Kathryn Bigelow’s 1991 action film “Point Break” was never really anything resembling a masterpiece, but one thing you could never call it was boring. It’s garnered something of a cult following over the years, for a reason. It’s a silly, goofy, and fun bromance where Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze bring their A game in one of the most sexless male romance action films of all time. It’s a camp classic despite its major failings. “Point Break” 2015 takes the 1991 original and saps out all of the fun and inherent camp, transforming it in to a tedious, overlong action thriller without a lick of humor about itself. Even “Fast and the Furious,” which copied “Point Break” shamelessly, had a sense of humor about itself and embraced its silly trappings and ridiculous plot line. Coming ten years too late, “Point Break” comes along after about fifteen retreads, and doesn’t really do anything except inspire the viewer to check out the original action film.
Category Archives: Movie Reviews
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Duology (2012, 2013)
For better and for worse “The Dark Knight Returns” duology is a loyal adaptation of the Frank Miller graphic novel. Both films are very ugly and violent, not to mention incredibly grim to the point where any and all sense of entertainment value is absolutely gone. Miller’s tale of Batman is violent and grotesque, painting Batman more as an avenger of the people while Superman is a despicable asshole working as a fascist tool to help restore order for a president whose lust for violence is very laissez faire. “The Dark Knight Returns Part I” is actually quite riveting with brilliant animation, as Bruce Wayne experiences a mental crack in the vein of his past foes, and uses his insanity as a form of instilling justice. Even Commissioner Gordon has somewhat given in to his baser urges and turned to Batman as a means of hope by putting in jeopardy all of his beliefs, and completely dismissing the establishment altogether.
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)
When “Batman Beyond” was introduced in 1999, fans of old and new were given a peek in to a Batman for a new generation while also exploring what happened to Bruce Wayne’s legacy many decades in to Gotham’s Future. When the series took off, fans were able to see that the legacy of the Joker lived on, as he inspired one of future Gotham’s most violent army of gang members “The Jokers,” however we were never given a definitive explanation as to what happened to the clown prince of crime. “Return of the Joker” holds true to its title, spending a feature length narrative explaining what happened to the Joker and how he left a lasting scar on Bruce Wayne and his family.
The Batman Superman Movie: World’s Finest (1997)
In 1997, Batman the animated Series moved over from FOX to the Warner Bros. Channel Kids WB and the two superheroes Batman and Superman were unofficially together. To maximize ratings, Warner teamed the pairing of DC Comics titans for “Batman/Superman” which involved new episodes of both shows on alternating weeks. They would also eventually cross over in to one anothers’ universe. Taking off from the successful series of crossovers, Warner launched the TV movie “World’s Finest,” and it’s a bang up success all things considered. “World’s Finest” manages to take what we love most about both series, and plays Superman and Batman off of one another beautifully.
Doppelganger (2010)
Good grief is Drew Daywalt one of the best indie horror filmmakers working today. It’s not many filmmakers that can deliver constantly frightening and surprising short films that pack wallops of surprise endings and twists that’ll leave you breathtaken. Daywalt is a master of drawing out the scare, and often times he even gets away with a jump scare. It’s not many filmmakers I allow to throw a jump scare my way, but Daywalt takes the often cheapened device and turns it in to a fun little way to book end his horror films. And damn it, he gets me every time.
10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
If you’re like me, you enjoyed “Cloverfield” a great deal and were shocked to see its spiritual sequel sneak up on America one day in February of 2016. It’s definitely a spiritual sequel in every way in the same idea that “Halloween III” was a spiritual sequel to “Halloween.” Director Dan Trachtenberg supplies a steady stream of surprises without ever really making audiences feel cheated. “10 Cloverfield Lane” is a masterful dramatic thriller that asks the big questions about survival. Its biggest themes about the setting feels like something out of a random survival website to arouse conversations. If something was going down in the real world, would you go outside and brave whatever was waiting for you, or would you live in a bunker with all the supplies and luxuries, but have to be under the watchful eye of a very unhinged individual who may or may not be lying to you? What hell is more managable?
CONTINUE ON FOR SPOILERS
Species III (2004)/Species: The Awakening (2007) [Blu-Ray]
For the small fanbase that loves the “Species” series, they’ll be interested to see where the studio takes the original 1995 hyper sexual science fiction thriller. Set directly after “Species II,” Brad Turner attempts to connect the dots and further the mythos of the alien clone Sil. After her experience with her male alien counterpart and dying at his hands in an awfully weird manner in the ein of hentai, she is revealed to be pregnant. What happened to his millions of offspring, one only knows, but this time as Sil is being transported, she produces two female offspring of her own.