Author: dlepikcom

“Dune: Part Two” (*** out of four) was a grand, operatically scaled sequel about the continuing saga of Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) who unites with Chani (Zendaya) and the leader of the Fremen tribe (Javier Bardem) to swear vengeance against the various conspirators (Christopher Walken, Stellan Skarsgard, and others) who destroyed his family. Elegantly and intelligently directed by Denis Villeneuve with some breathtaking cinematography by Greig Fraser and sumptuous visual effects but marred by a midsection that plods. Still, an overall solid achievement and an improvement over the previous entry and David Lynch’s disastrous 1984 adaptation.

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“Ordinary Angels” (** out of four) was a meandering, maudlin character melodrama about an alcoholic hairdresser (Hilary Swank) who found meaning and purpose in her life with rallying her community to help a single father (Alan Ritchson) save the life of his critically ill young daughter (Emily Mitchell). Some scattered effective moments are overshadowed by all-too-familiar inspirational approach and film’s overlength. Swank seems to be playing more-or-less the same character she played in Sam Raimi’s “The Gift” but Ritchson is first-rate as the strong but struggling dad. Co-written by actress Meg Tilly and Dave Matthews was one of film’s producers but they still can’t lift this out of the “ordinary.”

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“HP Lovecraft’s The Old Ones” (*1/2 out of four) was a disposable horror thriller about a sea captain (a grizzled Robert Miano) who was possessed by an ancient entity for 93 years and committed horrific acts for a cult and breaks free and attempts to make up for his evil deeds while the cult vows to eliminate him for good. Yet another terrible adaptation of a Lovecraft story without much craft of its own or scares and alternates between disgusting and tedious. The always dependable Miano does what he can with a one-note role.

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“My Acting Coach Nightmare” (*1/2 out of four) was an anemic suspense thriller about a teenager (Neela Jolene) who comes under the tutelage and treachery of an acting teacher (Cameron Jebo) which causes numerous problems in her personal life and in her relationship with her hard-working mom (Samaire Armstrong). Title is appropriate since most of the cast in this movie could benefit from acting coaches of their own and for that matter the writer and director could have used film-school coaches. Strictly for those who are desperate to watch anything on Netflix.

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“Bodyguard Seduction” (*1/2 out of four) was an utterly generic romantic thriller about a wealthy businesswoman (Jessica Morris) who hires a bodyguard (Ross Jirgl) after numerous attempts on her life that she falls in love with but can he be trusted? Or is he behind a conspiracy to overtake her life? Almost completely ineffectual and free of suspense and seems to have come off an endless assembly line. Multiple twists and turns will likely give you multiple headaches.

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“Road House” (**1/2 out of four) was a fast-paced if uninspired remake of the 1989 cult classic about an ex-UFC fighter (Jake Gylenhaal) who is hired to clean up at a hellhole club in the Florida Keys but finds that he is up against ruthless mobsters (Billy Magnussen and Conor McGregor) who will stop at nothing to destroy the place and send him home. Packed with hand-to-hand combat and violent fistfights but lacking the wit and character development that were key sparks for the original. Gylenhaal tries but is miscast in the lead and McGregor is an overacting cartoon as the main villain.

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“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” (**1/2 out of four) was a good-natured if uneven sequel about an ancient artifact that unleashes an evil force in NYC and it’s up to the ghostbusters, both present (Paul Rudd, Mckenna Grace, Carrie Coon, and others) and past (Bill Murray, Dan Akyroyd, Ernie Hudson) to save the day and prevent the forming of a new Ice Age that could overtake all of the city and Earth. Initially plodding and predictable but starts to get going more in its second-half and leads to a spectacular special-effects blowout that will likely send you out with a smile. A definite improvement on the previous “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” but this still bears the mark of going to the nostalgia well once too often. William Atherton and Annie Potts amusingly return in supporting roles.

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“Prey” (*1/2 out of four) was an earthbound melodrama about a missionary husband and wife (Ryan Phillippe and Mena Suvari) who go on a trip with a pilot (Emile Hirsch) and other friends but their plane crashlands in the Kalahari Desert forcing them all to put their survival skills to the breaking point. Airplane-crash scene is literally the only thrilling scene in entire film and the rest is muted and inert. Phillippe and Suvari are severely wasted; their fans can only “pray” they start to receive better scripts and roles sometime soon.

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“Irish Wish” (**1/2 out of four) was an overall endearing lark of a romantic comedy about a devoted literary editor (Lindsay Lohan) who makes the title wish and gets her wish granted that she marries her writer (Alexander Viahos) in Ireland but she then soon falls in love with the wedding photographer (Ed Speleers) and realizes her “wish” was false and wants to take it back and start over again. The kind of story that gives the word contrived a bad name and is often silly and artificial but is made palatable by the high-spirited performances of Lohan and Speleers and their genuine romantic chemistry and spark. Full of heart, soul, and blarney in equal measure but overall a worthwhile trip.

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