You Don't Want To "Meet The Blacks"

Meet The Blacks (2016) 

Rated R

Starring Mike Epps, Zulay Henao, Gary Owen, Bresha Webb, Lil Duval, Paul Mooney, Charlie Murphy

Directed by Deon Taylor

The Story:

Carl Black (Epps) takes some newfound money and moves his family from Chicago to Beverly Hills. Of course, now that they are there, they are subject to the annual purge ritual that is going to take place that evening.

Good luck.

That's my advice also, if you plan on streaming this one on Netflix.

I gave it a try, but it's just painfully unfunny.

I think I struggled to get to the 20 minute mark, waiting for something, anything of interest to happen to make me want to stick around and see what might happen next.

If it was supposed to be a parody or satire of the Purge movies, I'll never know.

I decided to purge it myself.

Final Grade: F-

- 

Inside Is A Good Movie Just Trying To Get Out..."Term Life"

Term Life (2016)

Rated R

Starring Vince Vaughn, Hailee Steinfeld, Bill Paxton, Jonathan Banks, Jordi Molla, Terrence Howard, Jon Favreau, Mike Epps,

Directed by Peter Billingsley

The Story:

Nick (Vaughn) is a planner. He does the research on how to pull off the perfect crime, then sells that information for a price, and everybody wins. Except this time, when the people that bought the plan are murdered, Nick finds himself on the run from the police and the mob.  And the worst part, they're coming after Nick's daughter (Steinfeld) so he has to try and protect her and stay one step ahead of everyone else at the same time.

On paper, this probably looked and sounded amazing.

Well, I suppose it really did, as apparently it started off as a graphic novel before it was adapted into a movie.

:)

But something is fundamentally amiss in the film, and it's hard to know exactly what's not clicking.

It seems to center mostly on the story itself, or at least the actions of the characters as the story unfolds.

There should be tension and energy that just doesn't come through on the screen, but on occasion, you get a glimmer of the thriller/heist this film wanted to be.

Good, not great.

That seems to sum up a lot of movies lately.

It's an amazing cast, many of whom are onscreen for but a moment, their talents kind of wasting away in the roles they were given.

And the less we say about Vince Vaughn's hair in this film, the better.

:)

Final Grade:  C

Through the Family Tears Comes a "Sparkle"

The throwdown in Motown...

The Story:

Three sisters, Sister (Carmen Ejogo), Dolores (Tika Sumpter) and Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) form a singing group in the 1960s, against their mother''s (Whitney Houston) wishes.  As their fame grows, so does a troubling relationship between Sister and her husband, Satin (Mike Epps).  It will all play out, and forever shatter the trio.  The trick becomes if they can pick up the pieces and move forward.

First, I had no idea that this movie was a remake, but apparently this movie was already made in 1976.  Don't worry, I will not compare the two, nor follow-up tomorrow with a review on the original.

You're welcome. : )

Second, I really had no desire to see this film at all.

The reason why, will likely seem two-faced on my part, as I've lobbied many times that Mel Gibson the actor is different than Mel Gibson the guy who had an alcohol incident that forever tarnished his image in the eyes of many fans.

Yet here comes my Whitney Houston confession.

I love(d) Whitney Houston.  Growing up in the 80s and listening to the radio, how could you not? For 80s Pop Music Haters, yeah, I get it... don't argue the point.

Now?  When she starts singing on my radio station, I often find that I'm clicking to another station.

The girl had a gift...she was blessed with the voice of an angel... and she threw it away.  Blame who you want, for years I assumed it was the influence of Bobby Brown, but at the end of the day, it began and ended with Whitney Houston.

And here is her last role... and some of the motherly advice she gives is ironic and heartbreaking in what she tells her daughters onscreen compared to how she lived..and died.. off.

As always, she did a fine job.  In fact, the entire cast is really rather good at what they do.  When they sing?  Forget it, they are all just about amazing.

I'd also really like to point out that Mike Epps is hilarious...always has been, likely always will be.  That they gave him an edge and made him both likeable and evil at the same time, nice range on his part.

Overall, for a movie I had no hurry to see, I'm glad I caught it.  It wasn't awful, and it allows me some closure to the Whitney Houston saga.  I still love her in The Bodyguard, and I will always have fond memories listening to her music in the 80s...  Now with her final screen performance and her last CD (Christmas music) that underwhelmed, I can think of her being at the top of her game when she sang the Star Spangled Banner.  Everything since...not so much.

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Gonna go with a no to both, but again, nice job for Sparks and Ejogo on propping the film on their backs and running with it.