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 →
January 9, 2024 “Night Swim” (*1/2 out of four) was a shallow dud that drowns in its own horror-movie cliches about a family (Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon, and others) who become terrorized by an evil spirit in their swimming pool and as a result their home. A 15-minute idea padded out to feature length with hardly any scares and even less originality. It’s no surprise that this was originally based on a 2014 short film and short is what it should have stayed. Continue reading →
January 9, 2024 “Bora” (*1/2 out of four) was a boring psychodrama about a nice young straightedge (Queen Ajima) who meets the title character (Tiffany Toney) who is a reckless wild card which leads her into all kinds of irresponsible hot water. Writer/director/star Toney shows some talent in a few scenes but her own annoying character ends up sinking the whole film into pious pointlessness. Ajima’s empathic and sincere performance is one of film’s few virtues. Continue reading →
January 8, 2024 “Road Kill” (*1/2 out of four) was a grimy exploitation thriller about a group of teenagers (Sophie Lowe, Georgina Haig, Xavier Samuel, and others) who are menaced by a road truck with unseen drivers in the Australian outback and they have to unite with everything they have to try and survive. Hard to believe that 2 movies in the same week could have the same title but hey- no one ever accused horror filmmakers of being all that original. Marginally better than the other titled film but still pretty one-note and shamelessly derivative of “Dune”, “Joy Ride”, “Wolf Creek”, and too many others to think of. Continue reading →
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