Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt reteam in a movie that’s far removed from their lighthearted “Jungle Cruise” adventure. “The Smashing Machine” is a biographical sports drama based on the 2002 John Hyams documentary “The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr”. As you can probably guess, it highlights the career of Mark Kerr, one of the pioneers in the world of mixed martial arts.

“The Smashing Machine” premiered at the Venice Film Festival where its director, Benny Safdie won the Silver Lion. And it was produced and is being distributed by none other than A24. Those things alone raised expectations. But surprisingly, “The Smashing Machine” is a fairly conventional sports drama. It follows a pretty familiar blueprint but with some notable traits all its own.

As many have rightly said, Dwayne Johnson delivers a revelatory performance portraying Mark Kerr. As a professional wrestler turned action star, it’s no surprise that the musclebound Johnson has the sheer brawn and in-ring prowess for a role like this. It’s what he does beyond the physicality that surprises most. It’s here that Johnson loses himself in the role (and he’s not the easiest guy to lose into anything).

In many ways “The Smashing Machine” looks and plays like a slice-of-life documentary. Visually, Safdie (directing solo for the first time) and cinematographer Maceo Bishop shoot the film in a variety of formats, most notably VHS and 16mm. As a result, the gritty and grainy texture conveys authenticity as well as a distinct sense of time. Narratively, the movie sticks with one segment of Kerr’s life from 1997 to 2000, offering us a documentary-like profile of the man rather than more plot-focused story.

We first meet Kerr in the early stages of his professional career, before mixed martial arts became a global phenomenon. It was a time of few rules, no regulations, and no infrastructure around the sport. After turning heads with an undefeated run in Brazil, Mark agrees to a few fights in the growing Ultimate Fighting Championship. From there he takes off to Japan where he joins Pride FC with his close friend, trainer, and fellow fighter, Mark Coleman (Ryan Bader).

Safdie makes a point to show the crafted perception of the fighters and Mark’s determination to live up to it. The MMA organizations would portray their fighters as fiercely violent warriors surrounded with an aura of invincibility. But for Mark, the reality is dramatically different. Behind his brawny public image is a disarmingly kind and gentle man. He possesses a near childlike tenderness when things are going well. But when things get tough, it can be more of a childlike petulance. And things get really tough for Mark.

Mark’s professional troubles begin in Japan with his shocking first loss – the result of a referee not calling the match according to the recent rule changes. His frustrations only get worse after his body begins showing signs of wear and tear, leading to an addiction to pain killers. Meanwhile at home, his volcanic relationship with his girlfriend Dawn (Emily Blunt) is an emotional rollercoaster with problems all its own.

The film is at its best when Mark and Dawn are together. Their beautiful yet blustery coexistence produces moments of potent domestic drama. The two truly love each other but frequently fight, sometimes due to Mark’s petty passive-aggressiveness; other times from Dawn’s bruising self-righteousness. There’s undeniably a dysfunctional quality to their relationship, but neither are villains. Their love is real but so are their frustrations which boil over into several heated clashes.

Johnson looks right at home in combat leading to some visceral fight scenes, effectively shot in a way that emphasizes the brutality. But it’s the humanity outside the ring that makes his performance so powerful. Blunt is equally good, bringing a whirlwind of emotional to a critical supporting character. That is until she suddenly vanishes for a big chunk of the second half. Along with the immersive visual style, these are all strengths that set this otherwise conventional sports drama apart from the many others that come down the pipeline. “The Smashing Machine” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

In “Stolen Girl” Kate Beckinsale plays Mara, a down on her luck, divorced single mother living in Ohio with her four-year-old daughter Amina and her ailing father Joe (Matt Craven). Mara’s world is turned upside down after Amina wanders off while in a grocery store and is abducted. That kicks off this complicated story about a determined mother and the many obstacles she navigates in her efforts to find her daughter.

Directed by James Kent, “Stolen Girl” is inspired by a true story although the storytelling doesn’t always feel like it. Nagging frustrations such as narrative shortcuts, undercooked relationships, and instances of clumsy editing sometimes distract from the more serious issues at hand. But Kent, along with screenwriters Kas Graham and Rebecca Pollock, don’t take their subject lightly. And inside the film’s 1990s thriller veneer is a strong message that’s worth listening to.

