Category: Film Review

The story about the creation and release predicament behind the “Red
Dawn” remake is actually quite interesting. Originally shot in 2009, the
picture hit severe financial turbulence when original studio MGM
teetered on bankruptcy, a dilemma that also threatened the stability of
the James Bond and “The Hobbit” franchises. “Red Dawn” was made to wait
while the pennies were counted and sorted, eventually sold off to a
smaller distributor altogether. And then questions were raised about its
invading Chinese villains. Sensing a dent in its international box
office potential, the producers hastily changed the baddies to North
Koreans, requiring extensive dubbing, cosmetic CGI, and a rethinking of
military motivation. After a three-year wait, countless abandoned
release dates, and teases of intriguing behind-the-scenes turmoil, “Red
Dawn” is finally here. And now having viewed the final product, I hope
the ghost of Patrick Swayze forever haunts the producers for their
creative cluelessness and unapologetic mangling of a once wildly
entertaining war film premise. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Rise of the Guardians” might appear to be another holiday-themed romp
released during a special time of year when audiences are in the mood
for such festive distractions. However, one only has to read the credit
“Executive produced by Guillermo Del Toro” to appreciate just what type
of fantasy experience the feature actually contains. With a taste for
nightmarish imagery and a detailed reworking of its league of
extraordinary magical figures, “Rise of the Guardians” has a harder edge
than I’m sure most families will be expecting, yet this focus on
adventure and concentrated evil creates an engaging movie with plenty of
excitement and a true sense of character motivation, gifting the
material impact when all signs point to numbing frivolity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s difficult to label “Life of Pi” as soulfully nourishing, but it’s
frequently amazing. A 3D adaptation of Yann Martel’s celebrated 2001
novel, the picture comes to life in ways the big screen hasn’t seen in
years, taking the potential of a survival film to extraordinary heights
of fantasy and spiritual meditation. It’s thrilling cinema, even if
director Ang Lee doesn’t quite achieve a sense of thunderous
enlightenment at the end of the effort. However, this deconstruction of
storytelling remains a frequently mesmerizing, exhausting sit,
highlighting some of the finest technical achievements of the year. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There is a lot of talented people involved with the making of the
gambling dramedy, “Lay the Favorite,” rendering the non-committal
attitude of the piece rather perplexing. Despite a swirling atmosphere
of degenerates and jealousy, the material doesn’t spark to life, finding
director Stephen Frears strangely powerless when it comes to infusing
the work with resonance and, in some cases, genuine laughs. Perhaps
those already hip-deep in the world of sports betting might be able to
suck out the juices of experience that gift the movie its most authentic
moments, though even that level of appreciation seems like a long shot,
with much of “Lay the Favorite” sluggishly trying to make sense of a
story it doesn’t appear to believe in. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“In Their Skin” deserves some amount of credit for even attempting to
root its tale of a home invasion in a psychologically troubling place of
envy and obsession. It’s an open attempt to understand the headspace of
the antagonists, but the effect gradually washes away the longer the
feature lingers on its cast to articulate the heightened concern.
Although the movie kicks off superbly with a chilling opening half
that’s inventive and disquieting, the payoff indulges the worst
instincts of the subgenre, forcing shallow acts of intimidation and
humiliation on material that’s at its best when stewing in a mystifying
atmosphere of unraveling behavior. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Remember last year’s “Breaking Dawn – Part 1,” where Bella and Edward
got married, had violent, bed-breaking sex on their honeymoon, and
conceived a daughter that werewolf pal Jacob went all humuna-humuna-humuna
over shortly after her birth, pledging his eternal love to a baby? I’m
sorry to report that the ludicrousness of “Part 1” doesn’t carry over to
“Breaking Dawn – Part 2,” which, in its ambition to manufacture an epic
conclusion to a decidedly earthbound saga, mounts an incredible amount
of exposition and adds a legion of superfluous characters to reach a
point of explosion it ends up mischievously undercutting as a way to
keep the die-hard fans guessing to the end. The series has been mopey,
uninspired, poorly acted, and dramatically inert. Now, with “Part 2,”
it’s become a total cheat. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s interesting to find the new film from Steven Spielberg titled
“Lincoln,” when in fact it’s barely about Abraham Lincoln at all.
