Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Samaritan & Ida Red

Dear reader(s), pickins are a little slim as far as at-home cinema this weekend, but I managed to find a couple offerings to pass the time. On the docket: Samaritan and Ida Red.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

First up: Samaritan (2022).

A young boy's obsession with a presumed-dead superhero leads to trouble.

Samaritan is a bargain basement hero tale that gives too little screen time to its "name" star (Sylvester Stallone) and too much screen time to its insufferable kid lead. There's a different standard for child actors, and the role is hardly anything to write home about, but even those allowances can't make this kid tolerable. Once you compartmentalize the annoying brat, the tale is typical good vs. evil, with Stallone laying down the law, no surprises but enjoyable enough. Set design, reminiscent of a 70s cop drama, perfectly captures the movie's gritty, ominous vibe. It's all a bit more broadly drawn than I expected — and maybe shame on me for that? — but Samaritan is otherwise a passable and forgettable straight-to-streaming flick.

Samaritan runs 102 minutes and is rated PG13 for "strong violence and strong language."

If we got a little spoiled by the quality of some films released directly to streaming during lockdown, movies like Samaritan will bring us back to Earth quickly enough. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Samaritan gets four.

Samaritan is now streaming on Prime Video.

Next on my agenda: Ida Red (2021).

A terminally-ill inmate turns to her son in a last-ditch attempt to enjoy some freedom before dying.

My dear reader(s), however many streaming offerings I may reject on a typical Saturday, there are a few things that earn an instant "yes" vote from me. Frank Grillo is one of them. Grillo is a guy I like in any movie, and a guy who mostly makes movies I like. He steals the show here as brother-in-law of the titular Ida Red (Academy Award winner Melissa Leo, taking the easy paycheck) and uncle of the film's real star, Josh Hartnett, the son on which Ida pins her hopes of freedom. The story is pretty basic cops and robbers, with family drama thrown in for good measure. It's violent, deliberately paced, and unsurprising, but I didn't hate it, and that's about the nicest thing I can say about anything these days.

Ida Red clocks in at 111 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence, language throughout, and some sexual content."

Ida Red is a predictable but entertaining thriller with a solid cast. Of a possible nine  Weasleys, Ida Red gets five.

Ida Red is now streaming on the Showtime family of networks.

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: THE HITMAN'S WIFE'S BODYGUARD

 

The world's most lethal odd couple -- bodyguard Michael Bryce and hit man Darius Kincaid -- are back for another life-threatening mission. Still unlicensed and under scrutiny, Bryce is forced into action by Darius's even more volatile wife. Soon, all three are in over their heads when a madman's sinister plot threatens to leave Europe in total chaos.

Director: Patrick Hughes

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek, Richard E. Grant, Frank Grillo, Tom Hopper, Antonio Banderas, Morgan Freeman

Release Date: June 16, 2021

Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime

Rated R for strong bloody violence throughout, pervasive language, and some sexual content

Runtime: 1h 39min

Review:

The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard never really breaks any new ground on the genre and it's script feels hackneyed and lazy but its still manages to provide some good mindless R rated fun.  Patrick Hughes directs his film with a made for standard cable feel to it even with the A list talent.  The action is fast and energetic set in attractive European locales but it all feels disposable like they could have been lifted from a dozen other films.  Thankfully, he's edited this film down to a lean hour and half so it's kinetic energy doesn't become exhausting like the first film.  Ultimately what save this film is the what made the first film work the chemistry of the cast.  Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson are once again set to ten for the duration of the film as curse words and bullets fly.  Salma Hayek gets a much larger role here and it's to the film's benefit since she can play just as rough and loose as her two counter parts.  Antonio Banderas is just as a fun sporting a fabulous blonde wig while doing his best mock James Bond Villain.  It's all decidedly goofy and silly but you get the feeling the cast knows exactly what kind of film they are making, Frank Grillo's over the top Boston accent should be a dead giveaway, and they have fun with it.  The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard isn't going to be topping a lot of people top ten films of the year but it's goofy enough for an enjoyable bit of mindless fun.

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR

It’s been two years since Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo) stopped himself from a regrettable act of revenge on Purge Night. Now serving as head of security for Senator Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell), his mission is to protect her in a run for president and survive the annual ritual that targets the poor and innocent. But when a betrayal forces them onto the streets of D.C. on the one night when no help is available, they must stay alive until dawn…or both be sacrificed for their sins against the state.

Director: James DeMonaco 

Cast: Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell, Edwin Hodge, Mykelti Williamson, Joseph Julian Soria

Release Date: Jul 01, 2016

Rated R for Disturbing bloody violence and strong language.

Runtime: 1 hr. 43 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Horror, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

The Purge series has always had a kind of 70’s 80’s exploitation vibe to it, reminiscent of classic John Carpenter.  This series has always had a better concept than execution.  Even the sequel which surpassed the original film in many ways is a flawed film.  The Purge: Election Year is a mixed bag as well.  It’s got some heady ideas which are thrown about in the least subtle way possible.  There are a few moments were the film takes an artistic slant for an exploitation film but it never really achieves a solid flow.  The cast of characters always play more as types than living breathing characters.  Sadly, Frank Grillo’s returning character is more of a secondary character this go around, mainly due to the expanded roster of superfluous characters.  Some of the new characters are interesting or fun but a handful seem redundant.  Mykelti Williamson does the best work he can with the clunky script and leaves the biggest impression.  The Purge: Election Year wasn’t ever going to be an Oscar worthy film but it still doesn’t excuse it’s overall clumsiness. 

C

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of The Legend of Tarzan & The Purge: Election Year

 

 

 

Dearest Blog: yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for a tale of the jungle and a tale of the concrete jungle: The Legend of Tarzan and The Purge: Election Year. 

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers. First on my agenda: The Legend of Tarzan. An English Lord raised in the jungle is forced to return there. 

 

Tarzan is one of those stories I've always found exceedingly cheesy, even in its best incarnations. The latest big-screen adaptation is no different, but there's good fun to be had with its hilarious awfulness.

 

Wise moves on the part of Tarzan's filmmakers to: a.) not give Alexander Skarsgard too many lines, despite his being the titular legend; and b.) have Skarsgard spend most of the movie half-dressed. If The Legend of Tarzan is the poster child of summer popcorn movies, Skarsgard's stunning physique must be the (eye) candy that goes along with it. His accent is terrible and his performance worse than wooden, but...wait...what was I saying? 

 

Co-star Margot Robbie is equally fetching, with an equally-sketchy accent. Robbie is handicapped by having to deliver some of the worst lines in a picture that's riddled with embarrassingly-bad dialogue, but she still fares better than double-Oscar winner Christoph Waltz, slumming it as a villain so broadly-drawn he might as well walk around twirling the ends of his moustache, and Samuel L. Jackson, shoehorned in as sidekick/comic relief. 

 

I had a 3D showtime forced on me by the schedule (thanks for nothing, schedule!), and, with no basis for comparison, I'd guess 3D exacerbates the bad CGI. There's some pretty scenery, but overall things look pretty fake. 

 

Top it all off with uniformly-unfunny cracks at humor and an old-school melodramatic score, and you've got a pretty underwhelming summer blockbuster. The Legend of Tarzan clocks in at 109 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of action and violence, some sensuality, and brief rude dialogue." 

 

Legendary it is not, but, if you aren't too particular about where you spend your movie dollars, it's good for a laugh. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Legend of Tarzan gets four. 

 

Next up: The Purge: Election Year. Having narrowly avoided taking regrettable actions an an earlier Purge, Leo Barnes works security for a US Senator determined to end the annual crime spree. 

 

Dear reader(s): I'm pleased to report another Purge sequel lives up to a promise the original didn't half make. 

 

Frank Grillo is commanding in the lead, a role tailor-made for his tough demeanor and rugged good looks. The abundance of screen time for Grillo is more than welcome after his being so criminally underused in the latest Captain America outing, too! 

 

Election Year is intense, leaving viewers holding their breath and crossing their fingers as the "good guys" try to survive the night. The movie lightens its grim topic with a graveyard humor that mostly hits the mark, and it is beautifully filmed, making stunning visuals of brutal violence and terrifying masks and costumes. That's the good news. 

 

The bad news: Elizabeth Mitchell is ridiculous as the do-good Senator and Presidential candidate, and the Mom jeans and oversized glasses don't remotely provide her any gravitas. 

 

As a wise comedian once said: "I didn't go to Harvard; I went to Lens Crafters!" Election Year is a movie fashioned with a hammer rather than a chisel, and characters of color fare worst in the Stereotype Sweepstakes, despite the movie's sincere attempt to comment on race and station in the ol' US of A. It's easy to see why today's America better relates to the "us and them" themes of Election Year than to the chest-thumping patriotism of last week's notable box office flop, Independence Day: Resurgence. 

 

The Purge: Election Year runs 105 minutes and is rated R for "disturbing bloody violence and strong language." Its social commentary is clumsy, but The Purge: Election Year is a tense thriller that's perfectly suited to today's cynical audiences. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Purge: Election Year gets seven and a half. 

 

Fangirl points: Kyle Secor a.k.a. Homicide's Detective Tim Bayliss! 

 

Until next time... 

 

 

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of 22 Jump Street & The Purge: Anarchy + Bonus Afterthoughts on How to Train Your Dragon 2

Dearest Blog, it's Jamboree in the Hills weekend here in the upper Ohio Valley, and you know what that means: I spent BOTH days hiding out at the cinema. On tap: a second screening of How to Train Your Dragon 2, a first (very late) screening of 22 Jump Street, and the new release The Purge: Anarchy.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

First up was a second go at How to Train Your Dragon 2. Regular reader(s) will know I was gravely disappointed in this the first time I saw it, as the original ranks among my favorite movies of all time, and this one...well...this one doesn't. While I still don't agree the sequel is better than (or even as good as) the first, I will say I definitely warmed to it upon a second viewing. I found much more to laugh about, much less to be annoyed about, and remained in awe of its visual magnificence. If you don't bother for any other reason, do see it on the biggest screen you can find just for the privilege of seeing the best-looking movie ever.

After revisiting the film, I would probably upgrade it from my original seven and a half to eight of a possible nine Weasleys. Still not as good as the first, but it probably wasn't reasonable to expect that anyway, no matter who said it nor how often.

Next up was another sequel, 22 Jump Street. I'm well aware this has already left many theatres and if you were gonna see it you probably would have done by now. I'm still reviewing it for two reasons: first, because it's worth a good word if that good word convinces anybody buy the DVD or see it in a second-run cinema, but also so I don't forget it when it comes time for my year-end top ten, which at this writing would include it.

Having succeeded in their high school undercover mission, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) move on to college.

22 Jump Street is that rare sequel that is equal to its predecessor, hilarious from beginning to end, with a couple twists that rival most mysteries and thrillers. Hill and Tatum have a genuine chemistry that sells their relationship, and a comedic fearlessness that translates to great entertainment. The supporting cast is a riot, and laugh-out-loud physical humor combines with self-aware sequel jokes to make this the summer's funniest movie thus far.

22 Jump Street runs 112 minutes and is rated R for "language throughout, sexual content, drug material, brief nudity, and some violence."

If you're in the mood for a good laugh, this is your movie. Of a possible nine Weasleys, 22 Jump Street gets seven.

Finally, today it was The Purge: Anarchy.

A small group caught out during the annual Purge teams up to try to survive the night.

Two notes: I have seen only minutes of the first Purge, in passing. It is by all accounts terrible. The sequel was only on my radar--and barely, at that--because I've had a bit of a thing for Frank Grillo since The Grey. Yeah, I know I'm late to that party, so sue me. Earlier this weekend, I saw a review comparing this new Purge to Walter Hill's The Warriors, one of my top ten movies of all time, and it became a must see.

I didn't expect much, but I'm pleased to report I was very pleasantly surprised.
Let this be the first and probably only review to note that the annual Purge takes place on Gary Oldman's birthday, March 21. How's a transplanted Brit to celebrate his special day in a country that's doing THAT with it? I strenuously object, and respectfully petition for a change of Purge date.

Okay, back to business. As mentioned, The Purge: Anarchy is much better than I expected. I figured I'd indulge my crush in a so-so movie and be done with it, but I was actually engaged from start to finish. The concept is scary as hell, but provides some interesting food for thought. There's some wonky dialogue, but the movie is smart enough not to try getting too talkey. Tension holds steady throughout, no chance to feel certain of anyone's safety. The Halloween-masked antagonists are particularly effective, and their scenes especially well staged. There's plenty of violence, but nothing overly graphic or gory. Grillo is well suited to his role. I expect I'd feel pretty safe in his charge were my life threatened...or, hell, even if it weren't. The rest of the main cast does a decent job of: a.) appearing terrified, and b.) running for their lives. So. Much. Running. It's like a World Cup game, but without the diving. Finally, the movie gets full marks for not wearing out its welcome.
The Purge: Anarchy clocks in at 103 minutes and is rated R for "strong disturbing violence and language."

It may not be what you'd call a "summer fun" movie, but it's engaging, entertaining, and worth the price of admission. Of a possible nine Weasleys, I'm happy to give The Purge: Anarchy seven.
Until next time..

Hi, I'm that guy you met on the Internet dating site!

MOVIE REVIEW: THE PURGE: ANARCHY

A vengeful father comes to the aid of a mother, her teenage daughter, and a defenseless young couple on the one night of the year that all crime, including murder, is legal in this self-contained sequel from producer Jason Blum and original writer/director James DeMonaco.  This unlikely group must stick together in order to survive the night. But little do they realize that their nightmare has only just begun. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: James DeMonaco

Cast: Frank Grillo, Kiele Sanchez, Michael K. Williams, Zach Gilford, Carmen Ejogo

Release Date: Jul 18, 2014

Rated: R for Strong Disturbing Violence and Language 

Runtime: 1 hr. 43 min. 

Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller 

Review:

The Purge was a solid film with a nice little premise which it never really expanded on, instead just turning it into a standard home invasion thriller.  There was plenty of meat on the idea to explore which was left untouched by the original so I was looking forward to a sequel but worried it’d miss the point of it all.  The Purge: Anarchy is actually a nice surprise even if the message is about as subtle as a sledgehammer.  The story smartly gives us 3 storylines to follow which converge rather quickly.  It’s enough to give us a feel for the world at play and some of the ideas extrapolated out stretching the not so subtle metaphor out and expanding the mythos.  The characters outside of Frank Grillo’s, delivering a grizzled Punisher like performance,  man out for vengeance are rather bland but they’re there to serve a purpose.  We are given a Warriors like trek through the anarchy like streets during Purge night.  At its core, the sequel feels a lot like some of the wonderfully ham fisted exploitation message movies from the 70’s and 80’s which isn’t a bad thing.

B-

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Homefront & Enough Said

Dearest Blog, over the long weekend I was fortunate to make two trips to two different cinemas. Thanks to the busy weekend, I'm only just posting my reviews. Apologies for the delay.

Spoiler level here will be mild-ish, I guess.

Thanks to my benevolent employer dismissing at noon on Wednesday, I spent my afternoon enjoying Jason Statham's latest flick, Homefront.

A former DEA agent moves with his daughter to a small town, which proves less peaceful than expected when he has to face off with the local meth dealer.

Statham Disclaimer (yes, he has his own disclaimer): Jason Statham is one of my favorite people who makes movies, and he almost unerringly makes movies I like. Opening weekend isn't good enough for Statham movies; I'm willing to burn vacation time to see them opening day. I am perfectly capable of loving a terrible movie just because Jason Statham in it (though that's not always the case).

I think Homefront would have been a good enough movie with or without Statham, but for Statham fans there's no denying it's a happy return to form after the drudgery of Redemption (a.k.a. Hummingbird).

Homefront does a nice job of maintaining tension throughout, and really kept me on the edge of my seat. There's not only the obvious good guy versus bad guy plot, but also the more relatable theme of trying to fit in...an idea that probably terrifies me more than the prospect of a firefight with the local drug lord! As you would expect in any movie that involves drug dealers, there's a fair bit of gun violence and things blowing up, but, for the most part we get to see Statham in hand-to-hand combat, which is definitely where he shines. It's all the more entertaining for knowing he insists on doing as much of his own stunt-work as the insurance will allow!

James Franco serves as an oddly-perfect foil to Statham's tough guy, and (to me, anyway) the character was enjoyable despite being a generally horrible person. Kate Bosworth is freakishly accurate as Franco's druggie sister, and Winona Ryder looks born to play the role of a meth-head prostitute. It was nice to see Omar Benson Miller again, too, reminding me how much I actually miss the idiotic glory of CSI: Miami.

Homefront runs 100 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence, pervasive language, drug content, and brief sexuality."

Come awards season, Homefront won't make anyone's lists, but, for my money, it was one of the more enjoyable afternoons I've passed at the cinema this year. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Homefront gets seven.

On Saturday, my Mother, who normally wouldn't sit through a movie if someone demanded it at gunpoint, got in her head that she wanted to see the flick playing at our tiny local theatre, which shows some smaller and indie releases when it isn't hosting live performances from our local theatre troupe. As my luck would have it, the film they were showing last weekend was the Julia Louis-Dreyfuss/James Gandolfini rom-com, Enough Said. (I must have crossed paths with a black cat or broken a mirror or something.)

Eva (Louis-Dreyfuss) and Albert (Gandolfini) meet at a party and get romantically involved...but another party guest may ruin the relationship.

I don't think I need to tell anyone that, of all the genres in all of cinema, the romantic comedy is my least favorite by a mile. The only way I'll consider a rom-com is if it stars someone I absolutely can't miss, or if I get pressganged into it. (Read: Mother wants to go to the local movie house on Small Business Saturday.) That's not to say I can't be won over by such a film if it's cute or the characters are likable enough, but unfortunately Enough Said embodies absolutely everything I hate about romantic comedies and then some.

Enough Said is a criminal waste of its two stellar leads, who manage to turn in nice performances while reciting some of the dopiest dialogue I've ever heard outside a Twilight movie. I understand that, to some degree, it's meant to convey the discomfort of getting used to someone new, but too much of it is just bad. Both characters are divorced with daughters about to head off to college, and the kids are so vile I wanted to bang their heads together. (As my sister says, "I don't understand how anyone decides to have kids once they've met a teenager.") The rancid icing on this putrid cake was having to look at my least-favorite actress, Toni Collette, who had more screen time than anyone other than the two main characters. That woman makes me want to throw a shoe at the screen! (If you were wondering, I didn't.)

Enough Said sells those tired, old rom-com principles: there's someone for everyone, nice people should give even the most awful people a second chance, and everyone deserves a happy ending, all of which are less believable to me than anything I've ever seen in a Marvel film or Claymation Christmas special. With the exception of Albert, I found every single character so unlikable that the movie's brief runtime felt like about six hours, and I left thinking they all deserved to die alone and miserable.

Enough Said clocks in at 93 minutes. It is rated PG13 for "crude and sexual content, comic violence, language, and partial nudity." Its impressive IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes ratings tell me I'm in the minority, but I hated nearly every minute. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Enough Said gets three.

Finally, though it relates to neither of this week's films, I want to acknowledge the unexpected passing of Paul Walker over the weekend. When I first I saw the news, I spent the next hour refreshing the screen and hoping someone would prove it a hoax, until his reps officially confirmed via his official Facebook and Twitter. Walker seemed like a genuinely decent guy who was universally well-loved, particularly by his Fast & Furious family and fans, and I am having a hard time shaking off the blues over this one. So, rest peacefully, Paul Walker, and thanks for all the fun times at the movies.

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: END OF WATCH

END OF WATCH




David Ayer's End of Watch stars Michael Peña and Jake Gyllenhaal as a pair of L.A. cops and close friends who work to keep the streets safe. Shot in a found-footage style, the movie follows the duo as they make enemies with a major drug cartel and attempt to lead happy personal lives. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Director: David Ayer

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña, Anna Kendrick, Frank Grillo, America Ferrera.

Release Date: Sep 21, 2012

Rated R for sexual References, Pervasive Language, Some Disturbing Images, Some Drug
Use and Strong Violence

Runtime: 1 hr. 49 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

End of Watch is an aggressive film which feels like a cop version of into The Heart of Darkness. David Ayers uses a lot of filming techniques to get give his film a crazy kind of energy that makes the more mundane parts of the film seem less so. His style works for the most part but occasionally it’s more distracting than it needs to be, detracting from the quality of the story and excellent performances on display. Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña have some of the best chemistry I’ve seen in ages in this type of film. Each works off each other extremely well. Their performances have a tangible and believable sense of authenticity throughout. It’s the best performance from both in a long while. They are the heart and soul of the film, creating an impressive connection with the audience even as the story gets more and more extreme, occasionally veering into implausibility. The supporting cast fills out the character’s world well, adding to the film’s overall quality and compounding the emotional punch the climax delivers.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: THE GREY

ON DVD

THE GREY



Liam Neeson stars in producer/director Joe Carnahan's tense adventure thriller about a group of tough-as-nails oil rig workers who must fight for their lives in the Alaskan wilderness after their airplane crashes miles from civilization. With supplies running short and hungry wolves closing in, the shaken survivors face a fate worse than death if they don't act fast. Dermot Mulroney, Dallas Roberts, and Frank Grillo co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Joe Carnahan

Cast: Liam Neeson, Frank Grillo, Dermot Mulroney, Dallas Roberts, Joe Anderson

Release Date: Jan 27, 2012

Rated R for bloody images, violence/disturbing content including bloody images and for pervasive language

Runtime: 1 hr. 57 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

The Grey is and isn’t a complicated film. On its surfaces it’s a stripped down survival story. Looking a little deep you’ll find that Joe Carnahan is working with some Hemmingway-lite themes and subject. The allegory is symbolism is fairly obvious but never overbearing. It’s got an almost metaphysical feel to it while its plot plays out like a nature version of The Warriors or Neil Marshall’s recent Centurion. Carnahan delivers a piece of filmmaking that’s brutal and pensive at the same time. At its center is Liam Neeson at his weatherworn gravelly best. Making the character Irish lets the Neeson focus on his character which is the most realized of the group of survivors. The supporting cast, including a nearly unrecognizable Dermot Mulroney in a quiet yet effective role, does the best they can with limited characterization. It’s one of the film’s most obvious failing, if they’d given the supporting players more life the life and death situations would have achieved a far more potent effect. Carnahan shoots a lovely film, using the winter landscapes to establish a strong sense of isolation, matched with some incredibly effective creature effects for the wolves who feel truly menacing throughout. The Grey is the kind of film that feels like could be easily forgettable after you’ve finished watching it but after it settles it does leave an impression.

B-