The Last Witch Hunter- 3/10
The Last Witch Hunter is what I thought it would be, and thats not a good thing. Its just one lukewarm action sequence after another, and The Last Witch Hunter features one too many unintentionally funny cornball moments.
To add to that, The Last Witch Hunter plays like an ordinary adaptation of a YA fantasy novel. If were talking about a film series in the same vein (i.e. a hardened loner/badass fighting evil supernatural creatures), the R ratings and the blood and the violence gives the Underworld films a noticeable edge for being more aggressive and bold. Im not saying The Last Witch Hunter needs to be a gore fest to be a successful film, but when it comes to action and violence, TLWH is tamed and watered down.
Vin Diesel? Hes a competent leading man, with Rose Leslie and Elijah Wood (Michael Caines screen time is limited to here and there appearances) delivering a pair of decent performances, but at the same time, Diesel feels out of place here. Again, TLWH feels and looks like an adaptation of a YA fantasy novel. With the bad guys constantly using magic spells and ancient curses to thwart Diesel, you get the feeling an inexperienced and gutsy teenager learning the ropes and overcoming the odds wouldve been a better choice for the main character/leading role, not a forty-eight year old man, whos playing a lethal warrior with eight hundred years of experience.
To make matters worse, one of the main villains in the movie is not intimidating or menacing. Hes just some fat guy with a thick beard, who talks with a croaky voice, and thats a problem, because the Witch Queen (the primary antagonist) is absent (she only appears in the early stages and during the tail end of the film) for the vast majority of the movie. As far as Kurt Angle goes, dont blink, or youll miss his him, because the screen time for his first (and only) appearance might add up to ten seconds, if that.
A few bonus points for two genuinely surprising twists at the end, and the grotesque body design for the Witch Queen, but TLWH is a mediocre film at best. After I, Frankenstein and now this, I think its safe to say a lot of moviegoers are not interested in fantasy/adventure action films about a loner/warrior leading the fight against evil supernatural forces. Both films were panned by the critics, and I know Diesel said plans for a sequel (the unresolved ending opens the door for another set of films) are in place, but I cant see it happening for a number of reasons.
Spectre- 4/10
Unimpressive, dull, and bland. Spectre features a few decent action sequences, but after the first hour or so, Spectre is a chore to sit through, and the lengthy runtime (2hr. & 30min.? Jeez) really drags the film into a tiresome slump. Christoph Waltz is an underwhelming villain, and to make matters worse, its hard to ignore the feeling for Daniel Craig just going through the motions here.
Batistas Mr. Hinx is on a short list of positives here. Batistas intimidating performance as this silent and relentless bruiser is the main highlight in Spectre, and the brief interactions between Monica Bellucci and Craig deserve recognition, but thats about it. Spectre is not an abomination, but its the weakest Bond film in the Daniel Craig era.
I've seen some trailers for Spotlight, and that looks like a must-see to me, with a very good ensemble cast. I'm also a sucker for Stanley Tucci, so that may be it, but it looks like it'd be in the ballpark of movies like Doubt and Notes On A Scandal.
The critics are praising Spotlight (currently holds a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes) left and right with strong reviews, and its another film thats receiving some early Oscar buzz, with a lot of Best Picture talk. The critical acclaim is a positive sign, the ensemble cast looks great, and going by some reviews Ive read, Spotlight is a non-exploitative docudrama.
According to Box Office Mojo.coms predictions, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2 will surpass the $127,000,000 mark to debut as the new #1 film in the week to week charts, and its only a matter of time before Mockingjay-Part 2 finds a spot in the top ten for 2015.
I had a hard time getting into Mockingjay- Part I as a setup film, and the original films shaky cam abuse was just annoying, but overall, Ive enjoyed The Hunger Games as a film series. The Empire Strikes Back comparisons are ludicrous, but Catching Fire is my pick for the best film in the series so far. Out of all the numerous YA fiction adaptations over the years, The Hunger Games is one of the very few series that actually comes close to living up to the hype with quality films, and of course, The Hunger Games played a big part in solidifying Jennifer Lawrences status as real star in Hollywood.
Out of all the new releases, Im really looking forward to The Night Before. It might be the same old, same old formula for a Seth Rogen comedy (on a side note, if were talking about Rogen/Gordon-Levitt collaborations, nothing will ever top or come close to 50/50), but hopefully TNB will deliver some good laughs. And with Bill Murrays new Christmas film and Krampus coming up, its nice to see the potential for a set of refreshing holiday films, and not the usual cheesy and clichéd Christmas films, or some generic and conventional Im coming home for the holidays, but I know Ill run into a series of problems with my dysfunctional family comedy bullshit.
Legend starring Tom Hardy in dual roles has a strange release schedule. The movie will only open in four theaters today, and Legend will expand to a nationwide release three weeks from now. Im a fan of Tom Hardy as an actor, but something is off with Legend in the trailers and commercials. I want to have high hopes for it, but going by the promo material, its hard to tell if Legend is trying to be a grand gangster biopic, or if theyre trying to make a run at the Oscars with the novelty of showcasing Hardy simultaneously portraying the Kray Twins.
Secret In Their Eyes? Eh, I have some doubts about it. The cast looks good, but the trailers are uneventful, and you have to believe Mockingjay- Part 2 and the mixed reviews (SITE currently holds a 41% on RT) will hurt SITEs box office numbers.
Carol is another limited release Im interested in. The trailers are kind of dull, but theres a lot of Oscar buzz surrounding Carol. If were talking about possible nominations, I find it hard to believe Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara will both receive one nomination a piece for one film. If it comes down to a choice of just one, Ill be shocked if Blanchett doesnt receive the nod over Mara, because shes the bigger name, and shes the one with a lengthy and distinguished career.
Honestly, who in their right minds actually believed this was a good idea? A Point Break remake? Why? The trailers are dull and uneventful, and you have to believe Point Break will go into the scrap-heap with other unnecessary remakes soon enough. It's a critically panned film (Point Break 2015 holds a laughable 5% on RT), and going by numerous box office predictions, Point Break should join the list of box office flops in 2015.
