Category: Film Review

Ever since he completed work on the “Twilight” franchise, actor Taylor Lautner has encountered difficulty finding a career direction that allows him to break away from his enduring legacy as a lonesome werewolf. He’s tried comedy (“Grown Ups 2,” “The Ridiculous Six”) and actioners (“Tracers,” “Abduction”), but nothing has stuck. With “Run the Tide,” Lautner elects to go inward, toplining a domestic disturbance drama that allows him plenty of room to emote, taking an opportunity to showcase other sides of his screen presence. Perhaps a leading man career is not meant to be for Lautner, but “Run the Tide” is easily the best work he’s done to date, handling himself adequately as screenwriter Rajiv Shah checks off every cliché in the book, making it nearly impossible for the movie to find a place of authentic ache. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

A decade ago, writer/director Dito Montiel arrived on the scene with “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints,” a personal indie creation that managed to attract enough attention to gift the filmmaker a career. His subsequent endeavors have attempted to replicate his first feature’s raw energy, with most failing to be engrossing or enlightening, often tripped up by poor helming decisions and Montiel’s addiction to melodrama. He hasn’t been the most inspiring architect of blood-on-the-lens dramas, with his work generally more about passion than quality. “Man Down” joins Montiel’s growing list of disappointments, taking a cheap, borderline reckless look at the state of PTSD in military veterans, using such pained alienation and madness to inspire an aimless story of self-sacrifice, with Montiel hoping to educate and horrify. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Nerdland” doesn’t add anything new to the study of Hollywood as an empty shell of humanity, where aspiring entertainment business professionals race to the bottom, believing that degradation might invite the bright light of fame into their lives. However, the production does have a screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker, who two decades ago stunned the world with “Seven,” and now boasts a sporadic enough filmography to suggest he knows a thing or two about industry disappointment. It’s an animated feature from director Chris Prynoski, who doesn’t have much of a budget, but he offers a bizarre visual design for “Nerdland,” working to support Walker’s tale of desperation with cartoon magnification, trying to turn a universal idea on the hunger to be noticed into a funhouse journey of strange characters and macabre events. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The “V/H/S” franchise wore out its welcome after the first film, but “Siren” (stylized “SiREN” for some reason) is determined to keep it going. It’s a feature-length adaptation of “Amateur Night,” a segment from the original “V/H/S,” though writer/director David Bruckner doesn’t return, with helming duties passed over to Gregg Bishop, the “Dance of the Dead” moviemaker who also contributed a short to “V/H/S: Viral.” It’s a small world with horror directors, but as transitions of power go, Bishop does an adequate job with “Siren,” joining screenwriters Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski to expand a thin concept of monstrous seduction, keeping levels of sex and violence high enough to forgive stretches of padding needed to beef up material that originated as a 15 minute blast of shaky cam and screaming.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2003’s “Bad Santa” had better timing than creative instincts, released during a period when moviegoers were hungry from something off-beat and decidedly R-rated, going after the sacred holiday of Christmas with nothing but simple characterization and pure vulgarity. It managed to make some money, while its video release secured a cult following. However, a sequel wasn’t necessary, and the producers certainly took their time to create one, battling legal issues and screenwriting blues to bang out another criminal adventure for Willie Soke and his pronounced misanthropy. “Bad Santa 2” isn’t the follow-up fans have earned, but it’s one they probably deserve, watching the production misjudge what made the first picture so popular, putting all emphasis on crude dialogue and antics, almost forgetting there should be an actual film underneath its scummy top layer. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In a year where Walt Disney Animation already launched one of its top grossing movies of all time (last spring’s “Zootopia”), “Moana” is the icing on the corporate cake. Settling back into a musical groove that hasn’t been explored since 2013’s “Frozen,” the company tries to restore a little of their old big screen magic with this tale of high adventure in the South Pacific. There are so many treats to unwrap in “Moana,” it feels like a packed effort, with “Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin” helmers Ron Clements and John Musker creating a wonderful bigness to the picture, while also tending to its heart. Traditional dramatic arcs remain to secure audience comfort, but it feels like a fresh, alive film, giving the studio another lasting creative success. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Warren Beatty was never one to consistently work, compelled to grindout pictures to feed his fame and please the studios. However, it’s been 15 years since he was last seen onscreen, trying to make the best of a bad situation in 2001’s “Town & Country.” Finally ready to return to his professional life, Beatty takes command of “Rules Don’t Apply,” which takes a fictionalized look at the instability of Howard Hughes through the perspective of two young characters trying to make sense of life and love. Writing and directing the feature, Beatty goes all-in with this oddball endeavor, which does a successful job summarizing the star’s screen interests in controlled chaos and dark humor. “Rules Don’t Apply” is messy work, but it’s also distinctive, carrying the unmistakable Beatty energy that once beguiled audiences everywhere.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After taking cinema to literal heights with last year’s 3D experience, “The Walk,” director Robert Zemeckis returns to Earth with “Allied,” an unexpectedly moderate espionage thriller from a helmer known for his love of big screen mischief. Technical wizardry remains in the picture, but Zemeckis is respectful of Steven Knight’s screenplay, which takes a chilling look at the vows of marriage and the mercilessness of war. “Allied” has its thrills and spills, and its command of WWII visuals is superb, keeping period mood a supporting character. It’s not the most thrilling feature, going slow-burn to maintain as many secrets as it can. The reward for such patience is an effective mystery with a very strong sense of sexuality and romance, working to redefine wartime warmth with a hearty dose of paranoia. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Jeff Nichols is enjoying an amazing creative streak, crafting thought-provoking, atmospheric features that highlight outstanding performances and intimate emotions, exploring soft-spoken types experiencing tremendous psychological turmoil. There’s been “Mud” and “Take Shelter,” and Nichols even sampled sci-fi with last spring’s “Midnight Special,” a fascinating movie that few people saw, as major studios tend not to know what to do with sophisticated, unusual deviations from the norm. “Loving” is perhaps his most human picture, inspecting real-world turmoil born from a legal fight for civil rights, but the helmer’s tempo and attention to detail remain, treating the corners of this tale as importantly as everything else. “Loving” has its missteps, but it’s a typically strong effort from an increasingly reliable filmmaker. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While it must be difficult to compete with PBS nature shows, entire cable channels devoted to the natural world, and sporadic Disneynature theatrical releases, it’s clear from the opening shots of “Seasons” that co-directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzard are working on an entirely different level. The helmers behind “Winged Migration” and “Oceans” return with a study of life itself, using the expanse of European forests to identify animal interaction and survival as it moves from an untested realm of activity to one where human influence has reduced the splendor of nature. “Seasons” is as gorgeously crafted as Perrin and Cluzard’s previous efforts, but the difference here is one of environmental concern, highlighting a strange new world where the wild as we know it is being threatened with extinction after ruling for thousands of years. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

For his last effort, 2012’s “Life of Pi,” director Ang Lee took a creative risk, electing to tell a story that’s light on spectacle in 3D, hoping to create a more immersive viewing experience to boost dramatic potential. It worked to a certain degree, making the movie a box office success, inspiring Lee to cook up new plans for cinematic experimentation. “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” doesn’t feature any bold moments of disaster or animal threat to give it the same scale as “Life of Pi,” forcing Lee to dig deep into his bag of tricks to sell what’s actually a very intimate story of shock and grief. Shooting the picture in 3D and high frame rate, Lee breaks down the barriers of film to put viewers into the moment. It’s a striking endeavor, going for a specific feel of you-are-there drama. It’s too bad few people will actually experience “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” in its native format. Stripped of gimmicks, and the movie is substantially dulled, exposing a feeble story at the heart of all the technical wizardry. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After the astonishing and enduring success of the “Harry Potter” film franchise, which managed to squeeze eight movies out of seven books, it didn’t seem possible that the series would simply end after Potter’s tale concluded. While there was still money to be made with the “Wizarding World” brand name, there was also the bottomless imagination of author J.K. Rowling, who teased expansions and detours with her “Pottermore” website and literary projects, along with massively popular theme park environments around the world. Getting the movie machine back up and running is “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” an adaptation of Rowling’s 2001 book (scripted by the author), and while it doesn’t feature Harry Potter, it has wizards and mischief galore, along with plenty of darkness to signify its intent to appeal to an older crowd. “Fantastic Beasts” is big on wand-slinging and monster hunting, but actual magic is in short supply here. While big screen spectacle is appealing, the material just isn’t as deeply felt as previous Wizarding World adventures, making it appear as more of a business decision than rip-roaring new beginning. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Teen comedies in this day and age are either obsessed with mean-spirited mischief or the films of John Hughes. The recent “Easy A” decided to pay tribute to the writer/director of “The Breakfast Club” by simply stealing his moves, ending up with a tired feature of little significance. “The Edge of Seventeen” is likely going to be described as Hughesian, but it’s not. Instead, the movie resembles the work of its producer, James L. Brooks, showing patience with textured characterization and honesty with drama, trying to manufacture adolescent authenticity to best support its triumphant mix of heart and horror. It’s a wonderful picture, alive and achingly human, with writer/director Kelly Fremon Craig (making her helming debut) absolutely nailing the pains of teendom, focusing on awkwardness, busting as many clichés as she can. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After an extended period of dormancy, boxing movies are all the rage these days, but few of them have been worth viewing. For every “Creed” there’s a “Hands of Stone,” making the prospect of yet another boxer bio-pic less than appealing. Not helping matters for “Bleed for This” is writer/director Ben Younger, who previously disappointed with efforts such as “Boiler Room” and “Prime.” Younger tries to find a fresh angle to pugilist blues in “Bleed for This,” dramatizing the life and times of fighter Vinny Pazienza, who battled back from a debilitating car accident to reclaim his reputation as a king of the ring. While the cast and crew are fired up about the subject as his colorful family and friends, the film struggles to connect, missing too many pieces of personality and history, struggling to overcome a one-dimensional screenplay that’s more about the arc of triumph than the journey of a stubborn man. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Anna Biller isn’t only the writer and director of “The Love Witch,” she’s also pretty much the entire crew. As DIY a cinematic effort as I’ve seen in recent memory, “The Love Witch” not only has a defined point of view, but a level of craftsmanship not typically found in low-budget independent productions. The film looks terrific, nailing its intent to be a throwback offering of late-1960s Euro-style exploitation, with Billet taking complete ownership of the movie, from visuals to themes. Her editorial skills leave much to be desired, but when the stitching, hammering, painting, and writing is all done by the same person, it’s not surprising to find a feature that’s terrified to cut away from anything, fearful of losing focus on what must’ve been overwhelming work.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