Things escalate quickly after Amina’s disappearance as Kent hurries us through the first act. Basically Mara is convinced her ex-husband Karim (Arvin Kananian) took their daughter. The police check Karim’s home only to find it cleaned out with no signs of him. Everything points to Karim having left the country, but no one, from the local police to the CIA, offer much help. Two years leads to four years, and despite Mara’s determined efforts, there’s still no headway made.

A glimmer of hope comes when Mara is approached by a man who goes by Robeson (Scott Eastwood), an ex-Marine who now works as a child recovery specialist (aka a mercenary). He makes her a deal – help him find other people’s kids and he’ll help her find Amina. She agrees and a few scenes later she is accompanying Roberson and his partner Carl (Jordan Duvigneau) to Colima, Mexico. Her job is to “play mother” by keeping the recovered child calm while they transport him back to his rightful parent.

Too much of the film’s first half unfolds with very little meaningful buildup. Mara’s work to get answers both locally and in Washington DC is referenced more than it is realized. Her jump to mercenary fieldwork happens with practically no training whatsoever. Even her relationship with Roberson goes from strictly business to making out in a motel without a hint or spark of attraction.

But the story’s focus sharpens in the second half as the thriller elements take form. Eight years after Amina first disappeared, Mara gets a lead that Karim is in Lebanon. But unexpected obstacles arise from unexpected places paving the way to a surprising finish that packs the kind of emotional heft that almost makes you forget the rocky road to get there.

While the storytelling is a bit messy (specifically early on), the same could be said for the handful of action sequences that are hampered by clumsy edits, shaky cameras, and an over reliance of quick cuts. But to Kent’s credit he manages to hold it all together in large part thanks to Beckinsale. The sheer conviction in her performance brings home the weightiness of the subject matter. And there is never a moment where we question her character’s pain, frustration, and resolve. “Stolen Girl” is now available on VOD.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

When the new trilogy from The Strangers film series was announced I was hopeful yet cautious. The three movies were set to be a prequel to the 2008 original film. That movie (written and directed by Bryan Bertino) was a straightforward and genuinely unsettling blending of psychological and home invasion horror. Unfortunately it’s follow-up, 2018’s “The Strangers: Prey at Night” was a considerable downgrade which (as I’ve said in an earlier review) is better left forgotten.

That brings us to the new trilogy, all consecutively shot under the direction of Renny Harlin. Chapter 1 didn’t kick things off on the best note as it stretched about 30 minutes worth of story into a 90-minute feature. To be perfectly honest, the same could be said for “The Strangers – Chapter 2”. But there is one notable and unexpectedly effective difference. Chapter 2 moves away from the home invasion angle and is essentially one extended chase, with the previous film’s formidable final girl on the run from three masked psychopaths.

Madelaine Petsch returns as Maya Lucas, the young woman who barely survived her petrifying encounter with three masked strangers while staying overnight at a secluded Airbnb. Her fiancé Ryan (Froy Gutierrez) was brutally murdered by the strangers and Maya was left for dead. But she was saved by first responders and rushed to the Venus County Hospital. That’s a serviceable summary of “Chapter 1” which immediately sets up its follow-up.

“Chapter 2” begins with Maya recovering in the hospital while mourning the loss Ryan. With the killers still on the loose, she’s understandably fearful for he safety. But the creepy and cryptic Sheriff Rotter (the always beguiling Richard Brake) isn’t much help. Meanwhile her family is still on their way, leaving Maya alone in her hospital room for the night. Enter the three strangers, known in the credits as Scarecrow, Dollface, and Pin-Up Girl, who return to finish what they started.

From there the chase begins with Harlin patiently moving us from one location to the next as Maya tries to avoid being butchered by the ax-wielding Scarecrow and his two followers. It starts throughout what has to be the emptiest hospital you’ll ever see. From there we follow Maya out into the rainy darkness where she soon stumbles upon a horse ranch. And it goes on from there. At each stop she encounters eccentric locals and just knowing who to trust is a terrifying challenge.

