Category: Film Review

I'm fairly certain that when Beatrix Potter created Peter Rabbit in the late 1800s, she never imagined there would come a day when the beloved character be featured in an adaptation that includes a scene where Peter fights an uncontrollable urge to place a carrot inside Mr. McGregor’s plumber's crack. Trying to amuse families in a modern age, director Will Gluck cranks up the mischief and irreverence for the new Peter Rabbit, which quietly discards the delicate nature of Potter's work to charge ahead as a slapstick-drenched cartoon. It's not entirely unpleasant either, but purists might find themselves in a permanent state of pearl-clutching with this aggressive carnival of talking animals and bodily harm.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

I’m sure the producers of “Entanglement” are in a difficult position when it comes to selling a semi-strange movie. The marketing is slightly misleading, depicting the endeavor as a Shane Carruth-style brain bleeder, but the actual effort is a bit warmer and funnier than expected. Director Jason James and screenwriter Jason Filiatrault set out to explore the power of chance and the comfort of delusion, but they don’t leave Earth for extended periods of time, remaining accessible as a relationship drama and a depiction of a mental breakdown, all the while adding human touches to keep the picture approachable. “Entanglement” has a few issues with revelations, but it remains a compelling march across a broken heart, examining tricks from the human mind and soulful needs, with James doing his best to balance the enigmatic with the completely relatable.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s difficult to make a lot of sense out of “Permission.” Writer/director Brian Crano has a vision to create an anti-romantic drama, examining the pressures that come with an open relationship, especially one created out of fear, not lust. It’s a provocative picture, taking an adult look at complicated pairings and the struggle of clean communication in a longstanding union, and Crano gets select moments right, especially when it comes to the internal churn of temptation and the head rush of reality when faced with sexual opportunity. “Permission” isn’t consistent with character and its resolution leaves much to be desired, but when Crano digs into the psychological muck with this premise, he’s generally far more effective a storyteller than when he relies on cliché.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Ritual” is based on a 2011 novel by Adam Nevill, but it plays like an update of “The Blair Witch Project,” only this time this time thirtysomething men are sent into the wilderness to experience the numerous horrors of camping. Characterization is strong in the picture, which showcases numerous concerns from a group of frightened men, but pacing is slack throughout, with director David Bruckner soaking in the juices of perilous travel but failing to secure a riveting sense of doom. “The Ritual” eventually arrives at a place of absolute danger and oddity, but it takes a long time to get there, with Bruckner strangely electing to simulate the extremely long and physically draining journey, leaving suspense more of an afterthought than a priority. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s honestly great that Adam Green is determined to keep the “Hatchet” series going for a small collection of fans. It’s rare to find such dedication to a franchise that most people aren’t even aware of, with “Victor Crowley” the third sequel to the 2006 original, milking a derivative slasher concept for everything its worth. What began as a jokey horror experience has finally achieved its desire to become a sketch comedy show, with Green doing away with any sort of frights to make a painfully goofy and alarmingly small-scale continuation to an ongoing narrative that’s already coughed up everything it was meant to offer 12 years ago. “Victor Crowley” is crude, endless (even at 76 minutes), and made on the cheap. Fans might lap it up out of habit, but it’s bizarre to watch the “Hatchet” universe get smaller and sillier as it expands, with Green refusing to put a DNR order on his creation.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Directors of “Daybreakers” and “Predestination,” Michael and Peter Spierig tainted their promise with last year’s “Jigsaw,” their surprisingly lifeless attempt to resuscitate the “Saw” franchise. It felt like a creative bump in the road for the talented filmmaker duo at the time, but with “Winchester,” disappointment may be their new reality. After delivering all the agony and bloodshed with “Jigsaw,” the Spierigs restrain themselves with their latest picture, orchestrating a PG-13 ghost story that’s more about spooky encounters and exposition than sophisticated suspense. Unfortunately, “Winchester” is a drag, and while it retains visual potency, the screenplay never comes together in an exciting manner, unable to escalate with intrigue and frights as the Spierigs labor to sell a mystery that’s not very gripping to begin with. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

As a character, Woody Woodpecker has always been a rascally creature, bordering on insanity during his early years as a cartoon creation, masterminded by Walter Lantz and Ben Hardaway. In “Woody Woodpecker,” a 2018 effort to revive the looney bird for modern audiences, there’s a scene where Woody farts out his theme song. This is not progress. Attempting to marry live-action and CGI animation in a way that made 2010’s “Yogi Bear” some money, “Woody Woodpecker” is a fairly unendurable creation from a production team that probably has reverence for the colorful icon, but no idea how to translate ink and paint antics to the real world, electing to go as crude and obvious as possible just to get a reaction from younger viewers. “Woody Woodpecker” is bad, real bad, and its hunger to scrape the bottom of the barrel for humor is downright depressing to watch. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

