'Servant' Trailer: Hiring A Nanny Goes Bust In M. Night Shyamalan's Creepy Apple TV+ Series

For those of us who are...let's just call it "child averse", the idea of parenting is inherently scary. Movies don't make it look any better, with more than a handful of films involving creepy kids who either turn out to be serial killers or spawns of Satan. M. Night Shyamalan's new Apple TV+ series Servant plays on these fears of parenthood and looks absolutely terrifying in this brand new trailer.

Lauren Ambrose and Toby Kebbell play a Philadelphia couple who hire a young nanny (Nell Tiger Free) to watch over their son. Sounds innocent enough, except their child is...well, not like other kids. I'll say this, at least he's not a demon spawn or a serial killer. Or at least he isn't in this trailer, but who knows what'll happen by the end of the show's 10-episode run. I don't put anything past Shyamalan or the series' writer and creator Tony Basgallop.

It's also cool to see Rupert Grint in this. He's spent the last couple of years busy on the Snatch series adaptation and seems to have found his niche in the realm of TV. I have a feeling his character will probably die (even in this trailer he looks expendable), but it looks like a fun role nonetheless.

Servant premieres November 28th on Apple TV+.

Read More

Review: 'Destroyer', Nicole Kidman Elevates A Familiar Cop Drama

We've grown so accustomed to Nicole Kidman's startling transformations that, for much of Karyn Kusama's grimy, captivating cop drama Destroyer, we don't really register it. Buried under greying, stringy hair that looks like it hasn't been washed in a month, a twisted nose, and the cracked skin of someone twice her age, Kidman is virtually unrecognizable. Been there, and done that, right? She's won Oscars for undergoing such startling transformations. But it's not until we see her character, troubled LAPD cop Erin Bell, in earlier and less disheveled times, that we realize the depth of what it all means.

While it's obvious right from the start that Erin has been rode hard and put up wet, her younger self is beautiful, naïve, and eager. It's a deadly combination that we know, based on the circular nature of Kusama's direction, will have life-changing consequences both physically and emotionally. Our need to understand how a woman like Erin got to this point is what sustains us through a pedestrian story about a cop on the edge.

Erin lives up to the movie's title in words and action right from the start. She's more than just rough around the edges, she's got some serious issues. Upon the discovery of a dead body of someone she seems to recognize, Erin doesn't hesitate to tell the assisting cops that she can solve the murder, yet ignores their pleas for help. Instead, she broods until the delivery of a purple-dyed $100 bill confirms her suspicions. Erin's life hasn't been the same since her encounter with the unhinged Silas (Toby Kebbell) sixteen years earlier, during an undercover assignment that would end tragically. Knowing that Silas has emerged out of hiding, Erin takes it upon herself to confront him, but to do that she'll need to work through members of his old gang, and relive painful memories.

It should go without saying that Erin goes off the rails in her mission, going well beyond proper police procedure on numerous occasions. Screenwriters Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi heap a world of troubles on Erin's shoulders to see if she can bear the weight. Flashbacks take us through the events of the case, as she and partner Chris (Sebastian Stan) pose as a couple to infiltrate Silas' inner circle. As often happens, both get in way too deep and it has violent consequences. In the present, Erin is also dealing with her 16-year-old daughter Shelby (Jade Pettyjohn), who she's lost custody of and has to watch make the same mistakes she made.

Any hour-long cop drama offers up the same shitty personal details that Erin suffers through, but Kidman has us gripped from the moment she first appears on screen. Throughout we see her slowly unveiling new layers to Erin, some which have us sympathizing with her, and others that are pretty disgusting. In one scene with a horny terminally ill informant we see the humiliating lengths Erin will go to get what she needs, while in another she takes out her aggression on a rich prick (played a little too perfectly by Bradley Whitford) when he stonewalls her investigation. A heartbreaking dinner conversation between Erin and Selby turns into an impromptu mea culpa that will leave you stunned, considering all that we've seen her do up to that point.

While Kidman is the star of this show, her supporting cast is excellent, in particular Orphan Black's Tatiana Maslany as Silas' wildcard ex-girlfriend, Petra. Maslany undergoes a physical makeover as drastic as Kidman's, to the point that I had no idea who she was until I looked at the credits. Had me completely fooled.