As Maya’s fight for survival progresses, co-writers Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland sprinkle in brief flashbacks that hint at the origins of the three strangers. It’s more eerie than insightful, and it’s hard to know if it will eventually amount to much in a series about the utterly random nature of some violence. But it looks like the plan is to show how a bond formed between this deranged trio. How effectively it will play out is anyone’s guess.

While storytelling isn’t a strength, “Chapter 2” has some genuinely good scenes. There’s a nerve-racking sequence in the hospital’s morgue. And later on there is a terrifically edited scene inside an SUV as a frightened Maya tries to gauge the intent of the four twentysomethings inside with her. Other moments don’t fair as well, such as Maya’s encounter with a glaringly obvious computer generated wild boar. It’s well staged, but the CGI is distracting. Or a scene where she goes full John Rambo and sews up her own stomach wound.

Even with its blemishes, “The Strangers – Chapter 2” is a surprising step up from its predecessor. The movie is essentially three murderous maniacs endlessly pursuing a young woman through a rural backwoods community. Nothing about that sounds remotely original, and it’s hard to make the case that “Chapter 2” has anything new to offer. Yet I can’t deny its entertainment value which is mostly the result of Harlin’s craftsmanship. It’s still hard to figure out what the trilogy is going for. But “Chapter 2” earns enough goodwill to bring me back for “Chapter 3”.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

Rachel Lee Goldenberg directs and co-writes “Swiped”, a biographical drama that follows the professional career of Whitney Wolfe Herd. If you’re like me, that may not be a name you’re familiar with. Herd was the co-founder of the popular dating app Tinder and later the founder and CEO of the dating and social networking app Bumble. She broke down countless barriers, and as a result of her work she became the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire.

Goldenberg’s story, which she co-wrote with Bill Parker and Kim Caramele, begins with Whitney Wolfe (wonderfully played by Lily James) trying to raise capital for her new startup. The Whitney we are introduced to is smart, ambitious, and determined. It’s those traits that impress a young upstart CEO named Sean Rad (Ben Schnetzer) who hires her to be the Marketing Director for his own startup, Cardify.

But his fortune changes when Rad launches a new dating app called Tinder. Despite being one of the big brains behind the app, Whitney watches as Rad and his two frat-boyish partners, Justin (Jackson White) and Jonathan (Ian Colletti) take most of the credit. That is until Whitney takes the app on a college marketing blitz starting with her alma mater, SMU. As a result, Tinder’s downloads skyrocket and Whitney is promoted to co-founder.

But despite her new status within the company, Whitney can’t penetrate the poorly veiled boys club at the top. A big chunk of the movie examines that workplace dynamic which only intensifies after she starts dating fellow founder Justin. Misogyny, jealousy, and harassment follow as Goldenberg takes a scalpel to the male-dominated tech industry culture. Unfortunately her blade never quite breaks the skin of what could have been an insightful interrogation of a pertinent subject.

The problem lies in the sometimes skittish storytelling that sweeps us from point to point without ever really planting its feet anywhere. That leaves it feeling as if there’s far more to the story than we’re getting. The male characters are especially puzzling, often lurching from compassionate and supportive to diabolically vile without much dramatic notice. Never is this more true than in the last act when her billionaire backer and loyal ally Andrey Andreev (a hard to recognize Dan Stevens) becomes an enabling heel on a dime.

Much of those issues stem from the film’s obvious girl-boss aspirations. From all indications the filmmakers stretch the real-life story beyond its bounds in their efforts to emphasize empowerment. And despite delivering several piercing scenes showing the various shades of workplace misogyny, “Swiped” has a tendency of moving along too quickly rather delving deeper into the people involved. The shallow treatment isn’t just reserved for the sexist tech-bros. Later, Whitney meets and falls for a hunky cowboy (Pierson Fodé), a good catch with little personality and less agency who mostly lingers in the background.

