During the end credit scroll for “Sound of Freedom,” a “special message” is presented, taking attention away from the professionals who helped to create the movie. Actor Jim Caviezel pops up to share the story of the feature’s journey to theaters, encouraging people to share word of the film’s release while noting that it took five years for the picture to reach screens. There’s the passing suggestion that a lack of big studio support was the reason for the delay, but after watching “Sound of Freedom,” it’s pretty clear why such an endeavor was left to gather dust on a shelf. It’s an incredibly dull offering of real-world horror from co-writer/director Alejandro Monteverde (“Belle,” “Little Boy”), who takes on the agony of child sex trafficking with all the depth of a television production, going slow and shallow with this Rambo-esque take on everyday heroism, which is a thinly veiled commercial for Tim Ballard and his questionable activity in the world of vigilantism. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Wonderwell” was primarily shot seven years ago, with the production interrupted by the death of star Carrie Fisher, with her loss disrupting long term plans for the “Star Wars” franchise, and it appears the passing did something to this production, resulting in an incredible release delay. “Wonderwell” has finally made it out of purgatory, which is cause for celebration for its creative team, but audiences aren’t likely to be as enthusiastic about the picture. An adaptation of a short story by William Brookfield (who also scripts), the feature tries to deliver a fairy tale exploration of fantasy threat and female maturity, but director Vlad Marsavin forgets to add some excitement to the proceedings. Fisher has a smaller part in the overall scheme of witches doing battle with the power of nature, and while there’s some emotional value in seeing her onscreen for the last time, its not enough to support the viewing experience, which is glacial and uneventful. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After the release of 2008’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” it seemed impossible that another sequel featuring cinema’s most exciting archaeologist would be put into production. It felt like a victory lap with the original creative team, giving the iconic character one more round of danger to manage. Apparently, nobody mentioned this finality to star Harrison Ford, who suits up again for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” and he’s pretty much alone, with creator George Lucas enjoying some form of retirement and franchise director Steven Spielberg focusing on other features. This leaves co-writer/director James Mangold (the outstanding “Ford v Ferrari,” but also the helmer of “Knight and Day”) to take control of the series, perhaps intentionally diluting the Spielberg-iness of it all to craft his own take on the hero and his magnetic pull to danger. “Dial of Destiny” is missing the maestro’s directorial playfulness and timing, but Mangold doesn’t embarrass himself here, giving the last(?) Indiana Jones extravaganza some pounding action and artifact obsession, while Harrison Ford still maintains enthusiasm for the part, adding his human touch to the massive endeavor and its newfound reliance on visual effects. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“No Hard Feelings” is being marketed as a raunchy R-rated comedy, pushing a certain attitude on potential ticket-buyers. The feature has moments of coarseness, but the screenplay by John Phillips and Gene Stupnitsky (who also directs) isn’t entirely committed to delivering an aggressive sense of humor. The material is more interested in finding some form of heart in the middle of all the shenanigans, with the production wise to spend a fortune on the hiring of Jennifer Lawrence. The actress hasn’t enjoyed much practice in the world of big screen comedies, but she gives the part some much needed heft, doing her best to keep the endeavor afloat while it struggles with formulaic writing and strangely sloppy editing (credited to Brent White). “No Hard Feelings” isn’t quite the painful nougie pre-release footage has promised, stuck somewhere in the middle of silly and sincere, with Lawrence always game to supply some much-needed sass to help save droopy moments. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Maximum Truth” is a faux documentary about the political machine, with emphasis on the character assassination aspects of the system. Mockumentaries are seldom found on the big screen, with television largely the domain these days when it comes to this comedic approach, but co-writers Ike Barinholtz (who also stars in the movie) and David Stassen (who directs) try to go the long-form route with their satire. It’s not exactly “Bob Roberts,” but the creative team gets enough laughs out of the premise, which follows the misadventures of a political consultant trying to tarnish the reputation of a congressional candidate, almost physically unable to find success during his mission. Barinholtz brings his customary energy to the lead role, and he’s paired with Dylan O’Brien, who’s trying to change things up career-wise with a silly performance, adding something to a feature that really doesn’t have anything besides a few broad targets and a loose appreciation for personal corruption. But “Maximum Truth” has humor, suited for viewers with low expectations for goofiness. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Golf comedies are a rare event, with few filmmakers taking on the challenge of bringing goofiness to the links. Siblings Sophia and Fiona Robert hope to add something to the sports genre with “The Country Club,” which has the basic ingredients for a good time with simple cinema, setting up conflicts among players, adding wacky personalities, and closing with a tournament scenario. Missing from the feature is a sense of life, with the Robert Sisters (Fiona directs and co-scripts with Sophia), skipping opportunities to really energize the endeavor, which is left wide open for “Caddyshack”-style tomfoolery and golfing action. What’s actually in “The Country Club” is a lot of disappointment, finding the picture too permissive with bathroom humor and improvisation, giving the whole shebang an amateurish quality, as though the movie was made on a dare, shot over a long weekend. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The screenplay for “Surrounded” (credited to Andrew Pagana and Justin Thomas) looks to balance the bigness of western adventure with the intimacy of a stage drama. The writing follows the saga of a Buffalo Soldier trying to find her way five years after the end of the Civil War, hunting for a sense of freedom while aware that such liberation is impossible to achieve. There’s a hunt for money and intensifying games of trust, but “Surrounded” isn’t a rollicking cowboy picture, but something more interested in the corrosive ways of psychological standoffs and visions of the future. It’s interesting work from Pagana and Thomas, who stick to character while easing in a few more physical acts of violence, and director Anthony Mandler gives the endeavor a rich visual presentation, doing well with a limited budget and a remote location. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There was a vague sense of finality at the end of 2020’s “Extraction,” but there’s never truly an ending when there’s a hit film involved. Arriving for streaming consumption during the early days of COVID-19 lockdown life, “Extraction” amassed a major viewership and a positive response, emerging as an action spectacular with a seemingly ravenous appetite for unbroken-take-style mayhem, loaded with amazing stunt work and the steely screen presence of star Chris Hemsworth. And now there’s “Extraction 2,” which revives a seemingly expired character for another round of brutal attack and survival sequences, once again dedicated to the art of cinematographic showmanship and graphic violence, overseen by returning director Sam Hargrave. Much like the original feature, “Extraction 2” has real power where it counts the most, presenting sustained chaos and a simple story of protection and pursuit. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Past Lives” is a delicate picture that’s all about the lure of longing. It’s a small-scale feature that’s primarily focused on conversations, giving it a “Before Sunrise” kind of vibe, but writer/director Celine Song (making her debut) tries to drill a little deeper with her writing. It’s a semi-autobiographical tale of two childhood friends spending the next 24 years of their lives trying to process their time apart from each other, with Song going for the slow drip of emotion in this understanding of South Korean culture and secret desire. She never goes big with the movie, and never tries to squeeze viewers with melodrama, electing to stay as human as possible with the material, which lives for moments when these talkative characters pause and reflect on everything that’s in front of them. “Past Lives” plays to the aching hearts crowd, with Song serving up a romance novel premise with an art-house film approach, capturing a specific pitch of yearning. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Nimona” hasn’t enjoyed an easy production process, with its journey to the screen disrupted by the shuttering of Blue Sky Studios (its original home) and the reluctance of the Walt Disney Corporation when it came time to complete the project. The effort’s been in some state of animation for the last six years, but directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane (“Spies in Disguise”) finally bring the picture to the finish line, and they do well with this adaptation of a 2015 ND Stevenson graphic novel, which explores the strange relationship between an aspiring knight and the shapeshifting monster that desires to be his sidekick. “Nimona” has style and sensitivity, doing well when developing the central partnership and all the challenges of law and order it encounters. The screenplay (by Robert L. Baird and Lloyd Taylor) runs into some difficulty trying to transform Stevenson’s original material into something more family friendly, and formula is followed, but the film remains a compelling study of identity and fantasy. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director Tim Story isn’t the first name that comes to mind when talk of quality cinema commences. He’s been making mediocre movies for decades, working in the studio trenches, making sure to deliver bland entertainment that’s easy on the senses, recently in command of “Tom & Jerry,” the ill-conceived “Shaft” rework-thingee, and sequels in “Ride Along 2” and “Think Like a Man Too.” He’s not a helmer that values edginess and timing, but he actually does something different with “The Blackening,” which is a horror comedy that’s somewhat playful and genuinely moves for its first two acts. Screenwriters Tracy Oliver and Dewayne Perkins (expanding a Comedy Central short) have a fun idea to play with the genre and the black experience, whipping up a semi-slasher that’s basically in a goofball mood. Story supports with strong casting and a commitment to the screwball tone of the effort, and while the feature starts to sag when it should lift off, “The Blackening” is a mostly exciting ride of mischief, establishing a party mood for all audiences. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Actor John Slattery returns to direction with “Maggie Moore(s),” which marks his first feature-length helming project since 2014’s ‘God’s Pocket.” Slattery is attentive to the thespian potential of his offering, and his latest is defined by its colorful collection of personalities and the performers who capably bring them to life. There’s a murder mystery component to the endeavor as well, but screenwriter Paul Bernbaum isn’t focused on building a whodunit. He’s more into a Coen Brothers vibe, with “Maggie Moore(s)” hoping to provide a mild ride of suspicion and violence, with more attention paid to quirky and potentially dangerous types involved in two small-town murders where the victims share the same name. Slattery doesn’t wring much suspense out of the picture, but there’s depth to characterization that keeps it involving, with curious behaviors more interesting than any crime. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com