It's a shame that Kidman's mostly being overlooked this awards season because of Destroyer's mixed response, but that she is so able to elevate such familiar material makes her performance all the more extraordinary.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Read More

Review: 'The Hurricane Heist' Reaches Syfy Channel Levels Of Insanity

The Hurricane Heist is insane. The new film from The Fast and The Furious director Rob Cohen is one of the most proudly bonkers movies I’ve seen in a while. I’m talking Syfy-Channel-original-movie-levels of insanity, only on a much higher budget, and released to theaters for some reason. It shows that this movie comes from the mind behind Fast and Furious and xXx, because much like in those films, everything about The Hurricane Heist is cranked up to 11, capital E EXTREME. If there is an opportunity for something to be more hardcore and “awesome” than necessary, this movie happily takes it.

It opens with what’s essentially a short film showing us two young brothers losing their father in a horrific hurricane. How do we know it’s horrific? Because the clouds turn into the shape of a skull after killing him, of course!

I told you, this is nuts.

Flash forward twenty years and the brothers are now our protagonists. One is a mechanic named, honestly, Breeze (Ryan Kwanten) and the other is Will, a hurricane obsessed meteorologist (Toby Kebbell). When the oncoming storm knocks out the power at a US Treasury facility, an agent (Maggie Grace) is sent to go find them to get help. Then things get sloppy. They introduce about a dozen other characters and subplots and it becomes legitimately difficult to figure out who you’re supposed to be rooting for for about the first half hour. Which brings me to the film’s first big problem.

You would think a movie called The Hurricane Heist would be about the heist, and have you rooting for the team that’s committing it, much like in a Fast and Furious movie. This film, however, is about stopping the titular heist. The majority of the action takes place around the event, as opposed to during it. This is not only a really puzzling decision to make in terms of action filmmaking, but also makes the title a lie! This is not a movie about a hurricane heist! This is a movie about making sure there isn’t one! Much like last year’s Geostorm, where they for some reason thought audiences didn’t want to actually see a geostorm, Hurricane Heist expects you to root against the eponymous (and awesome) idea that got you into the theater in the first place.

The actual heisters themselves aren’t much to write home about in terms of personality. Rather generic bank robbing bad guys, with the exception of the two British hackers they have on their team. I don’t know if it was the movie-nonsense computer hacking they were doing, or their hyper British back-and-forth that got me, but they were a pretty bright spot among some mostly generic villains.

Ultimately, this movie is a mess. Fortunately, sometimes it’s a fun mess, but a mess nonetheless. This film is so weirdly paced, and expects you to just accept and go along with some ideas and concepts that are truly insane. It’s like the movie version of freeform jazz. It moves both really fast and super slow at the same time. Because this isn’t a fast paced movie. There’s a lot that happens suddenly that we’re supposed to go along with, and that’s just not how narrative movies work.

In short, The Hurricane Heist is a broken movie. Is it good? No. But it’s also not the worst thing I’ve seen all year (looking at you, 15:17 to Paris). It’s not something I would recommend shelling out actual money to see in a theater, but if you happen to come across it on Netflix one day, it might give you a chuckle. An EXTREME chuckle.

1.5 out of 5

Read More

'The Hurricane Heist' Trailer Teases Wild Stormy B-Movie Fun

Pfft! Does the world need another heist movie? Nah. Does the world need more natural disaster movies? Not after Geostorm we don't! But what about a movie that combines the "best" of both? Brilliant! Bring on The Hurricane Heist!

Gleefully hyping the presence of The Fast and Furious and XXX director Rob Cohen, the trailer then hits us over the head with cheesy one-liner after cheesy one-liner on top of cliche, literally set to the sounds of "Rock You Like A Hurricane". But it looks just dumb enough to be some fun as long as stars Maggie Grace, Toby Kebell, and Ryan Kwanten are in on the joke. Before you ask, no, it isn't about thieves trying to steal an actual hurricane, although that would be something to definitely pay for. Here's the synopsis:

Under the threat of a hurricane, opportunistic criminals infiltrate a US Mint facility to steal $600 million for the ultimate heist. When the hurricane blows up into a lethal CATEGORY 5 storm and their well-made plans go awry, they find themselves needing a vault code known only by one Treasury Agent (Maggie Grace), a need that turns murderous. But the Treasury agent has picked up an unlikely ally, a meteorologist (Toby Kebbell) terrified of hurricanes but determined to save his estranged brother kidnapped by the thieves. He uses his knowledge of the storm as a weapon to win in this non-stop action thriller ride charged with adrenaline throughout.


The Hurricane Heist opens March 9th.

Read More

Review: 'Kong: Skull Island' Starring Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, And Samuel L. Jackson

The story of King Kong isn't a happy one. In the classic film in which he's introduced, Kong is a stranger to our land, an immigrant so to speak, who arrives and is used and abused until he lashes out in a violent rage at the top of a skyscraper. There have been many different takes on the world's largest ape since then, including a poorly-received remake by Peter Jackson (I dig it, but let's not argue.), but never have we seen the tables flipped the way they are in Jordan Vogt Roberts's awesome B-movie spectacle, Kong: Skull Island. It's a film that places Kong fully in the power position, and humanity in his territory for once. The shift in dynamic makes for a lot of Predator-esque monster fun, while Roberts's 1970s influences, in particular Apocalypse Now, make this Kong movie a true giant.

A genius move was setting the film in 1973 at the height of the anti-war movement, leading to the conclusion of the Vietnam War. There's a strong anti-war sentiment coursing through the film, which runs in stark contrast to man's violent inclinations and war-mongering ways. The plot is simple, Predator simple, actually. A group of soldiers accompany a scientific expedition to the fabled Skull Island, where they encounter King Kong who rules over the island with an iron paw. The expedition is led by Bill Randa (John Goodman), a conspiracy theorist who believes in the existence of monsters, and begs for government funding to explore those beliefs. Of course, times are tough with the War going on, " “Mark my words, there’ll never be a more screwed-up time in Washington!”, he says with the innocence of someone who will never know the name "Trump". But his ranting earns him one final bankroll to a mysterious island, kept hidden by a swirl of nasty, seemingly impenetrable storms. He's going to need an escort, though, a military escort, and some outside help.

Samuel L. Jackson does his best Captain Ahab impersonation as commander Preston Packard, who is still smarting from the U.S. "abandonment" of Vietnam, which he believes was caused by the media coloring public perception. That makes things awkward when the expedition is joined by anti-war photographer Mason Weaver, somehow allowed along on what is ostensibly a mapping operation. Tom Hiddleston is troubled British mercenary James Conrad, a tracker who has never found his way home from conflict. Others along for the journey are scientists played by 24: Legacy's Corey Hawkins and The Great Wall's Jing Tian, while accompanying soldiers are played by Thomas Mann, Jason Mitchell, Shea Whigham, and Toby Kebbell. As you probably expected, with a film like this there isn't a ton of character depth but the screenplay, credited to a battalion of four writers, does a good job of distinguishing each. Mitchell's character has mommy issues, Whigham's a war fetish, and Kebbell just wants to see his son again.

Hurtling through the electric storm in their helicopters, it isn't long before they start dropping seismic bombs all over the place. And you can imagine this pisses off you know who. When Kong first arrives, thankfully very early on not like the well-hidden Godzilla from a couple years ago, it's a stunning, jaw-dropping experience. He smashes through the fleet of helicopters and barrels through their barrage of cannon fire.  Roberts, who broke out with the revelatory coming of age comedy The Kings of Summer, shows he's as expressive an action director as he is with character pieces. The initial attack is devastating and chaotic, yet Roberts never lets his stylistic flourishes (of which there are many) interfere with our understanding of what's going on. Characters are separated by miles as the helicopters go down with Kong's crushing blows, and yet we still have an idea of who is where. That level of action choreography is tough for even seasoned filmmakers to master.

Understandably, there's a bit of a lull as the film re-orients itself, but things pick up immediately with the arrival of John C. Reilly as Hank Marlow, a wacked-out loon who has been living on the island with a native tribe since WWII. He's a total kook but he knows the island, he knows Kong, and he knows what the real creatures to fear are. He calls them "skull crawlers", although he thinks the name sounds stupid, and they are creatures that look like they spring from a Jurassic Park nightmare sequence. The arrival of Marlow and the natives is a sign that not everything on Skull Island is a monster needing to be destroyed, but convincing the vengeful Packard of that is another story.

