Zachary Levi gets a gritty and intense lead role while Liam Neeson steps away from the frontline for a supporting turn in the action-thriller “The Fix”. Written, directed, and produced by Guy Moshe, “The Fix” is an unexpectedly dense and layered feature that tries to cover too much ground but that manages to keep us glued to the screen every step of its long and winding way. It may be a little lengthy at 141 minutes. But there’s no downtime and the story is steadily moving forward.

“The Fix” is a genre mashup made up of equal parts military actioner, espionage thriller, and heist movie. Moshe blends these ingredients into something routinely compelling and often thrilling. It tells a story that features so many moving parts that keeping up with them can be a bit demanding. And it can be too mechanical in its efforts to move us from one point to the next, sometimes leaving emotions feeling like an afterthought. At the same time, I found myself locked in for the duration.

The story opens in 2021 as the United States scrambles to withdrawal its forces from Afghanistan. During the debacle, a team of CIA operatives are summoned to Kabul by their handler, Larry (Neeson). Led by their stern but trustworthy leader Tucker (Levi), the operatives are given an undercover mission to retrieve a valuable local asset from a town heavily occupied by the Taliban. But the mission gets messy and Tucker’s squad find themselves in over their heads.

A few years pass and the story takes us back in the States where Tucker and his team have left active duty and went back to their civilian lives. Tucker pays a visit to Larry who is homebound while battling dementia. As they visit, Larry begins speaking in remarkable detail about a secret mission from 1981. More specifically, he talks about $25 million stashed in the wall of Room 705 of the Hotel Tehran in Iran.

After confirming the Iranian mission with Larry’s associate (Titus Welliver), Tucker calls on his old squad for a crazy yet potentially lucrative heist. To pull it off, they’ll need to slip into Iran, find the hotel, and retrieve the money that Larry insists is still there. Of course none of those steps are as easy as they sound. Getting into and around Iran will require trusting several strangers on the inside. Learning the unknown location of the undocumented Hotel Tehran requires a side mission that adds more danger. And once there, who knows what Tucker and his team will find?

As expected for a movie of this scope and scale, there are a number of supporting characters who factor into the story. Quincy Isaiah plays a young hotshot sniper who is new to Tucker’s team. Elnaaz Norouzi plays an Iranian American who Tucker recruits to pose as his wife. Lara Wolf plays a humanitarian activist being hunted by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Numan Acar plays an Iranian mobster with deep connections. And Navid Negahban plays a high-ranking leader in the Revolutionary Guard who becomes the film’s chief antagonist.

Neeson vanishes for most of the film’s second half as the story’s boots-on-the-ground focus shifts almost exclusively to Tucker and his team (believably played by Isaiah, Jake Choi, Wes Chatham, and Augusto Aguilera). Moshe’s script offers up an intriguing balance of geopolitical tension and classic heist movie mechanics. He definitely takes his time laying out their plan and defining the stakes. But you never lose interest thanks to the steady pacing and buildup.

As far as the action scenes, Moshe shoots them in ways that are both intense, immersive, and thrilling. They help energize the path to the film’s overstuffed payoff that tries to tie-up too many loose ends in one neat and tidy finish. Yet it’s a satisfying enough ending for a movie that covers so much ground and entertains nearly every step of the way. Neeson makes the most of his limited screentime and Levi does well in a role that’s grittier and studier than anything he has taken on to date.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

The 2022 survival thriller “Fall” is a movie that often impressed with its technical prowess only to frustrate with its ridiculous premise and hokey Hallmark-esque twists. On one hand, director Scott Mann created a palpable sense of height-induced dread and you didn’t have to suffer from acrophobia to feel the effects. At the same time, it was hard to get swept away by the thrills when the majority of the our time in spent questioning the sanity of its two incredibly dense lead characters.

Much like its predecessor, “Fall 2: Deadpoint” often struggles to make sense, mostly due to the head-scratching decisions made onscreen and off. And as before, it’s hard to connect with characters who so often defy understanding. It’s not because I don’t possess a similar thrill-seeker mindset. It’s that they’re trapped in a script that’s more unintentionally funny than edge-of-your-seat thrilling.

“Fall 2” is directed by twin brothers Peter and Michael Spierig, the duo behind such past gems as “Daybreakers” and “Predestination”. Sadly their latest doesn’t come close to matching their earlier and better work. It simply follows the basic formula as the first film. There are a handful of harrowing sequences made effective by some cool camera tricks and decent CGI. But there are also moments when the action is killed by the sheer absurdity of what we’re seeing.

