Author Archives: Keith Garlington

REVIEW: “Hidden Strike” (2023)

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I can honestly say that of all the possible team-ups for a new action buddy comedy, Jackie Chan and John Cena wasn’t a pairing that would have ever crossed my mind. Yet that’s what we get in “Hidden Strike”, a new Chinese-American produced film that recently debuted on Netflix. The movie is directed by former stuntman Scott Waugh who’s also helming “Expend4bles” (aka “Expendables 4”) set to come out later this year.

Unfortunately “Hidden Strike” doesn’t have enough to tide over anyone who might be looking forward to a new “Expendables” movie. It’s a stale and charmless misfire that’s funny in all the wrong ways. The CGI-heavy action is too preposterous to be even remotely thrilling, and the humor languishes thanks to the patently unfunny dialogue and the complete absence of comic chemistry between Chan and Cena (it’s telling when the end credits blooper reel is 10x funnier than anything in the actual movie).

Image Courtesy of Netflix

Not that story matters much, but it goes something like this. After repeated attacks by mercenaries on a Chinese-owned oil refinery in Iraq, ex-special forces soldier Luo Feng (Chan) and his team are sent to evacuate and escort the civilian employees and their families from the refinery to a safe zone. To do so they’ll have to travel the hilariously direct Highway of Death. A character actually tells us it’s “the most dangerous road in the country”, as if its goofy name didn’t make that abundantly clear.

Meanwhile former US Marine turned bighearted meathead Chris Van Home (Cena) has found a home in a small Iraqi village where he plays a lot with young orphaned children just to show us he’s a swell guy. The village has been in desperate need of water since a nearby dam was built and in order to get it flowing they need $100k. So Chris reluctantly agrees to help his injudicious mercenary brother Henry (Amadeus Serafini) on a job to earn some quick cash for his village.

It turns out Henry is working for an old acquaintance of Chris’ named Owen Paddock (Pilou Asbæk) and the job is to attack the convoy of civilians Luo Feng is escorting and kidnap a highly valued scientist. Chris quickly comes to realize he’s being used for nefarious purposes. But of course it takes one face-off between the film’s two stars before they realize they have a common enemy. And their only chance of taking that enemy down is by working together. Yeah teamwork!

Image Courtesy of Netflix

Aside from the swings and misses at humor and the incredibly bad lines of dialogue, the movie is hampered by several other blunders. For starters the performances are pretty dreadful, especially from Cena who isn’t the slightest bit convincing no matter what he’s doing on screen – fighting, joking, trying to show actual feeling. Nothing about the performance works. Then you have the story itself and its flimsy attempts at showing a human heartbeat. There is the half-baked tension between Luo Feng and his estranged daughter, Mei (Chunrui Ma). And then you have the scenes between Chris and Henry. None of them ring true.

I will say that even though the CGI is overused to the point of being almost cartoony, there is some artistry involved and Waugh, along with the digital effects team, create some eye-popping and undeniably fun shots and sequences. But the computer-generated bombast is hardly enough to cover the movie’s shallow script, bland performances, and the bone-dry chemistry between its two leads. “Hidden Strike” is now streaming on Netflix.

VERDICT – 1.5 STARS

First Glance: “Reptile”

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I’m always up for a new Benicio Del Toro movie and it looks like we’ll be getting one in October courtesy of Netflix. “Reptile” sees Del Toro cast with Justin Timberlake, Alicia Silverstone, Ato Essandoh, Frances Fisher, and Eric Bogosian among others in what looks like a wild crime thriller that marks the directorial debut for Grant Singer. The new trailer gives us an interesting yet hard to read first look at this beguiling feature.

Set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, “Reptile” sees Del Toro playing Nichols, a hardened detective seeking to uncover the truth behind the brutal murder of a young real estate agent. Timberlake plays the unassuming husband of the victim while Silverstone plays Nichols’ wife. As with any good neo-noir crime thriller, nothing is quite as it seems and there is a healthy selection of possible suspects. There is certainly some exciting potential. It’s be fun to see if Singer can pull it off. I’m really intrigued.

“Reptile” will hit select theaters on September 29th before streaming on Netflix starting October 6th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

30 Years Later: “Schindler’s List”

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Filmmakers have looked at the Jewish Holocaust from a variety of angles. Different films that examined it through the eyes of children. Some have focused on specific regions. Others have highlighted individuals who went to great lengths to help the Jews. A well done movie on the subject always has a strong effect on me. Not solely because of the horrific events or troubling images recreated on screen. It’s the fact that they deal with a very real and devastating time in human history. The Nazi slaughter of six million Jews marks one of the world’s darkest times. But it’s also a period that should never be forgotten and thoughtful movies can help ensure that we remember.

Several movies have done a superb job responsibly depicting the Holocaust. Among the very best is Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List”. Released 30 years ago, it has had the strongest impact on me personally. I recently revisited the film after putting it off for many years. That’s because it’s not an easy movie to watch. It features some of the most realistic and graphic depictions of Nazi violence towards Jews and doesn’t shy away from presenting it in crushing detail. From their initial relocation to Krakow’s Jewish Ghetto to their brutal and deadly time spent in the Nazi extermination camps, we see the Jews experience cruelty and brutality made all the more disturbing by its roots in reality.

Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures

The Jewish plight is brilliantly and cleverly realized through the true story of Oskar Schindler. Schindler (brilliantly played by Liam Neeson) is a German businessman who arrives in occupied Krakow in hopes of making a load of money exploiting the war. At first Schindler is a self-absorbed, money-hungry man who quickly finds acceptance by kissing up to an assortment of high-ranking German SS officers. Through bribes and his Nazi Party membership, Schindler obtains several contracts to make metal pots and pans for the German soldiers in the field.

To secure even more money for himself Schindler brings in a Jewish workforce whose labor is considerably cheaper than the local Catholic Poles. To keep his fledgling company up and going he hires Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley), an accomplished Jewish accountant and highly regarded member of the Jewish community. It’s through this key relationship that Schindler’s perceptions begin to change.

Coinciding with the arrival of SS Officer Amon Goeth (a truly sinister Ralph Fiennes) to the Plaszow concentration camp, the Germans raid and empty the Krakow Ghetto, slaughtering hundreds of Jews in the streets and shipping the rest to the camp. As Schindler witnesses the atrocities he’s deeply troubled and an internal conflict forms between his desire for a money-making business and his growing affection for his Jewish workers. He’s tempted to take his money and leave the city. Instead he sets out to use his fortune to save his workers and as many other Jews as he can. But to do so he’ll have to get close to high-ranking Nazi’s like Goeth which is no easy task.

Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures

The story of Oskar Schindler and his personal transformation is quite powerful. Neeson’s Schindler is a confident and looming opportunist. Even Spielberg’s camera makes him stand head and shoulders above so many of the people he encounters. Particularly stirring is the relationship between Schindler and Stern. Initially the two are strictly business with neither liking or trusting the other. But as mentioned it’s their growing friendship that plays a pivotal role in Schindler’s transformation. Neeson and Kingsley are terrific together.

Then there’s Fiennes and his stunning work as Goeth, a sick and twisted personification of evil. While Schindler finds ways to manipulate Goeth, his inherent wickedness is ever-present and manifested through some of the movie’s more disturbing scenes. What makes the character more terrifying is that Spielberg doesn’t stray too far away in his portrayal of the real Amon Goeth. He was a sadistic cold-hearted murderer who is killed countless Jews himself, not counting the thousands he ordered to be executed. Several scenes emphasize Goeth’s savage tendencies including his sick penchant for sniping Jewish workers from the terrace of his château overlooking the camp.

Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures

“Schindler’s List” was a technical achievement. Spielberg’s choice to shoot in black-and-white along with the hand-held camerawork and strategically set wide-angled shots adds to the authenticity and at times has a near documentary feel. The movie is also helped by being filmed on or near the locations of the actual events. Spielberg’s desire for realism really pays off and the locations were a big part of it. But that same desire for realism also made filming difficult for the director. It’s been said he cried repeatedly during the filming and there were certain scenes he literally couldn’t watch.

“Schindler’s List” is a great movie yet understandably hard to watch. It’s disturbing and emotionally draining. But it’s also a film of immense power and deep sincerity. It’s a visually stunning work that forces us to deal these horrific historical events. It’s also a story of a man’s incredible transformation. The movie has stood the test of time in large part thanks to Spielberg’s personal connection. It seeps into every facet of the film, moving us, informing us, and reminding us of a time we should never forget and of events we should never repeat.

