MOVIE REVIEW: EENIE MEANIE

 

A reformed teenage getaway driver is dragged back into her unsavoury past when a former employer offers her an opportunity to save the life of her chronically unreliable ex-boyfriend.

Director: Shawn Simmons

Cast: Samara Weaving, Karl Glusman, Jermaine Fowler, Marshawn Lynch, Randall Park, Steve Zahn, Andy Garcia

Release Date: August 22, 2025

Genre: Comedy, Horror, Thriller

Rated R for violence/bloody images, pervasive language, nudity, some sexual material and brief drug use.

Runtime: 1h 46m

Review:

Eenie Meanie is the kind of film that feels instantly familiar since it borrows from far better heist films but it’s still entertaining enough thanks to another strong turn from the Samara Weaving who carries the film with incredible ease.  Shawn Simmons feels like a mash up of a Baby Driver and Ocean’s Eleven if you bought the off-brand version from a discount store.  That's not to say that his film doesn't boast some inspired moments because it does especially during the film's first two acts.  Those moments are fun, but the characters and situations are incredibly familiar which leaves the heavy lifting up to his cast which proves to be up to the task.  Samara Weaving is given another chance to showcase her talents here with the film giving her plenty of time to shine.  Weaving is an immensely talented actress and here she's given the opportunity to display her comedic and dramatic throughout.  There are plenty of familiar faces here in supporting roles with Karl Glusman, who happily chews up scenery as the loser love interest, getting the largest amount of screen time but Weaving proves to be the glue that keeps it all together no matter how nonsensical the situations get.  Andy Garcia and Steve Zahn pop up in limited roles but both actors seem to be screaming for screentime to flesh out their respective roles.  Giving each of them a bit more time, especially with Weaving, could have given the film a more nuanced sense of depth that's sorely lacking.  Also, the film takes a turn, tonally, in the film's final act that jarring since everything up to that point had been so lighthearted and freewheeling.  It leaves Eenie Meanie on rather dour note, which is a strange choice since everything else has played out in a fairly predictable manner.  

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: FOR GREATER GLORY

The Cristero War serves as the backdrop of this historical drama following a group of devoted Mexican patriots who risk their lives to defeat an oppressive regime, and defend the freedom of future generations. Andy Garcia, Oscar Isaac, Eva Longoria, and Peter O'Toole star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Dean Wright

Cast: Andy Garcia, Oscar Isaac, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Santiago Cabrera, Rubén Blades.

Release Date: Jun 01, 2012

Rated R for some Disturbing Images and War Violence

Runtime: 2 hr. 23 min.

Genres: Historical Epic, Historical Film, War Adventure

Review:

Mexican history is filled with revolutions and martyrs, real life heros who lived and died heroically for their beliefs. This rich history seems ready made for Hollywood epics but Hispanics are have never gotten a landmark film to hang their hat on. While its heart is in the right place, For Greater Glory is a overstuffed, underwritten and filled with needless melodrama. First time director, Dean Wright, never lets his film breath. His heavy handed direction turns this true story into a hallmark movie hitting every cliché you can think of. He under utilizes an impressive cast of a Hispanic actors and actresses. The script doesn’t do Wright any favors. The characters are underwritten and the main plot is unfocused. The story meanders listlessly as it moves from character to characters while never allowing the audience to get close to any of them. Sadly, the whole production is impressively staged and costumed even though I’m still confused why it wasn’t shot in our native Spanish. A few emotional beats hit home near the end, mainly due to a rather dashing Andy Garcia, but it’s not enough to salvage this misfire.

D+