Category: Film Review

“The Good Doctor” is a classic example of a slow burn picture. Considering the vague creepiness of the titular character, the glacial pace could cause some viewers to lose interest in the delusions and devious plans of the plot. The movie takes a certain amount of patience to watch, and those approaching “The Good Doctor” with an open mind might find themselves pulled into the developing disease. A satisfactory shot at a psychological study with a light suspense coating, the feature maintains a convincing feel for surprises and bad ideas, guided by one of the better performances I’ve seen from notoriously wooden star Orlando Bloom. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

I’ve seen movies about chimps in space and Muppets from space, but Nazis in space? That’s a new one. “Iron Sky” is a semi-farcical take on a futureworld German invasion, manipulating a low budget splendidly, turning limited resources into a feature that could compete with the blockbusters on a visual scale. However, its sense of humor is on the emaciated side, imagining itself as a Kubrickian romp out to tickle American politics, Nazi taboos, and war picture traditions. It’s ambitious and certainly digestible, but the chaotic nature of the material wears out its welcome quickly, leaving the extravaganza ideal B-movie eye candy best appreciated with the mute button engaged. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Without a doubt, Chris Rock is one of the funniest men alive. He’s an ace stand-up and astute social commentator, a vibrant performer with a lightning wit and agreeable vulgarity. However, there’s always been one thing that’s eluded Rock since he began his career, and that’s big screen comfort. He’s not a natural actor. Despite a filmography that’s spanned 25 years, Rock has never delivered extraordinary work, even under the direction of some of the greats. What “2 Days in New York” represents to Rock’s career is a breakthrough of sorts, with filmmaker/star Julie Delpy managing to massage out most of Rock’s habitual stiffness, guiding the comedian to his first satisfying performance. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2005, filmmaker Christopher Nolan introduced “Batman Begins,” an effort to realign the brand name’s cinematic chi, returning the material to its comic book origins and intensity. It was a mission to restore Batman’s big screen roar. The leap of faith worked, transformed into a religion with 2008’s “The Dark Knight,” a blistering sequel that, while lacking surprise, catapulted the Caped Crusader to a moviegoing phenomenon. Strangely, Nolan and his team want to cap their creative reign at three installments with “The Dark Knight Rises,” concluding the saga of Bruce Wayne/Batman with a legitimately epic sequel intended to not only complete the narrative arc started in 2005, but possibly to burn down the multiplex as well. A guttural battle cry and sloppy social commentary, the final chapter of this magnificent series is likely to please those who’ve been waiting patiently for it, blasting forward with a gigantic conflict worthy of Nolan’s directorial gifts, performed by a first-rate collection of old friends and new adversaries. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There are movies that deserve sequels, but I’m not sure 1995’s “Showgirls” is one of them. A spectacular display of bad taste with a loathsome final act, Paul Verhoven’s picture was one of a kind, a great conjunction of vulgarities that could only emerge from nutty filmmaking professionals drunk on their own excesses. With the actual rights to “Showgirls” a tangle of legal affairs, one of the supporting actresses from the cult classic, Rena Riffel, has decided to mount her own continuation, ditching the snarling splendor of Nomi Malone to focus on poor little Penny Slot and her withered dreams of stardom. Yes, dear readers, Riffel has made “Showgirls 2: Penny’s from Heaven,” though I’m certain nobody asked her to. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

David Siegel took the real estate world by storm when he founded Westgate Resorts, a timeshare company based out of Orlando, Florida that quickly grew in stature and profit with its slick sales techniques and luxurious accommodations. Soon spawning multiple properties around America, Westgate blossomed into a billion-dollar business, peaking five years ago when the average vacationer could easily borrow money to purchase their dream getaway. The corporation permitted David a lavish lifestyle, a trophy wife in Jackie, and a family of eight children. The man could buy anything his heart desired, and he did, culminating in the construction of Versailles, a 90,000-square-foot home in Orlando inspired by a vacation to France. In 2007, this cavernous dwelling sounded like a great idea. In 2010, the unfinished domicile came to represent everything that soured in David’s life after the financial collapse of 2008. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