VERDICT – 5 STARS

REVIEW: “Blue Beetle” (2023)

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Perhaps the most unexpected of choices for a superhero movie was Blue Beetle, a comic book character who has had three distinctly different variants over the last 80-plus years. He’s never been what you would consider a top-tier superhero either in power or popularity. So following the box office disappointments that were “Black Adam”, “Shazam: Fury of the Gods”, and “The Flash” (soapbox: all of them deserved bigger audiences), it’s hard to see “Blue Beetle” being the big boost DC Studios needs.

But comic book movies have proven to be a weird thing and at times impossible to predict. “Blue Beetle”, from director Ángel Manuel Soto, has been touted by DC’s new creative head James Gunn as the first confirmed on-screen character in his own rebooted cinematic universe. That alone might spur the interest of those already invested in what Gunn is doing. I liked DC’s old guard (well, most of them) and remain unsure about Gunn. Unfortunately “Blue Beetle” doesn’t do anything to win my confidence in DC’s new direction.

“Blue Beetle” is based on the most recent iteration of the titular character, Jaime Reyes (played by Xolo Maridueña). Fresh out of college, Jaime returns to his fictional hometown of Palmera City where he reunites with his tight-knit and spirited family. They include his noble father Alberto (Damián Alcázar) and his supportive mother Rocio (Elpidia Carrillo), his crass younger sister Milagro (Belissa Escobedo), his caring grandmother Nana (Adriana Barraza), and his conspiracy theorist uncle Rudy (George Lopez).

Image Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

But it’s not all sunshine and roses. Jaime learns that a lot has changed while he was away. His father suffered a heart attack, they lost their family store, and now they’re about to lose their house. So rather than go to graduate school, Jaime pledges to help his family get back on their feet. He thinks he’s found a way after he’s offered an interview at mega-corporation Kord Industries by Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine), the niece of the company’s CEO Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon). But things quickly fall apart.

It turns out that Victoria has sinister plans that involve a “world destroying” alien weapon called the Scarab. Through a series of rather silly events Jaime finds himself in possession of the Scarab which (for some reason) chooses him as its new host and grants him superpowers. He gets some admittedly cool looking blue and black exoskeleton armor and the ability to conjure up energized weapons just by talking to the little voice that comes with it. How does all of that work? Heck if I know. The movie doesn’t explain much of anything.

And that’s the basic setup for this woefully by-the-numbers origin story. Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer’s copycat script is frustratingly predictable and formulaic to the point of feeling generic. And that’s a real shame considering the long overdue Latino representation. “Blue Beetle” is content with lazily latching onto Latino culture rather than telling an interesting and original story within it. Thankfully there are a couple of good scenes where Soto tones down the silliness and lets his characters breathe. But they’re few and far between.

Image Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

It gets pretty maddening over time. The writing leans heavily on its domestic charms yet confines its characters within a conventional copy-and-paste story. Along the way it makes several heavy-handed statements on class, race, sexism, immigration, imperialism, etc., but none of them have bite. As for Maridueña, he shows moments of leading man promise. But even he’s dragged down by material that has him either screaming incessantly or acting like a Peter Parker knock-off.

To make matters worse, then you have the movie’s big baddie which (if only this was just hyperbole) is one of the worst villains in comic book movie history. I wish I was being overly dramatic, but Sarandon’s Victoria Kord is as clichéd and on-the-nose as any antagonist you’ll see. There’s nothing remotely interesting about her, her actions, her evil plan, her motivations. Even her shortchanged henchman (Raul Max Trujillo in a thankless role) is more compelling.

By the third act things really get hokey. The CGI kicks into overdrive – some of it is kinda cool; some of it is kinda suspect. And of course we get even more screaming from Maridueña. The warm and sudsy ending puts a nice cap on it all, but I wish it left me feeling like it was clearly wanted me to feel. Instead I was grumbling about all the wasted potential. Hey, at least the Bug ship (yes there’s a Bug ship) was pretty cool. But should a Bug ship be the best thing in a movie that has family as its centerpiece? Probably not.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

First Glance: “Anatomy of a Fall”

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Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall” took home the Palme d’Or at this year’s 76th Cannes Film Festival. Now distributor NEON (who is no stranger to acquiring Palme d’Or winners) is preparing for its release of the highly acclaimed French thriller by dropping a brand new trailer. Led by its star Sandra Hüller, the film looks to be a gripping mix of mystery, family drama, and courtroom procedural.

