Madame Web might have an interesting story somewhere but is another Sony/Marvel that fails just about at every level from the acting, writing and direction, it doesn’t even have that trainwreck aspect going for it either.
The Hunt is a controversial movie that in the end wasn’t all that controversial and instead it’s an entertaining enough horror-thriller-comedy but ultimately not all that memorable.
The Blackcoat’s Daughter was a surprisingly effective horror-thriller, and one I felt was actually better than the much praised The Witch, from Oz Perkins and features some solid performances led way by Kiernan Shipka with honorable mention for Emma Roberts.
Nerve, while hardly perfect, is one of the better surprise flicks of the year as it’s just a simple but fun suspense-thriller featuring two fine performances from Emma Roberts and Dave Franco and a nice moral at the core of what is really a convoluted story, yet I was entertained from beginning to end.
Adult World isn’t perfect with a clumsy story but the performances by Emma Roberts and John Cusack are both quite good and the film itself is at least watchable though has a limited replay value. The DVD doesn’t have much with minimal features and so-so video/audio transfers.
We’re the Millers as a concept isn’t very good and could’ve easily been destined for direct-to-video hell but thanks to a director who seems to know how to direct comedy and a cast who share some great chemistry with one another, Millers is a film that won’t go down as one of the greats but is a more than serviceable comedy with some fun moments.
Empire State had a lot to offer beginning with a semi-respectable cast beginning with Dwayne Johnson and Liam Hemsworth, both of whom were wasted and Emma Roberts was even worse with a bit role with very few lines and not a whole lot to do.
Celeste and Jesse Forever does have some things going for it like the chemistry between Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg but how the main character, Celeste, was written (partially by Jones herself) made her come across as awfully self-centered and the key scene where she seeks redemption doesn’t help matters as it takes place at her best friend’s wedding.
4.3.2.1 isn’t a bad movie by any stretch. There are few interesting scenes but as a whole, there’s not nearly enough story that held my interest to go along with characters that are unlikeable.
Scream 4 might’ve come a few years too late after the last installment, but I for one enjoyed it as Wes Craven and company were able to update the franchise for the 21st century. The original cast slips into their roles nicely while the new generation offer up a certain and needed freshness, though writer Williamson didn’t succumb to the horror sequel clichés (though there a few).
Valentine’s Day may be a two-hour cliché but at the same time it’s fairly harmless and might please some people out there, but for me, I like my romantic-comedies to have, oh I don’t know, a little comedy thrown in there. I know… that’s a silly thing to expect.