Following her death in the first film, Shiloh Hunter (Virginia Gardner) has become a posthumous viral sensation. She’s a constant topic among podcasters and influencers while gaining a legion of online fans. But it has been a much different story for Shiloh’s kid sister, Jax (Harriet Slater). She’s still grieving the loss and feeling guilty for never facing her fears the way her big sister did.

When Jax discovers a journal listing Shiloh’s thrill-seeking bucket list, she’s encouraged by her sister’s friend Luce (Arsema Thomas) to pick up where Shiloh left off. So the reluctant Jax and the enthusiastic Luce head to Thailand to take on the terrifying plank walk some 4,000 feet high on the face of the ominous Mount Kwan. They arrive at a community camp near the base of the mountain only to learn that it’s the wet season and there are no experienced guides available (so much for doing your research beforehand).

The ladies connect with a seasoned climber named John (Tom Brittney) who they hire to guide them on an illegal hike along the most dangerous trail in Thailand. They begin by scaling the face on a makeshift “ladder” until they finally reach the dreaded plank walk. The trio begin their perilous trek across the old weather-worn boards at a dizzying 4,000 feet. But as you can probably guess, things don’t go as planned, leaving Jax and company quite literally hanging on for dear life.

That’s all the setup the Spierig brothers need to get us on the mountain with their characters. From there it should all be about utilizing the intense setting and circumstances to keep us on the edges of our seats. But much like the first movie, the filmmakers aren’t content with the high-altitude horror (this time from rockslides, earthquakes, driving rain, etc). Instead they once again throw in a ludicrous revelation and an even more ridiculous late twist, neither of which adds any worthwhile drama.

“Fall 2: Deadpoint” ends with the clear intent of continuing this as a full-blown franchise. But after two swing-and-misses, it’s hard for me to muster up much excitement for a third try. “Deadpoint” lazily recycles the plot of the first film, sticking close to the original’s blueprint while adding a little of its own dressing. It does deliver a handful of thrills that comes natural with the film’s bigger scale. But they’re routinely overshadowed by the goofy plot twists that left me laughing at things that clearly weren’t meant to be funny.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

Vampires and Irish folklore collide in the new supernatural horror film appropriately titled “Feed”. It’s written and directed by Marco van Belle who employs the tried-and-true formula of sending a group of good-looking young people to be terrorized (and more often than not slaughtered) by some deadly force. In this case it’s five obnoxious influencers who come face-to-face with a mysterious and very angry local legend.

Social media influencers haven’t always made for the most sympathetic protagonists and it’s no different here. This time it’s five of the most unconvincing “friends” imaginable, who arrive at a remote Irish Airbnb for a week-long getaway. Nessa (Daisy Jelley) is a self-obsessed social media maven who expects everyone to prioritize her the way she prioritizes herself. Austin (Rhy Mannion) is Nessa’s lapdog American boyfriend and photographer. Sean (Oskar Smith) is Nessa’s starstruck assistant. And tagging along is Nessa’s best friend Orla (Grace Collender) and her boyfriend Lorcan (Clinton Liberty).

While the trip seems to revolve around Nessa shooting promotional videos for her own line of products, we learn there is another motivation. The group hopes the getaway will help Orla who is still reeling from a horrific family tragedy one year earlier. She once had her own blossoming social media career which Nessa hopes to rekindle. But Orla’s trauma has a crushing hold on her, and getting her out of her own head proves to be harder than her friends expect.

The horror kicks in after the group stumbles upon an old ritual site while roaming around in the nearby forest. Nessa instantly orders her lackeys to start filming for her channel. But Orla has a violent vision after accidently cutting her finger on some creepy wreath. As they rush the panicking Orla back to the house, blood from her cut seeps into the ground, unearthing a vengeful revenant known as the Dearg Due.

The Dearg Due (which is translated “red bloodsucker”) takes her female form and sets out to find a new host. And her first stop is the house where she begins terrifying the influencers in a number of horrifying ways. The house’s owner, Nora (Charlotte Bradley) and her eerie granddaughter (Sadbh McMullin) factor into the story, and they end up being more interesting than any of their five guests. But even they can’t bring enough to really invest us in the story.

That said, van Belle does generate some pretty good suspense in the film’s second half as things finally ramp up. He also includes some genuinely creepy makeup and practical effects (the few swings with digital effects aren’t nearly as effective). It’s also easy to appreciate his reliance on atmosphere and tension-building rather than cheap jump scares. It doesn’t help some of the movie’s frustrating narrative problems, but it does help to deliver a decent payoff for genre fans.