Written by Triet and Arthur Harari, “Anatomy of a Fall” sees Hüller playing a wife and mother named Sandra whose life is forever changed after her husband’s death. Suspicious circumstances spark an investigation which soon leads to Sandra being suspected of murder. She sets out to show her innocence but it proves difficult, especially with the only witness being their blind son Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner). The very concept is thoroughly compelling and the small bite we get from the trailer is simmering with tension.

“Anatomy of a Fall” opens in New York and Los Angeles on October 13th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

RETRO REVIEW: “Piranha” (1978)

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1978’s “Piranha” was one of many low budget B-movies that happily rode the massive success of Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws”. Released only one month after “Jaws 2”, the Joe Dante directed and co-edited “Piranha” did well at the box office despite its mixed reception from critics (the legendary Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert were notoriously brutal in their critiques). Yet over time the film has grown into a genuine cult classic.

“Piranha” is best described as a horror-black comedy with a small dash of satire thrown in for good measure. Dante directs John Sayles’ script with his tongue firmly in cheek. But it’s not so glaringly obvious as to make this a full-blown spoof. There’s just enough seriousness to add some genuine tension to what is a pretty silly story. Better yet, Dante shows a real love for genre filmmaking and there’s some impressive B-movie craftsmanship in this undeniable yet wildly entertaining “Jaws” knockoff.

Image Courtesy of New World Pictures

The movie begins with two teen hikers sneaking into an old abandoned fish hatchery. After slipping through a fence with a big No Trespassing sign the two geniuses decide to go skinny-dipping in a treated pond. Unfortunately for them this isn’t an abandoned hatchery. It’s actually an unmarked secret test site ran by the U.S. military. And in the pond are schools of ravenous genetically-altered piranha who make a quick lunch out of the dimwitted divers.

Soon after, a scatterbrained skiptracer named Maggie McKeown (Heather Menzies) is sent to locate the missing teens who were last seen near Lost River Lake. Her first stop is at the house of the down-on-his-luck and hard-drinking Paul Grogan (Bradford Dillman) who reluctantly agrees to guide her around the area. While investigating the old hatchery they find evidence that the teens had been there. In a hilarious mishap, they attempt to drain the pond to look for bodies but inadvertently let the piranha loose in the nearby river. Oops.

Maggie and Paul are confronted by a skittery scientist named Dr. Robert Hoak (Kevin McCarthy) who warns them of what they’ve unleashed. He tells them about “Operation Razor-Teeth” (I still laugh every time I say it), a government sanctioned secret program that genetically enhanced the piranha, turning them into ferocious man-eating weapons. And now they’re loose in the river heading downstream towards a children’s summer camp and the bustling Lost River Resort.

As our two protagonists race to warn the potential human fish food of what’s coming, we’re treated to several fun nods, especially to Spielberg’s classic. We also get countless funny lines and some even funnier characters (Paul Bartel’s pompous camp counselor Mr. Dumont instantly comes to mind). Then you have these amusing little Dante touches scattered throughout the movie. Like the crudely animated stop-motion lizard creature that’s hiding in Dr. Hoskins lab. We see it in one scene and then never again. It’s weird, but I love that Dante takes those crazy swings.

Image Courtesy of New World Pictures

But what’s most surprising are the unexpected flashes of humanity that often come at the most unexpected times and from the most unexpected people. Several specific scenes showing the real human depth of emotion have stuck with me. I don’t want to oversell it – “Piranha” is still very much a genre film with a keen awareness of what it is. But you may be surprised at its human pulse.

“Piranha” has its flaws, many of which are related to its minimal budget and resources. But that also highlights another of the film’s strengths – Joe Dante’s ability to do much with little, whether its in his storytelling or the special effects (his brilliantly edited piranha attacks are delightfully fierce and at times bloody terrifying). Ultimately Dante is the star and his personality seeps from ever pore of the movie. From his snarky jabs at the military and political apparatuses to silly flourishes that seem to come from out of the blue, Dante’s fingerprints are everywhere.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS