Month: July 2023

The Happy Madison factory is back with “The Out-Laws,” which is directed by Tyler Spindel, who’s Adam Sandler’s nephew, previously helping his uncle deliver Netflix content with efforts such as 2018’s “Father of the Year” and 2020’s “The Wrong Missy.” Spindel has one speed when it comes to creating comedy, and he returns to it with his latest picture, which looks to offer a wacky good time with crude jokes, lots of improvisation, and an aggressive lead actor. In this case, it’s Adam Devine, who brings his poor man’s Jack Black shtick to the feature, screaming and squealing his way through a simplistic performance for a thoroughly uninspired film. “The Out-Laws” is rough on the senses, in desperate need of a more imaginative helmer and some sort of writing, as the movie basically wanders from scene to scene, counting on the cast to bring their own ideas to the limp endeavor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2011’s “Insidious” was a fun ride from director James Wan, who visually transformed Leigh Whannel’s small-scale study of a suburban haunting, delivering one of the better films of his career. One could argue there was no need for a second installment, but producers weren’t going to stop with one hit movie. “Insidious: The Red Door” is actually the fifth chapter in the franchise, aiming to pick up after 2013’s “Insidious: Chapter 2,” luring stars Patrick Wilson, Ty Simpkins, and Rose Byrne back to the brand name for another session of demonic entanglements, with Wilson handed the keys to the series, making his directorial debut. “Insidious” is mostly a one-note horror event, giving the fourth sequel a real challenge of freshness, but Wilson and screenwriter Scott Teems (last year’s dreadful “Firestarter” remake) aren’t invested in a fear factor with the endeavor, primarily out to make a study of fatherhood and trauma. “The Red Door” is more of a drama than a horror event, but the emotional pull of the material is limited, and scares are as routine as they come. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Dead Man’s Hand” is based on a graphic novel by Kevin and Matthew Minor, and it’s billed as “A Brian Skiba Flick,” which is meant to signal to the audience that this western is going to be anything but traditional. There seems to be some vision to shake up the norm when it comes to cowboy problems in the old west, but the screenplay (by Skiba and Corin Nemec, best known as the star of the T.V. series, “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose”) doesn’t have an extended sense of hellraising, and the production isn’t blessed with a significant budget (18 producers are credited), greatly limiting the genre punch the endeavor wants to deliver. “Dead Man’s Hand” is bizarre, dealing with an underwhelming cast and lukewarm mysticism, and it’s not much of a revenge story, with Skiba unable to get the movie rolling along with all the shootouts and hard stares people want from a western. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After the success of 1996’s “Mission: Impossible,” the series embarked on an interesting creative experiment, allowing different directors to have their way with the big screen spy game, bringing their own essence to the franchise. Such tinkering with tone ended with 2015’s “Rogue Nation,” with star Tom Cruise finding his guy in writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, with the pair returning for 2018’s “Fallout.” McQuarrie’s handling of IMF adventures has been slightly uneven, delivering massive visuals and unsteady storytelling, but he finds his rhythm with “Dead Reckoning Part One,” which is the most cohesive and thrilling sequel since 2011’s “Ghost Protocol,” with the helmer (and co-writer Erik Jendresen) finding ideal balance between spectacle and espionage. “Dead Reckoning Part One” is a massive feature and the longest picture of the “Mission: Impossible” series (164 minutes), but Cruise and McQuarrie are determined to make it a rocket ride, crafting a delightfully propulsive and suspenseful movie. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Two men left to live inside a controlled environment with no chance for escape, forced to rely on themselves for survival and companionship. It’s not the “Bio-Dome” sequel that’s been threatened for the last decade, but a new production from Jay and Mark Duplass, who love to tinker with potentially comedic studies of relationships under duress. In “Biosphere,” the situation is quite grim, studying the experience of the last two men on Earth, watching them deal with an encroaching reality as they try to keep themselves alive inside a dome. However, there’s a lighter, stranger tone to the picture, with co-writers Mark Duplass and Mel Eslyn (who also directs) looking to take viewers on quite a ride of feelings and revelations, attentive to the element of surprise while endeavoring to make something truly human, especially when it comes to the complexity of emotions. “Biosphere” isn’t a crisply edited movie, but it’s a periodically involving tale of partnership, held together by outstanding performances from Mark Duplass and Sterling K. Brown. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The story of the English pop group Wham! only covers four years of recording and touring success, where two young men who became friends as pre-teens elected to try their luck in the world of music, ending up as one of the biggest things in the world for a very short amount of time. It’s a tale of industry triumph and personal camaraderie that’s remarkable to behold, watching as small dreams transform into a potent reality. Director Chris Smith (“American Movie,” “Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond,” and “The Yes Men”) looks to explore that burst of fame and fortune with “Wham!,” a documentary that uses archival interview audio with members George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley to track the development of their friendship as it transformed into a musical “brotherhood.” Smith doesn’t always cut deep with the material, but he finds an appreciation of success and its profound impression on the band members, who stepped into the spotlight as young adults without any deep understanding of who they truly were, trusting in the power of pop to help guide them. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

A few months ago, there was “Mercy,” a low-budget endeavor that tried to sustain “Die Hard” energy with its version of a battle between armed thugs and a lone hero stuck in a single location (in this case, a hospital). The picture didn’t connect but the premise had potential, and filmmakers return to the source with “Call Her King,” which brings “Die Hard” to a courthouse, with gun-toting bad guys hunting for justice while a judge is looking to shut down any rising violence. There’s no touching the 1988 masterpiece, but “Call Her King” gives it a proper B-movie shot. Director Wes Miller tries to keep suspense in play, and he’s open to action as well, working to bring a little tension to formula, with this study of survival and injustice aiming to deliver a more potent message on the justice system while organizing dangerous situations. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Crusades” carries a mighty title suggesting an historical adventure movie to come. In reality, it’s a high school comedy, and one that follows the exploits of teenage boys striving to make sense of life and love as they deal with a single day of torment. Co-writer/director Leo Milano isn’t offering a stunning reinvention of the teen comedy here, playing with the basics in hallway intimidation and tested relationships. The tone of “The Crusades” never gels, as the material introduces itself as a comedy and concludes as a drama, and Milano never finds the right balance of silliness and emotion to really make something memorable. There are spirited moments in the picture, but the endeavor as a whole is uneven, lacking inspired goofiness and a deeper, more human feel for the characters. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Adele Lim makes her directorial debut with “Joy Ride” after enjoying positive reviews as a screenwriter, contributing to “Raya and the Last Dragon” and “Crazy Rich Asians.” These are pictures respected for their sensitive, knowing takes on Asian culture and personality, but that’s not the creative end game for “Joy Ride,” with Lim working to realize a script created by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao, with the pair spending many years shaping their comedic instincts on “Family Guy.” Cartoon antics return in the feature, which hopes to revive the freewheeling formula of 2017’s “Girls Trip,” following four characters and their wild experiences in China. It’s a hard R-rated adventure with limited opportunity for genuine wit, finding Lim going all-in on raunchy material, while the writers go the paint-by-numbers route, presenting dismal humor and plasticized heart on par with an early-2000 Farrelly Brothers production. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com