The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles craze hit its stride after I had gotten older but I knew all about them. How could you not? They had their genesis in comic books but really launched with a popular animated series in the late 1980’s. For several years they had one of the hottest toy lines. They appeared in numerous video games. They even had a trilogy of feature films in the early 1990’s (and several reboots in the years that followed). The Turtles were a pretty big deal.

Like many, I felt the Turtles had had their day in the sun. Well, not so fast. Co-directors Jeff Rowe and Kyler Spears along with producer and co-writer Seth Rogen have revived the franchise on the big screen with their computer animated feature “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”. It’s a modern(ish) spin on the classic Turtles although one that doesn’t really distinguish itself outside of its surface-level flourishes. Yet I’m betting there’s enough of that to satisfy the TMNT faithful, young and old.

“Mutant Mayhem” diverts from the original material in several areas and puts much of its emphasis on the teenage side of the titular ‘Heroes in a Half-Shell’. Most notable is the highly stylized, sketchbook inspired animation. It’s a bold choice that’s fresh and innovative but also inconsistent and uneven. The art ranges from cool and inventive to sometimes chintzy and gimmicky. It really stands out in the characters. Some are impressively designed. Others, not so much.

The movie’s biggest issue is in the writing. Sure, there is some fun teen banter, a handful of amusing jokes, and a stray heartfelt moment or two. But the script really doesn’t give us much beyond that. Our four big-hearted pizza-loving Turtles are basically all the same character but with only the slightest distinctions between them. Then we’re given a rather predictable story that channels where it’s going early on. So that leaves us with pop-culture references aplenty, countless needle-drops, and a heaping helping of nostalgia to get by.

After being mutated by a mysterious green ooze 15 years earlier, turtle brothers Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), Donatello (Micah Abbey), Rafael (Brady Noon), and Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.) live deep in the New York City sewers with their protective father and sensei, a rat named Splinter (Jackie Chan). They sneak around the city undetected, gathering supplies and soaking in the popular culture than the humans enjoy. It creates a longing within them to be accepted by the humans. But Splinter is quick to warn them of the dangers that revealing themselves might bring.

Through a bit of rambunctious goofing around the Turtles meet and befriend April O’Neal (Ayo Edebiri), an aspiring journalist and an outcast at her high school. She agrees to help them with a plan to win the human’s acceptance. Together they will track down a local menace named Superfly (Ice Cube as a literal housefly mutated by the same green ooze). The Turtles will apprehend him and turn him over to the police. April will chronicle their feat and report it, leading the city to love and embrace them.

Of course their plan goes sideways fast and the Turtles quickly find themselves not only battling Superfly and his army of mutants, but also the Techno Cosmic Research Institute and its shady (and woefully underdeveloped) executive Cynthia Utrom (voiced by Maya Rudolph). These conflicts lead to some pretty creative action scenes, highlighted by some eye-popping animation and some clever cinematic effects. Not all of the action works, but when it does it can be thrilling.

It’s not too difficult to figure out where things are heading. But there is fun to be had beyond the predictable plot. The voice cast is mostly excellent, especially Cantu, Abbey, Noon, and Brown Jr. as the Ninja Turtles. Ice Cube is handed some of the film’s more amusing lines and there’s just something inherently funny about him in such an absurd role. His Superfly isn’t a particularly memorable villain, but it’s fun listening to him nail some pretty great lines.

To its credit “Mutant Mayhem” does several things that set it apart from (and in many ways set it above) the past TMNT feature films (you could say that’s a low bar and you wouldn’t be wrong). But once you look past the highly original art style and handful of modern updates, there’s not much new about this latest iteration. That said, it’s solid enough for the Turtle faithful to enjoy and the pure nostalgia of it will probably go a long way with certain audiences.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

Action movies are plentiful and they exist in all shapes and sizes. So many of them come and go without ever leaving a mark. But there’s something to be said for those that create and embrace their own corner of the genre. You could make a good case that Aditya Chopra and Yash Raj Films has done that with their gleefully stylish, unashamedly over-the-top, and immensely fun YRF Spy Universe.

