MOVIE REVIEW: ABIGAIL

 

A group of would-be criminals kidnaps the 12-year-old daughter of a powerful underworld figure. Holding her for ransom in an isolated mansion, their plan starts to unravel when they discover their young captive is actually a bloodthirsty vampire.

Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett

Cast: Alisha Weir, Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, William Catlett, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, Giancarlo Esposito

Release Date: April 19, 2024

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Rated R for strong bloody violence and gore throughout, pervasive language and brief drug use.

Runtime:1h 49m

Review:

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett's Abigail might be a little light on scares but it more than makes up for it with its fun, over the top energy and a game cast that make it one of the funniest horror comedies in recent memory.  The directing duo recapture the energy that worked so well in their 2019 breakout, Ready or Not, with a bloody blend of cartoonish characters and increasingly outrageous dark comedy which plays like a mash up of Reservoir Dogs and From Dusk till Dawn.  Those expecting anything new or terribly deep will be left disappointed since neither the story nor characters are fairly thin and straightforward.  Thankfully, this is the kind of film that doesn't really require much from either, especially with an ensemble cast that's having as much fun as the directors are.  Melissa Barrera is steady in the lead role, playing it straight for the majority of the film even as things get gorier and bloodier.  The supporting cast is made up of familiar faces that are clearly relishing the chance to lean into the characters personas.  Dan Stevens delivers another strong performance as a NY cop turned criminal, further proving his ability to morph into anybody onscreen.  Kathryn Newton, in full Avril Lavigne cosplay, is great fun as the ditzy tech nerd of the group who gets some of the film's best lines.  Kevin Durand brings a goofy likability to his meat head muscle highlighted by some solid chemistry with Newton.  Angus Cloud, in his final screen performance, gets a few moments early on but his screen time is fairly brief, much like Giancarlo Esposito, in the grand scheme of things.  Alisha Weir, who plays the kidnapped tween ballerina, really shines throughout as she shuffles between tween and ancient ghoul with incredible ease.  She possesses a confidence onscreen that makes the film work far better than it would have been in lesser hands.  Abigail stumbles a bit in the final act where you get the sense a few bits could have been excised to make for a leaner experience.  It’s a minor issue and something that's easy to overlook once the film wraps up its goofy, gory trek that's sure to leave plenty of people smiling.  

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: LISA FRANKENSTEIN

 

A misunderstood teenager and a reanimated corpse embark on a murderous journey to find love, happiness and a few missing body parts.

Director: Zelda Williams

Cast: Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, Liza Soberano, Henry Eikenberry, Joe Chrest, Carla Gugino

Release Date: February 9, 2024 

Genre: Comedy, Horror, Romance

Rated PG-13 for violent content, bloody images, sexual material, language, sexual assault, teen drinking and drug content.

Runtime: 1h 41m 

Review:

Lisa Frankenstein is a fun, if uneven, mash up of a variety of sources that's carried by Kathryn Newton's energetic performance.  Zelda William's film is bright and bubbly the way most nostalgia porn recreates the 80s as a neon filled wonderland.  It’s kitschy and overblown but very much in tune with the rest of the film and story being told.  Diablo Cody penned the script, with plenty of moments showing off her ability to write sharply funny dialogue.  It doesn't have the same level of consistent energy and verve that some of her past work but it’s still funnier more often than not.  It’s a broader satire of all sorts of 80's teen comedy tropes with larger than life characters and ideas that the cast willingly embraces with impressive gusto.  Kathryn Newton carries the film from the opening sequence through its final frame with an effervescent, charming central turn.  Newton is consistently the most interesting performer on screen even during some of the film's weaker moments.  Her wide eyed enthusiasm shines through the layers of mascara, apple candy lipstick and ever expanding 80s hairdo.  Newton has shown some comedic talent in her previous turns like Freaky and Blockers, but this is by far her best showcase.  The supporting cast is solid with Cole Sprouse and Liza Soberano leaving the biggest impression.  Sprouse has fun chemistry with Newton which is impressive since he's required to rely on a psychical performance with his character being mute for the better part of the film.  Soberano is equally impressive as Lisa's incredibly supportive and sweet step sister by giving the character a believable sort of authenticity.  Carla Gugino vamps it up to an impressive degree as the stepmother but sadly the film doesn't take full advantage since the film could have benefited from more scenes between her and Newton.  Ultimately, Lisa Frankenstein is a wonderfully twisted spotlight that lets Kathryn Newton show off charismatic screen presence.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA

 

Ant-Man and the Wasp find themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that pushes them beyond the limits of what they thought was possible.

Director:  Peyton Reed

Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Jonathan Majors, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Douglas, Kathryn Newton, David Dastmalchian, William Jackson Harper, Katy O'Brian, Bill Murray

Release Date: February 17, 2023

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated PG-13 for violence/action, and language

Runtime: 2h 5m

Review:

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania gets credit for delivering one of the tripper entries into the Marvel monolith.  Peyton Reed waste little time throwing the audience into the Quantum Realm and peppering the screen with all variety of sci-fi weirdness and oddities.  It’s a visual cornucopia that just assaults the senses from all sides as the cast ventures through the worlds.  There's nearly enough there to make you ignore the fact that the event which kicks off the entire plot is even more contrived than Spider-Man: No Way Home starting point.  It shouldn't come as that much of a surprise since this is the film that kicks off the newest phase of Marvel's ongoing opus.  Specifically, this film serves as an introduction to the new big bad that will be the serve as the primary villain over the next few years.  In that regard, they have been blessed with Jonathan Majors and his impressive acting talents.  Once Majors appears onscreen, he dominates the film with an impressively nuanced turn that bodes well for future appearances.  Up to that point the cast had delivered a surprisingly choppy collection of performances which is disappointing considering the assembled talent.  Rudd is his usual dependable self, giving the impression that he could play this role in his sleep by this point.  Rudd and Evangeline Lilly still don't have much onscreen chemistry which keeps their story line from really carrying the sort of weight you'd expect by the third film.  Kathryn Newton joins the cast as their now grown daughter and brings a spark of youthful energy even if her character veers close to annoying is spots.  Michelle Pfeiffer and Michael Douglas sadly seem to be going through the motions even though Pfeiffer gets a decent size of the plot.  Both are never outright bad but you get the sense they aren't giving it their all.  There's a tonal imbalance throughout the whole film which shifts from quippy goofiness to drop dead serious sometime in the occurring in the same scene.  There are points were you start to feel that Majors deserved to be in a better more serious film which would have taken advantage of performance.  As is, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania does its job in setting up the future, especially with two rather important post credit scenes, and doing it in an enjoyable but ultimately forgettable film.  

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: FREAKY

 

A mystical, ancient dagger causes a notorious serial killer to magically switch bodies with a 17-year-old girl.

Director: Christopher Landon

Cast: Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton, Katie Finneran, Celeste O'Connor, and Alan Ruck.

Release Date: November 13, 2020

Genre: Comedy, Horror, Thriller 

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

Runtime: 1 h 41min

Review:

Christopher Landon obviously loves horror movies it was obvious in his 2017 debut Happy Death Day and even more so in his newest film Freaky.  Horror aficionados will find plenty of little Easter Eggs scattered throughout the film.  The film itself is a fairly hilarious riff on the Freaky Friday trope with Vince Vaughn delivering one of his best performances in recent memories.  Vaughn is thoroughly committed to the role and his comedic timing makes him the best thing on screen throughout the film.  Watching him channel a teenage girl in his massive frame is just comedic gold especially as the situations get more and more absurd.  Kathryn Netwon isn't asked to do much outside of holding a steely gaze and look menacingly at her victims.  She does have a few moments were she lets loose a bit but them moments are few and far between.  It's mostly Vaughn's showcase but that doesn't mean that supporting players like Celeste O'Connor and Misha Osherovich don't get their time to shine with the latter leaving a memorable impression.  Those looking for real scares might be a little let down since there are a handful of jump scares and gore aplenty but you'd be hard pressed to ever call it scary.  Freaky leans much more on the comedy side and it works well as a farcical horror comedy where you can leave your brain at the door.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: BLOCKERS

Julie, Kayla and Sam are three high school seniors who make a pact to lose their virginity on prom night. Lisa, Mitchell and Hunter are three overprotective parents who flip out when they find out about their daughters' plans. They soon join forces for a wild and chaotic quest to stop the girls from sealing the deal -- no matter what the cost.

Director: Kay Cannon

Cast: Leslie Mann, Ike Barinholtz, John Cena, Geraldine Viswanathan, Kathryn Newton, Gideon Adlon

Release Date: April 6, 2018

Genres: Comedy

Rated R for crude and sexual content, and language throughout, drug content, teen partying, and some graphic nudity

Runtime: 1h 42min

Review:



Blockers is a new entry in the raunchy coming of age teen comedies in the vein of Porky’s, Superbad and American Pie.  Flipping the script by focusing on 3 girls instead of horny teen boys makes for an interesting take.  It helps that director Kay Cannon has a cast that shares excellent chemistry and sport some strong comedic chops.  The trio of teen actresses are particularly impressive which is a big win for the movie overall.  If they weren’t as strong the movie would be a lot less effective and funny.  Leslie Mann, Ike Barinholtz and John Cena are just as funny across the board which isn’t a big surprise.  They make for an unlikely trio but it works with each playing well off each other.  John Cena, in particular, shines by displaying some great comedic timing even though he looks like a Cro-Magnon caveman.  The film is filled with all the filthy jokes you’d expect from the genre and most are sharply written.  Ultimately, the film’s message is decidedly sweet and thoughtful even though it’s wrapped in a naughty shell.

B+