Tag: Review

REVIEW: Sam Raimi’s ‘Send Help’ is a zany good survival flick

If you thought Rachel McAdams was intense as Regina George, just wait until you see her in survival mode.

That’s the gear she shifts into in this film by director Sam Raimi, where she plays financial strategist Linda. While she’s a bit awkward in the office, she’s also a hard worker who’s an expert with the corporation’s fiscal data. Because of her knowledge, she’s expecting a big promotion.

However, the business’ new, crass CEO Bradley (Dylan O’Brien) chooses to promote his college buddy instead, though he does offer Linda an opportunity to move up in the company on a work trip. On the way there, their plane crashes with Bradley and Linda as the only survivors. Fortunately, Linda is also well versed in staying alive in rough situations.

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REVIEW: Gimme ‘Shelter’ at a matinee price and I’m good

Tell me, what’s a Beekeeper want with being a wickie?

I ask that question because Jason Statham, star of the 2024 action flick “The Beekeeper,” plays a man living in and upkeeping a lighthouse. However, the lighthouse, situated on an island off the coast of Scotland, isn’t actually active. The reason he’s there is because he wants to be completely off the grid at an undisclosed location.

Michael Mason is a former elite black operations soldier, and his only connection to the world is a commercial sailor and his niece who deliver supplies. However, after a tragic incident, the sailor is killed and in helping the girl, Mason is spotted by the government that now wants him eliminated to cover their tracks.

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REVIEW: ‘Mercy’ has a rough script but offers some schlocky fun

Chris Pratt may not have his Guardians of the Galaxy starship in this flick, but he’s still working with some high-tech equipment.

Pratt stars as Chris Raven in “Mercy,” a Los Angeles Police Department detective who was a major advocate in creating an artificial intelligence program that handles court cases as a way to expedite the judicial process. The effort has ramped up convictions with 90-minute trials, where a person has a chance to prove their innocence.

If their evidence is insufficient, the AI program, taking the appearance of a woman dubbed Judge Maddox (Rebecca Ferguson), will exact justice. For a murder case, that includes execution. Unfortunately for the detective, he wakes up suddenly needing to mount a defense for a murder he claims he didn’t commit.

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REVIEW: Conventional ‘Belén’ still has impact

Stories of wrongful imprisonment often show situations of injustice, as well as resiliency and fights for freedom. That’s what a viewer can expect in “Belén,” which is set in Argentina.’

Camila Pláate plays Julieta in “Belén,” a woman who, after having a miscarriage in a hospital, is charged with having an illegal abortion, as well as homicide. The charges lead to her being sentenced to prison, with a limited defense by her public attorney.

Seeing issues with the case, lawyer Soledad Deza (Dolores Fonzi), decides to take up the case with plans to appeal the court’s decision. This is a difficult effort, as she and her team face fierce resistance in the press and judicial system. However, women start to rally when behind the cause when they learn the story of Julieta, who takes the alias Belén to protect her family.

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REVIEW: ‘Just an Accident’ has strong moments, but isn’t great as a whole

The lingering trauma of political and government oppression can last long after the acts of violence and imprisonment take place.

That’s what’s shown in “It Was Just an Accident”. The movie mainly centers on Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri), a mechanic who one night recognizes the voice of a man stopping by the garage he works in. Vahid, who believes that man was once a guard at an Iranian prison who regularly engaged in torture and mistreatment, kidnaps the individual.

Driven by anger, Vahid is looking to exact justice on the man who notably has a prosthetic leg. However, he’s still unsure if it’s the right person, and wants to confirm the identity. To do so, he brings in others who were wrongfully held in the prison and mistreated to see if they can ID the man.

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REVIEW: Strong acting in ‘Hedda’ overshadowed by lack of substance

Oh, it’s the aristocracy being completely off the walls on screen again.

“Hedda” is the latest film adaptation of the 1891 stage play “Hedda Gabler.”In this version, the picture is set in England during the 1950s and centers on the character Hedda Gabler Tesman. Portrayed by Tessa Thompson, Hedda is in a strained marriage to her husband, George, who’s hosting an event to secure a university position.

That party, though, is crashed by an author named Eileen (Nina Hoss), a woman who’s also vying for the university job and also had a relationship with Hedda in the past. What follows is a night of scheming, betrayals and even bloodshed.

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REVIEW: Beautifully animated ‘Arco’ doesn’t fully realize interesting ideas

I can’t believe it’s not Ghibli.

That was the thought process with this French film, which was very reminiscent of the movies released by the Japanese animation company, Studio Ghibli. Featuring a look that’s very anime-inspired, “Arco” is set in two futures. In the distant future, we meet the titular protagonist, Arco (EVA Juliano Krue Valdi), who comes from a family of time travelers.

They are common in his timeline, but he’s too young to join in the adventures. That is until he takes his sister’s suit and goes on a time journey to the past, reaching 2075. There, he meets a young girl, Iris (EVA Romy Fay). As Arco looks to go back to his own time, he also develops a friendship with Iris, and the two learn about each other’s timelines.

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REVIEW: ‘Predator Badlands’ is an amusing buddy sci-fi adventure

I know we’ve seen a Predator team up with a human-like character before, but now it’s actually in a good movie.

In a spin on the normal structure, the protagonist of “Badlands” is a predator. Their species is actually called Yautja and the hero of the movie is Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Kolomatangi). Considered a runt of his Yautja clan, Dek’s father decides he needs to be killed off for the good of the tribe, but the young warrior is saved by his brother and sent to a world where he can prove himself.

There, he must hunt the dangerous apex predator known as Kalisk, but the planet is extremely dangerous. Fortunately for him, he meets a damaged, but functioning, android named Thia (Elle Fanning) who promises to help him. They begin a journey together and soon learn there’s more danger out there than just the wildlife.

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REVIEW: ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’ is an intense, anxiety-filled ride

Alas, this is not a martial arts movie. If that were the case, it would probably be, “If I Had Legs I’d Roundhouse Kick You.”

Instead, this movie focuses on a vastly overstressed mother, Linda (Rose Byrne), who doesn’t have much support in what she’s going through. Her daughter has a stomach disorder, meaning she requires the use of a feeding tube each night, and has to reach a certain level of weight for an operation.

While dealing with that, a massive hole breaks open in the ceiling of her apartment, with an accompanying busted pipe, leading to a flooded home. Oh yeah, and her husband is absent as he’s working away from home, plus she’s strained at work as a psychologist with a mix of difficult patients. Needless to say, it’s a difficult period we find the protagonist in. Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’ is an intense, anxiety-filled ride”

REVIEW: ‘No Other Choice’ is an absolutely brilliant black comedy

I know job hunting can be tough sometimes, but, yeesh.

That’s mainly what the lead character is going through in this new dark dramatic comedy from South Korean director Park Chan-wook. The film stars Lee Byung-hun as Yoo Man-su, a blue-collar paper factory worker who seems to have everything.

He lives in his childhood home he bought back, has achieved a solid middle-class status, and supports his wife Lee Mi-ri (Son Ye-Jin), as well as his two children and twin golden retrievers. That all changes when he, and several others are laid off from the factory. It leads to months of unemployment, hard times, and desperate decisions for the movie’s protagonist. 

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