The latest installment in the lucrative and ever-growing shared universe is “Tiger 3”, the fifth feature in this series of spy action films chronicling the adventures of various fictional RAW agents. Directed by Maneesh Sharma, “Tiger 3” is a sequel to 2017’s “Tiger Zinda Hai” and follows the events of 2019’s “War” and this year’s “Pathaan”. It sees the return of the effortlessly charismatic Salman Khan as RAW agent Avinash “Tiger” Singh Rathore and Katrina Kaif as his wife and ISI agent Zoya.

“Tiger 3” delivers everything fans love about the Spy Universe’s high-octane brand of action but on an even bigger scale. The signature style, the self-aware swagger, the rousing music, and most of all the huge electrifying set pieces – it’s all here in spades. As for the story, it works under a pretty basic premise. But it’s a premise that does what it needs to – set the table for the action while throwing in a few surprises along the way.

Written for the screen by Shridhar Raghavan from a story by Chopra, “Tiger 3” incorporates a number of frequently used spy movie angles. And while it may not stray from the Spy Universe’s distinct formula, it remains an absolute blast, fueled by some of the best action sequences you’ll see this year and driven by Khan and Kaif’s attention-grabbing presences.

Well-versed Spy Universe fans will be quite familiar with the movie’s narrative framework. There are twists, turns, and betrayals. There is globetrotting, espionage, and political power grabs. Of course there are also fierce shout-outs, kinetically choreographed fight scenes, and moments of jaw-dropping action that simply defies explanation in such a small space. And how can I forget another power-mad villain, this time with deep personal connections to our two protagonists.

While none of those things feel particularly new, Sharma and Raghavan weave a good story around their two characters who many of us have grown to love. The story begins with a prologue that introduces us to Aatish Rehman (a terrific Emraan Hashmi), an ex-ISI agent and Zoya’s former mentor. When Rehman goes rogue Zoya is forced to expose him, ending in his imprisonment for treason.

Jump to the present day where Tiger, Zoya, and their tween son Junior (Sartaaj Kakkar) live a cozy life in Austria. But when a friend and fellow agent is killed and questions of Zoya’s loyalties arise, Tiger is forced to investigate. The trail he follows leads to a shocking discovery – Aatish is free and has kidnapped and drugged Junior. He uses their son to force Tiger and Zoya to pull off a daring heist in exchange for an antidote. They succeed, but in the process unknowingly hand over nuclear launch codes to Aatish and his extremists. In the meantime Aatish frames them and soon they are wanted by both the Indian and Pakistani governments.

In addition to India, Pakistan, and Austria, the movie jets us to other exciting locations including St. Petersburg, Russia and Istanbul, Turkey. And as Tiger and Zoya attempt to clear their names they also fight to figure out and thwart Aatish’s plan. To do so requires the help of a few old friends. And it all builds up to an epic-sized showdown that plays out just as we expect but is still loads of fun nonetheless.

“Tiger 3” is a thrilling new installment in a cinematic universe that has no illusions about what it is. The film is pure action spectacle but with enough story (predictable as it may be) to keep you engaged. Khan still has the coolness and physicality to carry the movie, but he doesn’t do it alone. Kaif matches him line for line and scene for scene. In fact, there are times when she’s easily the most compelling and exciting person on screne. What matters most is that they’re great together, and I’ll go wherever their next adventure takes them. “Tiger 3” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

Eli Roth gleefully mixes excessive gore with some good laughs in “Thanksgiving”, his new film based on the American holiday that (these days) is more about turkeys, football, and Christmas shopping than any notion of actual thankfulness. Roth’s unapologetically silly slasher-comedy spends as much time taking shots at what the holiday has become as it does gruesomely offing its hapless gaggle of victims, often in various Thanksgiving themed ways.

Written by Jeff Rendell, the story is fittingly set in Plymouth, Massachusetts where in the opening 15 minutes we witness a tragic yet undeniably hilarious Black Friday incident. A feral crowd of shoppers storm a local RightMart store as they open for their Black Friday sale. With too little security, the store quickly loses control. Chaos and violence erupts and three people are killed. Overall it’s a situation that’s clearly intended to be preposterous. But at the same time, Roth shoots it dead-seriously which only makes it funnier.

