November 28, 2020 “Boss Level” (*** out of four) was a wildly entertaining action thriller about a retired special ops soldier (Frank Grillo) who realizes he is stuck in a never-ending time loop on the day of his death involving an underground crime lord (Mel Gibson) and a female thug (Michelle Yeoh) which he has to repeat over and over again. Bonkers movie in the vein of “Groundhog Day” is over-the-top and violent but moves so fast and has so much propulsive style and action that it’s fun to watch just the same. Grillo’s wry and sardonic performance is perfect antidote to film when it starts to get repetitive. Continue reading →
November 28, 2020 “The Christmas Chronicles 2” (*** out of four) was a delightful sequel to the 2018 hit about a now grown-up Kate (Darby Camp) who becomes unexpectedly reunited with Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus (Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn) when an unexpected villain re-appears and threatens to cancel Christmas forever and they all have to save the day. Unabashedly old-fashioned children’s tale is enriched by sumptuous and lavish production design (with candy-colored cinematography from Don Burgess) and winning cast. Yet another entertaining holiday commercial confection from the always dependable writer/director Chris Columbus. Continue reading →
November 27, 2020 “Always And Forever” (** out of four) was a trite suspense thriller about a successful attorney (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) who is reunited with her various childhood friends (Loretta Devine, Lauren London, and others) when tragedy strikes and they find them all being targeted by a deranged stalker and are all in fear for their lives but who could possibly be behind all this? Remains watchable throughout thanks to sleek lighting and solid acting but never breaks out of its routine mold. Finale is particularly weak and final twist isn’t much of a surprise. Continue reading →
November 27, 2020 “Midnight At The Magnolia” (*1/2 out of four) was a mirthless story about two long-time friends and radio hosts (Natalie Hall and Evan Williams) who fake being a couple for their families and listeners in hopes of having their show syndicated and achieve more recognition but complications arise when they actually realize they have feelings for each other. Stale romantic comedy without much romance and without hardly any comedy (or laughs). Even at only an hour-and-27, you can feel the padding here. Unlikely to become a “midnight” movie anytime soon. Continue reading →
November 27, 2020 “Black Beauty” (** out of four) was a wan adaptation of Anna Sewell’s 1877 novel about the title wild horse (voiced by Kate Winslet) and a young girl (Mackenzie Foy) who form an unbreakable bond that becomes tested by time and tragedy. Nicely captured and filmed and has some scattered effective moments but is muted by its sluggish pace. A definite improvement over the dismal 2015 remake and about on par with the 1994 version which also suffered from its plodding storytelling. Winslet’s stirring voice work as the horse is a definite plus. Continue reading →
November 27, 2020 “The Last Three Days” (** out of four) was a tepid time-travel thriller in which a rookie undercover cop (Robert Palmer Watkins) gets mired up with a dangerous underground crime syndicate and wakes up to discover he is missing his partner, his wife, and cannot remember the last three days of his life and has to struggle to piece things back together from the recent past in order to save his and everyone’s future. Needlessly confusing thriller has various story fragments from “Memento” and also “The Bourne Identity” but comes up short; at least it moves fast and is relatively lean at an hour-and-26. Not bad but you’ll likely forget this within the next “three days.” Continue reading →
November 27, 2020 “Team Marco” (** out of four) was a well-intentioned but schmaltzy coming-of-age story about a young boy (Owen Vaccaro) whose grandfather (Anthony Patellis) introduces him to the great sport of bocce ball; when a crew of older Italian men come in and try to invade their turf, the boy rounds up a team to defend them and show them who’s the king of the courts. Obviously a labor of love from writer/director Julio Vincent Gambuto and is nicely played but never fully rises and congeals into anything. Pleasant enough to watch but instantly forgettable. Continue reading →
November 27, 2020 “Belushi” (** out of four) was a superficial documentary about the legendary comedian and actor John Belushi from his humble beginnings with his Albanian family and upbringing in Chicago to his immediate fame on “Saturday Night Live” to movie stardom with “Animal House” and “The Blues Brothers” to his undoing with drugs and excess which led to his death. Film features numerous interviews and recordings with Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Carrie Fisher, Lorne Michaels and many others but doesn’t tell you much about him that you don’t intuitively know (is it a surprise by now that he liked drugs and liked to party hard?). At least it’s better than 1989’s “Wired” which was a disastrous adaptation of Bob Woodward’s novel. Those wanting to appreciate his comic genius would best re-watch his “SNL” episodes or “The Blues Brothers” instead of this. Continue reading →
November 26, 2020 “True To The Game 2” (**1/2 out of four) was a gritty sequel to the 2017 cult favorite about a NYC journalist (Erica Peeples) who is targeted by a criminal thug (Andra Fuller) looking to collect on an underworld debt and this puts her in the crossfire of him and several other ruthless factions (Vivica A. Fox, Darius McCrary, and others) and she struggles to pit them against one another and get out and survive. Vibrant and high-style filmmaking and direction keep you watching for a while although it’s repetitive storyline starts to wear you out in its second half. Faith Evans plays herself and Tamar Braxton show up both in minor supporting roles. Continue reading →
November 26, 2020 “The Man In The Woods” (** out of four) was a stilted melodrama set in 1963 in which a student goes missing in the woods and many of her friends and fellow students (Marin Ireland, Kevin Corrigan, and others) search for her yet uncover more layers and secrets on which the foundation of their school (and overall society) is built on. Gorgeous silhouette black-and-white photography by Nick Remy Matthews is a highlight throughout but story is emotionally flat and never builds substantial interest or momentum. Perhaps best watching (for a little while) with the sound off. Sam Waterston is solid as usual in a key role as the school headmaster. Continue reading →
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