Japanese auteur Kiyoshi Kurosawa has carved a cinematic path that couldn’t be more different than that of the other esteemed filmmaker who shares his last name (no relation). Kurosawa cut his teeth on J-horror but quickly expanded his catalog to include dramas, black comedies, science-fiction, crime thrillers, and even a period spy movie. But his latest film sees him venturing into the genre that made the legendary Akira Kurosawa a household name.

With “The Samurai and the Prisoner”, Kiyoshi Kurosawa makes his first foray into the classic jidaigeki genre. Yet from its opening moments, you would never guess this was his first samurai film. Through an elegant combination of technical precision and creative intuition, Kurasawa transports us back to feudal Japan in a way that fits right in with the samurai classics of the past. Yet his story almost plays like a deconstruction as Kurosawa takes a critical look at the samurai code entire dynasty’s were built upon.

“The Samurai and the Prisoner” is an aggressively faithful adaptation of Honobu Yonezawa’s 2021 novel of the same name. It’s a mostly confined period epic where the bulk of the drama happens within a besieged castle. And though unwieldy and plodding at times, Kurosawa’s script is an intricate and evocative melding of the old and the new, both in its storytelling and its craftsmanship. It’s a chamber drama murder mystery told in a classical style but through a shrewdly modern lens.

The story is set in 16th century Japan as warlord Nobunaga Oda advances west with the aim of ruling the entire country. One of his most trusted retainers, Murashige Araki (Masahiro Motoki) of Arioka Castle in Settsu, suddenly turns against Oda. His reasons are a mystery, but they slowly and clearly come to light through the film’s patient episodic structure. And as the battles with Oda’s forces intensify outside of Murashige’s impregnable fortress, a more cunning war is being waged within his walls that threatens to tear his castle apart from the inside out.

The screws begin to tighten with the arrival of Kanbei (Masaki Suda), a master strategist and Oda’s envoy. Kanbei warns Murashige of Oda’s gathering army and urges him to surrender. Instead of sending him back, Murashige has Kanbei locked in a dungeon, which is his first of several breaks from samurai tradition. A short time later, an unexplained murder inside the castle sparks rumors among the soldiers, prompting Murashige to seek help from an unlikely source – the imprisoned Kanbei.

Kurosawa unwraps much of his story through a number of dense dungeon discussions between the perplexed samurai lord and his crafty captive. What begins as Murashige’s firm establishment of power turns into gripping verbal chess matches between foes. But when Kanbei’s power of deduction leads Murashige towards solving the murder, the prisoner begins earning the trust of the castle’s embattled leader. And that trust grows as Murashige continues to consult Kanbei following a series of other mysteries that threaten his standing among his clans.

The whodunit mysteries themselves shrewdly feed the film’s central storyline. But it’s Murashige’s loyalty to his convictions that adds the most compelling layer. Take his refusal to have a young man crucified as punishment for his father’s shame. Or his choice to have a soldier exiled rather than executed for his betrayal. Murashige’s decisions routinely clash with the rigid and often merciless samurai code. And that challenges those under his command, who find themselves torn between faithfulness to their esteemed leader or to their long-held and deeply rooted customs. It’s a fascinating conflict with no easy resolution.

As the drama unfolds, Kurosawa remains far more intrigued with exploring the intellectual, psychological, existential, and philosophical facets of his story rather than indulge in sword duels and battlefield combat. It’s a focus that can sometimes leave the movie feeling staid, slow-moving, and emotionally distant. And while it’s a handsomely shot film, Kurosawa mostly shuns the idea of thrilling spectacle. Yet “The Samurai and the Prisoner” remains a captivating watch, despite its occasional sluggishness. Kurosawa earns our investment and grounds us in the drama, making this strikingly unique period epic hard to turn away from.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

I know there are passionate superfans out there who will disagree with me, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a shell of its former self since the blockbuster event that was 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame”. A total of 14 movies and 20 streaming series have released since “Endgame”. A couple were nice surprises and a few others were serviceable. But some were glaring disappointments. Even more, none have managed to build up anticipation quite like the MCU did in its heyday.

