Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)

Director: Steven S. DeKnight

Cast:

John Boyega – Jake Pentecost

Scott Eastwood – Nate Lambert

Cailee Spaeny – Amara Namani

Charlie Day – Newton Geiszler

Tian Jing – Liwen Shao

Summary:

“Pacific Rim: Uprising” is the sequel to 2013s “Pacific Rim” and features a whole new cast. Set 10 years after the first film, a new group of Rangers are enlisted to stop the Kaiju threat when it emerges mysteriously. What I enjoyed the most about this film was the sense of silliness the story played out while also subverting your expectations. The performances from the ensemble cast for the most part were good with Boyega and newcomer Cailee Spaeny being the standouts. All of their characters are tough but lack any depth. The battle scenes were extraordinary and director Steven DeKnight handled those large scale fight scenes pristinely. The film is reminiscent of the “Transformers” franchise with similar story beats. This movie is the “Transformers” film we’ve been needing, and for that it delivers. Charlie Day returns as the bumbling biologist who came off as a cartoon character, but for this film it works. The ending of the film is extremely cheesy that leaves excitement for a third one. “Pacific Rim” Uprising” is a dumb and silly action film that knows how to blow up the screen at the right time and for that I recommend you see it.

Score: 3.3/5

Unsane (2018)

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Cast:

Claire Foy – Sawyer Valentini

Joshua Leonard – David Strine

Jay Pharaoh – Nate Hoffman

Juno Temple – Violet

Summary:

“Unsane” is in theaters, and is directed by the one and only Steven Soderbergh. Shot entirely on an iPhone, “Unsane” stars Claire Foy as a woman who believes she’s being stalked by a walking nightmare known as David Strine. She seeks the help of a treatment facility only to find she may not be in a safe place. The advertising for this film predicates a thriller. This is not the case due to a mediocre script from writers Joshua Bernstein and James Greer that investigates the criminal underbelly of psychiatric centers. This focus deterred the movie overall but luckily there is a saving grace. It comes in the form of Steven Soderbergh. He elevates the movie by infusing his directing skills into a phone and shows the distortion of drug use as well as framing each shot to a tee. Claire Foy does a great job at bordering the sane/insane mark as your unsure what to expect next. The supporting cast hits its mark with a good performance from Jay Pharaoh as well as an unsettling turn from Joshua Leonard. “Unsane” is for nothing else an example of Soderbergh’s continuous directing talent.

Score: 3.1/5

Love, Simon (2018)

Director: Greg Berlanti

Cast:

Nick Robinson – Simon Spier

Katherine Langford – Leah

Alexandra Shipp – Abby

Logan Miller – Martin

Keiynan Lonsdale – Bram

Summary:

“Love, Simon” is directed by Greg Berlanti and stars Nick Robinson as Simon Spier, a normal guy just like you and me except he has a secret; he’s gay. This film boasts an incredible ensemble cast that includes Katherine Langford, Alexandra Shipp, Logan Miller and Keiynan Lonsdale. They each are given enough screen time to exhibit there acting talent and they do so in their unique ways. Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel are terrific as Simon’s parents as they both give their best performances to date. This film is an adaptation of Becky Albertalli’s novel “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda.” Screenwriters Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker adapted the novel into a tremendously written script that turns into a well thought coming of age story. Nick Robinson balances the humor with the more extreme emotional side. Berlanti does a great job at showing you the potential candidates for Simon’s ‘Blue’ that by the end you are still shocked by the reveal. The film isn’t without its flaws, there are high school clichés that occur and some annoying supporting characters. They don’t take away the fact that this is a terrific film. Coming out is a tough choice that many people avoid it. With this film, I believe that all the gay and transgender folks will see a bright and shining light that gives them the strength to come forward and reveal their true self. This is one of the best films of the year and I implore everyone; gay or straight, to see this movie and embrace someone else’s life.

Score: 4.6/5

Tomb Raider (2018)

Director: Roar Uthaug

Cast:

Alicia Vikander – Lara Croft

Walton Goggins – Mathias Vogel

Dominic West – Lord Richard Croft

Daniel Wu – Lu Ren

Kristin Scott Thomas – Ana Miller

Summary:

“Tomb Raider” is the latest video game adaptation to hit theaters and serves as a reboot to the franchise. This franchise had two films previously, starring Angelina Jolie as the heroine Lara Croft. Alicia Vikander has now stepped into the coveted role of Lara. Directed by Roar Uthaug, “Tomb Raider” is a film that starts off promising by introducing us to Vikander’s Lara Croft, a beautiful and strong character that is out of touch from the world due to her father’s disappearance. She seeks the help of a fisherman and runs into Daniel Wu’s character ‘Lu Ren’ and they happen to share a similar interest. They venture off to find her father and come across an evil corporation known as ‘Trinity.’ Leading this group is Mathias Vogel played by Walton Goggins. His character just wants to find an artifact so he can get back to his family. A completely viable answer and it’s unfortunate that this is the only trait given to any supporting characters. They are dull and only serve the purpose of fan service. When the action ensues, it’s shotty and difficult to enjoy. “Tomb Raider” is filled with fan service and is executed well, especially the plane sequence from the game. The performances from the cast are good with Vikander and Goggins standing out. Dominic West’s more memorable scenes come in the form of flashbacks and there woven into the film at the right moments. Kristin Scott Thomas makes a brief appearance as a character from Lara’s past and her arc made for interest in a sequel. “Tomb Raider” however, is not a good movie due to its shotty action, lack of character depth and lack of actual tomb raiding. The film should have been called “Lara Croft,” since it spends more time delving into her past then actual tomb raiding. Fans of the game will enjoy the video game set pieces, but the film as a whole doesn’t fully come together.

Score: 2.9/5

The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018)

Director: Johannes Roberts

Cast:

Christina Hendricks – Cindy

Bailee Madison – Kinsey

Martin Henderson – Mike

Lewis Pullman – Luke

Summary:

“The Strangers: Prey at Night” is the sequel to “The Strangers.” This film takes place in a mobile home park and follows a family trying to survive the dreaded three masked Strangers. It has been 10 years since “The Strangers” came out and I would say that this movie is an adequate sequel. The writer of the original film returns with a new script and is directed by Johannes Roberts. The movie stars Christina Hendricks, Bailee Madison, Martin Henderson and Lewis Pullman as the family and they boasted a few good performances. The strongest factor of this film is once again the Strangers. The lack of identity to these phantoms makes for intrigue on how they terrorize. An improvement from the last film to this one is the depth to some of the characters but otherwise, the film is dry. The scares are false pretenses and the movie takes a new direction towards the latter half. The film doesn’t hold back from the brutal violence that’s on display. The added touch of our characters being able to fight back was a great element that ultimately becomes upended by a generic finale. “The Strangers: Prey at Night” showed potential for a satisfying slasher, but ends up being another conventional horror film.

Score: 2.9/5

A Wrinkle in Time (2018)

Director: Ava DuVernay

Cast:

Storm Reid – Meg

Oprah Winfrey – Mrs. Which

Reese Witherspoon – Mrs. Whatsit

Mindy Kaling – Mrs. Who

Levi Miller – Calvin

Deric McCabe – Charles Wallace

Chris Pine – Alex Murry

Summary:

“A Wrinkle in Time” is the latest Disney film to hit theaters and is based on the book of the same name by Madeleine L’Engle. The film follows Meg, a young girl who’s father has been missing for four years until an immortal named Mrs. Whatsit tells her that she can find him. Ava DuVernay directs this film and it boasts an incredible ensemble cast. We are talking Oprah, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Zach Galifianakis, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Chris Pine. The standouts of the film however, go to the rising talents of Storm Reid, Levi Miller and Deric McCabe. These three kids stand their ground exceptionally well opposite their adult co-stars. The technical aspect of “A Wrinkle in Time” is another area where it shines. The film has elegant costumes that match the persona of our three immortals: Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which. The movie suffers from making a tonal switch halfway through and is heavily exposited by none other than the ‘Queen of Speech’ herself, Oprah Winfrey. Other than that, “A Wrinkle in Time” is a bold film that takes chances and showcases tremendous young talent.

Score: 3.3/5

Thoroughbreds (2018)

Director: Cory Finley

Cast:

Olivia Cooke – Amanda

Anya Taylor-Joy – Lily

Anton Yelchin – Tim

Summary:

“Thoroughbreds” is the directorial debut from writer/director Cory Finley. The film stars Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy as two girls who come from different social backgrounds that plan to commit a crime. Anton Yelchin makes his final appearance as a drug dealer who has this vision that everything will be great in the near future. The three of them gave great performances and that was easily the best part of the film. Finley’s script is dynamite as it details each of our main characters daily lives. His direction is very precise at detailing specific frames and the cinematography is elegant thanks to Lyle Vincent. The score is very percussion heavy as it intensifies each scene. One of the aspects of the film I enjoyed was the fact that it breaks itself into chapters. Each chapter details a storyline and it all comes to a head at the end. The movie is paced incredibly well given its 90 minute runtime. My issues with the film are there could have been more back story to one of the characters and the ending is very perplexing. If for no other reason, see this film for the tremendous acting exuded by Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy and Anton Yelchin.

Score: 4.1/5

The Hurricane Heist (2018)

Director: Rob Cohen

Cast:

Maggie Grace – Casey

Toby Kebbell – Will

Ryan Kwanten – Breeze

Ralph Ineson – Perkins

Summary:

“The Hurricane Heist” has stormed into theaters and is directed by Rob Cohen. It stars Maggie Grace, Toby Kebbell, Ryan Kwanten and Ralph Ineson. Maggie Grace plays a government worker who is in charge of a money count, $600 million to be exact. While this is occurring, a heist is set in motion and they collide in the middle of the biggest hurricane ever. If that doesn’t sound like a fun action movie, I don’t know what does. The supporting cast helps elevate the film to its full potential of absurdness. Kebbell and Kwanten play southern brothers who have had a traumatic experience with hurricanes. They both played their roles with energy and free will. Ralph Ineson plays the big baddy and he did a good job at portraying a B-rate Hans Gruber. When it comes to the action, the movie delivers for the most part. I was happy to see minimal shaky cam but the director does quick edits to up the action. The effects are also pretty bad and that’s to be expected with a film like this. “The Hurricane Heist” is a fun action film that clashes a storm with a heist.

Score: 3.1/5

Gringo (2018)

Director: Nash Edgerton

Cast:

David Oyelowo – Harold Soyinka

Joel Edgerton – Richard Rusk

Charlize Theron – Elaine Markinson

Sharlto Copley – Mitch Rusk

Thandie Newton – Bonnie Soyinka

Summary:

“Gringo” is the latest comedy to hit theaters and stars David Oyelowo, Joel Edgerton and Charlize Theron. Oyelowo plays Harold Soyinka, a Nigerian immigrant who works for a pharmaceutical company that gets kidnapped while conducting business in Mexico. Theron and Edgerton play Harold’s bosses and they are the most unlikeable characters and yet they manage to be consistently funny. Just about every supporting character is unlikeable and that hurt the film. Also, the film is very offensive to the country of Mexico. It repeatedly refers to ‘spanish’ as ‘mexican.’ As for Oyelowo’s character, he is a fish out of water as he is blind to the way that Corporate America works. You root for his character all the way through and when he is caught in a comedic moment, Oyelowo plays it brilliantly. Aside from the comedy, the movie is very dramatic and is where we get to see Oyelowo shift in tone and really show off his acting talent. Another issue in the film is the overabundance of plot. There are multiple storylines going simultaneously that become just too much. Thandie Newton and Sharlto Copley show up and they were both great. Nash Edgerton balanced the comedy with the drama despite a plot heavy script and shot the action well enough. “Gringo” is a comedy that manages to keep the laughs consistent despite unlikeable supporting characters and showcases a comedic turn from David Oyelowo.

Score: 3.2/5

Death Wish (2018)

Director: Eli Roth

Cast:

Bruce Willis – Paul Kersey

Vincent D’Onofrio – Frank Kersey

Elisabeth Shue – Lucy Kersey

Camilla Morrone – Jordan Kersey

Dean Norris – Det. Kevin Raines

Summary:

“Death Wish” is a remake of the 1974 film of the same name starring Charles Bronson. Directed by Eli Roth, Bruce Willis plays a trauma surgeon in Chicago whose family becomes the victim of a crime and this causes him to bring the law into his own hands. Over the years, Bruce Willis has been sleepwalking in his roles and I was surprised to see that he put some effort into this one. His character comes across dramatic scenes involving characters and he sells the emotional side of himself. I was taken aback at the fact that this film came out in theaters given the controversy surrounding gun control. This movie doesn’t hold back as it embraces the violence and rightfully so, given its setting. The action is shot well enough and the blood and gore is so ‘Eli Roth.’ Roth surprised me as he was able to invoke a sense of tension involving a gun as a scare tactic. The supporting cast fits the film well enough to trudge it along. “Death Wish” is by no means a great film, but if you’re a fan of shoot ‘em up movies, this one is for you.

Score: 3/5