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Flash Movie Review: Meg 2: The Trench
TO ME, ENTREES ARE SIMPLY THE vehicles that get me to desserts. I always like to say I want to have something sweet as the last thing I taste at a meal. I have always been like this, even when I was a small boy. In fact, there were many times I would avoid eating everything on my plate so I would have room to eat dessert. Gratefully for me, I made changes to my eating habits so I would not stuff myself with sweets after lunch or dinner and gain hundreds of pounds. It is funny, if it is homemade desserts, I can chow down on them. If they are store bought, I have better self-control. However, as I have gotten older that idiom, “too much of a good thing” has come into play. These days if I overeat too much sugar, I feel lethargic and heavy, not to mention feeling guilty. I do not know what it is about homemade sweets, but if I love them on first bite you can rest assured, I will go for more of it. There is a way that works for me on how to control my urge to overeat on desserts. If possible, I will freeze dessert items, then slowly dole them out to myself throughout the weeks. This way I won’t find myself getting ill from eating so much of a good thing. MY PHILOSOPHY OF TOO MUCH OF a good thing, is not good for you covers more than eating desserts. I recently discovered a supplement I was taking twice a day was the reason for my stomach issues. In my brain, I thought if I took more of the product, I would feel better faster; it turns out that was not the case. Since I stopped doubling the dose, I have been feeling much better. Another area I noticed where moderation could come in handy is the application of people’s makeup. I have seen individuals with so much makeup on their face that you can see where it cracks from their expressions. I know this is my personal taste, but I am also not a fan of houses that are decorated with an overabundance of holiday items. Do not get me wrong, I am on board when the decorations are within a theme; however, when there appears to be no rhyme or reason to how the decorations are placed on the lawn, the house, the surrounding trees/bushes and garages, it looks like a mess to me, and things just get loss in the mass of a glowing aura around the property. To sum up, all that I am saying is it is not necessarily a good thing to have so much more of something that it loses its distinctiveness. It certainly was the case in this action, adventure horror film. WHILE ON AN EXPEDITION AT THE bottom of the ocean, a research team discovers an unknown mining operation wreaking havoc with nature’s boundaries. What ensues could tip the balance of power in nature’s pecking order. With Jason Statham (Wrath of Man, Wild Card) as Jonas Taylor, Jing Wu (Wolf Warrior franchise, The Wandering Earth) as Jiuming Zhang, Shuya Sophia Cai (Somewhere Only We Know, The Meg) as Meiying, Cliff Curtis (Doctor Sleep, Risen) as Mac and Page Kennedy (Bad Roomies, The Upshaws-TV) as OJ; this film took what was in the original movie and supersized everything. I will say there were some exciting action sequences and a few thrills; but overall, I found the script a clumsy mess. The dialog was stunted, and it had a formulaic plot. For Jason, this picture was geared to him; it was loaded with a bunch of action scenes. For me, I would have preferred more depth and variation in the story and scenes. This is one fish fry that you might want to miss.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Wish
I WAS CONVINCED AT A VERY early age that my wishes would come true if I could blow out all the birthday candles on my cake with one big breath. One of my earliest memories was wishing for a tool set. After making my wish and successfully blowing out all the candles, when the time came to open my presents one of them was a brightly colored tool set. The tools were each a different color and were stored in a red toolbox, each one clipped into its own storage compartment. I was so excited about getting them and the realization that every year, whatever I wished for, would come true. I still remember the first time I used my set of tools; I decided to take the doorknob off from the front door. The funny thing though, is I had no idea what I was going to do with it; however, I thought it would be a good project to work on. When I tried to unscrew the screws with my screwdriver, I had a hard time because the screws did not want to move, forcing the head of my screwdriver to bend. So, I went to where my parents kept their toolbox and took a screwdriver from it to help me. Now I was getting somewhere with the doorplate around the handle; except when I removed the last screw and the plate did not move, I got scared for some reason and put back all the screws. FROM THAT EARLY START FROM CHILDHOOD, I eventually learned not all wishes come true immediately. I was disappointed but got used to it, though I never gave up hope. My wish choices changed depending on my age and what was taking place around the time I was making a wish. I went from toys and books to clothes and music; then, went to gift cards and home accessories and good health. Throughout the years, even when it was not my birthday, I made wishes. I think they are a wonderful option to throw into the world and see if they take root, receive nourishment, and possibly return as one’s reality. I love the fantasy of wishing for $50 million dollars and then fantasizing about what I would do with that much money. Unless I win the