Movie review: Red Notice

 Hunting the world's most notorious art thief, Booth, FBI profiler Hartley realizes he must team up with the criminal to catch an even more elusive crook who seems to always be one step ahead.

Dwayne Johnson (Hartley), Ryan Reynolds (Booth), Gal Gadot (Bishop), Ritu Arya (Inspector Das), Chris Diamantopoulous (Voce), Ivan Mbakop (Tambwe), Vincenzo Amato (Gallo), Rafael Petardi (Ricci).

Red Notice is the silly fun that happens when you put three big name actors together who all enjoy a few good laughs. Hartley is on the hunt for notorious art thief Booth when they are both double-crossed by Bishop. Teaming up, the two set out to take Bishop down giving Booth the art he desires and Hartley the arrest he is seeking. The result is an action adventure with more than a few laughs and a storyline that moves long well up through the Happy Ever After ending.

Acting was enjoyable with Johnson, Reynolds, and Gadot all delivering very well and appearing to work well together. Arya and Diamantopoulous both did nicely and brought a bit more depth, while the remainder of the supporting cast was solid and enjoyable.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds are nicely done with just enough detail given the genre. Action scenes and visual effects are nicely done and integrated together well. Dialogue is a lot of fun with some good laughs and nice subtle humor. Sound and soundtrack were good.

Overall Red Notice is quite simply; fun. The film remains light and casual with good laughs while moving the storyline along at a nice pace. Those who enjoy fun action comedy should enjoy this one.

With some mild sexuality, some violence, foul language, and a few crude references, this should be fine for teens and above.

Released: 2021
Reviewed: 12.20.21
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Genre: Action, Comedy, Thriller, Adventure

copyright ©2021 Dave Riedel

Movie review: Army of Thieves

 In this Army of the Dead prequel, German safecracker Dieter is recruited by a mysterious woman to crack three notorious safes across Europe just as the zombie apocalypse begins.

Matthias Schweighofer (Dieter), Nathalie Emmanuel (Starr), Ruby Fee (Korina), Stuart Martin (Brad), Guz Khan (Rolph), Jonathan Cohen (Delacroix), Noemie Nakai (Beatrix), Christian Steyer (Wagner).

Army of Thieves begins well, showing us a bit of Dieter's life and how he was recruited for the biggest safe-cracking heist in history. With Dieter now a part of the gang and the heist execution underway, the film develops more depth and begins hinting at the upcoming zombie apocalypse. As the suspense intensifies so does the action, and plot depth continues to grow through the fitting ending which adds nicely to the original film.

Acting was good with Schweighofer delivering nicely and maturing well through the film. Emmanual also contributed well and seemed to work well with others. Fee was solid and entertaining as usual, as was Martin and Khan. Cohen gave a solid performance and the remainder of the supporting cast was good.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds are nicely done with good variety, use of natural scenery, and an overall solid feel. Action scenes fit the film nicely and added well. Dialogue was good with nice movement and depth, though captions were appreciated due to some of the heavier accents. Sound and soundtrack are nicely managed.

Overall Army of Thieves is a very good sequel to Army of the Dead, yet stands alone as a solid film as well. The storyline is fairly unique and holds interest well. Acting and technical work are well done leading the film to flow nicely from start to finish. Those who enjoy crime or heist films, unusual suspense films, or even the prelude details of a zombie apocalypse should enjoy this one.

With some fairly graphic violence and a fair amount of foul language, this should be fine for teens and above.

Released: 2021
Reviewed: 12.20.21
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Genre: Thriller, Comedy, Crime, Action, Prequels

copyright ©2021 Dave Riedel

Movie review: Fear Street: Part Three - 1666

Fear Street: Part Three - 1666 has Deena returning to 1666 where she learns the truth about Sarah Fier and the night that cursed Shadysiders forever. Meanwhile, in 1994, ther fight for survival and Shadyside's future continues.

Kiana Madeira (Sarah), Ashley Zukerman (Goode), Gillian Jacobs (Adult Ziggy), Olivia Welch (Hannah), Elizabeth Scopel (Real Sarah), Benjamin Flores Jr. (Henry), Randy Havens (George), Julia Rehwald (Lizzie).

Fear Street: Part Three - 1666 finally brings us to the truth about Sarah Fier and the beginnings of the Shadyside curse. With Deena now in 1666 as Sarah, the friends struggle to reunite Sarah with her hand in 1994 with hopes of breaking the curse. As the story unrolls quite a few loose ends and connections are explained, though the timeline movement remains a bit confusing. Once again, once characters and plot are in place, the film takes on a good pace through to the end.

Acting was again solid with Madeira, Zuckerman, Jacobs, Rehwald, and Flores returning again and once again delivering well. Havens, Scopel, and the remainder of the supporting cast were enjoyable and solid.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds are again nicely done with good variety and a reasonably solid feel. VFX and physical effects also remain consistent and fitting. Dialogue continues to have decent depth and move things along, while the varied soundtrack remind us of the storyline timeframe.

Fear Street: Part Three - 1666 does a decent job of wrapping up the franchise. Acting, technical work, and plot remain consistent with the franchise once again. And again, those who enjoyed the first 2 films should enjoy this film and the storyline conclusion.

With a fair amount of sexuality,  plenty of violence, gore, foul language, and potentially disturbing images and scenes, this should be fine for older teens and above.

Released: 2021
Reviewed: 10.25.21
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Genre: Horror, Teen Screams, LGBTQ Films, Horror Series, Mystery

copyright ©2021 Dave Riedel
 

Movie review: Fear Street: Part Two - 1978

 

Returning to Shadyside, this sequel takes place in 1978 when school is out for the summer and Camp Nightwing is welcoming their summer campers. But when the legend continues and another Shadysider is possessed by the urge to kill summer camp turns into a real fight for survival.

Sadie Sink (Ziggy), Emily Rudd (Cindy), Ryan Simpkins (Alice), McCabe Slye (Tommy), Gillian Jacobs (C. Berman), Kiana Madeira (Deena), Benjamin Flores Jr. (Josh), Ted Sutherland (Nick Goode).

Fear Street: Part Two - 1978 begins with C.Berman as this sequel is tied back to the original, though the timeline is more than a little confusing. The Shadyside curse has followed the Shadysiders to Camp Nightwing where the carnage continues when a camper becomes possessed by the urge to kill. With the plot now in place, the story becomes about survival and solving the curse before everyone is killed leading to a fairly fast moving ride to the end.

Acting was once again pretty good with Sink and Rudd both delivering well in a variety of scenes. Simpkins added nicely and delivered well, as did Slye, Jacobs, Madeira, Flores and the remainder of the supporting cast many of which returned in their previous roles.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds are again nicely done with good variety and a reasonably solid feel. VFX and physical effects also remain consistent and fitting. Dialogue continues to have decent depth and move things along, while the varied soundtrack remind us of the storyline timeframe.

Overall Fear Street: Part Two - 1978 is an enjoyable sequel consistent with the first film. This installment builds on the main plot while adding nice depth to the storyline and characters. Those who enjoyed the first film should enjoy this one.

With a fair amount of sexuality,  plenty of violence, gore, foul language, and potentially disturbing images and scenes, this should be fine for older teens and above.

Released: 2021
Reviewed: 10.25.21
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Genre: Horror, Teen Screams, LGBTQ Films, Horror Series, Mystery

copyright ©2021 Dave Riedel

Movie review: Fear Street: Part One - 1994

Following a series of brutal slayings, a group of teens realize town folklore is real. Setting out to fight an evil force that has plagued their town for hundreds of years. Welcome to Shadyside.

Kiana Madeira (Deena), Olivia Welch (Sam), Benjamin Flores Jr. (Josh), Julia Rehwald (Kate), Maya Hawke (Heather), Charlene Amoia (Rachel), Ashley Zukerman (Goode), Jeremy Ford (Peter), Noah Garret (Skull Mask).

Based on the books of the same name from R.L. Stine, this first installment of the trilogy begins nicely with some character introductions and storyline setup before shifting smoothing to the main plot. The story, unrolled in reverse in the trilogy, builds depth quickly while entertaining as only a teen scream can. Things move along at a brisk pace without excessive focus on the horror with a preference for drama. This first film doesn't quite finish as expected, but does leave us ready for more.

Acting was entertaining with Madeira doing a decent job, as did Welch, and the two seemed to work well together. Flores fit his role well, as did Rehwald who delivered nicely. Zukerman was appropriately dark and suspicious, while Ford delivered nicely. The remainder of the cast was solid.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds are nicely done with good variety and a reasonably solid feel. VFX and physical effects are integrated well and the film flows nicely. Dialogue has good depth for the genre and moves things along, as does the focused and enjoyable soundtrack.

Overall Fear Street: Part One - 1994 is a good start to the trilogy. While a younger cast and dialogue point the series toward a younger audience, the full-length film approach and storyline spanning all 3 episodes grabs older audience attention as well. Those who enjoy modern horror flicks should enjoy this series.

With a fair amount of sexuality,  plenty of violence, gore, foul language, and potentially disturbing images and scenes, this should be fine for older teens and above.

Released: 2021
Reviewed: 10.24.21
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Genre: Horror, Teen Screams, LGBTQ Films, Horror Series, Mystery

copyright ©2021 Dave Riedel
 

Movie review: Kate

 

While working in Tokyo, highly skilled assassin Kate botches a hit on a member of the yakuza and quickly finds she has been poisoned. With less than 24 hours to live, she sets out to exact revenge on her killers while also forming a strange bond with the daughter of a previous victim.

Mary Winstead (Kate), Woody Harrelson (Varrick), Miku Martineau (Ani), Tadanobu Asano (Renji), Jun Kunimura (Kijima), Michiel Huisman (Stephen), Miyavi (Jojima), Mari Yamamoto (Kanako), Kazuya Tanabe (Shinzo).

Kate begins with a flashback to a previous mission in which she killed a man in front of his daughter. We then rejoin Kate, a highly skilled assassin, many months later as she contemplates retirement. But on a final job, she misses her yakuza crime boss target and then quickly realizes she has been poisoned. The remainder of the film is an action fueled journey as Kate tries to exact revenge before her time runs out.

Acting in Kate felt mediocre. Winstead felt cold much of the time, and didn't quite fit the role at others. Harrelson was decent in a smaller role, as was Martineau. The remainder of the supporting cast did reasonably well.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds are decent through most of the film. That said, VFX were several times so far over the top they couldn't be missed. Physical action scenes were decent, though again VFX took over frequently. Dialogue was a bit dry and lacking. Sound and soundtrack are okay.

Overall Kate is a lethargic entry in the action & adventure genre. The film feels like a cookie-cutter copy of others and the dark theme suppressed attempts at generating energy. The result are easily anticipated plot points and slow movement. Those who enjoy mild action & adventure should enjoy this one.

With some sexuality, violence and gore, and foul language, save this for older teens and above.

Released: 2021
Reviewed: 10.21.21
Star rating: 3 out of 5
Genre: Action, Adventure, Action & Adventure, Crime, Drama

copyright ©2021 Dave Riedel

Movie review: Brightburn

 

In this superhero horror, a child from another planet crash-lands on Earth and is found by a couple who adopts him as their own. Years later his true nature comes to the surface and nobody is safe.

Elizabeth Banks (Tori), David Denman (Kyle), Jackson Dunn (Brandon), Abraham Clinkscales (Royce), Christian Finlayson (Fauxhawk), Jennifer Holland (Ms. Espenschied), Emmie Hunter (Caitlyn), Matt Jones (Noah).

Brightburn is an interesting entry in the superhero horror genre. Falling to Earth as a child, Brandon is raised as a human by two loving parents when he begins to exhibit unusual abilities. While we think for a moment he might become a superhero, our hopes are quickly dashed when it appears Brandon may prefer decimation of the human race. The remainder of the film is a dark twisted trail through to the end.

Acting was decent with Banks and Denman both delivering fairly well. Dunn was well cast and fit his role both visually and with his skills. Jones was an enjoyable addition and did well, as did Hunter, Clinkscales and the remainder of the supporting cast.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were mild but fitting though some darker scenes were challenging. Action scenes and VFX worked together nicely to give the film a supernatural feel that felt reality based. Dialogue was okay and moved things along fairly well. Sound and soundtrack are good.

Overall Brightburn is a dark but enjoyable sci-fi horror that gives a new perspective on a familiar story. Those who enjoy superhero horror or darker films should enjoy this one.

With somewhat graphic violence, foul language, and potentially disturbing scenes, save this one for older teens and above.

Released: 2019
Reviewed: 10.17.21
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Genre: Superhero horror, Sci-Fi horror, Sci-Fi Drama, Mystery, Horror

copyright ©2021 Dave Riedel