Category: Film Review

In 2023, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” was a major box office success. The movie, an adaptation of the Scott Cawthon video game series, tempted fans with a feature-film understanding of a world involving killer pizza restaurant animatronics and ghostly happenings, coming along at just the right time. For those less enchanted by the premise, the offering was simply dull, unable to really do something menacing with its gaming history, becoming a picture about characters describing things instead of doing things. Cawthon (who takes a sole screenwriting credit) and director Emma Tammi return to duty for “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” which is definitely interested in bringing many violent robots into action, and even a poltergeist, but storytelling hustle remains elusive yet again. The sequel is more mindful of its central appeal, but the production still can’t land genuine excitement with another low-budget, sluggish endeavor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s a big year for the spoof movie. Last summer, police tomfoolery returned in “The Naked Gun,” with the producers looking to revive a known brand with a cinematic sense of humor that’s fallen out of fashion these days. “Fackham Hall” is a British production that’s hoping to have a little fun with the world of “Downton Abbey” (which came to a close last September), putting writers Jimmy Carr, Patrick Carr, Andrew Dawson, Steve Dawson, and Tim Inman to work cooking up plenty of jokes and mischief centered around the prim and proper ways of an aristocratic family desperate to maintain their privileged future. “Fackham Hall” has the right spirit, mostly game to try anything for a laugh, and some inspired moments are found along the way. Unfortunately, the screenplay runs out of gas after an hour, losing a level of engagement as a bad idea for the third act nearly torpedoes the whole viewing experience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Helene Cattet and Bruno Forzani are French filmmakers who specialize in highly visual moviegoing experiences that have extraordinarily little interest in traditional storytelling structure. They made a splash with 2013’s “The Strange Colour of Your Body’s Tears,” and developed their approach for 2017’s “Let the Corpses Tan.” The duo make specialized viewing events, focusing on the specifics of textures and the amorphous ways of memory, and they aren’t giving up their creative obsessions in “Reflection in a Dead Diamond,” returning to screen mystery and menace with renewed vigor. It’s a secret agent tale in some ways, but the picture isn’t concerned with solving dramatic puzzles. It’s another immersion into fetishized moviemaking for the duo, keeping Cattet and Forzani dedicated to manufacturing another surreal presentation of madness and murder, literally taking the feature one frame at a time for many sections of the offering. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The Safdie Brothers are on a break. Or maybe they broke up, no longer interested in working together as a directorial duo. Benny Safdie struck out on his own in last October’s “The Smashing Machine,” attempting to tell a sensitive story about an MMA fighter and his major life problems. Josh delivers “Marty Supreme,” and judging by the general presence of the movie, it seems he was the one truly responsible for Safdie style and love of onscreen chaos. The picture is about a table tennis player trying to make something of himself in the 1950s, using his natural gifts and practiced ways of selfishness to make his dreams come true. In Josh’s hands, the offering becomes a carnival ride of violence, deceit, ping pong, and an anachronistic soundtrack. “Marty Supreme” contains fantastic screen energy, in the same vein as the Safdie’s “Uncut Gems,” but it’s also a feature that asks a lot of its audience without giving too much in return. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Oh. What. Fun.” was originally published in 2021. It was a short story from author Chandler Baker about motherly neglect during the holiday season, and the writer is joined by Michael Showalter (who also directs) to help turn 59 pages of ideas and characters into a feature-length movie. The screenplay attempts to manufacture a madcap understanding of family concerns and Christmas excess, pursuing various subplots and slapstick encounters, also paying “tribute” to numerous holiday movies along the way. What “Oh. What. Fun.” is missing is a great deal of charm and humor, basically playing like an extended television pilot for a series about a mother managing life’s indignities. Showalter leans into the plasticized vibe of the picture, trying to crank up yuletide feels and wackiness, and when the endeavor isn’t underwhelming, it’s surprisingly unappealing. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The theatrical release poster for “Rosemead” depicts the main characters in happy times, enjoying a day at the beach with smiles on their faces. The image doesn’t reflect the tone of the picture, but one can’t blame the releasing studio for trying anything to sell some tickets for what’s actually a very bleak story about a mother’s concerns for her deteriorating son. Writer Marilyn Fu develops a Frank Shyong newspaper article, attempting to create an intense study of shame and confusion with a strong Chinese cultural presence, while director Eric Lin is tasked with generating a developing sense of unrest as routine dissolves for two people struggling with different health realities. “Rosemead” is tough, but also involving, presenting Lucy Liu with a substantial role to really explore her range, and she offers career-best work in the feature, giving it a rich sense of concern as the story tracks a tragic decline in familial peace. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Action fans craving a hit of sustained suspense might be thoroughly underwhelmed by “Hunting Season.” There are a few hits of violence along the way, but screenwriter Adam Hampton isn’t fully interested in going the one-man-army route with this story of a father trying to protect his teen daughter from the evils of the world around them. Instead of consistent carnage, Hampton tries to manufacture a study of parental love and isolation, getting somewhere with the fatherly elements of the tale. “Hunting Season” is an odd one, as a portion of it works on a dramatic scale, and there’s a surprising amount of viciousness in the picture, giving it some snap. But there’s hideous overacting as well, and director Raja Collins (“Crescent City”) doesn’t have command of pacing, leaving the offering uneven, but with promising moments. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2020’s “Money Plane” wasn’t a hit film, but it managed to attract plenty of attention as an offering of B-movie ridiculousness. The feature examined the world of a plane-based casino where betting on violent acts was offered, leading to a few close-quarter combat scenarios involving angry characters. Now there’s “Speed Train,” which has no connection to “Money Plane,” but it shares similar production interest in delivering absurd low-budget action entertainment involving just a few sets and an odd cast. Co-writer/director Ryan Francis (a longtime actor, dating back to appearances in “Hook” and “Ghostbusters II”) doesn’t have much here, but there is an idea following the intensity of a runaway train and the mayhem of AI-controlled human weapons that could produce a decent enough ride. Unfortunately, “Speed Train” doesn’t reach its potential, stuck with repetition and limited resources as it attempts to provide some junky escapism. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“100 Nights of Hero” is an adaptation of a 2016 graphic novel by Isabel Greenberg, who blends the storytelling angle of “One Thousand and One Nights” to help invent a female-centric study of oppression and passion in a fantasy world of patriarchal control. It’s a tricky concept to the bring to the screen, putting writer/director Julia Jackman (“Bonus Track”) to work on world-building with a small budget and limited actors. The vision for the production is impressive, as Jackman hopes to delve into forbidden love and torturous experiences involving male oppressors. The execution of the feature is another story, and Jackman attempts to cast a spell over the viewer, luring them in with specialized production design details and acts of longing, but the slow-burn ways of the picture offer little dramatic reward. “100 Nights of Hero” ends up ambitious, but it’s also quite glacial. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Yes, of course there’s another “Troll 2.” However, this “Troll 2” has nothing to do with the notoriously bad 1990 release. The new film is a sequel to 2022’s “Troll,” where director Roar Uthaug received a chance to play with a Norwegian version of kaiju cinema, exploring the massive presence of fantasy creatures trying to understand their place in the world, often by destroying whatever happens to be within smashing distance. It was an entertaining picture, filling in the gap between major Hollywood-backed Kong and Godzilla productions, with Uthaug achieving a satisfying sense of scale and destruction. The trolls are back in business for the continuation, which has defined influences and formula to follow. The story feels a little more labored this time around, but there’s still a fun factor to embrace, and, when the movie gets around to it, troll interactions save the feature, delivering welcome action. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The holiday season. For some, it’s a time of magic and human connection. It’s a chance to spend time with thoughts and feelings, reflecting on the year and its challenges. It’s also a period of great celebration for many, as revelers look to kick off the blues and devour all the treasures that arrive. For the “Five Families of Christmas,” November and December represents a period when they can make a small fortune selling Christmas trees to the people of New York City. “The Merchants of Joy” is based on two magazine articles written by Owen Long, with director Celia Aniskovich (“Call Me Miss Cleo,” “Fruitcake Fraud”) setting out to follow the yearly rituals and power plays of the people involved in this niche business. As a study of organization and commerce, “The Merchants of Joy” is an intermittently fascinating examination of unexpected anxieties and competition. As an offering of seasonal warmth and inspiration, Aniskovich fumbles the good vibes of the documentary, offering too much time with abrasive personalities. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The holiday season is full of feel-good entertainment, with movies often celebrating the magic of love during times of family crisis. “Jingle Bell Heist” tries on crime for size, with writer Abby McDonald looking to add some excitement as she creates two characters out to find their fortune while the world around them gets into the Christmas spirit. Director Michael Fimognari (“To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You,” “To All the Boys: Always and Forever”) is tasked with selling the tingles of the holidays and the urgency of criminal plans, coming up with a slightly muted endeavor that only succeeds when personality manages to break through. The picture isn’t an “Ocean’s Eleven”-style romp, but something more restrained when it comes to thrills, while McDonald is ordered to find a little heat in the middle of all the thievery, desperate to add bits of burgeoning romance when the film is much better watching two partners figure out how to pull off an impossible task. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The afterlife offers incredible potential for storytelling. It’s a setting of mystery and extraordinary fantasy, permitting filmmakers to play with the details of the unknown, finding ways to explore the complicated mess of living as it comes to something of an end. Albert Brooks scored a major creative success with 1991’s “Defending Your Life,” offering a romantic and comedic take on the process of passing on to the next phase of existence. Now co-writers Patrick Cunnane and David Freyne (who also directs) riff on the same idea with “Eternity,” zeroing in on the pressure involved when the recently deceased are tasked with choosing their forever home. “Eternity” means to be light, but the premise can’t deny certain troubling realities, and the writers offer a mostly balanced appreciation of the central crisis, making an intermittently funny and emotional study of an impossible choice set in a strange wonderland of options. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While many anticipated a hit film in 2016’s “Zootopia,” few could’ve predicted its monster success, taking the world by storm as it rolled on to become a billion dollar grosser. Disney certainly took their time cooking up a sequel, spending the intervening years developing the premise for streaming shows and theme park experiences, feeling out the true popularity of the brand name. Now there’s “Zootopia 2,” which looks to dominate the competition with a return of the franchise’s sense of humor, action, and commentary on the way of the world for underprivileged creatures. Directors Jared Bush (who also scripts) and Byron Howard aren’t looking to stray far from the formula that worked so well nearly a decade ago, but they end up with a much better picture, as “Zootopia 2” maintains a mostly playful presence with a wonderful voice cast, showing more consistency as it looks to balance silliness with societal issues. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Wake Up Dead Man” is the third installment of the “Knives Out” franchise, which probably was never meant to continue past the initial 2019 release, but audience interest and filmmaker enthusiasm was enough to turn the sleuthing skills of Benoit Blanc into a series. 2021’s “Glass Onion” switched the saga into a streaming experience, and one that was warmly welcomed by fans, even with a noticeable decline in quality. Writer/director Rian Johnson returns with another case of murder for the master detective to solve, this time examining the strange ways of faith and devotion, taking elements of danger to a church setting as a monsignor is offed and there’s a whole flock of troubled people involved in the situation. “Wake Up Dead Man” is no creative departure from the other chapters of “Knives Out,” but it’s a small improvement on “Glass Onion,” finding Johnson conjuring a more interesting case of ego, and the supporting cast gets plenty of mileage out of the Agatha Christie-inspired material. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Chris Foggin is in the business of making feel-good cinema. He’s been at it for years now, directing “Fisherman’s Friends,” “Bank of Dave,” “This is Christmas,” and “Bank of Dave 2: The Loan Ranger,” on a quest to make viewers walk away delighted and soulfully restored after watching one of his movies. He remains committed to the career cause in “Tinsel Town,” a holiday picture about a crusty action star sent to small town England to participate in a stage production of “Cinderella.” Obviously, complications ensue and fussiness begins its slow melt, as the screenplay (credited to Piers Ashworth, Adam Brown, and Frazer Flintham) isn’t out to blow minds with originality, painting in primary colors to secure likability. However, “Tinsel Town” is missing a more direct shot of appeal, as the material gets caught up in subplots in the final act, testing goodwill with writing that ultimately fails to stay on task. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Kate Beckinsale is working hard to become an action hero. In recent years, she’s appeared in “Canary Black” and “Stolen Girl,” presenting herself as a formidable force, often in the service of rescuing children. She returns to duty in “Wildcat,” portraying an ex-military woman who’s caught in a bad situation when her little brother drags her into a criminal entanglement, which also happens to threaten the life of her young daughter. Director James Nunn (who hit a few highs with his work on “One Shot” and “One More Shot”) is in charge of bringing some punchiness to the offering, but it’s not an easy task with this riff on Guy Ritchie cinema from screenwriter “Dee Dee,” who generates a familiar collision of underworld players and violent crime world mishaps in an uninspired endeavor. “Wildcat” offers a few acting highlights and the occasional viable threat, but there’s a heavy sense of déjà vu that keeps the feature from coming to life. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Grief is the Thing with Feathers” was a 2015 book by Max Porter, exploring the ways of death, recovery, and parenthood. Writer/director Dylan Southern looks to take the strange journey of the novel and turn it into cinema, with help from star Benedict Cumberbatch, who is no stranger to playing tortured characters. The material doesn’t directly assess the weakened state of a newly widowed father trying to make sense of the world and handle the care of his two young sons, going a more abstract direction with the tale, which involves the horror of a human-sized crow complicating the grieving process for a vulnerable character. “The Thing with Feathers” is very strange and also tries to be extremely sincere, but adaptation challenges are often too difficult to conquer. As much as Southern tries to respect the source material and play intense psychological games, he doesn’t create a particularly compelling picture. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Three years ago, there was “Sisu.” It was a Finnish production about an unstoppable man out to destroy Nazis during World War II, and writer/director Jalmari Helander brought a vivid imagination for bodily harm and big screen action. The picture wasn’t a major hit, but it attracted plenty of positive attention, celebrating Helander’s appetite for destruction. For “Sisu: Road to Revenge,” the formula hasn’t changed much, once again following the main character into many threatening situations as he seeks to calm his screaming mind by murdering his enemies in blunt fashion. Helander returns, joined by star Jorma Tommila, and the pair work out a new survival plan for the sequel, which remains as violent as possible while the helmer enjoys some Hollywood influences and a larger budget. The element of surprise is long gone, but “Road to Revenge” maintains an enjoyable viewing experience, running just a bit behind the original feature in terms of excitement. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

A little under two years ago, “The Family Plan” debuted as a streaming title, and…it was awful. Strangely coarse for what appeared to be a family picture, also offering wretched performances, direction, and writing, the movie struggled to provide a single inspired moment. However, it seems the feature was something of a success, because the creative team is back for “The Family Plan 2,” a relatively quickie production aiming to get right back to PG-13 business, following the adventures of an ex-assassin and his desperate need to be a protective parent and husband for his loved ones. Director Simon Cellen Jones and screenwriter David Coggeshall return to duty, cooking up new challenges for the main characters, going international to help spice up the incredible blandness of the production. On the plus side, “The Family Plan 2” is an improvement on the original, locating a better villain to help create a modicum of screen tension. The rest remains generic and unfunny, but hey, at least some progress has been made. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com