There are a number of things that separate this King Kong movie from the rest, but the biggest thing is where its located. If you're going to set the story on Skull Island then make that kind of an effort worth it. Roberts does that by making Skull Island a wondrous place where dangers lurk over every moss hill, but there are also sights of incredible beauty. It's a place where peaceful giant yak creatures graze, while man-eating pterodactyls hover overhead. Many of the most beautiful images are captured, appropriately enough, through the lens of Weaver's camera, and they aren't just limited to the island's less-human denizens.

As for Kong himself, they didn't go wildly overboard in redesigning his look. He's definitely less simian and more like a monster, and that may be a calculated move given the franchise aspirations. By now you probably know Kong will eventually lead to a crossover with Godzilla as part of a monster cinematic universe. This version of Kong, who towers over the mountains like a great animal god, could go toe-to-toe with Godzilla any day. He is an incredible creature to behold and is treated as such, both in the way he is shot, and in the reactions from those who have the fortune (or misfortune) to witness his majesty.

There's no doubt who this movie belongs to, and it's not the human characters running around trying to avoid getting stomped. Hiddleston and Larson are the big draws here, but they don't really dominate the story at any point. In fact, nobody stands out as the true protagonist, although an upbeat closing credits sequence makes the case for an unexpected supporting character. Kong: Skull Island truly belongs to Kong, and it's the best King Kong movie since the 1933 classic. While I'm less enthused about the idea of a crossover ruining what makes this movie unique, if it turns out to be half as good as Kong: Skull Island, then bring on more monsters and LET THEM FIGHT!

Rating: 4 out of 5

Read More

Matthew McConaughey Dreams Of Riches In 'Gold' Red Band Trailer

Let's be clear; Gold does not need a red band trailer. Other than a brief glimpse of Matthew McConaughey's ass (seen in this trailer, by the way), it's a relatively tame movie about greed and ambition. But since it failed to make any noise as an awards contender, might as well go for the gusto and try to lure in audiences looking for something wild on the scale of The Wolf of Wall Street, which it isn't.

Very loosely based on the Bre-X mining scandal from the '90s, Gold stars McConaughey as a down 'n out prospector who scores big when he finds gold in the Indonesian jungle with the help of a brilliant geologist. Of course, being rich comes with its own set of problems both personally and professionally. Bryce Dallas Howard and Edgar Ramirez co-star along with Toby Kebbell (He's in everything, I wear), Corey Stoll, Timothy Simons, Macon Blair, Bruce Greenwood, and Stacy Keach. Here's the synopsis:

GOLD is the epic tale of one man’s pursuit of the American dream, to discover gold. Starring Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey as Kenny Wells, a prospector desperate for a lucky break, he teams up with a similarly eager geologist and sets off on an amazing journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia. Getting the gold was hard, but keeping it would be even harder, sparking an adventure through the most powerful boardrooms of Wall Street.

Directed by Stephen Gaghan, Gold opens January 27th.

Read More

Review: 'A Monster Calls' Starring Lewis MacDougall, Felicity Jones, And Liam Neeson

There is, appropriately enough, a giant monster in A Monster Calls. But you won't find any true monsters, not the kind we should be afraid of. There aren't any bad people in this dark fairy tale about love and loss, told through the eyes of a boy, Conor (Lewis MacDougall, a rare find), who is going through more than any boy his age should have to. The strength of this beautiful and yes painful film is how it uses grim fantasy to teach that sometimes it's okay to let the monster in all of us out.

Adapted by author Patrick Ness and directed by J.A. Bayona, A Monster Calls weaves a story that will resonate with anyone who has had to overcome terrible, debilitating grief. That is what Conor faces as his mother (a heartbreaking Felicity Jones) deals with a terminal illness he doesn't want to accept. His estranged father (Toby Kebbell) is off in America with his new family, and when the inevitable occurs Conor will have to live with his strict grandma (Sigourney Weaver) who he doesn't like much.  Oh, and did I mention that he's bullied at school? There are no easy answers coming, so Conor decides to make one of his own by conjuring up a monster. A real one. A gigantic tree creature (voiced by Liam Neeson) that uproots from the earth and stomps to Conor's aid. The roaring Monster agrees to help Conor deal with his pain by telling him three distinct stories on separate nights. The catch is that on the fourth night Conor must tell one of his own.