Attempting to transform the 16th President of the United States into an
angel, Spielberg loses touch with reality, making a ponderous museum
piece about a deeply complex man, focusing so intently on one page of
history, it makes the subject even more enigmatic. Although richly
constructed with impeccable cinematic style, “Lincoln” is an airless,
directionless lump of a movie that somehow makes dependably committed
work from star Daniel Day-Lewis feel like an audition tape for the
“Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” audio-animatronic gig at Disneyland. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Over the course of his last four features, director Joe Wright has
developed a cinematic style that’s been irresistible to study, creating
seemingly infinite screen pleasures in efforts such as “Pride &
Prejudice,” “Atonement,” “The Soloist,” and “Hanna.” Masterminding a
unique creative challenge with Leo Tolstoy’s celebrated novel, “Anna
Karenina,” Wright imagines another lush world of stunning
cinematography, lavish costuming, and impossibly beautiful production
design. However, it remains “Anna Karenina,” a tale of jealousy and
tragedy that, pointed in wrong direction, generates immense discomfort
with unpleasant characters and their superficial concerns. Wright brings
out the big guns to press his fingerprint on a classic story, but the
material is too leaden to move as spryly as a helmer intends. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“A Royal Affair” commences much like any other costume drama,
introducing woe and innocence lost with the arrival of an arranged
marriage and a life lived away from the comfort of loved ones. However,
instead of a mummification of emotions to portray era-specific
conflicts, the feature finds a way to express deep desires and betrayals
without expanding into bloated hysterics. Director Nikolaj Arcel
manages to capture a sense of insanity and desire with “A Royal Affair,”
while tending to all the decorative and ornately costumed staples of
the genre. It’s a satisfactory offering of tension and manipulation
boosted by excellent performances. Those well-versed in such
tightly-corseted matters will remain one step ahead of it, but the
essentials are convincing and, at times, successfully agonizing. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Minnie Driver has always struck me as a freshly animated, appealing
actress with an interesting range and askew emotional sensitivity that’s
helped her to stand out in a crowded field of competition. She hasn’t
enjoyed a substantial film role in quite some time, perhaps dating back
to 2003’s “Owning Mahowny,” which makes her latest movie, the English
picture “Hunky Dory,” something special even if the overall effort isn’t
remarkable. An amiable endeavor boasting a soundtrack of rock hits from
the 1970s, “Hunky Dory” has a spark that never catches fire, leaving
the bulk of its personality up to Driver and her interesting take on the
often strange moods of this coming-of-age musical drama. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Comedy” is a misleading title, especially with deadpan
extraordinaire Tim Heidecker in the lead role, while regular
co-conspirator Eric Wareheim pops up in the supporting cast. Those
expecting something along the lines of “Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great
Job!” are going to be in for a rude awakening, with “The Comedy” more
of a bleak character study about a specific type of person: the sweaty,
bearded Brooklyn hipster. Laughs are nil in this extended staring
contest, finding director Rick Alverson more consumed with exhaustive
nothingness, punctuated with a few genuine scenes of behavioral study.
It’s a long, painful sit that claws at interpretational ambition, but
only nails the rare moment of enlightenment, wasting 90 minutes of
screentime to acquire about 15 minutes worth of substance. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Comparing 1992’s “Universal Soldier” to 2012’s “Universal Soldier: Day
of Reckoning” is impossible at this point, with the franchise far
removed from its original intent, despite the continued participation of
stars Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. The latest round in the
UniSol saga (the sixth film in the tattered franchise) is its darkest
yet, digging into psychosis and severe examples of violence to secure a
doomsday atmosphere for the story. Co-writer/director John Hyams aims to
bring a “Heart of Darkness” overlay to the proceedings, which is an
inspired choice, especially for a movie series that once prided itself
on summertime popcorn escapism. Now it just wants to scare the bejesus
out of the audience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The found-footage experience has been a young man’s game in recent
years, allowing hungry filmmakers a chance to tell a horror story on a
shoestring budget, using the trendy subgenre to establish themselves.
Enter Barry Levinson, the 70-year-old director of such hits as “Rain
Man” and “The Natural,” who summons his years of experience and mature
tastes to construct “The Bay,” a genuinely frightening production that’s
easily the strongest, most plausible found-footage feature to date.