lottery, I know my chances are slim; however, by stating that wish I noticed I started changing my shopping habits by cutting back to increase my savings. It may be baby steps, but one never knows how a wish could come to fruition. A perfect example of what can happen is on display in this animated, musical, adventure comedy movie. YOUNG ASHA’S, VOICED BY ARIANA DeBOSE (West Side Story, The Prom) wish must have been truly powerful because it brought down to her kingdom the star she wished upon, who decided to help make her wish come true. With Chris Pine (Star Trek franchise, Don’t Worry Darling) voicing King Magnifico, Alan Tudyk (A Knight’s Tale, Rouge One: A Star Wars Story) voicing Valentino, Angelique Cabral (Friends with Benefits, Life in Pieces-TV) voicing Amaya and Victor Garber (Titanic, Family Law-TV) voicing Sabino; it appeared to be that Disney wanted this film to be the centerpiece for the past 100 years of Disney’s classic films. There was so much thought and effort put into reminding us of their past treasured films that this movie suffered. The musical numbers were not memorable or provided one song that would become a classic; however, the animation was wonderful. The story was weak to start with and as the writers kept throwing as much as they could into the script, I was quickly bored by it all. The villain did not hold a candle to the classic villains from the early pictures. I will say the actors did a great job voicing the characters, but the one thing that stood out to me was listening to the music during the touching film credits that included recreated images of the classic characters that came out of Disney studios. It was a sad reminder that this movie did not live up to those wonderful old, animated films. There was one extra scene during the credits.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Marvels
THROUGH THE YEARS, I HAVE BUMPED into individuals that I had no contact with for decades. Sometimes, it has happened in such random places. For example, on a trip to Greece I was standing in line to catch a tram from a destination spot and bumped into a childhood friend back from elementary school days, which was many years ago. He and his wife were standing in front of me, and I recognized his face. We agreed to meet up for drinks and had a good time reminiscing about our school years together. The time we spent together was fun, but upon returning to the states we went on with our separate lives. Our time together became a fun add-on to my vacation stories. I believe the long duration of time melted the bond we had with each other back then. If I were to venture a guess, I think a lot of it would have to do with our vastly different experiences in high school. He was more of a gentle jock type, who excelled in physical activities. In my book, that gives the student a pass from any type of abuse or ridicule, unlike me. I was not proficient in most sports activities and being overweight made me an easy target. So, I learned how to withdraw from most high school events and social gatherings. JUST BY COINCIDENCE, I RECENTLY RAN into two friends at a social function, who I had not seen for many years. I noticed the warm feelings that flooded through me as we sat and chatted, having been close friends back then. It was as if time had not passed by us all these years, because we found ourselves in a joyful, sweet rhythm of talking and sharing our life’s journeys with each other. For me, one of the added joys seeing each other was how our memories, which had been dormant for so long, easily rose into our conversations as we relived some of the great times we had together. I have a question for you: have you ever encountered a fond person from your past and discovered you had been missing something in your current life? Well, that is how I felt about my time spent with these two friends. As a result, we exchanged our contact information and planned to get together again. Making those plans was so much fun as the three of us were sending texts back and forth about how great it was to see each other and hoped we could get together real soon. As it turned out we did, and our friendship picked up from where we left it. It is that type of long-lost connection that I found charming in this action, adventure fantasy film. HAVING CARRIED THE HEAVY BURDEN FROM the outcome of her past experiences with the Kree, Captain Marvel, played by Brie Larson (Short Term 12, Just Mercy), finds herself entangled with two other individuals, one of them is from her past, who will all need to work together to save the universe. With Teyonah Parris (Dear White People, If Beale Street Could Talk) as Monica Rambean, Iman Vellani (Avengers franchise, Ms. Marvel-TV) as Kamala Khan, Samuel L. Jackson (The Kill Room, The Protégé) as Nick Fury and Zawe Ashton (Nocturnal Animals, Velvet Buzzsaw) as Dar-Benn; for a product of the Marvel universe, this movie was a disappointment. I enjoyed the connection between the three main stars, especially Iman’s character. The fight scenes had a fun element, and the CGI effects were good; however, the script was a scattered mess. At times, I found several scenes filled with slapstick humor that then morphed into dramatic, sorrowful scenes. The excitement and thrills of past Marvel films did not appear in this picture. And as I have said before, if the villain is truly not menacing then the story will never succeed. For all the money spent on this, what a shame. There was only one (what a shock) extra scene during the ending credits.
