The essence of doing something like "Wolf Man" the Blumhouse route comes down to perspective. Director Leigh Whannell, known originally for his work with the "Saw" franchise, has been smart in building his resume making these lean and mean films for producer Jason Blum when he could have naturally probably gone and tried bigger fare. "Wolf Man," like certain aspects of Ti West, benefits from this approach.

The consistency of an old school action film depends on how seriously you take it and also what the expectation is. "Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera" is the second in another action franchise starring Gerard Butler who had settled in, comfortably and with producing credits, to a series of franchises that are lean and mean and deliver in many respects.

The specific context of this new look at the classic vampire tale is bathed more in gothic textures of grit than romanticism which marked the last time a major director really took a swipe at it. Here, Robert Eggers knows the story he wants to tell but also the bleakness in which he wants to tell it.

The progression of a Sonic movie can be bathed on the notion of a bad guy and getting to the next stage in the ladder of both character and stories. “Sonic The Hedgehog 3” bodes well because in many ways, it takes a structural reference from anime. Sonic now has two of his friends but there needs to be heavier stakes without losing the lightness.

The essense of epic is an idea not lost on Ridley Scott. In recent years, he has reapproached those opuses that have stood the test of time with varying degrees of success. With "Gladiator II", the heart and approach is in the right place. This is definitely a better outing than "Napoleon." He is anchored by great actors and they are up to the challenge.

Holiday movies always have an interesting irony in that they are made for a very specific time of year but can also move along and be timeless in a certain way. The judgment behind making "Red One" is sound. As a producer and star, Dwayne Johnson does understand the math but there is also a boundary which should or could be done.

Using forced perspective as the basis for a film is one thing but when director Robert Zemeckis does it, it can take on a whole other level. Here he tries many things and has a fantastic script but only achieved an elative level a few times and once when it simply allows itself to be lyrical.

The perspective on a current Venom film is usually a bunch of random scenes with the possibility of maybe some interesting character work smelted inside in some way shape or form. The question is how does this integrate into a bigger fabric or does it? “Venom: The Last Dance” does nothing really to bring this to bear.

The progression of a horror film that is both in the mind and on the ground is an interesting juxtaposition. The problem with “Never Let Go” is that it never quite defines what it is. Mama (Halle Berry) and her children are seemingly the only survivors of a world gone mad. But the actual perpetrator, even in the finale, doesn’t quite come to bear.