July 29, 2023 “Sympathy For The Devil” (* out of four) was a grating misfire about a mysterious passenger (Nicholas Cage) who holds up a driver (Joel Kinnaman) at gunpoint and forces him to drive him around to a destination unknown and the driver has to find a way to physically and psychologically turn the tables on him and survive. In-your-face and irritating performance from Cage harks back to his earlier works (“Vampire’s Kiss”, “Peggy Sue Got Married”) and Kinnaman is blank and bland. Tough going all the way. For a far better execution of the same story, watch Michael Mann’s “Collateral” instead. Continue reading →
July 29, 2023 “The Unseen” (*1/2 out of four) was a vapid horror thriller about a law student (RJ Mitte) with significant medical and mental health issues who finds himself mired in a web of deceit and murder brought on by a dark force from his past that he needs to bury once and for all before it destroys his future. Earnestly directed but overall pretty plodding and dull. Mitte is good in a difficult role but this one will deservedly be “unseen” by most moviegoers. No relation to the same-titled film which was only released last month. Continue reading →
July 29, 2023 “Mother, May I?” (*1/2 out of four) was a misbegotten suspense thriller about a woman (Holland Roden) who starts behaving erratically like the deceased mother of her fiancee (Kyle Gallner) which incurs him to realize that she may need the strengthening of an exorcism to expunge her spiritual demons and send them back to Hell. Yet another recycled amount of claptrap hooey from “The Exorcist”, “Paranormal Activity”, and too many others. Good for some unintentional laughs but not much else. Time for this genre to go back to Hell once and for all where it belongs. Continue reading →
July 29, 2023 “Splinter” (** out of four) was a half-hearted psychological melodrama about a recluse (Bill Fellows) who retreats from the rest of the world after the murder of his wife and son into his large house but soon becomes convinced that someone in there is watching him. Is he losing his mind or are these delusions based on reality? Strong lead performance from Fellows and some undeniably poignant moments are stifled by film’s overall tedium and meandering pace. Continue reading →
July 29, 2023 “Limbo” (** out of four) was a muted mystery melodrama about a burned-out detective (Simon Baker) who arrives in the title town to investigate and re-open the case of a murdered girl 20 years ago and finds that various new truths and identities begin to unveil themselves and he has to battle his own psychological demons while trying to solve the case once and for all. Moody black-and-white cinematography by director Ivan Sen is a highlight but is only window-dressing for what is otherwise a plodding and routine story. Baker is sold in the lead but is drowned out by film’s solemnity and torpor. Continue reading →
July 29, 2023 “Hidden Strike” (**1/2 out of four) was a mindless but entertaining action comedy about 2 ex-Special Ops soldiers (John Cena and Jackie Chan) who have to team up to escort a group of civilians among a dangerous terrain in Baghdad to a green zone and safe house but encounter treachery and tumultuous gunfire nonstop along the way. Fast-paced movie is buoyed by the chemistry between the 2 stars and plenty of nonstop action which help you overlook film’s weaknesses in script and story. Incidentally, this is not a part of Chan’s “Police Strike” series despite its title. Continue reading →
July 27, 2023 “Fear The Night” (** out of four) was an almost completely routine suspense potboiler about a former war veteran (Maggie Q) who goes away on her sister’s bachelorette party and has to utilize all her former combat skills to strike back when a group of hillbilly rednecks (Phillip Burke, James Carpinello, and others) threaten their lives. Good production values and decent acting can’t make us forget that we’ve seen this same storyline in “Wrong Turn”, “Mother’s Day”, and (oh yeah) “Deliverance.” By this point, there’s just not much that suspense or “fear” in rehasing the same storyline anymore. Continue reading →
July 27, 2023 “The Island” (** out of four) was a lukewarm action thriller about a hard-boiled cop (Michael Jai White) who learns that his brother has been murdered and returns back to the island in which he grew up with in search for answers and vengeance and uncovers a conspiracy involving the megalomaniacal tycoon (Edoardo Costa) who owns the island. All-too-typical action vehicle for the talented Jai White but even he seems to be mostly going through the motions here. Not bad but nothing that inspired or memorable either. Continue reading →
July 27, 2023 “Called To Duty” (*1/2 out of four) was a hollow female “Top Gun” wannabe about a group of military pilots (Susannah Jane, Cabrina Collesides, Brandi Mosko, and others) who vie for patriotic glory in the air and on the ground and must put aside all differences to unite as a team to save their country from nuclear attacks from North Kiyung. Recommended solely for those who thought “Top Gun” or it’s sequel were overrated; the bad acting, silly melodramatics, and chintzy effects here make both those look like “From Here To Eternity.” Continue reading →
July 24, 2023 “Oppenheimer” (** out of four) was an overly diffuse historical drama about J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) who was a theoretical physicist who became instrumental in the development of the first nuclear bomb which ushered in the Atomic Age and changed the course of history. Film is incredibly dense with detail and long at nearly three hours yet doesn’t tell you all that much about Oppenheimer himself and is clouded by an overall sense of aloofness and detachment. Some interesting moments to be sure but not as much as you would think from some such a fascinating historical figure. Murphy is somewhat one-note in the lead and much of the all-star supporting cast are wasted. Hard-core fans of director Christopher Nolan and history buffs may like this a little more. Continue reading →
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