But one bankable exception has been Spider-Man. Collectively, the three standalone Spider-Man movies have made a whopping $3.94 billion at the global box office. Tom Holland has proven himself to be perfect for the role of Peter Parker, and his three solo films have mostly been solid. Yet none of them stand among the best of the MCU offerings. Well not only does the latest entry, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”, offer a welcomed refresh for the beloved web-slinger, it’s also the very best Spidey movie of the Tom Holland era.

Destin Daniel Cretton takes the directing reins from Jon Watts and you can quickly tell the difference in his approach. “Brand New Day” has much of the same superhero energy and playfulness as its predecessors. But it stands out as the most emotionally grounded of the now four standalone Spidey films. Even more, its story offers a much needed evolution for the Peter Parker character, exploring themes of loneliness and isolation, while portraying the sacrifice that so often defines true heroism.

For those in need of a quick refresher, in 2021’s “No Way Home” Peter Parker (Holland) makes the choice to have himself erased from everyone’s memory in order to save the multiverse. He makes a pledge to his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) to find them and reintroduce himself when the time is right. And that leads to the events of “Brand New Day”.

As a means of dealing with his loneliness, Peter fully occupies himself with his crime-fighting duties as Spider-Man. About his only means of human connection is with New York City Police Detective Jean DeWolff (Liza Colón-Zayas). Otherwise he has spent what would have been his exciting college years at MIT watching MJ and Ned from afar. Both now live much different lives without any knowledge of Peter. Meanwhile he waits, heartbroken yet determined, for the right time to reveal himself and the truth of their pasts together.

Peter’s personal journey eventually converges with his role of Spider-Man after the appearance of a mysterious antagonist who is able to telepathically hop from person to person, possessing whoever they embody. The telepath targets The Department of Damage Control which prompts its director, Bill Metzger (Tramell Tillman) to reach out the Spider-Man for help. But the telepath isn’t so easily deterred and will stop at nothing to reach the secret which lies inside of the DODC’s vault.

I danced around a lot of information and for good reason. Co-writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers pack a ton into their story, much of which is better discovered for yourself. What impresses most is their ability to balance the more intimate personal stakes with the explosive superhero action. While there are plenty of moments for laughs, the film has a more serious tone which allows us to emotionally connect on a surprisingly deeper level, more so than with any of the previous Spidey films. But then there is the action, which features some of the best captured, cut, and choreographed set pieces from the MCU to date.

Smartly, Cretton ensures the characters remain his focal point. This is Holland’s best Peter Parker performance to date while Zendaya and Batalon offer their best supporting work of the series. Beyond them, we get a wild array of side characters and guest appearances highlighted by Jon Bernthal’s killer return as Frank Castle aka The Punisher. While slightly tamed to fit the film’s PG-13 rating, Bernthal still retains Castle’s fury and grit. Mark Ruffalo also returns as Bruce Banner in a role that doesn’t feel necessary, yet that finally gives us a glimpse at the real Hulk that so many of us have been longing for.

The vast majority of the movie comes together incredibly well but there are a few minor issues. There are a couple of appearances that feel thrown in for reasons beyond this story. There’s a storyline involving Peter’s sudden spider mutations that leads to several good scenes but no real conclusion. And there are several instances of things just not making sense. For example, how do some memories click for one character but not for another? It’s a case of the movie opening doors and not always knowing how to close them.

I went into “Brand New Day” interested in it more than excited for it. Then for the first time in years, I left the theater feeling genuine enthusiasm for an MCU movie. Destin Daniel Cretton has rediscovered what makes these movies click, by shedding most of the multiverse baggage and telling a contained story that nicely balances authentic humanity with pulse-pounding superhero thrills. “Brand New Day” may not be the best ever MCU offering, but it definitely sits in the upper tier. And when you’ve put out 38 movies, that’s a pretty impressive accomplishment.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

In the Australian action thriller “Seven Snipers”, Radha Mitchell plays a retired army medic named Kris Hendricks. At least that’s the story she has sold to everyone, including her angsty 16-year-old daughter Anja (Annabel Wolfe). In reality, Kris was a member of an elite sniper squad who went by the codename Voodoo Child. And rather than working in a field hospital, she was eliminating enemy targets to the tune of 116 verified kills. And as usual in movies like this, that violent past comes back to haunt her.