Sound a little bit ridiculous? I thought so, too, but you won't feel that way after A Monster Calls wrings out every last teardrop. You should know going in that this is not your typical movie about a boy and his monster. This isn't warm and cuddly like Pete's Dragon or The BFG; it's a story that takes us into the dark inner life of an anguished child, where fantasy is the only escape from a reality too awful to endure. And we all need that kind of place sometimes. The Monster's stories are told in vivid, painterly fashion like little movies unto themselves. Each comes with its own lesson that Conor will need to learn as part of becoming an adult. And we all know that part of growing up means facing the things we want to least.

Is the film overly sentimental at times? Absolutely, but it is balanced by the shocking honesty of Conor's anger. Kids at his age are full of rage at everything they cannot control, and a big part of maturity is learning to accept that rage and refocus it. For Conor it comes out in terrible bursts of destructive fury, capable of destroying everything around him even those he loves dear. A Monster Calls might be too advanced of a movie for some children, but those who are around Conor's age; too young to be a man yet too old to be a child, will learn a valuable lesson. Fantasy can be as substantial and vital as reality.

From the gorgeous water color artwork to the emotive presence of The Monster (Neeson's gravelly voice has never held more weight), everything about the film is like watching one of Ness's books unfold on the screen. While the cast is uniformly excellent (Seriously, try not to cry at Jones in the latter scenes) this is a rare occasion when a child actor surpasses his elder co-stars. MacDougall is a revelation here, going from sorrow to boiling rage at the drop of a hat, and occasionally both at the same time. We don't often see a defining performance from an actor so young but MacDougall impresses so greatly that it will be hard to forget. In the end, it's not sadness but his bravery in the face of terrible tragedy that breaks us down and leaves us sobbing. A Monster Calls tells us that it's okay to let it all out; that fear of our emotions must never control us.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Read More

New Trailer For 'Kong: Skull Island' Hails The King Of Apes

Over the last week Legendary and Warner Bros. have been teasing a new trailer for Kong: Skull Island. The film is just the next step in a growing movie universe that will lead to an eventual crossover with Godzilla, which is pretty amazing when you sit down and think about it. None of us would have considered such a thing was possible just a couple of years ago, but Hollywood's "franchise EVERYTHING!" mentality has opened that door, so it isn't all bad.

The best thing about the new trailer, and the approach taken by director Jordan Vogt-Roberts, is that he isn't afraid to put the Eighth Wonder of the World out there in the open. There's no hiding the giant ape the way Gareth Edwards kept a veil of mystery around Godzilla. Within moments Kong is out there wrecking shop, and leaving the humans stranded on his home island scrambling for a response. Here's the synopsis:

When a scientific expedition to an uncharted island awakens titanic forces of nature, a mission of discovery becomes an explosive war between monster and man.

I also dig how little the plot reveals. We know Tom Hiddleston leads the pack as a Special Forces officer, with Oscar winner Brie Larson as a war photographer. Samuel L. Jackson, Toby Kebbell, John Goodman, Shea Whigham, Jing Tian, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, and John Ortiz co-star as other unwanted guests Kong will try to dispose of.

Kong: Skull Island opens March 10th 2017.

Read More

Matthew McConaughey Strikes It Rich In First Trailer For 'Gold'

If there was any doubt the McConnaissance is way over, this year has put it to bed emphatically. Both of Matthew McConaughey's movies this year have been disasters. Free State of Jones was a dud, and The Sea of Trees has only $14K after two weeks. Ouch. But there's potential on the horizon with Gold, a treasure-hunting drama from writer/director Stephen Gaghan (Syriana) that looks like a real winner.

Based loosely on the 1993 Bre-X mining scandal, the film finds McConaughey as Kenny Wells, an unlucky prospector who teams up with an archaeologist (Edgar Ramirez) to find gold deep in the jungles of Borneo. The discovery makes Kenny a very wealthy man and he indulges in the lifestyle with his girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard), until the FBI get involved and the whole thing comes tumbling down. The vibe of this one is a little bit American Hustle, a little bit Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and that's a pretty cool combination if there ever was.

Also starring Toby Kebbell (Seriously, is he in everything this year?), Corey Stoll, Timothy Simons, and Bruce Greenwood, Gold opens Christmas Day.

