Check Those References Carefully..."The Babysitter"

The Babysitter (2017)

TV-MA

Starring Judah Lewis, Samara Weaving, Robbie Amell, Hana Mae Lee, Bella Thorne, Andrew Bachelor, Emily Alyn Lind, Leslie Bibb, Ken Marino

Directed by McG

The Story:

Cole (Lewis) is 12, and he's the only kid his age who still has a babysitter. He doesn't really mind when his mom and dad (Bibb & Marino) leave though, because his babysitter, Bee (Weaving) is hot! However, when he finally decides to break curfew and spy on what his sitter does when he's supposed to be asleep, he learns that Bee is not the sweeetheart he was led to believe!

A Netflix original released in time for the holiday season, it's a worthy addition to the horror-comedy genre.

If you've managed to somehow miss this one so far, my recommendation is to avoid the trailer as it's a little spoiler-ific.

Or, if you don't have 90 minutes to spare, watch the trailer and you'll see a lot of the fun condensed into 2 minutes.

The cast is a lot of fun, and the script lets them poke fun at the genre while still never letting go of the fact that this is supposed to be a scary movie.

Amell does such a great job as Max that you almost aren't rooting for him to get killed as the movie goes along. :)

Fun stuff, and I'll be back next year for another round!

Final Grade: B

Those Kids Are Growing Up So Fast..."Stranger Things 2"

Stranger Things 2 (2017)

TV-14

Starring David Harbour, Winona Ryder, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Matthew Modine, Paul Reiser, Sean Astin

Created by Matt & Ross Duffer

The Story:

Nearly a year has passed since the events from Stranger Things. However, there's a new Doctor (Reiser) in charge at the Department of Energy, and he's doing everything in his power to help Will (Schnapp) with his episodes that are still tormenting him from being in the Upside Down.

Welcome back to Hawkins Indiana, population a couple million binging on their favorite kids from the 80s! :)

So if you are like the millions that fell in love with Stranger Things last year, and watched as it became a pop-culture phenomenon in the year in between seasons, your wait is finally over.

If you're one that thinks Stranger Things is overrated and being pushed down our throats...

You're dead to me.

:)

The Duffer Brothers are back, and they will fill in the gaps with what has happened in the year we've been away, and with some other flashbacks, they'll take us back even farther.

A whole slew of new characters will be introduced, and Will Byers will graduate from plot device in Season One to Plot Device with a little more to do in Season 2. ;)

The dynamics between the two seasons is really evident, and they don't try and forcefully recreate the magic of season one. This is another year, and the characters have grown and changed, and will continue to do so for as long as the series runs.

That's a good thing.

So there you go.

No spoilers in there, but I'm pretty sure if you watched Season One, you are likely already finished with Season Two and came to the same conclusion:

Really? We have to wait another year for the next season?!?!

: )

Final Grade: A

Who's Your Daddy? "Little Evil"

Little Evil (2017)

TV-MA

Starring Adam Scott, Evangeline Lilly, Owen Atlas, Sally Field, Clancy Brown,

Written and Directed by Eli Craig

The Story:

Gary (Scott) has married the woman (Lilly) of his dreams. However she comes with a little bit of baggage in the form of her son, Lucas (Atlas). Gary's trying to warm up to the kid, but he seems a little cold and indifferent to Gary. That may because his real dad is...you know... Satan.

This horror comedy from Netflix starts off with a great scene, and then has to backtrack to get to that scene again.

The problem is, it takes almost too long to get back to it.

The movie waffles on whether it wants to be horror or if it should be comedy.

The two genres wrestle with one another for screen time instead of being a product of natural storytelling.

Adam Scott suffered a similar fate with last year's Krampus where the story couldn't quite figure out what it wanted to be either.

It's a fine line to balance, but this is brought to us by the man who gave us Tucker & Dale vs. Evil which is possibly the greatest horror comedy of all time.

The movie does pick back up in the last act and makes a satisfying end to the film.

It's still worth your time, especially this time of  year, but I hoped for a bit more with this one, and it just didn't quite click like I would have hoped.

Final Grade: C+

What The Fork!?! "The Good Place"

The Good Place (2016)

TV-PG

Starring Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, D'arcy Carden, Manny Jacinto, Ted Danson

Created by Michael Schur

The Story:

Eleanor (Bell) wakes up at Michael's (Danson) office. Turns out she's dead, but the good news, is she gets to go to 'The Good Place'. And they only take the best of the best. However, apparently there's been a bit of a clerical error, and this Eleanor has taken the place of the Eleanor that was supposed to be here! She's hoping that by learning to be good from her chosen 'soul mate', Chidi (Harper) she can learn to be good enough to stay before someone uncovers the truth.

When you have Netflix and Amazon Prime, it's hard to miss not having cable television. Eventually, any show will come to DVD and I could try it that way.

Or, they'll stream on one service or another, and I might run into them.

And considering that the majority of the content is original, I really don't have to rely on the networks to supply me with any entertainment anymore.

But that's not to say they aren't trying, or that I'm not appreciative of their efforts.

Scrolling through Netflix, and see a picture of Bell and Danson, you get intrigued enough to read a little snippet of what the show's about.

Try the first episode, and you're hooked! :)

So it goes with The Good Place, a denominational free look at what could transpire after passing over to the other side, and being lucky enough to not go to The Bad Place.

Eleanor is bringing bad things to the Good Place because of the mistake, and she's working really hard to be a nice person. But man, there's certain things and people in her afterlife that are just messing things up royally for her.

But she persistently tries, and sometimes learns what it takes to be a good person after all, even if it's quite by accident.

Each episode ends with a cliffhanger, but thankfully at 13 episodes, they are paced quite nicely and you don't feel rushed or bored.

The set-up for season 2 was well played and really bold for a new show to throw at the audience with the hope of sticking around.

While everyone else is watching NBC right now to keep up, I'll wait a year, and catch it next summer and hopefully find out what happened.

Definitely worth the time.

Final Grade: B+

"The Wall" Comes Crumbling Down...

The Wall (2017)

Rated R

Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, John Cena, Laith Nakli

Directed by Doug Liman

The Story:

Sniper Matthews (Cena) and his spotter Isaac (Taylor-Johnson) go to inspect a location that needed assistance. It seems everyone has been killed. When Matthews finally goes for a closer inspection, he is shot, and it's up to Isaac to try and get him to safety. However he's pinned down by a very accurate sniper (Nakli) and is forced to take refuge behind...

wait for it...

The Wall.

Doug Liman presents a stripped down war thriller with 3 characters, 2 that you see and one that's a voice of the bad guy.

He does an effective job of keeping the tension as much as he can, given the confinement that he places on the storyline.

It works to some extent, but doesn't allow the story to really get going like he's previously done with the Bourne franchise or the excellent Edge of Tomorrow.

Most of the film is cat and mouse wordplay between Isaac and the enemy sniper, and decisions that Isaac makes often reveal just how dire the situation really is.

I would have given this one a higher grade, but I really hated the ending of the film, so I'll be kind and just go with a

Final Grade: C

Get Me To The Church On Time... "Naked"

Naked (2017)

TV-14

Starring Marlon Wayans, Regina Hall, Dennis Haysbert,

Directed by Michael Tiddes

The Story:

Rob (Wayans) is set to marry Megan (Hall). One small problem, on the day of his wedding, he wakes up naked in an elevator with no clue how he got there. He's got to race time to get to the altar in time to get married. Too bad he's not going to make it.  The good news, he's going to wake up again in the elevator and have another shot at it, until he gets it right.

So if you've seen Groundhog Day before, you pretty much know what to expect from this movie.

If you've never seen Groundhog Day, well shame on you, you should definitely go watch it.

I happen to be a big fan of Groundhog Day, and the line of movies that have followed in those same footsteps to bring you the same story, over and over again, of someone trying to figure out what they need to do in the cosmic scheme of things to unlock their day from replaying for the rest of eternity.

Naked follows the formula just fine, the initial trial is just getting Rob back into clothes so he can try and get across town and get married.

Each time he gets ever closer to his bride but repeatedly comes up short.

Along the way he's going to learn some things about himself and his new family that will help to shape and change him into being a better person.

Wayans does a fine job carrying the movie on his shoulders. His character isn't flawed as much as he's immature at the beginning and has to do some growing up to discover what it is he truly wants out of life.

Pretty fun from start to finish, and another enjoyable Netflix Original.

Final Grade: C+

Don't Get Mad...Get Even! "Going In Style"

Going In Style (2017)

Rated PG-13

Starring Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Alan Arkin, Christopher Lloyd, Matt Dillon,

Directed by Zach Braff

The Story:

Joe (Caine), Willie (Freeman) and Albert (Arkin) are three lifelong friends who are heading through tough times, about to get tougher as their pensions are about to dissolve due their company being bought out. Desperate, and realizing they truly have nothing to lose, these 3 seniors decide that the best revenge would be to earn back what is being stolen from them by robbing a bank.

So I never saw the original from 1979, so there will be no comparison with that film here.

I will simply say that I quite enjoyed this film.

Absolutely love the three leads, and they are endearing and a joy to watch on the screen.

Whether the boys will get away with their scheme, you can't help but root for them.

I think there's more to it than just the characters.

There's enough distrust by the American people of banks and big business, you really don't mind seeing them get what is proverbially coming to them.

Of course, they'll have to also deal with a dogged FBI Agent (Dillon) who is hot on their trail and looking for any way he can nail the people responsible.

I had a great time, and I'm happy to give out a higher than average grade for this one.

Final Grade:  B+

Do Not Unleash "King Arthur: Excalibur Rising"

King Arthur: Excalibur Rising (2017)

Not Rated

Starring Adam Byard, Simon Armstrong

Written and Directed by Antony Smith

The Story:

2017 was the year for King Arthur adaptations. Unless you were looking for a good King Arthur adaptation. In which case, 2017 was a bad year for King Arthur adaptations.

This was super cheesy, low budget drivel that was nearly impossible to stick with through the first 15 minutes.

Merlin (Armstrong) was basically there to remind you that Ian McKellan is the only actor that can apparently portray grey bearded wizards in fantasy films.

I was sitting with my hand over the eject button when the movie shifted and the scene said "19 years later."

Then one of the characters addressed the other as "Sir xxxxx" and when he said that he hadn't heard that name in years, the reply was "yes, 19 years...."

Eject.

Sooooo bad.

Now you see why I couldn't just outright dismiss Legend of the Sword. That was a masterpiece compared to this trash.

Final Grade: F-

It's Watchable... "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword"

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

Rated PG-13

Starring Charlie Hunnam, Jude Law, Djimon Hounsou, Eric Bana, Aiden Gillen,

Directed by Guy Ritchie

The Story:

Arthur (Hunnan) is a bit of a rogue, but when fate finds him next to the blade Excalibur, it turns out he is also the long lost true heir to the throne. That doesn't please Vortigern (Law) in the least, and he attempts to kill Arthur and any who stand with him.

Well, this is certainly a different take on the legend of King Arthur.

Ritchie does his best to keep the story moving forward, and surrounds the film with a talented cast who keep your interest.

There are a few mystical aspects that just seem odd as the film unfolds, but it gives Arthur the reason to rise up and be a true hero.

As 2017 was filled with at least 2 versions of the story, if you're going to watch one, make it this one.

Personally, I'd say go find Disney's The Sword in the Stone instead, but maybe that's just bias.

Or maybe, it's just that much better than most incarnations that have come since.

Possibly both.

:)

Final Grade: C

Not Scary...But All Kinds Of Creepy..."Gerald's Game"

Gerald's Game (2017)

TV-MA

Starring Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Carel Struycken, Chiara Aurelia, Henry Thomas

Written and Directed by Mike Flanagan

The Story:

Gerald (Greenwood) and Jessie (Gugino) head to their isolated lake house for a long overdue romantic getaway. Gerald is hoping to spice things up, and brings along some handcuffs to have a little fantasy role play with his wife. Naturally, it's that moment when your wife is completely shackled to the bed that you keel over from a heart attack and die. How exactly is Jessie going to get out of this situation?

In the annals of cinematic history, Stephen King novels are either translated well into a cinematic counterpart, or they suck.

There is rarely any middle ground.

It seems that 2017 has been the rebirth of King's works as first The Dark Tower and then IT were released in theaters.

I've seen neither, but once again, it appears we  have one of each of King's adaptations according to critics and box office receipts.

Meanwhile, Netflix puts out their own original, and really doesn't trumpet that it's a King adaptation at all.

Perhaps that's to avoid any preconceived notions by those that may find they aren't fans of Stephen King's work?

Either way, here it is, and much like my favorite King adaptations, The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, this one really works.

And there really isn't any horror to the film.

Which isn't to say it isn't creepy.

Whether's it's Gerald's fantasies, or Jessie's mind splintering as she remembers what happened to her when she was just a kid (Aurelia), this movie keeps a hold on you similar to the hold the situation has on poor Jessie.

Kudos to Gugino for what is likely the performance of her career. She does so much more in this film than just be a helpless wife cuffed to a bed. Greenwood also gets a much meatier role than that of dead husband, so that is very welcome here.

Very well done, with some disturbing moments, and a scene in a bed that brings back the squeamish nature of that scene in Misery all over again.

Final Grade: B+ 

A "Colossal" Waste Of Time

Colossal (2017)

Rated R

Starring Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis

Written and Directed by Nacho Vigalondo

The Story:

Gloria (Hathaway) moves back to her hometown and spends most of her days in a drunken haze. When reports of a giant monster terrorizing Seoul are on the news, Gloria realizes that somehow, some way, she is responsible.

So if you think that sounds like a good idea for a film, you're partially correct.

There were things in this film that did work, but they were few and far between.

My biggest disappointment was the characterization of Oscar (Sudeikis). He grew up with Gloria, clearly has a thing for her, but by the mid-to-end of the film, is just a big douche.

No real explanation for it, unless you go back to the flashback of when they were kids, and he did something really mean.

But it's too far out in left field, and way too contrived to make sitting through this one worthwhile.

I was going to give it a pass, barely, but I've changed my mind mid-review.

:)


Final Grade: C-   D+

Is It Finally Safe To Go Back In The Water? "47 Meters Down"

47 Meters Down (2017)

Rated PG-13

Starring Mandy Moore, Claire Holt, Chris Johnson, Yani Gellman, Santiago Segura, Matthew Modine

Written and Directed by Johannes Roberts

The Story:

Two sisters (Moore & Holt) on vacation in Mexico decide to go out on a boat and take a trip in a shark cage to see sharks up close and personal. I sure hope that cage doesn't sink or anything...

I want to like shark movies.

I think everyone that has read these reviews has gathered that about me by this point in time.

Good, bad or mediocre, I often try them all, or at least attempt to.

I'm guessing with the commercial, and critical success of The Shallows, studios are jumping back into the waters of monster movies because we will always be fascinated and a little scared of what lies beneath the surface of the ocean.

In theory, the movie hits most of the right notes.

Lots of jump scares with musical cues, just like Jaws.

But make no mistake, this isn't that good.

It's watchable, yet predictable.

That isn't good, especially given that they use 2 different tension devices in the film:

killer sharks
low air supply

Poor to stupid choices being made by everyone in the film makes you often throw up your hands in disgust that by the time you reach the finale...

And then find out that much of what you have just witnessed may not have even happened.

It's often an effective plot device, but here it was just a final nail in the coffin.

This one won't be joining our annual list of scary films to ring in the holiday season for Halloween.

This makes me want to find out what happened next in the Sharknado series.

:)

Final Grade:  C

Diluting The Brand..."Kingsman: The Golden Circle"

Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)

Rated R

Starring Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Colin Firth, Hanna Alstrom, Edward Holcroft, Julianne Moore, Channing Tatum, Halle Berry, Pedro Pascal, Jeff Bridges, Elton John

Directed by Matthew Vaughn

The Story:

With the Kingsman organization in chaos, Eggsy (Egerton) and Merlin (Strong) head to the States and meet up with another unknown secret service organization: The Statesman. Together, they must foil the plot of the nefarious drug lord, Poppy (Moore) before much of the world population is killed by her poisoned merchandise.

In 2015, Kingsman: The Secret Service took the movie world by surprise, and was a critical and box office smash. I enjoyed it so much, it wound up as my 2nd favorite film of 2015, surpassed only by Ant-Man as favorite film of the year.

As 2017 draws to a close, the eagerly awaited sequel, Kingsman: The Golden Circle is here.

However, as with most sequels, they rarely measure up to the original.

And in 2017, Kingsman is going to have to work really hard just to make the list, let alone come in 2nd place.

The fights, the soundtrack, they've already been done, so Kingsman basically had its own reputation to fight against.

It could be argued, that like Guardians of the Galaxy, the 2nd installment is a virtual retread of the original, just dialed up to 11.

However, unlike that one, which has an emotional arc at the end, this one just seemed to be dialed up to 11 and given an even longer running time with which to wreak havoc.

Cue extra scene time for Elton John and just a lot of extras that put this one so far over-the-top, it makes the first film seem like traditional spyfare at this point.

Sadly, the trailers ruin the fact that they brought back Harry (Firth) but it's a fine return to the fold.

Also amusing was the relationship between Eggsy and Princess Tilde (Alstrom) that could have easily been the throwaway gag of the first film but actually centers and provides much of the emotional distress for the 2nd.

All that said, there is an even more emotionally devastating moment in this film than in the first, and I was none too pleased with the decision.

I won't begrudge the studio a 3rd installment, but it just isn't going to be the same after this.

Final Grade: B-