New In Theaters

Tomb Raider

Well, get ready Lara Croft is back again and so is Tomb Raider, the latest franchise to be rebooted.  New cast, some new effects, and new techniques in movie making, but it's still a reboot.

This version is very action based with long, drawn out action sequences and some of them very good. Others too long.  Lara has gone to the edge of the world to try to save the world from a horrible company that wants to unleash a global genocide from a log sealed tomb.  It's Lara's job to stop them, and also find her thought-dead father who has the key that protects anyone from opening the tomb.

This is basically OK, not a bad day at the movies, we've just seen this whole thing before. And for a movie called Tomb Raider, there isn't a whole lot of "tomb raiding" till very late in the movie.  This is what it is. New fans will call this their franchise, and older gamers will compare it to the originals.

Tomb Raider.  For the new target audience? This will be just fine. 


Hurricane Heist 

Very short and sweet.  Why?  Why to theaters? This is the poster child for straight to video or streaming services.  

Hurricane Heist.  Can we just.....




Red Sparrow

I understand that is almost a crime in today's movie going world to not rave about a Jennifer Lawrence flick, but I can't here yet again. This new political thriller is not a total wash, but is riddled with problems and overall comes up very short.

First of all, could this be any longer?  And any more belabored than it is?  This anti Russian Intel / anti-CIA flick takes far too long to make its point.  Sparrows, are Russian women who are secretly trained in very sexual and specialized areas to root out foreign spy's, and diplomats, and Lawrence plays one of them.  But what this actually does is make you wait for something to actually happen that matters.  Yes, there are compelling moments here, but overall this is drawn out to the extrmeme.

Also, there is a certain level of predictability that makes this all the more cliche'. This has a nice supporting cast with Joel Edgerton and Jeremy Irons, but they seem under utilized and trivial in the end.  This is Lawences flick, and being fair, she holds up her end of the bargain for the most part. But some bad writing editing spoil the party.   This is also very brutal at times with torture and moments of general tastelessness that will be tough for some.

Red Sparrow.  Not so good.



Death Wish

Here we go again, rebooting an old movie series for a new audience, and this time it's Bruce Willis in the old Charles Bronson series, Death Wish.  The original from 1974 has been updated for a more modern feel, but the basic premise is still in tact.  

Dr. Kersey (Willis) is a surgeon and his wife is killed, and young daughter is brutally attacked in a home invasion.  And the good Dr. decides on a life of vigilantism.  This is based on a very successful book from 1972, that actually refutes being a vigilante, as where the original and this, embrace it.  This movie is not totally tone deaf to violence.  This has many scenes where gun laws and our culture are put on wide display.  It does make its feelings known on its stance on gun laws, and accessibility to getting potentially dangerous information.

This is very violent, and very graphic at times.  But in the end, what this is, is a dad protecting his family much like the original.  This will find a following, and this is set up for more.  But is this good movie making?  Well, not really but the basic story and premise are timeless and so there is always room in the early spring for a movie like this.  Better than some, worse than others.

Death Wish.  Again, driving down memory lane.


Annihilation

This heavily anticipated thriller is finally out and is going to have nice opening weekend.  Natalie Portman chooses fine projects and even though this has a name that may make it sound like a B- grade action flick, it is not.

This is the story of an entity that has shown up on Earth somehow and is altering everything in its path.  A group of all female experts enter this thing called, "The Shimmer" to find out its origins, and to see it it can be stopped.  Many groups have entered and not returned, so this group seems to be one of the last hopes to see if this can be contained.

This is written well, and this is a story that is totally original.  But this is a bit long, meaning when you think this may be over, it's not.  There is far too much after the movies big climax. But being fair, it is not a deal breaker.  This is a good, solid movie that has a story to tell, and tells it well.  Don't be fooled by its aggressive title, this is not a cheap action, sci-fi flick.

Annihilation.  Very good.




Game Night

OK, occasionally a comedy comes out that has the right idea.  Or ANY idea in today's Hollywood is a nice change, and this is pretty funny.  This little 80 plus minute comedy really had the audience laughing with it's original premise and really good casting.

Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams are Max and Annie, a married couple who are huge "game night" players with their group of friends.  And in their never ending quest to take their board and classic game night playing the next level, somehow find themselves in a situation they think is a live action game, that is actually a very real, dangerous situation. And it takes them a while to figure that out.  Their naivete at first is very funny, then their discovery of reality is even funnier.