Read More

Sofia Vergara, Toby Kebbell, And More Join Whitney Cummings' 'The Female Brain'

Comedian and 2 Broke Girls co-creator Whitney Cummings has put together an amazing ensemble for her directorial debut, The Female Brain. Sofia Vergara, James Marsden, Toby Kebbell (Seriously, he's in EVERYTHING!!), Lucy Punch, Cecily Strong, Beanie Feldstein, Blake Griffin, Xosha Roquemore Chris D’Elia and Deon Cole will star in the film alongside Cummings, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Neal Brennan.

Cummings and Brennan adapted the non-fiction book by neuropsychiatrist Louann Brizendine which explores how women's brains are vastly different than men's. Through comedy the film hopes to explore the inner workings and complex brain chemistry of couples at different stages of the relationship.

So basically this is one of those self-help books that is getting turned into a movie, like How to Be Single or He's Just Not That Into You. If you dug those, then this might be for you.

Read More

Review: 'Ben-Hur' Starring Jack Huston, Toby Kebbell, And Morgan Freeman

Whenever anybody talks of Ben-Hur the first thing they recall is the chariot race. In William Wyler's 1959 Oscar-winning classic, Charlton Heston flew around that wide expanse of a track, captured in breath-taking 70mm at a time when spectacle like that truly felt like a spectacle. And clearly director Timur Bekmambetov, who previously-helmed Wanted and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, remembers that chariot scene quite well because it seems to be his main point of interest. Fortunately, the lack of emotional drama isn't enough to completely sink this modern update despite it lacking the prestige of prior versions, but at least it's not 3 1/2 hours long, thank God.  

Remaking Ben-Hur was always going to be a difficult proposition, even in today's climate when the most pitiful faith-based movies still find an audience. The most famous version won an astounding eleven Academy Awards, which you'd think would be a deterrent from anybody trying to redo it for any reason. That hasn't been the case by a long stretch. Bekmambetov's hiring signaled immediately this Ben-Hur wouldn't be concerned with Oscars aspirations; blockbuster entertainment geared towards the already-converted was its goal. And that audience will surely find this more palatable than they did Darren Aronofsky's supposedly left-leaning Noah, despite some contemporary changes to the material.

Beginning at the starting blocks of the big chariot race, former Jewish prince Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston) and his adoptive brother, the Roman warrior Messala (Toby Kebbell, good luck finding a blockbuster he isn't in), jaw at one another about vengeance and old grievances. They had been like actual brothers once, and the film flashes back to that innocent time. Ben-Hur comes from a wealthy family, born into privilege that he feels very comfortable in, while Messala is the grandson of a Roman traitor involved in Caesar's murder. As an orphan he was taken in and raised by Ben-Hur's family, although the mother (Ayelet Zurer) clearly plays favorites. Shamed by his given wealth and the constant shunning, Messala seeks individual power by joining the Roman legions on their global conquests. Meanwhile, Ben-Hur finds love, and begins to find a new faith in his seemingly random encounters with a certain charismatic and sexy carpenter, Jesus Christ (Rodrigo Santoro). 

This is a major change from the book but is closer to how the many adaptations have gone. Another change comes after Messala returns years later, a Roman commander who has fought and won many battles. He needs Ben-Hur's help squashing those who oppose Roman rule, but his brother offers little support. Rather than a falling roof tile it's an arrow shot at Pontius Pilate (Pilou Asbaek as the man who crucified Jesus) which triggers Messala's betrayal of Ben-Hur and his family. Tiles are boring, but an arrow fired by an agitator (Moises Arias) staying in Ben-Hur's home is a twist that makes his downfall more ironic. The once-wealthy prince is thrown in shackles to become a slave, while his family is hauled off to be killed.

Surpassing the chariot race as the centerpiece is the galley scene, a claustrophobic jaw-dropper of hot oil, flaming arrows, and watery death. The 3D is especially good here as projectiles wizz past the rows of battered slaves, including Ben-Hur, all stripped of their humanity and beaten into submission. It's here that Ben-Hur, after years in the galley (we see like 30 seconds of it) decides it's time to go home and get some payback. But first he has to survive. The carnage Bekmambetov unleashes is impressive and horrifying, but not dissimilar to the gruesomeness of his prior work. Let's not forget he's the guy who gave us Wanted, a movie that had "violence is freedom" as the basic core message.