One year later, Plymouth has mostly put the Black Friday tragedy behind them. But with Thanksgiving fast approaching, the community learns that someone is not quite ready to forget. A sadistic serial killer known as (wait for it…..) “John Carver” soon begins living up to his name – slicing, stuffing, and basting the terrified local townsfolk in preparation for his own macabre Thanksgiving Day feast.

The film stars the recently crowned Sexiest Man Alive (according to People magazine), Patrick Dempsey. He plays Sheriff Eric Newlon who was at RightMart on that fateful Black Friday. Now he’s tasked with finding who’s killing his citizens in an assortment of gruesome ways. Of course the movie introduces us to a host of locals, providing many of them with ample motives to be put on our suspect list. Among them is the owner of RightMart, Thomas Wright (Rick Hoffman), his avaricious wife Kathleen (Karen Cliche), a grieving father (Ty Olsson), just to name a few.

And as is the norm for slashers, we get a group of shallow teens who make you fear for the future of our world the longer you’re around them. Of course several of them end up as fodder for the killer. But as usual there is the lone tolerable one who has some sense and earns a little sympathy. Here it’s Jessica (Nell Verlaque) who almost immediately gives off ‘Final Girl’ vibes. Then again, Roth throws enough at us to where we’re never quite certain who to suspect and who to trust.

As you might expect, the kills are aplenty. Not only are they garishly gory, but in many cases they’re quite original. Roth spares no creative expense (or bodily organ) in slaughtering his mostly disposable victims. Unfortunately that same attention isn’t given to the script which only exists to usher us from one bloody murder to the next. To his credit, Roth moves us along pretty quick and doesn’t allow us much time to think about things. But it eventually catches up to him, especially in the big reveal that doesn’t make a lot sense and has some pretty hard-to-miss logistical problems.

That’s not the only place where the writing lets the movie down. Rendell’s dialogue can be as grating as it is exhausting. Characters sling f-bombs like they’re on a counter yet rarely (if ever) get lines that might offer actual depth. And while the movie teases a satirical bite early on, it ends up having no teeth whatsoever and any satire all but vanishes in the second half which goes into straight B-movie genre mode.

Those may sound like petty gripes, especially for a movie with a clear ‘back to slasher basics’ approach. But they’re what make “Thanksgiving” an amusing time-passer rather than a new slasher-comedy classic. The pieces are all there – a great setting, delightfully grisly kills, and a good self-awareness (the hysterical tagline “There will be no leftovers” still cracks me up”). But Roth is so focused on some parts that he shortchanges others. Then again, are we supposed to care about such things in a movie like this or just get onboard for the ride? You decide. “Thanksgiving” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

Thirty-five years ago in the quiet idyllic town of Vernon, three teenage girls were found brutally murdered. Each were stabbed a total of sixteen times. The dubbed “Sweet 16 Killer”, who wore all black and a mask reminiscent of Max Headroom meets Fallout’s Vault Boy, was never found. That grim and horrifying cloud has hung over the once sleepy little community ever since.

That’s the setting for “Totally Killer”, a new retro slasher black comedy from director Nahnatchka Khan. This Amazon and Blumhouse collaboration is an enthusiastic romp that both celebrates and spoofs the resilient horror sub-genre. But the screenwriting trio of David Matalon, Sasha Perl-Raver, and Jen D’Angelo don’t stop there. There’s also a science-fiction element to their story – more specifically, time travel. And it’s every bit as silly as it sounds.

Make no mistake, the filmmakers know how silly their movie is. They embrace it which is why the film works as well as it does (when it works). In reality “Totally Killer” is much more of a comedy. Yes, there’s blood and bodies. But it’s the humor that fares best, especially when we’re transported back to 1987. It’s there that the utter recklessness of the eighties collides with current day fragility, opening the door for a slew of culture clash gags, many of which garner some big laughs.

Whiny teen Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) is having a hard time with her over-protective parents, Pam (Julie Bowen) and Blake (Lachlan Munro). But you can hardly blame them. They happened to be Jamie’s age when the above mentioned killings took place 35 years earlier and they’re only looking out for their daughter. But it’s getting to be a little too much which has really put a strain on their relationships, especially between Jamie and her mom.

After a hateful spat, Jamie goes off to a Halloween night concert with her best friend Amelia (Kelcey Mawema). While she’s away, the Sweet 16 Killer suddenly returns and violently kills Pam. Unbeknownst to her, a devastated Jamie happens to be the next target. While at the school’s science fair the murderer chases her into Amelia’s project – a broken time machine (yep, you read that right). And wouldn’t you know it, amid the chaos the time machine fires up and suddenly Jamie finds herself in 1987.

As she tries to deal with the sudden time shock, Jamie is surprised when she runs into the three girls who will soon be murdered. And in true “Back to the Future” fashion, she runs into her teenage mother (played by Olivia Holt) who is close friends with the doomed girls. Jamie comes up with a plan – save the girls from being killed and recruit young Pam to help her expose the killer. But that’ll take infiltrating their snobbish clique. Easier said that done.

From there the movie goes in several different directions, sometimes clinging tight to the slasher genre; other times poking fun at it. Along the way we meet a number of side characters across both timelines. Some are fun, some are endearing, some are annoying, some are as dumb as a box of rocks. Many follow common slasher archetypes. But for the most part Khan does some interesting things with them.

Not all of the eighties references land and there are certain gags that the filmmakers run into the ground. Also making sense of the final 15 minutes can seem like a chore. But overall “Totally Killer” finds the sweet spot between serious and spoof. You’ll get a kick out of the eighties attire, the musical blasts of Bananarama, Chris de Burgh, Shannon, etc., and the numerous callbacks to chillers like “Halloween” and “Scream” among others. And while it may not add much to the slasher genre, it’ll certainly have you laughing, often when you least except it. “Totally Killer” is now streaming on Hulu.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

For those who haven’t been tipped off by its devilishly cool poster, some readers may see the title of Emmy Award winner Timothy Woodward Jr.’s new movie “Til Death Do Us Part” and immediately have their heads filled with images of love-struck soulmates and wedding day bliss. Beautiful brides, heartfelt vows, overflowing joy. Well, for the sake of anyone who might think that’s what they’re signing up for here, let me emphatically say that is not this movie.

It doesn’t take long to figure out that Woodward Jr. has something much different in mind for his movie. Something crazy, something violent, and something that is perhaps a little too ambitious. And that’s pretty much “Til Death Do Is Part” in a nutshell. It’s a movie that surprised me with its big aim even though it doesn’t quite hit its target.

Co-written by Chad Law and Shane Dax Taylor, this peculiar John Wick meets Kill Bill thriller mixes straight action with black comedy while sprinkling in a dash of home invasion horror. The framework is actually quite clever with the story building itself around one key reveal and playing it out across two different timelines. The problem is with the execution. Simply put, too much of what it’s trying to do simply doesn’t mesh. More on that in a second.

Woodward Jr. opens his movie in a way that makes you think you’ve stepped into a sappy romcom. The Best Man (Cam Gigandet) sits in a church pew working on his best man speech, the Groom (Ser’Darius Blain) slides into his stylish tuxedo, and the Bride (Natalie Burn) puts on her finishing touches all while the whimsical music builds up to what’s sure to be a storybook crescendo, right?

Well, not exactly. Just as she’s about to walk down the aisle the Bride gets cold feet. She leaves the church, hops in her car, and heads to a remote house that (I think) belongs to her family. The jilted Groom doesn’t take kindly to being left at the alter but still hopes that they can work things out. So he sends his Best Man and six groomsmen to see if she’s at the house and keep her there until he arrives.

Obviously questions abound. Why did she leave? What changed her mind? What is she running from? There’s actually more to it than just another runaway bride story. The road to answers begins when we’re suddenly transported to Puerto Rico where the Bride and Groom are enjoying their honeymoon. They look to be having the time of their lives. But later some pretty clear tension surfaces. Yet another layer is added after the Bride and Groom meet and hit it off with a Husband (Jason Patric) and Wife (Nicole Arlyn) who are in Puerto Rico to celebrate their 20th anniversary.