Directed by Sandra Sciberras, “Seven Snipers” is a no-nonsense feature that wastes no time plunging us into the action. And once it does, Sciberras moves her audience along with a tense and tactical pacing that locks us in for the entirety of the film’s lean and efficient 88-minute run time. It also helps us to overlook the minimal backstory and character development, both of which are alluded to more than fleshed out.

Kris and Anja live in a remote farmhouse set upon the sprawling Queensland countryside. Things haven’t been easy for Kris. In addition to raising Anja on her own, she also struggles with compartmentalizing her combat trauma while shielding her daughter from the truth of her violent past. But her good intentions have frustrated Anja, who spends most of her time skipping school with her boyfriend Michael (Lee Tiger Halley).

Their quiet life is interrupted by a terrifying person from her past – a lethal marksman and former warlord known only as “The Dragon” (Tim Roth). The ruthless Dragon sends an envoy (Ryan Kwantan) who Kris promptly sniffs out and eliminates. But before he dies, he leaves her with an ominous message, “He’s coming. Long live the Dragon.” At first the reasons for the Dragon’s sudden reemergence looks to be old-fashioned revenge. But we later learn of a far more precious purpose which adds some extra layers of tension.

But the movie is called “SEVEN Snipers”. Enter Kris’ old squadmate Malcolm (Damien Ryan) who she calls on for help. He brings along four other snipers including his somewhat green son Junior (Charles Cottier), the cynical Nico (Pacharo Mzembe), the all-business Kaldayev (Bianca Wallace), and the silent and stoic Milk (Ioan Gruffudd). The stealthily sinister Dragon is the last person to the dance. And from the first crack of his rifle, we’re convinced that he is a formidable threat.

While it’s hard to miss the lack of depth and detail in both the characters and the overall conflict, there’s something refreshing about its simplicity and straightforwardness. “Seven Snipers” builds itself upon the slightest of stories. But once characters begin peering through their long-range scopes, the intensity builds and the stakes ratchet up a notch. From there it’s all about keeping us gripped, which the movie does through economical direction and an all-in cast who fully understand their assignments.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

There is a genuinely fun concept waiting to be realized somewhere inside of the Canadian supernatural horror thriller “Son of Sara”. It’s a concept that would find the balance between being uncomfortably chilling and darkly funny. But the movie we get never fully settles on what it wants to be. At least not in a way that is coherently conveyed on the screen. It’s a shame because we see a handful of exciting glimpses of what this film could have been.

As a purely independent film, “Son of Sara” is an admirable accomplishment. It’s written, produced, directed, and edited by Houston Bone who does some interesting thing with an obviously modest budget. It’s a competently made feature that especially impresses in the practical effects department. But the movie is let down by the pieced-together story which toys with several familiar ideas without doing anything interesting with them.

Chloe Van Landschoot plays Sara, a young woman who is very pregnant – the result of a tryst with the icky Troy (Garrett Hnatiuk), who took off after their fling and hasn’t returned her calls since. Now Sara lives with her doting girlfriend Carol (Tymika Tafari), sharing a surface-level relationship that feels more performative for the camera than authentic to the story. Sara is way past her due date, so getting around has become a chore. But far more concerning is her insatiable appetite for raw ground beef, upchucking long plugs of hair, and terrifying visions that repeatedly haunt her.

But the movie takes a goofy turn when Sara unexpectedly bumps into Troy who is surprised to learn she is pregnant. She invites the jerk to her apartment while Carol is away and the two somewhat reconcile in record time. Even wackier, Troy invites Sara to his family’s farmhouse “just outside of the city” to have dinner with his mother Agnes (Jane Moffat). Of course it’s clearly a terrible idea. But in one of several mind-boggling choices, she accepts his offer.

So not only does Sara immediately let this glaringly obvious slug back into her life, but she waltzes off with him to the middle of nowhere. And as I’m sure you also expect, things go terribly wrong for her. To the tune of occult rituals, a demonic entity, and a shocking claim about her baby that shakes her to her core. The lone question – is her baby a demon child from Hell or are Troy and Agnes cult crazies who will do anything to please their malevolent master?

Sadly that question never carries much weight. That’s because it’s hard to invest in things when the entire premise is undermined by such a head-scratching setup. So much is left untold, especially regarding Troy and Agnes. Instead time is wasted on baffling inclusions, such as a random second-half sequence of meaningless nudity that distracts more than informs. Even the story’s potential thematic treatment is ultimately stripped of its voice.