Even with its flaws, “Swiped” quite easily holds your attention and it does a decent job getting its overall point across. The often underrated Lily James elevates the film on her own. And it’s worth telling the story of Whitney Wolfe Herd, a young woman from Salt Lake City who created her first startup in her dorm room before going on to become a successful groundbreaker for women in the tech space. Yet by the end, while I knew what Herd had endured and accomplished, I never felt like I really knew her. Another example of where a little more time and attention could have made a world of difference. “Swiped” releases September 19th exclusively on Hulu.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

Taron Egerton has been enjoying quite a leading man run lately. In 2023 he shined in the surprisingly captivating biographical thriller “Tetris”. He followed in up in 2024 with the well-received “Carry-On”, a taut and tense Christmastime action thriller for Netflix. Now this year he’s back with “She Rides Shotgun”, a gritty crime thriller built around an emotional father-daughter story. The three performances couldn’t be more different. And they show off the 35-year-old’s impressive range.

“She Rides Shotgun” is based on Jordan Harper’s 2017 novel of the same name. In it, Egerton plays Nate, an ex-con trying to make a fresh start after his recent release from prison. The film opens with 9-year-old Polly (a superb Ana Sophia Heger) waiting for her mother to pick her up after school. But as time passes, she is surprised when her estranged father Nate arrives instead. He’s jittery and anxious and from all signs he’s driving a stolen car. A startled Polly reluctantly gets in and Nate takes off in a hurry.

This is Polly’s first time seeing her father since he got out of prison, and his cryptic speech and erratic behavior frightens her. Nate assures her that everything is ok, but their situation only gets stranger after he drives them to airport, ditches the car, and finds a motel for the night. While Nate sleeps, a television news broadcast reveals to Polly what her father has been hiding from her. She learns her mother and step-father were victims of a brutal double homicide and the police have Nate as their prime suspect.

Nate is forced to tell Polly the truth. While in prison he upset the wrong people leading to him and his family being marked for death. While he was unable to save his ex-wife, Nate is determined to protect his daughter at all costs, despite having few resources and no one he can trust. Now he and Polly are on the run from a corrupt sheriff and gang leader (played by a truly chilling John Carroll Lynch) who is willing to use any means to catch and kill them.

The movie has two facets that play out over the course of its rather lengthy two-hour runtime. The first is the thriller element which follows Nate and Polly as they’re on the run. The two stay on the move, from Santa Fe to Albuquerque, dodging crooked cops, contract killers, gang members, and one pesky detective (Rob Yang) who may or may not be their only ally in the entire Southwest. It’s certainly a competent thriller that can be both gripping and harrowing.

The second is the father-daughter dynamic which evolves over the course of their journey. Rowland along with screenwriters Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski never lose sight of the troubled yet heartfelt central relationship. They don’t gloss over Nate’s weaknesses and shortcomings, yet they capture his love for his daughter which is seen most in his determination to protect her. The story routinely gives Nate and Polly moments to flesh out their circumstances. The rest comes from the rich performances from both Egerton and Heger.

My one big knock on the movie comes with its somewhat baffling ending that I still find myself wrestling with. From early on we get the sense that a violent confrontation is inevitable. The buildup is intense, but it wraps up with a well-intended yet head-scratching finish that I still don’t quite understand. Aside from that, “She Rides Shotgun” is a fittingly gritty and poignant redemption story with a distinct human pulse. And it’s yet another good showcase for Egerton who continues to build for himself an impressive résumé. “She Rides Shotgun” opens in theaters on August 1st.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

The drama surrounding DC’s first attempt at a cinematic superhero universe is well-documented and going over the ins and outs of its rise and fall would take forever. In a nutshell, DC was put in the hands of Zack Snyder who attempted to do something to distinguish DC from its well-established competition at Marvel. The results were pretty great, that is until Snyder had the keys taken away in an effort to mirror Marvel’s success rather than offer a contrast to it. From there things fell apart pretty quickly.

Now DC is trying again by bringing in Marvel and DC alum James Gunn to head an entire reboot of their properties. For many of us, Gunn wasn’t the most encouraging choice considering his previous swings at franchise superhero movies (“Guardians of the Galaxy”, “The Suicide Squad”) were team-based stories laced with heavy amounts of humor. How that would translate to running a full-scale cinematic universe would be anyone’s guess.

Gunn kicks off his tenure by writing and directing DC’s signature character, Superman. Once again, Gunn isn’t the first person I would expect to be handed the keys to the iconic Man of Steel. But as a fan of the character and DC overall, I went in hopeful for a movie that would do him justice and get the DC Universe off on the right foot. Unfortunately, “Superman” quickly turns into a frustrating and often baffling mix of missteps and shortcuts.

“Superman” is riddled with nagging issues that include an overstuffed story, underdeveloped characters, head-scratching plot contrivances, and some needless liberties with the lore that fail to have the impact intended. Even worse, at times the movie feels as if it’s made for fans of James Gunn rather than fans of Superman. From the overly jokey tone to cameos featuring several of his buddies, you can often see Gunn more focused on putting his stamp on the property than telling a great Superman story.

Gunn starts by bypassing the origin stuff which most of us know by heart. His story is set three years after Superman (David Corenswet) first revealed himself to Earth. Apparently his most amazing feats happened in that three-year window prior to the events of the movie. I say that because we don’t get to see any of them. Instead we spend most of the time watching Superman getting beaten to a pulp. In fact, the very first scene has him crashing down after being destroyed by a metahuman working for billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult).

Speaking of Lex, here Superman’s powerful archenemy is turned into an underwritten brat whose motives are murky at best and incoherent at worse. Lex is already in a position of enormous power and influence, although how he got there is all but avoided. What we do learn is that he’s an arms dealer, he may be involved in a budding war between two neighboring nations, and he has a petty (masked as maniacal) hatred for Superman. Lex somehow has massive pull within the United States government and he can somehow sway public opinion just by appearing on a corny talk show.

Of course a big part of Superman’s story involves his life as Clark Kent. He’s once again a reporter at the Daily Planet alongside Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan). The movie begins with the two already romantically involved and with Lois aware of Clark’s superhero identity. Sadly their relationship doesn’t go anywhere beyond what we’ve seen before. Meanwhile the Daily Planet crew features such familiar names as editor-in-chief Perry White (Wendell Pierce), the busty Cat Grant (Mikaela Hoover), and Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) who’s shackled to one of the film’s weirdest and most underdeveloped angles.

Adding to the assembly line of characters are three super-powered metahumans, Guy Gardner AKA Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), and Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced). Guy calls them the “Justice Gang” which becomes a running joke that quickly runs out of gas. Nothing about them as a team seems thought out past the comic bits Gunn squeezes out of them. Only Mr. Terrific gets any meaningful time to semi-develop.

There are several other problems that are at least worth mentioning. There are some wonky digital effects. Nearly all the stakes come across as manufactured rather than organic. There is a surprising lack of emotion throughout the movie. Ma and Pa Kent are thrown in for sentimental effect but are glaringly inconsequential. Most of humanity are inadvertently depicted as insanely dumb and gullible. Even Krypto the dog is fumbled. He should be a cheap and easy way to get reactions from the audience. But Gunn doesn’t know when to let off the gas, and the CGI dog’s cutesy comic relief gets a bit old.

It pains me to say, but James Gunn’s “Superman” misses nearly every mark it aims for. And there are A LOT of marks as Gunn spends most of his time throwing ideas onto the screen rather than having them make sense within a cohesive story. He even takes an ax to some long-established lore only to get nothing out of it. Meanwhile the performances are simply fine, with no one being either terrific or terrible. To be fair, it’s no fault of the cast. It’s the writing and direction that lets them down.

Going back to my comic book days, I’ve long been a bigger fan of DC than Marvel. So much so that even with my concerns, I was willing to receive a new Man of Steel with open arms. But “Superman” is a disappointing reinvention of an iconic character so many love. In fact, calling this iteration “SUPERman” seems incredibly generous. Gunn’s attempts at capturing the essence of the character while shaping a new Superman in his image will probably payoff at the box office. But it’s hardly the fitting reintroduction this DC Comics pillar deserves. “Superman” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 2 STARS