As noble at its intentions are to celebrate the bravery of those who choose to be power line technicians, taking on the beast of electricity at radical heights and in calamitous weather, “Life on the Line” is far too dopey a picture to be taken seriously. It’s a melodrama from director David Hackl, whose previous credits include “Saw V” and “Into the Grizzly Maze.” Perhaps horror isn’t enough for the helmer, who tries on the blue collar experience for size, overseeing the problematic lives and squashed dreams of those who take care of the nation’s electricity needs. The production aims to create a new version of “Backdraft,” but it ends up a soggy television movie, indulging all manner of overacting and syrupy screenwriting to make sure viewers leave with a lump in their throat. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

A feature film is the next natural step for author James Bowen. His tales of suffering through drug addiction and homelessness, finding salvation through the company of a cat, have inspired a best-selling book and, quickly after, a popular brand. The feline is Bob, and he’s starred in seven literary offerings from Bowen, gifting his human a chance to turn around his life and inspire others struggling with problems. “A Street Cat Named Bob” is the first big screen adventure for Bowen’s companion, and it’s engineered to be as benevolent as possible, making Bob’s transition to movie work smooth and safe. Bowen’s hardships are compelling, and the picture has its heart in the right place, but director Roger Spottiswood doesn’t quite energize the material, which has a few stretches of flatness before it returns to attention with welcome grit. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director James Watkins has made a positive impression with his career choices. He’s taken on tired genre ideas and made them feel at least semi-fresh again, with secure work on the terrifying “Eden Lake” and the unexpectedly digestible “The Woman in Black.” “The Take” moves Watkins away from horror endeavors and into action country, taking command of a chase picture that uses France as a battleground. The helmer’s magic touch is on the fritz here, but “The Take” manages to get rolling periodically, wisely investing in an initially straightforward story and a few inventive stunt sequences to create needed excitement. However, there’s not enough of it, leaving the effort unfortunately underwhelming. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s been an interesting last few years for comedian Kevin James. Trying to make something out of a tailspinning film career, James has worked through an abysmal sequel (“Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2”), a forgettable family production (“Little Boy”), and a largely scorned aspiring blockbuster (“Pixels”), and now he’s starring in his first major Netflix movie. Keeping it simple, “True Memoirs of an International Assassin” isn’t likely to change James’s cinematic fortune, handing the picture to co-writer/director Jeff Wadlow, who previously helmed disheartening nonsense like “Cry Wolf,” “Never Back Down,” and “Kick-Ass 2.” If you’ve seen one James endeavor, you’ve already seen “True Memoirs,” which serves up the same slapstick the actor is known for, only here the action is more R-rated. But even a little extra violence doesn’t help the feature avoid painful predictability.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Shut In” doesn’t have any sort of originality or energy. It’s a PG-13 programmer meant to fill a gap in a release schedule, and should be treated with such disposability, as I doubt even the creators of the feature sat through it twice. It’s paint-by-number filmmaking from director Farren Blackburn, who has a chance to shake up the thriller genre here, capable of adding some surprises and deep psychological wounds to the effort, to help charge up its motivations and eventual descent into household chases. But Blackburn doesn’t do anything with “Shut In” besides play it as obviously and painfully dull as possible, generating possibly the most uneventful movie of 2016. It just lies down on the screen and expects viewers to do all the work. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com