2 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Strays
ONE OF THE PERKS OF BEING on social media is seeing photos of people’s pets. This would also include the wildlife photos individuals post online. Being an animal lover, I enjoy seeing the variety of pets people have in their household. There is one individual who does a daily post of their dog, who has the most expressive face. When the dog’s owner puts a caption describing the dog’s mood, I would absolutely believe it based on the dog’s face. What really gets me is how the dog looks like he is posing. I do not think any artistic or editing abilities were used to create the photo, they simply are random shots of their day together. This is not the only pet posts that get to me; there are hundreds posted from other individuals. Though some people like to dress up their pets in human clothing, where some produce funny results at the animal’s expense, I per se am not one who wants to dress up my pet. It is the pet photos where they do not need anything to look like they are talking to us, just a cock of the head or expression on its face that completes the “look” for me. IN THE PAST, I HAVE MENTIONED a special dog from my past. This dog seemed to understand what I was saying all the time, except when I wanted him to go lie down, so I could work in the kitchen without constantly tripping over him as he followed me around. He had an uncanny way of knowing what mood I was in, reacting to it in an appropriate way like a friend or family member would do. If my mood was down, he would simply come up alongside and lean into me. Or sometimes, he would wrap his front paws around my arm or neck, like giving a hug, if he was able to reach it. If I was in a good/happy mood, he would want to play or interact with me more than usual. One of my favorite things to do was to look at him and ask if he would like a “doggie massage.” As soon as he heard those two words, he would run up to me, plop down onto his side and wait for me to give him body rubs. It was the funniest thing. With my experiences being around animals, I believe they really can understand or at least sense us; however, in all my encounters I have never come across dogs like the ones in this adventure comedy. GROWING UP BELIEVING HIS OWNER LOVED him, a dog discovers the truth after being dropped off and stranded in a different town, far away from his home. With Will Ferrell (Blades of Glory, Downhill) voicing Reggie, Jamie Foxx (They Cloned Tyrone, Day Shift) voicing Bug, Isla Fisher (The Beach Bum, Wedding Crashers) voicing Maggie, Randall Park (Totally Killer, Young Rock-TV) voicing Hunter and Will Forte (Nebraska, The Last Man on Earth-TV) as Doug; this movie is absolutely not meant for children. It is crude, rude and at times funny. I thought the idea for the story was interesting and surprisingly touching. It just seemed as if the humor got old after a while from all the trash talk and curse words being thrown about. If one can stomach all of this, the special effects are terrific. The dogs looked as if they were really talking and acting out the story. There were a few times I laughed out loud, but for the most part I either chuckled or groaned. I will say, after seeing this film I feel like I will pay closer attention to the dogs I encounter in my life. There was an extra scene during the ending credits.
2 stars
Flash Movie Review: The Creator
IF THE PERSON I WAS INTERACTING with on the telephone was an artificially enhanced intelligent receptionist, then I was not impressed or worried. When the phone call connected and she greeted me, listing the medical group’s name, I thought she was a live person. After asking for my name and date of birth, she asked how she could help me. I told her I wanted to make an appointment to see a particular doctor. She said she was putting me on hold to check on availability. After a couple of minutes, she came back on the line and said there were several patients in queue ahead of me making appointments; as soon as they were done, she could then offer me open dates. Before I could say anything, she was replaced with an automatic message that said if I remain on hold for ten minutes, I will be asked to leave a message and someone from the doctor’s office would call me back. I thought how strange this was since I had just talked to the receptionist. After a few minutes, the same scenario occurred. I tried to break in but there was no hesitation on the receptionist’s part. All she offered was an apology but went right back into her message. I wound up staying online for ten minutes and then a recorded message came on and told me to leave my information for someone to return my call. I cannot tell you how annoyed I was by this experience. NOW IF I THOUGHT THIS WAS going to become the standard procedure for all of us, I would say why bother with AI. However, ever since I saw the film The Matrix, I have wondered at times if we could ever get to a point where machines would be making all the decisions for mankind. If I am not mistaken, one of the more contentious disagreements in the talks with the actors’ union is the use of artificial intelligence to capture samples of an actor’s voice or face to generate content without paying the actors. I had to wonder if there would be a time where I might be watching a movie and none of the cast really had acted in it; everyone was computer generated. It is a scary thought for me. Wasn’t It last week when the news reported there would be a new Beatles’ song because AI pulled out the voice of John Lennon from an old recording and cleaned it up to the point it sounded as if he had just recorded the song with the other Beatles? So musical artists can be replaced just like actors?!?! Is it possible if AI goes unchecked, we could one day find ourselves in a world like the one depicted in this action, adventure drama? SET IN A TIME WHERE HUMANS found themselves at war with the forces of artificial intelligence, a former soldier is chosen to hunt down a new weapon that could end mankind, allowing machines to rule the planet. With John David Washington (Tenet, Malcolm & Marie) as Joshua, newcomer Madeleine Yuna Voyles as Alphie, Emma Chan (Eternals, Crazy Rich Asians) as Maya, Allison Janney (Lou, The Hours) as Colonel Howell and Ken Watanabe (Godzilla franchise, Inception) as Harun; this story had a thought-provoking message wrapped in a visually, fascinating landscape that was filled with sensitive acting. I felt John David stood out while Madeleine Yuna Voyles was the show stealer; she was that good. However, my issue with this production was the script. It seemed as if the writers used several ideas from different films and tried to put a story together. Especially, the last third of the movie was a mishmash of lost opportunities. As I said earlier, the idea behind the story was both frightening and curious. One must wonder if human beings were even involved with the writing of this story.
2 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: The Flash
I USED TO HAVE A FRIEND who wished most of his life back to his past. He was present for the most part when we would get together, but inevitably, something would come up and trigger him to express his wish he could have done things differently in his past. I explained many of us do the same thing; however, they do not let that desire take hold of their life. There are a multitude of things I wish I would have handled or done differently, but what good is it to sit and dwell upon it. There was the long-term relationship I was in that ended in a brutal way, with me contributing some of the brutality in a backlash. Or the times I was too afraid to express my feelings and acted in ways that came across as non-sympathetic or non-pulsed. I wish I had studied and focused harder in my schooling so I would have had a clearer sense of what I wanted to do when I entered college. And because it has scarred me for most of my life, I wish I would have started to take better care of myself earlier, to possibly avoid the taunts and teasing I endured about my weight. On the other hand, I believe there is a reason for everything. I had to go through what I did to become who I am now. MY FRIEND HAD SO MANY REGRETS about the way things happened in his past that it caused him to suffer with bouts of depression and anxiousness. He held down a good job, but his social life took a beating; he was either too sad to get together with people or he talked so much about his past that people did not want to be around him. They call that a “catch 22” situation. No matter how hard friends and family tried, he never found a peaceful place to reside in. I felt sad about it. One thing I dislike doing is using someone’s tragedy to make someone else feel better about themselves, but I went ahead and shared a story about someone I knew who asked a friend of theirs to pick up an item they had on hold at a store and the friend got into a car accident on the way and died. Imagine the guilt that person had for asking their friend to do something for them that resulted in their death. I try to make sense of things, so a part of me believes that actions such as these are meant to be. Also, who knows what would happen if we could change things from our past. This action, fantasy adventure certainly presents a strong case for the consequences that result from changing the past. DISCOVERING A NEW SKILL THAT COULD save his mother’s life, a son travels back in time in the hopes of making a change that would affect the outcome of his present life. With Ezra Miller (We Need to Talk About Kevin, Fantastic Beasts franchise) as Barry Allen, Michael Keaton (The Founder, The Protégé) as Bruce Wayne, Sasha Calle (The Young and the Restless-TV) as Kara Zor-El, Michael Shannon (Take Shelter, Midnight Special) as General Zod and Ron Livingston (The Professor, Office Space) as Henry Allen; this superhero film was a major disappointment. I thought the script was awful, not making any sense to me except on a basic level. The special effects were nothing great and the script was annoying with the constant bickering that went back and forth between characters. The only part I enjoyed was Michael Keaton reprising his role as Batman. Outside of that, I still have a hard time understanding how a movie studio can consistently take a fantasy story and make it boring. I must think that some of the people associated with the making of this picture wish they could have done things differently. There was an extra scene at the end of the film’s credits.