If there’s anything to absorb from director Michael Winterbottom’s filmography, it’s that the man loves to adapt the work of writer Thomas Hardy for the screen. After 1996’s “Jude” and 2000’s “The Claim,” now there’s “Trishna,” based on the Hardy story “Tess of the d’Urbervilles,” originally published in 1891. A tragedy, “Trishna” is heavy stuff, provided a distracting cultural approach by Winterbottom, who moves the saga from England to India, using a chaotic atmosphere to his advantage as he constructs a devastating arc for his lead character, taking viewers on a sensorial odyssey through despair, arranging more than a few wonderfully charged moments while touring this map of misery. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“360” is a story of sexual gamesmanship that takes a familiar multi-character journey around the globe. Director Fernando Meirelles (“The Constant Gardner,” “City of God”) has numerous subplots to juggle and societal urgencies to dissect, leaving “360” a sharply paced picture that’s more about ephemeral highlights than a lasting dramatic sting. A smoothly manufactured, intermittently upsetting look at impulses and desires, the feature boasts an exceptional cast to carry the brief but difficult challenges facing the characters, while Meirelles keeps the film humming along, braiding these strangers into a single display of yearning, albeit a craving that takes the occasional unsavory turn. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” and “Dawn of the Dead” have spawned countless imitations and tributes, yet none has matched the endearment and cinematic invention of Edgar Wright’s 2004 comedy, “Shaun of the Dead.” Pilfering the playful title for another round of zombie slaughter, “Juan of the Dead” is full-blooded Cuban take on the war against the undead. Benefiting from a pronounced sense of mischief and a charming feel for horror violence, the film is perhaps on a little too slight to fill out a feature-length run time, yet it’s spunky enough to entertain and occasionally horrify, though it’s not always the zombies that induce the most revulsion. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The 2010 film “Skyline” attempted to reduce the scope of a typical alien invasion picture by playing the intensity almost entirely inside an apartment complex. It was an awful movie but an interesting creative choice, easing crippling budgetary concerns. “Extraterrestrial” assumes roughly the same premise, though this is not an effort of sci-fi demolition, but a relationship saga with a side of paranoia. Never quite the feature most will expect it to be, “Extraterrestrial” is a charming submission of low-fi scripting, using a colossal development in universal happenings to reinforce the quirks and hazards of love. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s a little strange to be reviewing a second feature inspired by Arthur Schnitzler’s “La Ronde” in the same week (after Fernando Meirelles’s “360”), but I certainly see the creative appeal of a sexually charged collection of short stories, bound together by various acts of desire. Without directly comparing the pictures (they have little in common), “30 Beats” aims more for a lustful community atmosphere, with writer/director Alexis Lloyd organizing a series of monologues with numerous characters, each brandishing their own personal fetishes, demands, and teases, on the prowl for a carnal experience capable of disrupting their daily routine. Unfortunately, the filmmaker mistakes inertia for sensuality, keeping the material in a frustrating state of paralysis. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

