Bloodshot
Vin Diesel as an American soldier who is murdered, then resurrected as a superhuman cyborg. Once brought back from the dead, he goes rogue and seeks revenge on the man who had killed him and his wife — but then other memories come back, and he begins to wonder just how many times he’s sought this exact revenge. Guy Pearce also stars as a shady scientist with a secret agenda. Look, this movie has a really cool concept, but it could not possibly be more forgettable. It’s as if first-time director David S.F. Wilson blew his entire budget establishing this character’s exposition, then thought, “Ah well, no one will notice that we didn’t really tell a story”. Bland fight sequences. Underdeveloped characters. Questionable performances. It has all the urgency and sophistication of the lower-tier video game you received as a gift once because that was the only one the store still had in stock. Visual effects are often pretty nifty, though — and Lamorne Morris (Fox’s New Girl) sports a jaunty English accent — but there’s no reason for you to feel like you need to watch this.
Grade: D
The Hunt
Twelve strangers wake up in a clearing, handcuffed and gagged. In the centre of the clearing is a large wooden crate filled with weapons. Then, these strangers start getting killed, one by one. This is the Hunt, where right-wing “deplorables” are chased down and murdered for fun by rich left-wing “elites”. This film has faced controversy from the right (even having its premiere date delayed), but honestly both sides of the political spectrum are skewered equally. This is a satire of the current state of American politics, where each side reduces the other to the simplest, most cartoonish version of what it actually is. The film is genuinely funny and surprising, and great fun to watch. You’ll recognize many faces you know from TV (Emma Roberts, Ike Barinholtz, Ethan Suplee, Justin Hartley), plus Hilary Swank as Athena, the organizer of the Hunt. Betty Gilpin (Netflix’s Glow) best in show as Crystal, one of the “deplorables”, and the closest thing this film has to a lead — she’s hilarious, resourceful, tough as hell, yet still emotionally vulnerable and wholly believable despite all the ridiculousness. Superb fight choreography. Producer/co-writer Damon Lindelof (ABC’s Lost, HBO’s The Leftovers) is sure fascinated by projects in which groups of people are connected in mysterious ways. I enjoyed this film a lot, but if it seems like I don’t have all that much to say about it, that’s because the film’s pleasures are all quite surface-level. Don’t come here looking for depth or nuance; you won’t find any. That’s the whole point.
Grade: B
I Still Believe
Biographical film about Grammy-nominated Christian singer Jeremy Camp (K.J. Apa) and his tragic romance with first wife, Melissa (Britt Robertson). Glossy production values make this very watchable, even if directors The Erwin Brothers’ aesthetic is rather anonymous. As in many faith-based films, the Erwins prefer to spell their message out in big bold font, not trusting their audience to come to the right conclusions — but it’s a noble thesis nevertheless: as Melissa explains to Jeremy late in the film, “I've learned that suffering doesn’t destroy faith, it refines it”. Apa (who does his own singing) and Robertson are both terrific, delivering emotional depth and impressive conviction that transcend the excessively sentimental material. Gary Sinise and Shania Twain (!) have virtually nothing to do as Jeremy’s parents. This movie is cheesy, and both narratively and formally predictable, but boy is it effective. You will weep. You will hold your loved ones closer. And, if you’re the target audience, your faith will be affirmed.
Grade: C+
Onward
Animated fantasy adventure about two young elf brothers living in a post-magic world. When they discover that their late father was an amateur magic-dabbler, they attempt to bring him back from the dead to spend one more day with him. Not quite top-tier Pixar, but this is absolutely a terrific time at the movies. Director Dan Scanlon (Monsters University) preoccupied with meaningful themes: mourning the loss of a parent and the way that death robs you of time together that you were meant to have; characters not living up to their full potential when their ambition is undermined by pain. This is at heart a (very funny) comedy — but when the tears eventually come, those are just as earned as the laughter that came before. There’s also a most welcome emphasis on tenderness and love between heterosexual brothers that I found quite refreshing. Stellar voice cast all around (Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus), but it’s Octavia Spencer who shines the brightest, with a hilarious and surprising performance as The Manticore (mythical adventure-seeker turned exasperated family-restaurant owner) that allows her to be looser and more inventive than her roles typically permit. Thoroughly rewarding for both adults and children — but be ready to provide the emotional support your kids will need afterwards.
Grade: B+
The Way Back
You’ve seen this movie before. (And I’m not even talking about the Oscar-nominated 2010 film of the same name by Peter Weir.) It’s that classic tale of the alcoholic has-been at rock bottom who climbs back up from oblivion. It’s also that classic inspirational sports movie about the underdog team who keep flailing until the unconventional coach leads them to victory. Director Gavin O’Connor (Warrior) and writer Brad Ingelsby (Run All Night) combine these two formulaic subgenres into one incredibly unoriginal film that offers zero narrative surprises. But! This entire film is elevated by the stunning lead performance by Ben Affleck. No joke — he delivers the finest performance of his career as Jack Cunningham, a washed-up high school basketball phenom with a broken marriage who drinks his way through life. When Jack receives an offer from the priest who runs the Catholic school he attended to become their last-minute replacement coach, basketball is the last thing he wants to think about. Can this new gig turn his life around? Can it turn the team around? Of course it can! This movie is eager to deliver exactly what you’d expect from this type of story. Quite impressive, though, how Ingelsby slowly fills in the backstory of Jack’s trauma and how it brought him to this point — some elegant screenwriting here amidst the formula. The storytelling in this film is nothing memorable, but you’re going to want to watch this for Affleck, who commits fearlessly to one of the best performances of the year. The shame and self-hatred in his eyes, the hopelessness that leaks from him in the rare moments when he allows himself to be vulnerable — it’s so bleak and desperately sad; it cuts deep. Then watching the fire return to his eyes as he starts clawing his way back to life. It’s formidable work.
Grade: B-