Whether you're familiar with the Ben-Hur story or not the characters will feel that way, thanks to a no-frills screenplay by Oscar winner John Ridley and Keith R. Clarke. They breeze quickly through philosophical discussions on faith, freedom, and family, in order to get to the next impressive action sequence. That said, some of the quiet scenes have surprising strength as Ben-Hur wrestles with his desire for peace and need for payback. You can feel the pull within him as he tries to reconcile the man Messala is now with the one he used to share such a brotherly bond with. 

Huston doesn't command the screen like Heston did but he brings a sensitivity that makes him endearing and sympathetic. He's not a natural action hero, though, and that is never more apparent than during the chariot race when Kebbell really takes charge. Add to the list of strong performances by Kebbell in movies he's probably too good for, a list that includes Fantastic Four, Warcraft, Wrath of the Titans...and that's just the start. There's a welcome expansion of the female roles, giving Zurer and co-star Nazanin Boniadi the chance to bring a different kind of ferocity than their male counterparts. Santoro feels out of place as Jesus but then that whole parallel storyline, which ends with a smaller, less torturous Crucifixion than The Passion of the Christ, doesn't need to be there. Oh, and Morgan Freeman is here too, completely phoning it in as a rich African gambler (he's a sheik, but they never say it) who finds Ben-Hur, and trains him in chariot racing so he can humiliate Rome in the big arena. Freeman also voices the mostly pointless narration, because what would a Biblical remake like Ben-Hur be without the voice of God? 

Rating: 3 out of 5

Read More

Jack Huston Takes The Reins In New 'Ben-Hur' Trailer

Of all the blockbuster trailers we've seen in the last few days, where does Ben-Hur chart on your radar? Probably somewhere near the bottom since there is absolutely zero buzz, even among the faith-based crowd, for this modern take on Lew Wallace's 19th-century novel. And the worst thing is that it comes out in a month so there isn't even much time to kick up some dust.

The latest trailer is more of what you've already seen: Jack Huston as the falsely-accused Ben-Hur who does battle, occasionally in a chariot, against his adopted brother played by Toby Kebbell who has never met a studio movie he can't fit into his schedule. Morgan Freeman, Rufus Sewell, Nazanin Boniadi, Ayelet Zurer, Pilou Asbaek, Rodrigo Santoro, Moises Arias, and Sofia Black D’Elia co-star with Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) giving the Biblical tale an epic spin.

Ben-Hur opens August 19th.

Read More

The Story Begins In New Trailer For J.A. Bayona's 'A Monster Calls'

It was only a couple of weeks ago that audiences roundly rejected a monster movie, The BFG, from none other than Steven Spielberg. So what reason is there to think they'll be invested in J.A. Bayona's A Monster Calls? For one thing it looks utterly gorgeous, and appears to be exploring deeper emotional corners that could attract adults as well as kids, judging by this latest trailer courtesy of USA Today.

Starring newcomer Lewis MacDougall, Felicity Jones, Sigourney Weaver, Toby Kebbell, and Liam Neeson as the voice of the monster, the adaptation of Patrick Ness's novel centers on a young boy coping with school bullies and his mother's terminal illness by escaping into a dark fantasy world. There the monster fills him with stories exploring courage, faith, and loss.

From a visual and thematic standpoint it looks to be a cousin of Where the Wild Things Are. Obviously Bayona hopes the audience who loved that film will turn out for this one when it arrives on October 21st.

EXCLUSIVE: Watch the trailer for #AMonsterCalls and try as hard as you can not to tear up: https://t.co/DQuGngp508https://t.co/OMDJftC0AF

— USA TODAY Life (@usatodaylife) July 13, 2016

Read More

New Trailer And Chariot Race Featurette For 'Ben-Hur' Starring Jack Huston

With faith-based movies Hollywood's newest cash cow, it was only a matter of time before somebody got around to remaking Ben-Hur. Was Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) the most likely guy to do it? Probably not, but if you're going to turn Lew Wallace's book into a massive summer blockbuster, he's as good of an option as any. However there doesn't seem to be a lot of buzz for chariot-racing epic, but that could always change with this latest trailer.

The latest trailer comes off a little desperate in trying to appeal to every conceivable audience beyond those looking for a summer spectacle. Jack Huston makes the unlikely lead in this story as Judah Ben-Hur, a prince who is accused of treason by his friend and adopted brother Messala(Toby Kebbell, who is in every movie this summer. I checked.), and is thrown into slavery. Separated from his family and the woman he loves, Ben-Hur spends years at sea, until he returns home seeking vengeance.

Morgan Freeman, Pilou Asbaek, Rodrigo Santoro, Nazanin Boniadi, Moises Arias, Ayelet Zurer, and Sofia Black D’Elia co-star, but it looks like the real star will be the chariot races, which understandably are being pushed as the centerpiece. Along with the trailer you can check out a featurette on how they staged the races to look as they do.

Ben-Hur hits theaters on August 19th.

Read More

Review: 'Warcraft' Starring Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, And Toby Kebbell

See, Peter Jackson is why we can't have nice things. It may no longer be possible for anybody to make another epic fantasy film full of orcs and elves and knights without it being compared to The Lord of the Rings. Even one such as Warcraft, which has its own universe, rich mythology, and fan base in the millions, can fully escape the shadow of Tolkien. It hovers over the CGI-heavy swords 'n sorcery flick like the Eye of Sauron, making it difficult for the film to strike out on an unfamiliar path.

Warcraft is obviously based on the bestselling MMORPG, to the initiated that's a massive role-playing video game, and every bit of its stunning special effects is a nod to Blizzard's meticulously designed fantasy environments. Fans of the game will recognize some of the game's most popular characters, landscapes, and tribal factions itching for all-out war. Directed by Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code), an admitted player of the game, the film is best when he's free to indulge in the gigantic battles that are the franchise's trademark. You can sense the fun he's having as thousands of orcs crowd the screen ready for war, met by an equal number of armored humans itching for a fight. When all of that comes together Warcraft can be an absolute blast.

When things slow down, however, the poor script and thinly-drawn characters are lost in all of the green-screened shine and polish. The story is a messy amalgamation of threads pulled from the game's various installments, resembling a chapter in the solo campaign mode.  Under the questionable leader of the dark mage Gul'Dan (Daniel Wu, totally unrecognizable), the Orcs have seen their lands wither and die. With no place else to go, Gul'Dan uses the life force their captives to power a portal to the human realm, where they will plunder it in a similar fashion...after killing everyone, of course. This does not sit well with tribal chieftain Durotan (Toby Kebbell, underneath all that Orc muscle and fangs), who simply wants to keep his wife and newborn son out of harm. 

Catching wind of the Orc horde's arrival in the land of Azaroth are the humans under the watchful rule of King Wrynn (Dominic Cooper, out of place), who turns to his knight protector Lothar (Travis Fimmel) and Merlin-esque mage Medivh (Ben Foster) for a defensive strategy. But there's more at play than any of them can know, exposed by clumsy-yet-brave upstart wizard Khadgar (Ben Schnetzer). Surprisingly, the humans don't get nearly the attention as their Orc-ish counterparts, from a visual or character standpoint.  While their armor and weapons are shiny and gloriously adorned, the only one on any kind of emotional journey would be Khadgar, as he attempts to prove himself worthy of the mantle of "Guardian". The most complete arc would actually go to the lovely Paula Patton as the Orc/human half breed Garona.  It explains why Patton looks more like herself than the other monstrous Orcs, although the green paint and stubby fangs she's given are pretty unimpressive compared to her CGI counterparts. 

An impressive amount of detail is afforded to the design of each individual Orc; from the battle scars on their arms to the piercings in their teeth. The land of Azaroth, on the other hand, is a patchwork of generic fantasy landscapes with few that stand out. If a hobbit from Middle Earth came strolling through looking for second breakfast, you'd be forgiven for expecting it. While this is fine when embroiled in a vs. matchup on your computer console, a Warcraft movie should have a distinct flavor that never quite materializes. 

In the works for years even before Jones came aboard, hopes were that Warcraft would be the first truly great video game adaptation. That's a ton of pressure to put on any director, and while Jones doesn't quite live up to those lofty expectations, the game's avid base will likely fall under its spell. 

Rating: 3 out of 5

Read More