I don’t think anyone who caught the original “Ice Age” back in 2002 thought there would be a fourth installment a decade later. It’s quite an achievement for any franchise, yet the strain of invention wears heavily on “Ice Age: Continental Divide.” While providing moderate charms, expectedly inviting voice work, and two sizable laughs, it appears the producers are out of good ideas for this third sequel. While the last installment, 2009’s “Dawn of the Dinosaurs,” took great liberties with history to cook up a dilemma for our prehistoric heroes, “Continental Drift” doesn’t share the same passion, slapping together an unimaginative tale of pirates and parenting to keep the series sliding along. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Beasts of the Southern Wild” requires a special moviegoing mood to embrace. It’s a jittery study of behavior and disaster, anchored by first-time actors and an untested filmmaker, who use a broad understanding of the Hurricane Katrina disaster to fashion their own interpretation of regional pride and the human spirit’s thirst for defiance. It’s often indescribable and occasionally unfocused, though the originality of vision supplied here successfully lubricates a few tiresome moments. To appreciate “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” one must relax their expectations, allowing the feature’s sputtery sense of momentum to generate a feeling of detachment and parental love, communicated in a most unusual manner. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Why Stop Now?” is a film that should snowball into greatness, working with a talented cast and a plot that’s amenable to a madcap approach. Unfortunately, writer/directors Phil Dorling and Ron Nyswaner are more interested in fashioning a pedestrian dramedy, trying to bring real pathos to a paper-thin concept, believing a little time with characterizations might help to season the comedic elements. “Why Stop Now?” isn’t very funny or poignant, drifting somewhere in between while the actors make the best out of a lackluster storytelling situation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The direction of Rob Reiner’s career has been quite curious as of late. After scoring a major hit with 2007’s “The Bucket List,” the helmer has retreated into smaller films of a more wholesome nature, including 2010’s unexpectedly tedious family offering, “Flipped.” “The Magic of Belle Isle” furthers Reiner’s newfound interests in unexceptional entertainment on a slightly more victorious note, though the picture isn’t something that demands attention. Better with intimacy than artifice, the movie shines intermittently, holding out hope that Reiner will wake up before the feature concludes and deliver a string of amazing scenes. Instead, “Belle Isle” contains very little magic, at least the sustained kind. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In the world of low-budget horror, it takes a special vision to rise above the frequently dreary competition. I’m not sure if “The Pact” has any extraordinary qualities, but as the genre goes, it’s competent, suspenseful, and mercifully focused. Credit writer/director Nicholas McCarthy (making his feature-length filmmaking debut), who plays smartly with known elements, creating a chiller that carries itself with confidence, despite a lack of budgetary might keeping the picture small in scale. Although it doesn’t win any points for originality, “The Pact” is a tense, smoothly paced fright experience, proving once again that a little effort goes a long way. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Because of the speedy nature of Woody Allen’s work ethic, his latest, “To Rome with Love,” is not a direct response to his last picture, the unexpected blockbuster “Midnight in Paris.” Following Allen’s filmography is a bit like riding a roller coaster, with “Paris” the impossibly perfect peak and “Rome” the unsettling drop, reinforcing the filmmaker’s erratic output, though even his misses carry a plethora of interesting elements. Continuing his tour of Europe, Allen attempts to embrace the possibility of Rome, with all of its romance, history, and temptation. The mix of whimsy and commentary doesn’t settle ideally for the master, who scrambles to pull together a comedy out of unfunny business. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s been a long time since Oliver Stone last visited the gutter, perhaps dating back to 1999’s “Any Given Sunday” and its aggressive depiction of the NFL. After touching base with his sentimental side (2006’s “World Trade Center”) and his beloved political routines (2008’s “W.”), the filmmaker is back to sharpening his knives with “Savages,” adapted from the book by Don Winslow — and perhaps should’ve stayed as one. Expository to a numbing degree and needlessly graphic to obtain shock value, the feature is a failed cinematic masturbation session by a director who always forgets he’s capable of greatness. Coarse and half-asleep, “Savages” is a waste of Stone’s time and energy, falling back on tired habits of provocation best left buried with his 1994 sensorial blast, “Natural Born Killers.” Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The world has endured 3D concert movies from Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, The Jonas Brothers, and the cast of “Glee.” Now comes Katy Perry, who’s older, wiser, and armed with a cream cannon, showering her devoted fans in white goo that I’m sure ruined a few exposed cell phones along the way. The best-selling recording artist with a candy fixation makes her way to the big screen in “Katy Perry: Part of Me,” a surprisingly emotional look at the history and world domination of the woman who once kissed a girl and liked it. Although expectedly cagey about the details of Perry’s private life (the “Part” of the title is accurate), the documentary is a flashy, enlightening time capsule of Perry’s career. It’s no concert film, but more of a backstage pass, permitting fans access to the singer and her turbulent year of mega-stardom. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

With the release of “Spider-Man 3” in 2007, the franchise fell into a rut. While marked with impressive action set pieces and a few flashes of director Sam Raimi’s whiplash style, the second sequel was a storytelling mess, hesitant with a dramatic direction and overstuffed with inadequate villains. Instead of permitting Raimi to untangle the series with a fourth installment, the decision was made to reboot with a fresh creative force, restarting what began a mere decade ago, resulting in “The Amazing Spider-Man,” one of the fastest do-overs in film history. While fully recast and reorganized, it’s a disappointment to see the new Spidey adventure resemble Raimi’s initial stab at big screen wall-crawler excitement, down to identical plot turns and conflicts. With millions being spent to rework Spider-Man for a new generation, it comes as a great surprise to a find a movie that’s essentially a remake, glossed up with new tech toys but covering the same dramatic ground. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com