Blending real-world environmental woes with a few wicked jolts of gore
and public panic, Levinson cuts through the unrelenting nonsense that
plagues so many of these efforts, preying on everyday fears to fashion a
terror tale that slips right under the skin. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Details” marks a return to the screen for star Tobey Maguire, who’s
only been seen in two pictures since the 2007 release of “Spider-Man
3.” The feature also welcomes writer/director Jacob Aaron Estes back to
filmmaking, with his absence dating all the way to 2004’s muddled drama,
“Mean Creek.” This distance between productions is felt in “The
Details,” with its star and helmer feeling a little rusty, attempting to
conquer impossibly dark material with a semi-comedic spin, finding
themselves off-balance more often than not. There are a few highlights
worth a look and an accomplished supporting cast to ease the oddity
along, yet “The Details” doesn’t add up to much despite its rather
elaborate design of misery. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The opening of “Pusher” swiftly runs through a visual identification of
the main players as though the audience is already familiar with this
group of strippers, drug dealers, and goons. And maybe they are, with
the film a remake of a 1996 Danish production that launched the career
of director Nicolas Winding Refn. However, that’s unlikely, with the
introductory greeting perhaps the last true understanding of character
in this empty calorie viewing experience. There’s anxiety to spare with
this heated story of criminal survival, yet director Luis Prieto treats
the experience like a music video, with superfluous visual ornamentation
getting in the way of gritty suspense. “Pusher” is a sound and light
show that should have its power strip unplugged. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s easy to blame Nicolas Cage for his horrible career choices as of
late, especially when so many of them seem driven primarily by monetary
woes, with script quality and directorial competence secondary concerns
to the lure of the almighty paycheck. However, with “Stolen,” Cage is
one of the few bright spots in an otherwise offensively dopey thriller,
powering through the motions with a little of the old Cage spitfire
while the rest of the production relies on violence to make its blunt
points. “Stolen” is junk but it’s intermittently amusing junk, best when
locked in demolition derby mode, while Cage attempts to jazz up the
acting by swallowing his sighs to the best of his ability. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Nature Calls” hopes to make its audience intentionally uncomfortable,
but it’s the unintentional uneasiness concerning certain elements of the
picture that immediately jump into view. Released during a time when
accusations of pedophilia share headlines with the Boy Scouts brand name
certainly doesn’t improve the feature’s comedic aspirations, while the
late Patrice O’ Neal takes on an eerie supporting role, playing a
frustrated father out to prove to his son that he’s not dead. Granted,
filmmaker Todd Rohal can’t be blamed for the movie’s unfortunate timing,
but he’s perfectly culpable for a crummy screenplay and tuneless
direction. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The first shot of “Skyfall” is an unfocused image of James Bond
approaching the camera. It’s a disorienting view, almost alien in
appearance, yet it serves a perfectly appropriate purpose for the spy
series as it struts into its 50th year of existence, displaying the
character as the stranger that was left at the climax of 2008’s abysmal
entry, “Quantum of Solace.” As actor Daniel Craig walks into view, we
finally see Bond as he should be: suave, secure, and ready for action.
“Skyfall” is a glorious return to form for a franchise that’s struggled
to develop its identity since its beefy star took over in 2006, feeling
ready to take on traditional 007 attributes while advancing the latest
Bond’s firm position as a blunt instrument in a triumphantly rock ‘em,
sock ‘em big screen extravaganza. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Cult films are a difficult thing to force on audiences. Typically,
cinematic junk needs time to cure in obscurity, developing a fringe
appreciation before widespread acceptance arrives, along with all the
necessary media attention. “Miami Connection” isn’t a DOA offering
that’s been basting in the juices of bad moviedom for decades now, it’s a
harmless, clueless 1987 Floridian production that’s been recently
plucked out of obscurity, paraded around on a brief theatrical tour so
film geeks and students of schlock can point and laugh at its awfulness,
developing a new midnight movie secret language. There’s no doubt that
“Miami Connection” is awful, but a celebratory, gut-bustin’ awful? Not
exactly. In fact, you might walk away feeling sorry for the amateurs who
pieced this effort together 25 years ago, with their collective mistake
coming back to haunt cinemas once again, reigniting the humiliation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s not as though the works of Jean Shepherd have been refused numerous
radio, television, and movie interpretations over the years, but
submitting a direct sequel to the holiday perennial “A Christmas Story”
almost 30 years after its initial theatrical release? That seems like a
foolish idea, or perhaps an act of loathsome corporate teat-yanking with
a cinematic gem. Indeed, we are now faced with a follow-up to a bona
fide classic, and it happens to be the most environmentally conscious
feature I’ve come into contact with, unafraid to brazenly recycle
anything and everything about the 1983 film, hoping to entice a new
generation of Ralphie admirers. Shamelessly derivative and plasticized,
“A Christmas Story 2” will only have you wondering why you’re not
watching the original picture again. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com