Where this series started as a fun good bad movie, American Ninja 4: The Annihilation turned into just a plain old bad movie that oft Cannon Films are known for. Although we did get the return of Michael Dudikoff, and his presence at times were welcoming, it wasn’t near enough to make the movie watchable.
American Ninja 2: The Confrontation, on the whole, might not be as good as its predecessor but it still contains that fun one would expect from a 1980s Cannon Film release. The acting isn’t the best but both Michael Dudikoff and Steve Price possess just enough to make the film watchable.
American Ninja is not a ‘good’ film in the traditional sense yet god help me, I liked it for just how 1980s it feels and looks. The acting isn’t great and the scriptwriting was horrible, yet Michael Dudikoff and Steve James managed to save it from itself and made a really fun bad movie.
The Trust had a lot going for it if only the filmmakers could’ve kept the (dark) comedy aspect in the crime-caper going through the third act but we get an almost 180 flip and although it goes to the title, it doesn’t make much sense and not entirely earned. As such, this is at best a rental mainly for the first 2/3rds and some, well, interesting line-readings by Nicolas Cage.
Hardcore Henry is a gimmick movie that displays some impressive camera work, visual effects, stunts and a well rounded performance by Sharlto Copley, yet is thin on story and frankly, I don’t ever see myself revisiting in spite of what the movie has going for it.
The Angry Birds Movie might be fine for younger viewers and the animation looks gorgeous, the voice cast talented and a decent enough core story but the jokes fell flat and I was mostly bored throughout its 90-minute running time.
Scooby-Doo and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon is a harmless film for the entire family though if you’re not into the WWE or its roster of superstars, there’s not much to appreciate considering seemingly half of the movie is devoted to them rather than Scooby and the gang.
“Supergirl”: The Complete First Season has its issues, especially early on, yet as the season wore on, the writing got better, particularly the dialogue. But from beginning to end, the casting was pitch perfect starting with Melissa Benoist who is both beautiful and charismatic to pull off a character like Supergirl/Kara.
“The Knick”: The Complete Second Season is another triumph from Cinemax and includes amazing performances by Clive Owen, Andre Holland (who probably was the standout amongst them all), Juliet Rylance and Eve Hewson, though the other supporting members never disappoint either.
“The Girlfriend Experience” is one hell of an experience. It’s probably one of the more sexually explicit shows I’ve seen in quite some time yet there’s a good story at the core with just the right amount of mystery to keep one’s attention not to mention a strong performance by Riley Keough.
“Blindspot”: The Complete First Season doesn’t exactly harness its full potential and there is some predictability in Doe’s character arc, yet I can’t say each of these episodes at least were somewhat entertaining but I can’t say much more than that.
The Return of the Living Dead is an incredibly fun zombie flick. No, it doesn’t have the subtext of a George A. Romero film but it’s unique in its own right with some on-point humor that is consistent from beginning to end.
“The Magicians”: Season One is a fun new series that borrows from books like “Chronicles of Narnia” and “Harry Potter” with some CW-like drama thrown in for good measure. Still, the acting isn’t half bad and it was at least compelling enough to keep my interest through the relatively short 13-episode first year run.
Melissa McCarthy continues her usual schlock in The Boss and teaming up with her director/husband following the atrocious Tammy, this might be a step above that movie but not by much as the laughs are few and far between and worse yet, is kind of mean-spirited at times.
No Escape is an all around entertaining film perfect for a Saturday movie night. No, it doesn’t make you think or have any profound performances but the acting isn’t bad with Owen Wilson serving as a fine everyman type of character and Pierce Brosnan in his small part is a lot of fun. This is probably worthy of a rental.