At a lean 83 minutes, “Feed” doesn’t drag along or overstay its welcome. At the same time, it would be a better movie if more time had been spent building up and fleshing out the Dearg Due’s backstory. There is still so much begging to be told. And if it had been, I can’t help but believe the film would pack a much bigger punch. As it is, “Feed” manages a few chilling moments and a couple of impressive kills. But sadly there’s not much to cling to beyond that.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

Veteran stunt coordinator turned director Kenji Tanigaki brings the energy of Hong Kong action cinema to his explosive new movie that fully and unapologetically lives up to its name. “The Furious” is a kinetic, no-holds-barred action thriller in the vein of 2011’s “The Raid”. It’s a ballet of brutality that takes the simplest of stories and turns it into something you can’t take your eyes off of. It’s hands-down the best action movie of the year so far.

Written by Mak Tin-shu, Lei Zhilong, Shum Kwan-sin, and Frank Hui, the story driving “The Furious” does little besides presenting an emotional core and speeding us along from one action sequence to the next. Set “somewhere in Southeast Asia”, the film follows a humble handyman named Wang Wei (Xie Miao). Little is revealed about Wang’s past other than he is mute, his wife died tragically, and his martial arts skills are off the charts.

The one true joy in Wang’s life is his young daughter Rainy (Yang Enyou), who is reluctantly about to head back to her grandma in China after spending her summer vacation with her father. There’s clearly a heartfelt story somewhere involving their mutual grieving over the loss of his wife and her mother. But Tanigaki alludes to it more than explores it. Instead he sets his sights on the film’s bread an butter – bone-cracking and blood-spraying action.

It kicks into gear after Rainy is snatched off the street by a group of thugs. Wang gives chase but is unable to catch them. Frantic, he seeks the help of the local police, only to find them too bogged down in “procedure”. So he sets out on his own, eventually crossing paths with a man named Navin (Joe Taslim), who is searching for his wife Matia (JeeJa Yanin) after she disappeared while investigating area child abductions.

Through Navin, Wang learns that a sex trafficking outfit has been snatching children from some of the poorest communities. Together the two set out to find their lost loved ones. To no surprise, they will have to fight their way through an entire underground criminal empire to do so. And they will use anything at their disposal including blades, hammers, wood pallets, ladders, and bicycles (yes, bicycles).

Wang and Navin’s investigation takes them from one exhilarating fight scene to the next, with each as expertly choreographed as the most detailed musical number. The fight scenes rely heavily on practical martial arts combat with very little in the way of digital effects. And Tanigaki wisely stays away from disorienting shaky cams and annoying quick cuts. Instead the action plays out with such brutal clarity that you can’t help but admire the incredible skill onscreen.

“The Furious” does a good job balancing weighty subject matter with sheer genre spectacle. It doesn’t pull punches in showing the horror of child trafficking. At the same time, you’ll lose count of the times you let out an audible “OHHH” when watching Miao and Taslim in action. And it only escalates when they’re joined by baddies Joey Iwanaga, Yayan Ruhian, and Brian Le for a relentless and intense final 20 minutes that impresses on an entirely different level.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

With “Fuze”, director David Mackenzie (“Hell or High Water”) offers up a twisty, taut, and fast-paced heist thriller that wisely doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel yet is deftly made so as not to come off as a tired rehash. In fact, despite clearly calling back to a very specific style of movie, “Fuze” is surprisingly savvier than it first appears – a truth that really comes to light in the final act when Mackenzie and screenwriter Ben Hopkins take a refreshingly cool route in wrapping things up.

The film wastes no time kicking into gear after a 500-pound World War II bomb is unwittingly unearthed at a Westminster construction site in central London. The police, under the leadership of Chief Superintendent Zuzana Greenfield (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), immediately cordon off the area and begin evacuating the nearby neighborhoods. The British Army calls in Major Will Tranter (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), an explosives expert who begins by assessing the scene.

It all makes for a straightforward yet thoroughly gripping setup with blaringly obvious stakes. But as mentioned, “Fuze” doesn’t follow a conventional path, and the filmmakers quickly reveal they have more up their sleeves. With the surrounding areas vacant and shutoff, and with the authorities frantically occupied with the bomb, four men hiding out in an apartment building slip out and begin a meticulously planned bank heist.

