Category: Film Review

Jamie Foxx wants his own “Taken,” and he’s turned to 2011 French thriller to make it happen. “Sleepless” is a decidedly American remake of “Sleepless Nights,” taking the action to Las Vegas, a location that celebrates the outrageous and reckless, making it a perfect setting for the film, which starts off as an enjoyable junk food actioner and slowly transforms into a tiresome cartoon. However, it does serve its function as a vehicle for Foxx to showcase his stunt skills, tossing himself around the frame for director Baran do Odar, who sticks with the basics when it comes to coverage, editing, and general velocity. That “Sleepless” is idiotic isn’t the problem. It’s the good kind of dumb for 45 minutes. But it doesn’t sustain itself for the full feature, relying on ridiculous extremes to keep viewers awake. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Horror needs inspiration to survive, delivering at least the illusion of care when it comes to the construction of frights and the identity of the villain. “The Bye Bye Man” has no real reason to be, it simply exists as a product due in multiplexes on Friday the 13th, with its original R-rated cut whittled down to a more teen-friendly PG-13. The producers erased most of the blood, but it’s debatable if they had a decent screenplay to begin with. “The Bye Bye Man” isn’t much more than a terrible title, gifting paying customers wretched performances, murky mythology, and low-wattage chills, with stupidity the dominating vibe of the picture. When it’s not in expositional hell, it comes to a complete stop, with director Stacy Title bungling even the most basic scenes in this amateurish mess. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s not been an easy road to release for “Monster Trucks.” Shot three years ago, the feature has endured several delays and bad buzz, with releasing studio Paramount basically blaming recent financial woes on the seemingly harmless family film, which wasn’t cheap to produce. Finally ready for public exhibition, and it’s easy to see why the picture was involved in an elaborate corporate game of “Not It.” Longtime animation director Chris Wedge makes his live-action debut with “Monster Trucks,” and it seems like the challenge of dealing with real people was too much for the helmer. While the effort isn’t disastrous, it’s deathly dull, scripted in Crayon, and strangely cast, hoping the central visual of a monster positioned as the engine of a truck is enough to forgive all moviemaking sins the production commits. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Originally set for broadcast in March, “Bright Lights” was intended to be a study of a mother and daughter engaged in life, love, and mega-fame. Directors Alexis Bloom and Fisher Stevens were only examining the dynamic between Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, offered access into both homes for years to best pinpoint their special bond, showcasing layered personalities away from movie premieres, concerts, and conventions. But now, after Fisher and Reynolds passed away within days of each other last month, “Bright Lives” takes on a different purpose. While it remains a feisty, fascinating portrait of an enduring relationship, Bloom and Stevens also provide a focal point for grieving, supplying a reminder of these unique women and their separate struggles, which only strengthened their bond. What was once a project meant to charm is now a vital document of lives lived in defiance of adversity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Claire in Motion” offers actress Betsy Brandt a chance to show her stuff on the big screen after a successful career on television, most notably on the show “Breaking Bad.” It’s a juicy part that presents a rich thespian challenge, tasked with portraying a character who’s having a psychological breakdown but doesn’t understand it, keeping a tight lid on emotions while the weight of the world just keeps getting heavier. Brandt proves herself more than capable with the role, carrying “Claire in Motion” with a sophisticated turn that showcases impressive body language and ability to communicate bits of raw feelings without pole vaulting into melodrama, keeping the feature steady and sincere, even when it teases conventional conflict and resolution. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Dramatically, “100 Streets” offers nothing new. It’s a stern look at hopelessness in London, where lost souls struggle to find purpose in a grim world, working to redirect their misery into something constructive. It’s a multi-character piece, tonally similar to a Paul Haggis picture, layered with sympathy and coincidence. Screenwriter Leon Butler falls short on satisfaction, but he does manage to find a few interesting character corners, and director Jim O’Hanlon is wise to turn most of the effort over to the cast, who generate a compelling sense of frustration before the movie decides to use behavioral extremity to solve its substantial problems. “100 Streets” looks to detail the capacity of the human heart during its darkest trials, but it only connects periodically. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Crash” isn’t very good at predicting the future. Shot nearly four years ago, the picture imagines a tomorrow that takes place in 2017, where the world is besieged by cyber terrorism and America is commanded by Hillary Clinton. Sadly, iffy forecasting isn’t the worst of the feature’s ills. Writer/director Aram Rappaport (“Syrup”) has much more difficulty trying to sell the hysteria of online horror with a limited cast and budget, working overtime to create excitement where there isn’t any. “The Crash” concerns a modern version of doomsday, where terror emerges from hacking, not bombs, but it’s a remarkably silly take on the end of the world, and the more Rappaport tries to pull urgency out of thin air, the harder the movie flounders, finding its title more descriptive of production ambition than dramatic content. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s rare to encounter such an intentionally odious picture like “Arsenal.” It serves no purpose, showcasing inept filmmaking skills that keep it miles away from its thriller intentions, while its celebration of violence is cranked all the way to 11, enjoying the spilling of blood and the snapping of bones. Director Steve C. Miller has no real idea what’s he doing with the feature, but coming from a helmer with such nondescript B-movie projects like “Marauders,” “Submerged,” and “Extraction” on his resume, it’s easy to understand why “Arsenal” doesn’t inspire anything but an immediate need to do something else with your precious time. Even with the wonders of thespian paydays in play, the effort is disastrously executed bore, slogging through the burnt ends of society to celebrate the ways of crime and punishment in the most moronic manner possible. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Unnecessary sequels aren’t anything new. We ended up with three “Toxic Avenger” follow-ups, three “Wild Things,” and a second “Road House,” so the appearance of “Bad Kids of Crestview Academy” isn’t completely surprising. It’s a continuation of “Bad Kids Go to Hell,” a 2012 chiller that I’m not sure anyone actually watched, but apparently some degree of success was reached, spawning a new adventure in the world’s least secured school with a fresh group of obnoxious characters. The material is based on a graphic novel, giving it a shot at irreverent fun, playing with slasher film conventions and teen sarcasm, but the finish product is strangely sedate, unable or unwilling to snowball into a macabre take on mischief and murder. It’s restrained work from director Ben Browder, who strives to treat the screenplay carefully, respecting the source material, only to end up with a lethargic second round of suspense. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Martin Scorsese is a globally renowned director with a diverse filmography, but he’s always had a soft spot for the challenges of faith. Some explorations have been subtle, while others, including 1997’s “Kundun,” are more outward in their heavenly search. “Silence” is an adaptation of a 1966 novel by Shusaku Endo, but it plays like a follow-up to Scorsese’s 1988 masterpiece, “The Last Temptation of Christ.” Again asking questions of belief and showcasing nightmarish physical endurance, the helmer strives to understand the power of religion, especially when it meets a determined opponent. “Silence” is easily Scorsese’s most grueling picture, using a nearly three-hour run time to explore absolute suffering and a gradual swelling of confusion. It’s accomplished work, as to be expected, but it’s also a moviegoing test of patience only reserved for Scorsese’s most devout fans. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

What “Hidden Figures” offers is a depiction of empowerment, showcasing the perseverance of three women who were constantly rejected by a government system that barely tolerated their skin color and gender. It’s not a groundbreaking movie, but it provides an examination of prejudice without slipping into hysterics, which is a rare event. Directed by Theodore Melfi (“St. Vincent”), “Hidden Figures” is a perfectly serviceable tale of individuals challenging oppression, hitting all the expected audience-baiting moments of hate and victory. However, underneath convention is an inspection of tremendous intelligence finding its place in the world, with the production valuing education and problem solving, which doesn’t come across the screen nearly enough. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The “Underworld” franchise has never provided consistent entertainment, but the last installment, 2012’s “Underworld: Awakening,” was genuinely fun. It turned the somber war between Lycans and Vampires into a proper monster movie, adding big action to break up the ongoing streak of exposition required to keep this horror mythology afloat. The party’s over in “Underworld: Blood Wars,” which returns to steely stares and breathless paragraphs of explanation, finding the core battle between sworn enemies almost an afterthought as the production uses this chapter to refresh possibilities for future sequels, working to keep star Kate Beckinsale interested with new character dimensions. Action is replaced with world-building, keeping the fourth sequel to the 2003 original more about course-correction than promised combat. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Deepwater Horizon” was released only a few months ago, with director Peter Berg and star Mark Wahlberg teaming up to dramatize a real-world horror, emphasizing blue-collar heroism and sacrifice in the face of unimaginable danger. Quickly returning to screens, Berg and Wahlberg pick another harrowing topic for “Patriots Day,” which deconstructs the investigation following the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. While “Deepwater Horizon” was surprisingly focused work from a scattergun filmmaker like Berg, “Patriots Day” is a giant offering of maturation from the helmer, using what he learned from the previous picture to inform his latest work. Vividly crafted, suspenseful, and respectful to those involved in violence and law enforcement, the feature is easily Berg’s best work, showing unusual passion and control with a thorny tale of investigation and pursuit. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Nostalgia is a major component of horror movies these days. Young filmmakers typically look to the best to inspire their own work, but homage is a tricky game to play, with reverence often slipping into recreation. While “Beyond the Gates” has a slight Italian shocker tilt, drenched in synth and strange colors, the feature wisely digs deep into home video obscurity to stimulate its vision for terror, exploring the strange world of VHS board games to give essentially routine drama a fascinating strangeness. Co-writer/director Jackson Stewart doesn’t have much in the way of a budget, but he has plenty of imagination and a solid cast. Doing something with video store memories, “Beyond the Gates” has the right ideas when it comes to shadowy evil and VHS ephemera, creating a very entertaining and mildly spooky B-movie version of “Jumanji.” Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Sadness is an unavoidable response to “A Monster Calls.” Director J.A. Bayona (“The Orphanage,” “The Impossible”) is tasked with brightening up somber material, using heavy swings of fantasy to alleviate a tale that touches on terminal illness, bullying, and absentee parenting. While never jaunty, “A Monster Calls” does reach a compelling level of mystery to keep it on the move, working to wrap its arms around the saga of a teenage boy facing the grim reality of death for the first time in his life, turning to his imagination to help deal with a flurry of feelings. Behaviors ring true and performances are aces here, helping Bayona find the life in all the darkness, hitting proper tearjerker beats without corrupting a fascinating study of adolescent denial.  Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Jim Jarmusch crafts very specific films, though often in the most vague manner imaginable. He’s a one-of-a-kind craftsman, and “Paterson” is a remarkably low-key creative success for a guy who adores screen stasis. After examining the malaise of vampiredom in 2013’s “Only Lovers Left Alive,” Jarmusch returns to real-world wonder with “Paterson,” which samples introspective behavior from all sides, working to identify the power of art in a world of routine. It’s intelligent work from the helmer, who plays everything with his customary dryness, still managing to shape a compelling look at a shy soul teasing a grand awakening through the power of self-expression. It’s a distinct Jarmuschian effort, but I doubt few would want his work any other way. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Julieta” is Pedro Almodovar at medium speed, but even at a deliberate pace, his work is better than most filmmakers working today. After releasing some serious wiggles with 2013’s “I’m So Excited,” Almodovar returns to melodramatic interests with this tale of grief and memory, utilizing his sumptuous style and gift with actors to make seemingly innocuous moments burst with life. “Julieta” isn’t thunderous drama, but it finds engrossing elements of behavior and tragedy to explore, with the helmer creating a propulsive journey of doubt with the troubled titular character. It’s typically gorgeous work from the helmer, but for those switched on by his return to beyond broad comedy in the last effort, his latest takes a decidedly more introspective route. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com