When one considers the potential of a dystopian actioner with heavy western influences, Peter Howitt, the helmer of “Sliding Doors” and “Johnny English,” is not the first director that comes to mind to help bring it to life. Perhaps trying to shake up his filmography, Howitt should be commended for trying something new, but his command over “Scorched Earth” is difficult to discern, as the feature tries to do too much with a limited budget and thespian skill. The ingredients are there for something interesting, with screenwriters Kevin Leeson and Bobby Mort concocting a cold-blooded revenge saga with weird poisoned future touches, but Howitt hangs on for dear life, out of his element when it comes to the construction of stunt sequences and the summoning of real grit, scratching the gallop right out of “Scorched Earth.”  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There’s been no shortage of material on the history of National Lampoon in recent years. In 2010, the book “Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead” was released, inspiring the 2015 documentary of the same title. And there was the 2006 book, “A Futile and Stupid Gesture,” which paved the way for a new film adaptation, eschewing another documentary study of the humor magazine’s rise to enjoy a dramatic take on the carnival of personalities that contributed to the brand name’s wild sense of humor, focusing in on the antics and agony of its co-founder, Doug Kenney. Director David Wain is clearly having the time of his life creating controlled chaos with “A Futile and Stupid Gesture,” filling the frame with famous faces and clever antics, giving the movie a special energy to best celebrate the source material. While he fails to unearth anything new, Wain gets by on enthusiasm, creating a valentine to the magazine and its love of anarchy.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Last November, Jason Momoa portrayed Aquaman in “Justice League,” giving him an opportunity to play a comic book hero with unusual superpowers, living in a strange underwater environment. The actor provided physical and personality bigness that typically comes with this style of entertainment. “Braven” offers Momoa in blue collar mode, playing a character who’s scraping a living together in the wilds of Canada, dealing with very real issues of parental care and management. And yet, there’s interest in giving the actor superpowers once again. “Braven” is a bizarre film, striving to be a sensitive study of a man challenged by responsibility, but it also wants to be an action extravaganza with Momoa easily killing baddies and diving through glass windows. It’s engaging at times, giving the lead a chance to play a normal guy for a change, but the picture is caught between two tonal extremes, lacking a master plan to mix drama and woodsy mayhem.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Perhaps the only thing impressive about “Please Stand By” is how production actually manages to secure footage and logos from “Star Trek” to tell a different story about the famous franchise. It seems a little effort was spent on the picture to create its reality of brand worship, but not enough was allotted to the rest of the endeavor, which offers uneasy bouts of quirk to help butter up what should be a terrifying tale of unsteady independence. Perhaps the original screenplay by Michael Golamco was something far more in-depth when it comes to the details of mental health, but director Ben Lewin doesn’t know how to translate such careful characterization to the screen. The “Star Trek” love is amusing, but the rest of “Please Stand By” feels frustratingly short-sheeted. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

One of the great mysteries in modern Hollywood is how writer/director Dito Montiel keeps receiving funding for his projects. He’s not a skilled filmmaker, and his resume is packed with box office failures (including “Man Down,” “Boulevard,” and “The Son of No One”), making the longevity of his career baffling, always able to pull money together to make a mediocre movie. “The Clapper” is the newest addition to the Montiel line-up of misguided cinema, with his latest perhaps his most insufferable creation, trying to make something sticky sweet with troubled characters, while there’s no defined story to awaken the comatose viewing experience. Perhaps Montiel is after something bigger than what “The Clapper” ultimately offers, but it’s not an ambitious picture, hitting easy targets with crude screenwriting and bland performances.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1989’s “Kickboxer” was reimagined for 2016’s “Kickboxer: Vengeance,” keeping star Jean-Claude Van Damme, but jettisoning the B-movie escapism that made the original picture so much fun, especially for underdog action cinema fans. “Vengeance” was oppressive and disappointing, unfortunately helmed by John Stockwell, who’s not known for his directorial triumphs. While nobody asked for a sequel, Van Damme returns with “Kickboxer: Retaliation,” joining star Alain Moussi for another round of Muay Thai combat, only for the follow-up, certain tonal and creative changes have been made, making for a more engaging, intermittently rousing bruiser, scratching that “Kickboxer” itch with a broader continuation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com 

2015’s “Maze Runner: Scorch Trials” was released only a year after its predecessor, “The Maze Runner.” The producers were wisely trying to work through this adaptation of the James Dashner YA book series as quickly as possible, hoping to keep the attention of the target demographic, which almost worked, finding part two costing twice as much as part one to make and pulling in a slightly lower box office gross. It’s been a two and a half year wait for “Maze Runner: The Death Cure,” an eternity for this type of entertainment, presenting a creative challenge for director Wes Ball, who not only has to mastermind a franchise closer, but also provide a reason for anyone to return to this anemic brand name in the first place. His solution is to blow everything up, which works in fits for “The Death Cure,” but doesn’t magically make this 145-minute-long slog enjoyable. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Light of the Moon” adds an important perspective to the ongoing examination of sexual assault in film. Writer/director Jessica M. Thompson doesn’t create a melodrama to soften the blow of violence, generating a fascinating reality for the effort, which doesn’t pretend to have easy answers to complex questions of identity and aftermath. It’s an intelligent, emotional feature that’s interested in atypical feelings and reactions associated with the crime of rape, giving itself room to consider the bigger picture of relationships, inspecting how intimacies are challenged when the unthinkable occurs. There are no hysterics, just rawness and the deception of denial, making “The Light of the Moon” different, more in tune with the authenticity of the crime and its lingering hold on victims and their loved ones. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Small Town Crime” works hard to remain elusive. It’s not a comedy, but there are some big laughs. It’s not a thriller, but chases and shootouts ensue. It’s not a drama, but heaviness remains. It’s a whodunit without emphasis, with writer/directors Eshom and Ian Nelms keeping their cool while they construct a detective tale that’s defined by its idiosyncrasy and guided by a strong lead performance from John Hawkes. “Small Town Crime” doesn’t add up to much, but the journey is better than the destination, with the Nelms offering a mild ride with interesting characters and modest tensions, creating a special space for their cinematic interests. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

With the release of “Ingrid Goes West” last summer, there’s already been a fairly accurate summary of social media and its capacity to distort lives, exposing dangerous levels of need and delusion. “Like Me” has the same interest in the potency of stranger celebration and condemnation, but writer/director Robert Mockler isn’t interested in playing straight with what little drama he offers here. “Like Me” is more of a modern art installation, going the abstract route with wild visuals and anxious editing, keeping Mockler busy orchestrating a 79-minute-long freak out. Your mileage may vary with the picture, as those particularly interested in an artful summary of personal ruin while find something to embrace here. It’s not for everyone, but what’s disappointing about the movie is that, at times, it’s only really for Mockler. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In a time of divisiveness, writer/director David Heinz makes a curious choice to return to a national nightmare to help identify the last time Americans share a common vision for anything. The event was 9/11, and while “American Folk” isn’t a story of terrorism, it utilizes the aftermath of the tragedy to inspire a sense of harmony, both literally through music and spiritually through a road trip, with the main characters experiencing a changed land that’s received a chilling reminder that unity is vital to the state of the union. “American Folk” is soft work, gentle on the senses and peppered with musical performances, and while Heinz gets a little too meandering at times, he’s after something kind and soulful with the feature, fighting current political and cultural divides with a reminder that civility and hope is still possible. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Scott Cooper doesn’t take it easy on his characters. He’s sustained a fascination with guilt and punishment with efforts such as “Crazy Heart,” “Out of the Furnace,” and his last endeavor, the middling “Black Mass,” exploring violence in all its forms, saving some specialized aggression for his climaxes. While he’s flirted with western motifs before, he goes all in on the genre for “Hostiles,” which doesn’t take the challenge of mounting a western expansion drama in 2018 lightly. It’s a graphic feature, with a few exchanges of brutality that will likely turn off some viewers, but Cooper doesn’t lose sight of his narrative and atmospheric goals, handling “Hostiles” with the muscularity it needs to power through its inspection of personal corruption and seeds of salvation in the still-wild west. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

His career choices have been a little unsteady in recent years, but “The Polka King” is a great reminder that with the right material, Jack Black is capable of wonderful things. The feature is an adaptation of a 2009 documentary (“The Man Who Would Be Polka King”), delivering a glossy overview of Jan Lewan, a Polish polka musician and odd-job guy who elected to set a musical empire on a foundation of fraud, dancing, singing, and hustling his way to financial freedom while believing in the power of the American Dream. Black is unleashed on the man and the material, filling the frame with such undeniable energy, giving co-writer/director Maya Forbes (“Infinitely Polar Bear”) much to work with as she details the unbelievable experience of a polka-slinging crook who couldn’t help himself.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com