Shooter is a film that works with Mark Wahlberg’s strengths as an action hero and combined with the fine direction by Antoine Fuqua makes this worth checking out if you hadn’t already in the 15 years since the release.
Chappaquiddick is an imperfect drama that probably tells the story of Ted Kennedy and the car crash that killed a young woman as best as they could with the information known. The direction itself though wasn’t anything noteworthy but this is probably worth a rental.
Man Down does shine light on the important subject of PTSD for returning soldiers and as commendable as that is, it’s unfortunate the screenplay does it little justice but I will say Shia LaBeouf’s performance is amazing and it does feature a respectable supporting cast.
The Martian: Extended Edition is a well made sci-fi thriller but admittedly, I think the theatrical version is tighter though there are a couple nice additions to the Extended Cut while other scenes weren’t necessary. As for this Blu-ray release, which should’ve been the initial release anyway, it offers up amazing video/audio transfers and some extensive bonus material.
On the surface Transcendence had plenty going for it but thanks to an apparently butchered script and a novice director, it turned something that could’ve been memorable into a laborious and tepid bore of a film. The cast is mostly wasted from the Depp’s malaise and supporting characters who are one dimensional and unmemorable while a veteran like Morgan Freeman is wasted and had a character who could’ve been cut.
Deadfall is a simplistic and predictable drama-thriller but thanks to a suspenseful performance from Eric Bana makes for an engaging flick which is well worth at least one viewing.