The script is very original, and the decisions to not let this become raunchy are really good, when most modern comedies do.  This has a line and stands behind it.  McAdams is really funny as the very fun and affable Annie, and many times steals the show.  Bateman and the very well cast supporting actors are a fine compliment.  Great use of music and also the willingness to lampoon their generation is very funny.  Plus, ending this short was a very good decision. It said everything it had to say, and it was time to go home on a high note

Game Night. Funny, and clearly set up to be a franchise.


Black Panther

Lots of anticipation on the first huge superhero movie of the year.  This is expected to take in about 180 million this weekend, and it just might.  Up front, this is a comic book movie like you've not seen.  This deal exclusively on the origins of what will be a series of the character, Black Panther.

This is wonderfully written, and the special effects will be very impressive to those who are taken with that type of thing. But you must be prepared to not see him  save the world, or mankind.  Very little of this takes place in a city, or metropolitan area.  There really is no villain, such as we are used to.  But imagination here is high, as is creativity.  The scenes you see in trailers, are the exceptions, and not the rule.

But this will be very popular for many reasons, and among them is we've been waiting for a blockbuster to go to, and the look of this movie is very good.   This is available to you in various formats, 3D, IMAX, IMAX 3D and regular showings, so check the one carefully you want to see.

Back Panther.   Very original.




The 15:17 To Paris

This is a very brave idea.  Clint Eastwood directs a story completely worth telling of real life heroes, using the very heroes that were involved.  These guys clearly have never acted, and it shows.  But this is authentic, even when the acting isn't very good.  

These military guys happened to be on a passenger train from Amsterdam to Paris when a terrorist attempted to shoot up the train with 300 rounds of ammunition.  They stopped it, and are heroes, and that remains fact.  Eastwood is correct in that this story should be told.  What this does, is tell the back story of these three friends, and it is an interesting one.  Ending with a very authentic climax of the attempted attack.

This has limitations for sure, but it also is an interesting idea.  It's short at about 90 minutes, and you are ready for the story to play out.  The national critics are being very hard on this, and you understand why for a ton of reasons, fair or not.  But that may play out to be somewhat tone deaf, as fans may love to see a story like this told, no matter who is cast in it or not.  After all, there is a whole lot of really bad acting anyway in Hollywood, by professional actors themselves.

Is this Eastwood's best movie?  Of course not.  But in a town where there are very few original ideas, this is one of them.  Plus, it's a story that needs to be told.  If you want to see REAL superheroes, this could be your ticket. 


 I, Tonya

Well this is in limited release and this has been out for a while.  This also has a ton of award nominations and should not be missed, as this is very, very good.  This was a risky venture from the get-go, but this is slick movie making.

This interesting movie is the tragic story of former world-class figure skater Tonya Harding, and her horrible roots that was seemingly always in the way of any kind of real success in a sport that demands class, elegance and style. Harding had none.  This is based on extensive interviews of the important people in her life and her.  This is told in a semi-documentary, semi classic movie style and is written extremely well.  The performances of Margot Robbie (Tonya) and Alisson Janney (Tonya's mom) are amazing as well.

This movie reminds us just how great Harding actually was on the ice.  In fact, she may be the greatest ever athletically.  But her off ice antics and just her overall decision making prevented her from real greatness.  Toss in her horrendous upbringing and you have a recipe for disaster, and that is what she turned out to be in her sport and, most of her young life.  This makes you feel many different ways about Harding, and that's great writing.

I, Tonya.  Fantastic


Hostiles

There are movies that come out all to rarely, that make the script the total star. The new "Western" Hostiles is one of them.  This stars Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike and a real nice supporting cast, but with respect, it makes no difference.  The star of this movie is the writing.

This is set in the American West in 1892. Without giving you too much info, because that's part of the magic of seeing this, this is the story of a small band of people making a long journey through the perils of the West at the time, and how they survive - together.  This movie skillfully addresses every single in incredible issue of the era, and the horrific experiences of the lawless west.  It helps you understand from all sides the social issues of the day, and the conflict that raged within many during this painful time of history.

They may call this a "western" but it's not in the realm of Unforgiven, Wyatt Earp, or Tombstone. This is far more graphic.  This develops characters extremely well, and makes you feel many emotions.  It makes many great decisions on what they choose to show you and what they don't.  In short, this is simply terrific.

Hostiles.  Very adult, and very, very good.  Not to be missed.