Back on their wedding day the Bride’s showdown with the groomsmen quickly turns violent and it becomes pretty obvious that these people aren’t quite who we thought they were. There’s a whiff of a cool idea especially once the bloody game of cat and mouse kicks into gear. The B movie schlock vibes are actually kind of endearing. Also, Burn makes for a compelling protagonist even if she isn’t given much that shows her range. And Patric almost single-handedly saves the film with a killer second-half monologue that brings most everything into focus.

But over time the flaws begin to add up. The movie’s bread-and-butter is supposed to be the Bride one-by-one offing her well-tailored invaders with gruesome blood-soaked precision. The problem is the action is never as edgy as it wants to be. And the fact that the groomsmen are thinly sketched dullards doesn’t help. Then you have the Best Man, easily one of the most annoying characters of the year. Gigandet seems stuck in one gear, overacting within an inch of his life (think Chris Hemsworth in “Bad Times at the El Royale” but minus the coolness and restraint). It’s a character who grows harder and harder to endure.

“Til Death Do Us Part” deserves points for subverting expectations. It certainly turns out to be something much different than it first teases. Natalie Burn eviscerating her dumbbell foes while still decked in her elegant white wedding gown can be a fun and funny sight. And Jason Patric is a hoot especially when driving what is easily the film’s best scene (you’ll know it when you see it). But those things can’t cover or cure the movie’s nagging issues. And being 20 minutes too long only makes those issues stand out even more. “Til Death Do Is Part” hits theaters August 4th.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

Thanks to A24 horror fans won’t have to wait until October for the next horror film of the year to come around. “Talk to Me” has been getting a lot a buzz since its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Australian twin brothers Danny and Michael Philippou (best known for their massively popular YouTube channel RackaRacka), this supernatural chiller leans on several familiar tropes yet has just enough of its own flavor to get by.

“Talk to Me” may have a small budget ($4.5 million to be exact), but it’s what the Philippou’s do within those constraints that’s so impressive. There aren’t a ton of special effects and what we get are predominately practical. But they’re also extremely effective and show how smart and crafty filmmakers can do a lot with a little. Equally impressive are three key performances from what amounts to a mostly inexperienced cast. More on them in a second.

The writing is more of a mixed bag. The story itself is inherently silly which is part of the fun. But it’s hard to overlook the gaping holes in logic. Dumb nurses, even dumber cops, shallow teen “friends” who no one in their right mind would hang out with – they all add quite a bit of head-scratching to the proceedings. But the brothers are shrewd in their presentation and it’s hard not to get sucked into the scenario they envision (even if much about it feels familiar).

The story follows a group of thrill-seeking high school friends who learn how to conjure up the dead through a ceramic-covered embalmed hand (yep, you read that right). As you can probably figure out, they soon go too far with their new favorite party game and accidentally open a gate that allows some truly malevolent spirits to cross over. Horror hijinks ensue.

While that may sound ridiculous (probably because it is), the Philippou brothers maintain a serious tone (with one pretty hilarious exception that I won’t spoil). It works well in large part thanks to their ability to not only build tension but sustain it. It’s also helped by the three central characters and the strong performances behind them, Mia (Sophie Wilde), Jade (Alexandra Jensen), and Riley (Joe Bird).

We first meet 17-year-old Mia on the two-year anniversary of her mother’s suicide. Not only is she still struggling with the loss, but it has put a strain on her relationship with her father (Marcus Johnson). But she has found comfort in the family of her best friend Jade. Along with Jade’s 15-year-old brother Riley, the three have formed a strong sibling bond that has helped Mia cope. A lot of attention is given to the trio with their relationships being a crucial part of the story. All three are well-conceived characters as is Miranda Otto as Jade and Riley’s mom – not quite as fleshed out but a great fit and a lot of fun.

Not all the characters fare as well with the worst being Haley (Zoe Terakes) and Joss (Chris Alosio) – the annoying one-dimensional dime-a-dozen horror genre “friends” who have populated countless horror movies over the years. Still, there’s enough good stuff in the film to hold our interest and the movie steadily generates a palpable sense of unease that culminates in a handful of genuinely chilling scenes and one cracking ending that makes the film’s frustrations a little easier to digest. “Talk to Me” is out now in theaters.

VERDICT – 3 STARS