September 7, 2016 “Being Charlie” (** out of four) was an earnest but superficial melodrama about a high-school drug abuser (Nick Robinson) sent to rehab by his gubernatorial-candidate father (Cary Elwes) but struggles to stay clean and get his life together as he goes from rehab to homelessness to jail. Unusual film from director Rob Reiner is written by his son Nick who struggled with drug addiction but despite a solid performance from Robinson, the result feels like a t.v. movie. The tacked-on happy ending rings especially false and for a movie called “Being Charlie”, the movie tells you little of who Charlie is. Common gives another searing performance as one of Charlie’s counselors. Continue reading →
September 7, 2016 “Sharkenstein” (0 stars out of four) was a horrendous mess which makes the “Deep Blue Sea” or any of the “Jaws” sequels look like “Casablanca” by comparison; a WWII experiment to create a monstrous shark somehow goes astray and 60 years later turns up in a coastal town with his appetite turned up on high and many tourists (and bad actors) ripe to be eaten. Hard to say which is worse- the unwatchable acting, the lame script and direction, or the laughable special effects which really need to be seen to be believed. Clever title though. Recommended only for those who thought Steven Spielberg’s original “Jaws” was overrated. Continue reading →
September 7, 2016 “Friend Request” (*** out of four) was a chilling horror thriller about a college student (Alycia Debnam-Carey) who befriends and then unfriends a mysterious girl online but then finds her closest friends being murdered one by one. Story goes a little over-the-top and gets excessive but it’s kept watchable by solid performances and filmmaking and a good amount of thrills and scares. Director Simon Verhoeven shows a flair for striking imagery and style in his first horror movie. Continue reading →
September 7, 2016 “Antibirth” (*1/2 out of four) was an anti-watchable sci/fi slog about a partier (Natasha Lyonne) and her friend (Chloe Sevigny) who live in a desolate community full of drug-addled psychotics and complications arise when she wakes up after a night of heavy partying and is unsure if she’s pregnant or the carrier of a strange illness. Both Lyonne and Sevigny seem to be aging well since their 90’s heyday and it’s nice to see Meg Tilly back on screen again after a lengthy absence but this stupid and ugly melodrama doesn’t know what to do with any of them. Some trippy visuals are this movie’s only asset; it doesn’t so much end as stop, but you won’t be complaining. Continue reading →
September 7, 2016 “Skiptrace” (*** out of four) was a fast-paced buddy comedy about a Chinese detective (Jackie Chan) who teams up with an American misfit gambler (Johnny Knoxville) to take down a Chinese criminal who has targeted them both. Director Renny Harlin’s throwback to action buddy comedies of the 1980’s (“Lethal Weapon”, “Midnight Run”) is no classic but remains entertaining by throwing in everything but the kitchen sink and never stops moving. Both Knoxville and Chan seem to be having fun and make a good team. Originally this was supposed to be a fourth movie in the “Rush Hour” series but this is actually much better and more entertaining than that series. Continue reading →
September 7, 2016 “Kickboxer: Vengeance” (*** out of four) was a fun remake of the 1989 action potboiler that’s somehow held up as a classic about a MMA fighter (Alain Moussi) who travels to Thailand to avenge the death of his brother in the ring and trains with his brother’s former trainer (Jean Claude Van Damme from the original). Higher quality in terms of style and fillmmaking than you might expect and filled with plenty of martials arts fighting and hand-to-hand combat. Van Damme has one of his best roles in years as the young fighter’s mentor although the beautiful Gina Carrano is wasted as a villain who sets the story in motion. Continue reading →
September 3, 2016 “Deadman Apocalypse” (*1/2 out of four) was a low-rent apocalypse melodrama about a soldier named Jack Deadman (Edward Carlton) and his military team assigned to enter the underground tomb of Labyrinthia where they become entrapped for years and need to fight for survival. Not all that different from “Tank 432” which I reviewed yesterday but this is even chintzier and more derivative. It’s about time these post-apocalyptic horror movies when back to Hell and stayed there. Stirring music score by Sam Benjafield is one of film’s few assets. Continue reading →
September 3, 2016 “Decommissioned” (**1/2 out of four) was a fairly entertaining action thriller about a retired C.I.A. agent (Johnny Messner) whose family are kidnapped and threatened unless he assassinates the president, putting him in a crossfire of organized crime, the police, the Secret Service, and his former friends at the C.I.A. Nail-biting story moves fast and features the requisite amount of action but story gets more than a little ridiculous after a while. Given a charge from juicy roles from a top-notch supporting cast including James Remar as the main kidnapper, Vinnie Jones as a shady C.I.A. operative, and Michael Pare as a hard-nosed cop on the case. Continue reading →
September 3, 2016 “Dough” (*** out of four) was an amusing comedy about an old Jewish baker (Jonathan Pryce) struggling to keep his business afloat who then hires a young Muslim worker (Jerome Holder) who puts marijuana in his dough which unexpectedly sends sales sky high but leads to even more unexpected complications from the mob and a business mogul who wants to shut him down. Overly contrived story is made palatable by winning cast of charismatic actors, especially Pryce who has one of his best roles in years. Similar story was told in 2000’s “Chocolat” with Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. Continue reading →
September 3, 2016 “Tank 432” (** out of four) was an earnest but empty, by-the-numbers war melodrama about a group of mercenaries and two prisoners who take cover from battle inside an abandoned tank and struggle to maintain their sanity and stay alive. Good performances and some pretty scenery are undone by film’s drab visual presentation and the fact that many other war movies (“Saving Private Ryan”, “Full Metal Jacket” just to name a few) have covered this territory much more brutally and successfully. Continue reading →
dlepikcom 