I understand Nurse 3-D is B-movie schlock and all but there are too many flaws to ignore, most of all a lead actress who is utterly terrible with flat line deliveries hard to disregard even with a script containing some truly corny dialogue. On the plus side, Katrina Bowden is wonderful and even though I didn’t care for the movie, it’s hardly the worst I’ve come across and the 80-minute running time goes by like a breeze.
Although Desolation of Smaug is an improvement over Unexpected Journey, I still wasn’t crazy about the installment with the action scenes, albeit well filmed, seemingly blurring from one to the next and you once more had references to LOTR, a series I have far more interest in re-watching and caring about than this one thus far. Still, fans will probably get more out of this than I did so on that front, it might be worth a rental.
In Fear had a decent concept but with one character who not only makes illogical decisions but is downright unlikeable and a “twist” that is revealed halfway through, the movie flounders until the very end and a message that feels tact on though I understand what the writer/director was after.
The Pirate Fairy actually isn’t a bad little film that, albeit geared more toward the younger age group, has some good animation and voice work plus the story is well written. While I might not revisit it anytime soon, it’s still a slight recommendation for families.
I cannot describe how much I didn’t like Walking with Dinosaurs from the voice over work to the humor which doesn’t work at all. Also, although the landscape is stunning, the CGI elements aren’t overly impressive but can easily be overlooked.
Best Night Ever is exhibit #152 why Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer should not get anywhere near a camera. Although it is technically a step up from their previous attempts at “humor”, this is still a dry piece that hampered even further with the overused and I pray to god is on its way out, found footage style of “filmmaking”.
Scooby-Doo: Wrestle Mania Mystery isn’t the strongest or best outing of the recent array of Scooby adventures but it’s an enjoyable flick with more than a few laughs even if it’s an 80-minute promotional featurette on the WWE.
While not perfect, Odd Thomas is still a well done fantasy-thriller filled with great performances by Anton Yelchin, Addison Timlin and Willem Dafoe and a wonderfully laid out story that, thanks to its limited box office, will probably never get completed outside of perhaps a TV series on ABC, NBC or TNT.
Out of the Furnace never quite took advantage of a tremendous cast, especially Christian Bale, with a story that’s not very compelling and although I get the symbolism Cooper was going for, it didn’t gel for one reason or another. However, is it worth seeing? I don’t think you’ll regret at least giving it a rental as there are some solid performances and a couple truly good scenes.
“Green Lantern”: The Complete Series was a blast to watch and I actually didn’t mind the changes to the character, based on what I read, or the animation style but it’s not for everyone. The stories are a lot of fun and I couldn’t wait for the next episode; it’s only a shame it got cancelled after only one season. The Blu-ray released through Warner Archive offers up solid video and audio transfers but it is unfortunate no bonus material was included.
Crimes and Misdemeanors might very well be one of Woody Allen’s best films and apparently Allen himself liked it so much he more or less remade it as Match Point decades later (for the record, I also loved MP). It’s a film filled with brilliant performances and two storylines on diverging paths and perfect, if not unsatisfactory for some, conclusions for both.
Anchorman 2: The Legend of Ron Burgundy has a few amusing moments and biting satire on 24-hours news networks, but although the cast seems to work well with one another, I found the movie itself to drag on especially towards the end. As someone who wasn’t a huge fan of the original, I came into this with little expectations and it pretty well met them.
Return to Nuke ‘Em High: Volume 1 is in all honesty not my cup of tea as I’m more of a fan of slasher (Friday the 13th) or serial killer (Halloween, Scream) horror so something like this wasn’t that entertaining to watch though others who are fans of Troma’s previous works will get something out of it.
The Jungle Book 2 is yet another weaker additions in Disney’s arsenal of needless sequels and although this did get released theatrically, it was originally planned as a DTV release which this should have been relegated to along with all the rest. It’s not terrible and younger viewers might enjoy it as it’s a breezy flick that is only 65-minutes long (sans credits), but adults might not find much to enjoy.
Historical inaccuracies aside, Saving Mr. Banks is still a fine drama featuring two wonderful performances from Emma Thompson, who should have received an Oscar nod, and Tom Hanks. Yes, it is emotionally manipulative but it’s for one’s heartstrings not to be pulled at certain scenes.