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IR Film Review: SINNERS [Warner Bros.]
When a filmmaker like Ryan Coogler makes a film like "Black Panther" it opens the door to make projects that are both diametric but also have a certain expectation to them. "Sinners," his latest, is an interesting swing but one that keys into a specific perspective but also gives it that genre structure while hitting some hard issues and time frame.
IR Film Review: THE AMATEUR [20th Century Studios]
The context of a movie like "The Amateur" relies solely in the character work it is trying to approach. This is a type of movie that is really no longer made: a modern day thriller with a mid-range budget and a limited amount of digital work and people though there is some. In making this his first true leading role since winning his Oscar, Rami Malek returns in a way to what made his famous in "Mr. Robot" but from the other direction. He knows that he also needs to establish himself in certain ways as an empathetic romantic lead.
IR Film Review: A MINECRAFT MOVIE [Warner Bros.]
The aspect of a video game adaption comes down to just what a film wants to do. If it is just entertainment with some semblance of sarcastic character structure thrown in, it can do well. "Super Mario Bros Movie" knew what it was but it was a series of sequences. "Borderlands" wanted to be something grand but seriously lost track of itself. "Minecraft" involves something in between. But they all share one thing: Jack Black.
IR Film Review: MICKEY 17 [Warner Bros.]
The intention of a film like "Mickey 17" is the context of an outsider finding meaning against the authority that oversees him. Mickey (Robert Pattinson) is having a time of it on Earth but he believes in the wrong people. What Director Bong Joon Ho ("Parasite") is more interested in is the perspective of someone from nothing rising up to change but sometimes through no great enlightenment of his own. It is just where his path leads.
IR Film Review: WOLF MAN [Universal]
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.
IR Film Review: DEN OF THIEVES 2 - PANTERA [Lionsgate]
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.
IR Film Review: NOSFERATU [Focus]
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.
IR Film Review: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 [Paramount]
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.
IR Film Review: GLADIATOR II [Paramount]
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.