum charge. Similar (and inferior) to Michael Mann’s “Collateral.” Kurylenko turns in another strong performance; Keitel sleepwalks through his umpteenth role as a mob villain. Continue reading →
June 4, 2024 “What You Wish For” (*1/2 out of four) was an ungainly “comedy” about a chef (Nick Stahl) with severe gambling problems who flees to a Latin American villa and assumes the identity of someone else to help improve his life. A 30-minute idea bloated out to nearly two hours without enough story or dramatic interest to keep it afloat. By this point, Stahl needs to start “wishing” for better scripts and roles. Continue reading →
June 4, 2024 “Ezra” (** out of four) was an earnest but scattershot melodrama about a comic (Bobby Carnavale) and his complicated relationship with his young autistic son (William A. Fitzgerald), his ex-wife (Rose Byrne), and his bitter father (Robert De Niro). Good intentions abound in this story which is well-served by a first-rate cast but never connects emotionally and never gets off the ground as a comedy or family drama. Director Tony Goldwyn has a small role as a doctor. Continue reading →
June 2, 2024 “Cinderella’s Revenge” (* out of four) was an appallingly mean and cruddy “adaptation” of the classic fairy tale about Cinderella (Lauren Staerck) who is pushed too far by her vindictive sisters and stepmother (Stephanie Lodge, Beatrice Fletcher, Megan Purvis) and turns to her fairy Godmother (Natasha Henstridge) for help in seeking bloody revenge. Incessant cruelty and unpleasantness and crude filmmaking make this a total turnoff. Hard to believe Disney would want any part of their name on this. Continue reading →
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