I appreciate what director Arlene Torres was going for with “El Halcón,” but her short drama is something I just couldn’t click in to. While there’s a lot of interesting potential in stories revolving around Latinos in lower class Los Angeles, “El Halcón” is tough to watch mainly because it’s so centered on trite story beats and over schmaltzy melodrama. I could never really empathize with or connect with any of the characters, as everything in “El Halcón” felt so disingenuous and forced. Everyone feels over rehearsed or struggling to build this friction that could enhance the narrative’s whole sense of tragedy.
Category Archives: Movie Reviews
Bunny to the Moon (2023) [Cinequest 2024]
The team of Akira Maynard, Sammy Liu, and Justine Fong really do create something so unbelievable and special with “Bunny to the Moon.” It’s a classic tale about friendship, companionship, and the idea of sacrifice and learning to care for oneself before caring for others. Although the “Bunny to the Moon” does suffer from a run time that could have used at least ten more minutes, the short is beautifully animated and feels so much like a callback to films like “E.T.” or “My Neighbor Totoro.”
Ricky Stanicky (2024)
Now Streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Peter Farrelly’s latest comedy has multiple screenwriters to its credits, and boy, it watches like it. “Ricky Stanicky” starts out as a silly comedy that snowballs in to a painfully unfunny, overlong, and confused mess that is only saved by John Cena. Even though Cena isn’t funny either, he at least looks half awake most of the time as folks like Zac Efron and William H. Macy basically phone in this mess of a movie. There are so many sub-plots and comedic bits that are abandoned mid-way during the movie where it felt like the writers were trying to squeeze out as much from this goofy one note premise as possible.
The Bounty Hunter Trilogy (1969, 1969, 1972) [RADIANCE FILMS LIMITED EDITION]
Available on Blu-ray from Radiance Films on 03/26/2024
In this trilogy of films, a spy with samurai skills and an affinity for medicine finds himself in situations where he must prevent the firearm sale to a local shogun, protect a village against an evil Lord trying to displace them, and retrieve gold that belongs to the government and could lead to major issues in a village.
One-Percent Warrior (2023)
Available on Blu-ray and Digital from Well Go USA on March 12th, 2024
An action star who butted heads with filmmakers over his fighting and filming style ends up making his own film with a sketchy producer. Once at the odd location, he and his crew encounter warring yakuza factions.
The Princess Warrior (aka Princess Khutulun) (2021)
On VOD and digital March 8th 2024 from Omnibus Entertainment
Based on the life of Princess Khutulun of Mongolia, this film follows her life from when she is to be given in marriage and up into her adventures saving her people and her land.
The Last Butterflies (2023)
Set in the near future, a mother and her young child must find their way to a place where they can survive following environmental events that have led to a near apocalypse.