Not all is bad in “Son of Sara”. There are a few slashes of black comedy that made me laugh out loud. And the film features some startling body horror that is brought to life through impressively creative practical effects work. But these things aren’t nearly enough to keep us onboard. And that’s sad to say considering the movie leaves the impression that Bone wants to continue Sara’s story in another film. I wish there was enough here to bring me back for more.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

For many of us, seeing the keys to DC Studios handed to James Gunn was more than a little concerning. Yet I remained optimistic, hoping he would do justice to this huge universe that I have long loved. Unfortunately the first film from the rebooted DCU was a souring disappointment. “Superman” was a scattershot mess that was far more interested in being a James Gunn movie than a noteworthy new chapter for one of DC’s most iconic characters.

That brings us to movie #2 in Gunn’s fledgling DCU and sadly the results aren’t much better. “Supergirl” may not be written or directed by James Gunn, but his fingerprints are everywhere. It’s a room temperature superhero movie that is shackled to Gunn’s narrow, self-gratifying style, where more attention is given to irreverent humor and needle drops than meaningful character depth and good storytelling. Even the action fails to energize the experience in any meaningful way.

Many of the problems can be traced directly to the script, which was written by relative newcomer Ana Nogueira (who Gunn has also hired to write the upcoming Wonder Woman and Teen Titans films). Here she tells a fairly generic story that is driven by Supergirl’s rather generic story arc that sees her hunting down one of the most generic superhero villains to date. I wish that were just my vain attempt at clever writing. But honestly, the word “generic” fits this film in so many regards.

Milly Alcock reprises her role as the overtly rebellious Kara Zor-El. If you remember, she was first seen in a cringy cameo at the end “Superman”, when she drops into Kal/Clark’s Fortress of Solitude to retrieve her dog Krypto. “Supergirl” picks up from there, with Kara and her pup leaving Earth to celebrate her 23rd birthday. And what better way than by drinking herself into a stupor on various red sun planets across the universe?

Much of the story leans heavily into Kara’s angst and attitude. It doesn’t take long to get old, but director Craig Gillespie squeezes everything he can from it. There is an attempt at making it a coping mechanism for her deeper trauma. This comes out via a series of mediocre flashbacks that continues Gunn’s ridiculous rewrite of Kal’s parents as villains. Meanwhile Kara’s folks are shown to be empathetic souls who send their daughter away to be a hero to those in need.

Kara’s slosh-fest is interrupted when she crosses paths with a young girl named Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley). Ruthye is dead-set on avenging the death of her family at the hands of Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts). He’s the ringleader of a band of space pirates called the Brigands. Ruthye tries to recruit Kara to help on her quest for revenge but Kara declines. That is until the film uses Gunn’s favorite (and laziest) trick for cheap emotional investment – animal suffering.

After Krem shoots the digitally rendered Krypto with a deadly toxin, Kara agrees to join Ruthye’s hunt. But she only has three days to find Krem and return with the antidote (which he conveniently wears around his neck because why not?). From there it strangely turns into a ‘down with the patriarchy’ story as Kara finds herself fighting a crew of meatheaded marauders who kidnap young “brides” to grow their vision of a male-only society. It’s a twist that adds nothing to the overall movie.

Jason Momoa occasionally pops up playing Lobo, an immortal alien bounty hunter who just happens to be around the same time as Kara. He mostly grunts and growls while bashing in a few heads, ultimately offering little more than fan service. It’s a shame because the menacing Momoa certainly looks the part. But it’s almost as if Nogueira doesn’t know what to do with him, but she throws him into her script regardless.

“Supergirl” is far from the follow-up to “Superman” that the DCU needed, especially for those who were left unfulfilled by the franchise’s kick-off. There’s absolutely nothing original or even memorable about what we’re given here. Even worse, it does nothing to leave us excited for what’s to come. Instead it feels like an assembly line product made in the factory of James Gunn. That may be enough for some. But others will be wondering why they even bothered.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

It has been seven years since a new Star Wars film has hit the big screen. For fans of the franchise, it has been a long and agonizing wait (please pardon the drama). Yet there has been no shortage of new canonical Star Wars content for us to consume via streaming. Since the franchise’s last feature film hit theaters, there has been ten live-action seasons and nearly as many animated offerings on the Disney+ platform. Still, there’s nothing quite like Star Wars on the big screen.

