Dangerous Waters
Dangerous Waters may be an over-the-top thriller, but it’s also unpredictable with every twist and turn. That ought to right some of its wrongs…right?
Action
Freelance
The swashbuckling comedic action-adventure sub-genre featuring a macho man saving a high-profile damsel in distress seems like a dated idea. It’s possible for filmmakers and storytellers to modernize this premise (The Lost City as a recent example), but to leave this two-dimensional dynamic at its infant stages for most of the movie feels like a no-win risk. If this is generally agreed upon, then pardon me for the switcheroo: I had a lot of fun with…
The Baker
Last week, The Retirement Plan disappointed me with its inconsistencies. What I didn’t acknowledge in my review, buried underneath the tacky filmmaking, was a tangent involving a congenial heavy-hitter played by Ron Perlman (of Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy series). Perlman is squandered, portraying a brute named Bobo who shows compassion towards a young victim and eventually seals his fate after reuniting with Season of the Witch co-star Nicolas Cage.
Spy Kids: Armageddon
The once reliable Spy Kids franchise finds itself, somewhat, back on track with the Netflix feature Spy Kids: Armageddon. It isn’t a flawless endeavour, but the movie offers enough reassurance from filmmaker Robert Rodriguez that audiences will believe that the series may actually have potential to be rebooted properly in the future.
The Retirement Plan
Everyone’s favourite Nicolas Cage (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent) is back playing another enigmatic oddball. However, the role doesn’t play towards the actors usual blend of ticks and outbursts but rather, and unintentionally so, reflects the movie he’s starring in.
The Monkey King
The universe has sent me a remedy after slugging through last week’s Toopy and Binoo The Movie. That medicine is Netflix’s The Monkey King, an action-packed fantasy that’s inspired by Chinese literature and works as a tribute to the comic humour of Stephen Chow (Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle, Journey to the West). Chow serves as an executive producer on The Monkey King – the production must’ve been tickled pink.
The Channel
By: Trevor Chartrand The Channel, directed and co-written by William Kaufman, is a sub-par action-thriller that lacks charisma and crowd-pleasing charm. A typical B-Movie in almost every way, the film feels completely unoriginal and uninspired, borrowing many tropes and concepts from much more successful films.
The Out-Laws
Your enjoyment of The Out-Laws will depend on how much you like (or can tolerate) Adam Devine. The former Workaholics up-and-comer, who has gradually been carving out a career as a leading man, is centre stage in Happy Madison’s action-comedy. As someone who has always been entertained by Devine’s roles (the Pitch Perfect franchise, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, When We First Met, Game Over, Man!, Isn’t It Romantic), Adam Devine’s goofy performance in…
Wrath of Becky
Becky was an outrageous home invasion thriller that made for ideal late-night entertainment. The movie didn’t necessarily warrant a sequel but, if it set out to be as fun as its predecessor, I’d welcome it. After watching Wrath of Becky, I wish I had reconsidered.