1 ¾ stars
Flash Movie Review: Shazam: Fury of the Gods
HAVING RECENTLY RETURNED FROM MY FIRST cruise in decades, I was impressed with the diversity and camaraderie I saw on the ship. For two weeks, I observed families and chosen families support and help each other, in a display of genuine kindness. There was a group consisting of about a dozen or so people who were the best of friends. They had bonded and became a chosen family amongst themselves; I enjoyed listening to the travel adventures they had taken previously, along with their choice of excursions on this trip. I could see a real connection between many of them; it reminded me of my own gatherings where there was joking and laughing sprinkled among more serious discussions about various topics. One of the things that impressed me was how easygoing most of them were, considering there were so many options of things to do and eat while onboard; I would have assumed there would have been some disagreements, but I was never a witness to such things. Honestly, they were like a big happy family. One night was designated as a formal dinner event and each of them chose instead of wearing dinner jackets or evening attire, to dress up in clothing that was more aligned to a runway during fashion week in Paris; it was a sight to see. THERE WAS ANOTHER SMALL GROUP OF people I saw who might have been related, but I never had the chance to speak with them. One of the members of the group was in a wheelchair, which I must tell you was going to be hard to maneuver if they were taking similar onshore tours to the ones I was signed up to experience. As it turned out, they were on an excursion I was taking that involved walking up ancient stairs to a historical landmark. It was so touching to see members of the group take turns lifting the gentleman in his wheelchair up the steps. They would stop at each landing to swap out those individuals who got tired from the exertion of keeping the wheelchair in the air, while they themselves had to watch where they were stepping. It was a beautiful sight to see and when everyone in their group finally reached the summit, I saw the look on the wheel bound individual and it was priceless. These two examples reaffirmed my feelings that chosen family connections are just if not stronger than blood related families; however, one experiences love and support is all that matters, at least to me. This point stood out for me in this action, adventure comedy. WHEN AN ANCIENT ARTIFACT IS STOLEN from a museum, it becomes the focal point and the test to see how strong the family ties are for two opposite families. With Zachary Levi (Thor: Dark World, Chuck-TV) as Shazam, Asher Angel (Darby and the Dead, Andi Mack-TV) as Billy Batson, Lucy Liu (Charlie’s Angels, Elementary-TV) as Kalypso, Helen Mirren (The Duke, Hitchcock) as Hespera and Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) as Anthea; this sequel continued with the same type of humor found in the first installment. There was very little difference with this film compared to the previous and that was the issue I had with it. The characters did not display any growth in their lives, so the fun connection I had with them previously was strained in this one. Helen and Lucy stood out for me; they truly gave it their all despite the poorly conceived and written script. Even the special effects, I found, were underwhelming. If the film studio is planning to continue with this franchise, which is apparent with the two extra scenes during the ending credits, they will need to kick up the intensity, drama, comedy and special effects to better compete with the other superhero films that have been released.
1 ¾ stars
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
I TOOK PIANO LESSONS FOR EIGHT years, but I did not want many people to know about it, particularly my classmates in school. The reason being, I loved classical music from such composers as Beethoven, Chopin and Tchaikovsky. One of the pieces I wanted to play on the piano was Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony; talk about a lofty goal. However, my piano teacher found sheet music for it and told me to work on it during my free time. The reason I did not want too many classmates to know was because everyone I knew was into the Top 40 songs playing on the radio. I enjoyed them as much as they did, but for piano playing I preferred the classics. That was not the only music I played but when it came to my piano lessons, we focused on music from the classical composers. On my own, I would go downtown to the music store that had a whole room filled with sheet music from all different genres. I would get lost as I leafed through bin after bin of sheet music, trying to narrow my choices down to a few instead of a multitude. For me, it was all about how the music moved me; it could be a song from a Broadway musical or one from a folk singer, it did not matter. But what was more important to me was fitting in with the rest of the student body. FITTING IN WAS OF THE UTMOST importance as far as I was concerned. I saw what happened to those who did not fit in and could never find out where was the cutoff from being a little different with no repercussions to doing something that made you a target for being shunned or bullied. I think it is harder when we are younger due to the lack of exposure to different people, cultures and life experiences. When we are young, I believe, we consciously or subconsciously gravitate to like kind. Anyone who doesn’t look the same or act the same tends to set off a warning sign in our heads. I am reminded of my time at a school’s orientation weekend, sharing a dorm room with another prospective student. Accompanying him were a couple of his pet praying mantises. I thought it was an odd thing to do but did not try to avoid him, unlike the other kids on the floor. He had the desire to fit in with the rest of the floor, based on our conversations; but he did not have the will to do anything about it. Some people do not care about fitting in while others do. I only want to do it when I know I can be my authentic self. This is why I give the brothers in this animated, action adventure a lot of credit. BY THE TIME THEY REACHED ADOLESCENCE, the Turtle brothers wanted nothing more than to go above ground and be with the humans. The problem was the humans did not want to be with them; at least most of them. With Micah Abbey (Grey’s Anatomy-TV, Cousins for Life-TV) voicing Donatello, Shamon Brown Jr. (The Chi-TV) voicing Michelangelo, Nicolas Cantu (The Fabelmans, The Walking Dead: World Beyond) voicing Leonardo, Brady Noon (Marry Me, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers) voicing Raphel and Ayo Edebiri (The Sweet East, Theater Camp) voicing April O’Neil; this installment was one of the best out of the group. The animation was clever and outstanding, accompanied by a great soundtrack. The actors voicing their characters were fun and well-suited to bounce off each other. I did not have any idea this would be as good as it was, thanks to the skilled writing of Seth Rogan, Evan Goldberg and Jeff Rowe. The story works for children and adults thanks to the variety of one lined comments, besides the message; a message that I appreciated. There was no need to be concerned I would be the only adult without children, there were many. I could simply be myself. There was an extra scene in the middle of the ending credits.
3 ½ stars
Flash Movie Review: Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
AT A JOB, I HAD TO find a way to work with someone I did not trust. It is harder than you think. This person had an ego, which was not a reason to distrust them. One of the things that I had a hard time with was the fact they would never admit to being wrong. In my position at the company, I would get copied on emails with them because it involved one of my companies I covered. Reading the emails they would send in reply to questions from the company was an amazing experience. I could not make out what they were trying to say because they were mentioning things that had nothing to do with the questions. At times, I was embarrassed thinking the customer must wonder how our company can conduct business based on this one person’s remarks. Feeling protective of my company’s reputation, I had to jump in and try to deflect the comments being made and give the customer the answer they were seeking. You would think the employee on the emails would have thanked me privately or send some positive feedback, but no. That was who they were and there was nothing I could do about it. But, when an answer or solution is needed one needs to find a way to work with someone, no matter how you feel about them. MY PHILOSOPHY IS “WHATEVER IT TAKES.” At that company where I worked with that egotistical individual, it at least taught me the importance of looking at the end results. While visiting with a friend, their two children decided they wanted to play in the same room where we were seated. I normally would not have an issue, but these two kids were notorious for fighting. And soon enough they started up while we were trying to have an adult conversation. My friend’s scolding to stop bickering lasted only for a short time before the two siblings were at it again. I was not in the mood to hear the squabbling. Seeing some toys in a container in the corner of the room, I asked the two if they could build a bridge that was strong enough to hold the weight of one of their toy cars. They took the bait and proceeded to pull items out of that container and sat down to figure out which items went where in the construction of the bridge. My friend and I continued our conversation in peace. I hoped the two siblings would learn and understand the importance of working together in life. It is a great message and one I appreciated in this science fiction, action adventure. DESPERATE TO GET MONEY FOR HOSPITAL bills, an older brother agrees to steal a car, not knowing this car had a mind of its own. With Anthony Ramos (A Star is Born, Honest Thief) as Noah Diaz, Dominique Fishback (Judas and the Black Messiah, Project Power) as Elena Wallace, Luna Lauren Valez (The First Purge, Dexter-TV) as Breanna Diaz, Dean Scott Vazquez (In the Heights, 9 Bullets) as Kris Diaz and Sarah Stiles (Unsane, Get Shorty-TV) as Jillian; this latest in the movie franchise was better than some of the previous installments. However, it was not the best either. The action was plentiful and fast paced with decent special effects. I liked the chemistry between Anthony and Dominique. My issue was with the story and script. It did not provide me with much to latch onto and feel connected. There were different angles the writers were writing from that never really gelled for me. Plus, the excitement and thrill levels needed to go closer towards the extremes. It just never felt like there was enough time devoted to the scenes to let them develop into a more meaningful state. Maybe it was a struggle between film studio departments with budgets and such, but this could have been a better movie if everyone had worked better together.
2 ½ stars
moviejoltz 