The crew is ran by a seasoned thief named X (Sam Worthington). But the score is the brainchild of the new guy, Karalis (Theo James). Their heist unfolds with pinpoint efficiency and a remarkable attention to detail. So much so that it eases the mind of the noticeably cautious X. At the bomb site, Tranter proves to be a composed and capable crisis manager, barking orders with convincing authority yet keeping his team calm. Meanwhile Zuzana monitors it all from her control center, eventually spotting leads that could blow the lid off everything.

These three distinct story threads play well on their own while also feeding a central narrative that will inevitably tie them all together. Yet they’re only parts of the puzzle – certainly the most prominent parts. But several other players factor in, usually with the reveal of a new twist. And there are numerous twists that keep us constantly wondering who can be trusted, where do loyalties lie, and how on earth is Mackenzie going to pull it all off in the end?

The good news is he does pull it off, and in a surprisingly unexpected way. We may not get answers to all of our questions, and we may be forced to overlook some obvious stuff in order to get to the finish. But I enjoyed getting an ending that didn’t lazily follow the usual formula. It also doesn’t hurt to have such a crack cast who are fully onboard for the ride. They help make “Fuze” work as sheer entertainment, which is exactly what Mackenzie is going for.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

Fans of the old Westerns are sure to find something to like in “Frontier Crucible”. It’s a film that captures some of the genre’s biggest strengths as well as its noticeable weaknesses. Yet director Travis Mills doesn’t blindly stick to the classic Western formula. He and screenwriter S. Craig Zahler give us a slow-burning and character-driven feature that doesn’t shy away from bursts of grisly violence.

Filmed in the stunning Monument Valley Tribal Park in Prescott, Arizona, there is never a shortage of rugged natural beauty to take in. Despite having a modest budget, Mills and cinematographer Maxime Alexandre make the most of every shot. They lean heavily on their locations, often filming in places where no vehicle could get. It led to an arduous and exhausting eighteen-day shoot, but the results are magnificent. In addition to the gorgeous scenery, the film has a striking aesthetic that calls back the Westerns of the early 1960s.

As for the story, it’s based on Harry Whittington’s 1961 novel “Desert Stake-Out”. Set in 1872, it unfolds across the Arizona Territory where tensions boil between frontier settlers and native Apaches. It’s where me meet Merrick Beckford (Myles Clohessy), a former Union soldier whose name is well known among the locals. Clohessy’s performance is unintentionally comical at first as he goes too far in channeling Clint Eastwood, from his scruffy beard to his brown cigarette to Clint’s famous squint. But over time Clohessy loosens up and finds his own rhythm.

Merrick is summoned to a meeting with a tired cavalryman, Major O’Rourke (the always welcomed William H. Macy) who desperately needs to get medical supplies to San Carlos, where a fever epidemic has spread across the small town. But the journey crosses Apache land and sending a company of soldiers could spark a conflict. Merrick knows how to navigate the Apache, so he reluctantly agrees to transport the wagon full of meds himself.

But his journey is sidetracked after he stops to assist five strangers who were ambushed by Apaches at a remote watering hole. Among the group is Valerie (Mary Stickley) and her seriously wounded husband Jeff (Eli Brown). They’re accompanied by three hard-to-read ruffians, Charlie (Thomas Jane), his wiry son Billy (Ryan Masson), and his shifty hand Edmond (Armie Hammer).

The unique and specific dynamics that emerge between Merrick and the five strangers shapes the storytelling going forward. A big reason it works is that Mills invests time in those dynamics. Psychological chess matches between characters leads to rising tensions. And unease sets in as motivations gets sketchier and trust evaporates. Soon it becomes obvious that their inner conflicts are more dangerous and threatening than the Apache.

While the script impressively balances honoring classic Westerns and subverting them, its dialogue doesn’t always make things easy for the actors. The stilted dialogue can be as short and silly as “Is something amiss?” or as long and ungainly as “I fear the smells of this area may effect my constitution.” My personal favorite may be, “You purchased for us the merciless black wrath of the Apache!”. In fairness, this isn’t a crippling issue by any means, nor is it prevalent throughout. But it can be distracting.

Reminiscent of a slow-boiling crime thriller, “Frontier Crucible” steadily builds towards an explosively violent final act where all the tensions reach their breaking point. But even it isn’t handled in a conventional way. While not everything in the last twenty minutes gels, it’s nice to see filmmakers playing around with genre rather than being shackled to it. That creative freedom is what keeps “Frontier Crucible” from being just another trip to the Old West.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS