A struggling movie star takes a personal appearance gig, finding himself in the midst of a CIA operation. Goodnatured meta Nic Cage flick, with the star gamely playing different aspects of himself. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, even if the flick wobbles trying to stick an action movie ending. It’s right about Paddington 2 though.
Here’s the trailer.
A captured bank robber is forced to retrieve a kidnapped woman for a gang boss. A post-apocalyptic samurai/western hybrid, using a Mad Max/Escape from New York structure for all kinds of digressions. It doesn’t all work (the script is the culprit here), but it looks great in a neon Terry Gilliam kinda way, and everyone seems to be having fun.
Here’s the trailer.
A laconic drifter battles possessed animatronics in a children’s amusement attraction. While not quite as much fun as its Five Nights at Freddy’s-ish premise indicates, this mashup of The Banana Splits Movie and Cabin In The Woods just about earns its keep. Cage is Cage as ever, and here that’s a good thing.
Here’s the trailer.
A Las Vegas stage magician with the ability to see into the near future is hunted by both the FBI and terrorists. High concept SF fantasy loosely based on a Philip K Dick story. The plot doesn’t really hang together, but as a series of chases, bluffs, and timey-wimey tricks, this is more than passable escapism.
Here’s the trailer.
An amnesic warrior monk is Earth’s chosen defender against an alien fighter. Ambitious though slightly tatty would-be martial comic-book arts epic. Plenty of fights (though little actual jiu jitsu) and some guest stars (Cage, Grillo, Jaa) in supporting roles: it’s basically a low-budget riff on Predator, though.
Here’s the trailer.
A meteorite causes hallucinations and mutations to spread across a New England farm. Well-made adaptation of the HP Lovecraft short story. A slow burn that earns its weirdness well, accumulating details carefully, and playing properly with madness. Played commendably straight, though with many subtle genre nods for horror fans.
A washed-up game hunter transports a white jaguar on a cargo ship also carrying an assassin to the US for trial. Contrived but fun – though perhaps surprisingly modest – high concept Die Hard-meets-Red Dragon-meets-Con Air-ish DTV thriller with a great slumming cast, some decent CG work, and a couple of OK plot wrinkles.
Miles Morales is bitten by a radioactive spider and gains superpowers, but he’s not the only Spider-Man. Visually impressive and engaging (though overlong) comic book story that emulates the reading experience as well as offering both fan service and deconstruction. Huge fun for the most part, though.
An electronic virus drives parents to kill their children; one family home becomes a battleground. Brisk bad taste horror-comedy that gets in and out fast. Everyone is on fine form, and there’s the best use ever of a Erasure song in the movies.
A bereaved truck driver is haunted by his dead wife. Oddball flick with great central performances from Cage and Potente but with no real sense of what to do with its story or its neatly down-at-heel characters. A bit of a mess, but not without its moments.
255 Review 