For this decades-long Star Wars fan, Jon Favreau’s “The Mandalorian” remains among the best of the live-action streaming series. Spanning 24 episodes over three seasons, the show plays like a space western set during a turbulent time on the Star Wars timeline. The first season was a terrific table-setter and the second season was an equally impressive follow-up. And while the third season dove more into Mandalorian lore than some wanted, it was still a worthwhile continuation.

The show’s story began five years after the events of “Return of the Jedi” and followed a lone Mandalorian bounty hunter named Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) who becomes the protector and father-figure to a Force-sensitive child named Grogu (aka “Baby Yoda”). The series was firmly planted in the Star Wars galaxy, yet it’s the relationship that Din and Grogu forged that formed the heart of its story. And now their journey continues on the big screen with the simply titled “The Mandalorian and Grogu”.

Favreau directs from a script he co-wrote with Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor. Together they have created a pulpy throwback space adventure that entertains with its bigger, grander spectacle yet flows naturally from the intimacy of its small screen predecessor. Even more, while it’s nicely rooted in Star Wars canon, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” doesn’t require a degree in Star Wars-ology to know what’s going on. Obviously it will speak more to seasoned fans. But anyone can watch, catch on, and enjoy.

Predictably, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” has already faced negativity from many of the usual naysayers. But for those able to toss aside unreasonable expectations and trendy disillusionment, Favreau and company have delivered a rip-roaring Star Wars adventure reminiscent of the old space serials that inspired George Lucas nearly 50 years ago. It tells an incredibly fun and mostly self-contained story that really gets to the heart of what so many of us love about the eponymous duo.

After the fall of the Galactic Empire, a remnant of loyalists threaten the stability of the galaxy. A shadow council made up of ex-Imperial warlords operate in the lawless Outer Rim, secretly plotting to rebuild the Empire. To quell their efforts, the fledgling New Republic enlist Din (a returning Pascal) and his young apprentice Grogu to hunt them down one by one. It’s dangerous work, but it’s something Din knows and does well.

After taking out a target in an exhilarating action-filled opening, Din returns to base where he is approached by Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver), a top pilot during the Rebellion now serving as a commanding officer for the New Republic. She tasks him with a new mission – apprehend Imperial warlord Janu Coin (Jonny Coyne). But in order to find his location, Din will have to do a job for the Hutt twins, the leaders of the crime syndicate once ran by the late Jabba the Hutt.

The twins want Din to rescue Rotta the Hutt (voiced by Jeremy Allen White), the only surviving heir of Jabba who is being held captive on the planet Shakari. But Din and Grogu learn the hard way that there is more to their mission than meets the eye. And when things get “messy”, our heroes find themselves at odds with the Hutt twins who have their own shady self-interests and ulterior movies in play.

From its opening moments, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” makes its intentions very clear. It’s every bit of a Star Wars movie, with its threatening worlds, its array of cool creatures, and a plethora of details that fans will recognize throughout. At the same time, the story is more about the personal stakes rather than galaxy-wide peril. Much like the show, it keeps Din and Grogu’s relationship front and center which adds plenty of heart to the pulse-pounding action.

As far as visuals, Favreau weaves an eye-popping tapestry of practical sets, digital effects, and amazing puppetry in bringing his adventure to life. It’s especially impressive on the big screen, whether it’s massive Imperial walkers, ferocious arena fights, or the scene-stealing Anzellan droidsmiths. And it’s all accompanied by the lavishly scored music of Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Göransson. He turns out to be one of the film’s biggest standouts.

Again, throw aside the absurd expectations, the exaggerated doomsdaying, and the ‘hate for clicks’ online noise and you’ll find a movie that’s not as far removed from George Lucas’ original vision as you may think. Some have harshly judged the film as “inconsequential”. But Favreau is clearly aiming for something more intimate, with situations that are never “inconsequential” for the characters. And Star Wars has already shown that not every story needs to be on a galactic scale. It’s true that your mileage may vary depending on your affection for the two lead characters. But again, anyone can jump in, buckle up, and enjoy this equally exciting and charming old-school space adventure.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS