By Liz Lopez
Source: Lionsgate
Mega-action hero and Oscar® nominee Liam Neeson (Best Actor, “Schindler’s List,” 1993) proves that no one gets hurt on his watch in “The Commuter,” arriving on 4K Ultra HD™ Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray and Digital), Blu-ray™ Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital), DVD, and On Demand April 17 from Lionsgate. Read more »
By Liz Lopez
Rating: A
The Scottish filmmaker, Lynne Ramsay (2011’s “We Need to Talk About Kevin”), returns to screens with her fourth feature film, “You Were Never Really Here,” a thrilling, dark and violent hit man story not so focused on the action the protagonist takes, but the man who makes a living as a contract killer. Ramsay wrote the adapted screenplay from Jonathan Ames’ 2013 novel of the same title, one that I have not yet read. Ames’ fiction book is noted to not be very long, with Google Books referring to it as a “novella.” Ramsay has expanded on parts of the story about Joe (Joaquin Phoenix), a former FBI agent and war veteran, who we learn by flashbacks in the film about how broken a human he is and has been since he suffered childhood abuse. To date, he contemplates suicide. Then, there is also vengeance. Phoenix is the perfectly cast actor to show what he feels, rather than spend much dialogue describing it. Read more »
By Liz Lopez
Rating: B-
Based on a video game of the same name, “Rampage” the movie stars Dwayne Johnson (plus serves as one of the Executive Producers) and is surrounded by a large cast and crew to bring this action packed story to life. Since I have never played the 1980s video game, I certainly cannot state that the story and screenplay are faithful to the game. From reading other reviews, it is not and the film’s story actually becomes the type of film that the game resulted from! The story is by Ryan Engle (“The Commuter”) who wrote the script with Carlton Cuse (“San Andreas”), Ryan J. Condol (“Hercules”), and Adam Sztykiel (“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip”). I am not sure why four writers are used for a script that does not have an in-depth plot or character development. Read more »
By Mark Saldana
Rating: 2.5 (Out of 4 Stars)
Blumhouse Productions has become the leading name in modern horror cinema. Their output of horror features has grown prolifically through the years with a variety of films of varying qualities. Jason Blumhouse and his company have even produced critically acclaimed films such as Get Out, The Gift, Whiplash, and more recently, Upgrade (which played SXSW this year). Not all of their movies have been winners though, and their latest release, Truth or Dare, definitely falls short, despite some strong performances, compelling character development and some solid scares. Read more »
By Mark Saldana
Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars)
Writer/directer Abner Benaim hopes to reveal more about the famous actor and legendary musician Ruben Blades with this love letter of a documentary. Some people only know Ruben Blades for his acting in movies and television, while others know him mostly for his politically-charged contribution to Salsa music. Well for sure, not everyone realizes that Blades studied law and eventually ran for president of his native country Panama. Benaim’s film allows audiences to get better acquainted with the multi-talented artist and highly intelligent Renaissance man. Read more »
