Movie Review: "Escape from Alcatraz" (1979)

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Movie: "Escape from Alcatraz"
Director: Don Siegel
Year: 1979
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour, 52 minutes

Frank Morris masterminds an elaborate plan with the help of a few other inmates to escape one of the most secure prisons in the United States: Alcatraz.  

Clint Eastwood stars as Frank Morris in "Escape from Alcatraz," a prison break drama inspired by true events. Frank was a bank robber who gets transferred to Alcatraz, a maximum-security prison, after escaping from many other prisons throughout the country. The Warden, played by Patrick McGoohan, lets Frank know right off the bat nobody has ever escaped from Alcatraz and reminds him nobody ever will. Of course, this sounds like a challenge to Frank, at least from our perspective. The Warden, who remains nameless probably for legal reasons, is a huge bully and gets a kick out of mistreating prisoners.

We find out right away that Alcatraz is not a good place to be and is very dangerous regardless of if the danger comes from other inmates or from the guards breaking prisoners down mentally. Of course, all of this is necessary in order to get the audience to cheer for the escape of a bank robber and his friends. It's a good thing the characters and the real-life people they are based on were not violent criminals because this movie would be a completely different film otherwise. It'd be hard to root for the escape of a bunch of violent offenders. Clint Eastwood plays his standard gruff, charming tough guy part. As always, he does an excellent job in this movie. In fact, most the acting is solid all the way around. Patrick McGoohan really sells the "bad cop" act as The Warden. The audience grows to despise him as a character the more he breaks down the will of the prisoners.

Everything in "Escape from Alcatraz" builds to its ultimate payoff. It is a slow and low burn leading up to this climactic breakout scene. The audience feels the tension and excitement as these guys attempt to escape from Alcatraz. It provides for a really stellar finale. Director Don Siegel makes these final moments tense, compelling, and

My Rating: 7.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 95%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

Movie Review: "The Incredible Jessica James" (2017)

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Movie: "The Incredible Jessica James"

Director: James C. Strouse
Year: 2017
Rating: NR
Running Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

An aspiring 25-year-old playwright has just gone through a rough breakup, one she isn't quite over yet. In an attempt to help her move on, her best friend sets her up on a date with a 30-something-year-old divorcee who is also having trouble getting over his ex. The two don't seem to have that much in common, but they manage to find a way to bond, and they may potentially have something bigger if they can each move on from their pasts. 

Is it a coincidence that both of writer/director Jim Strouse's last two films have featured a character who is a middle-aged divorcee having trouble moving on with his life? Another commonality between "The Incredible Jessica James" and his previous film "People Places Things" is that they both feature Jessica Williams, who found great success on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" This time around, Williams has moved out of a supporting role and into a titular one as Jessica James, an aspiring playwright who makes a living teaching drama/writing classes at a non-profit organization. This actually turns out to be another common thread between Strouse's last two movies, the main character in each movie teaches creative arts. "Jessica James" is a slightly offbeat romantic comedy that pairs the aforementioned divorcee named Boone, played by Chris O'Dowd, up with Jessica James in an unlikely relationship where the two seem to have little in common but somehow manage to bond at least partially over their obsessions with their respective exes. 

On the surface, "The Incredible Jessica James" seems to be yet another quirky unique indie comedy. It takes place in New York City, the characters are hip intellectuals who are socially conscious and a little ashamed of their small town roots, and use millennial jargon like "totes," "presh," and "penetraish." This movie feels like something that might normally star Greta Gerwig, but we welcome Jessica Williams in her stead. There are a few interesting bits of humor, like a running gag where Jessica imagines herself running into her ex-boyfriend and how at the end of each encounter, he is killed in some cartoonish way. As the film rolls further and further along, however, it does start to feel more and more like a run of the mill, formulaic Hollywood rom-com. It really plays out the standard boy meets girl story where Jessica and Boone don't hit it off at first, then they realize they like each other but have a sudden conflict and a falling out while everything in the protagonist's life seems to be down in the dumps until an ultimate resolution comes about and all is well in their H.E.A. (happily ever after, if don't you watch "Jane the Virgin" as religiously as I do).

We do really like Jessica Williams a whole heck of a lot. We have always found her extremely funny and immensely delightful, especially when she was a correspondent on "The Daily Show." She does a great job as Jessica James and we think she has a solid future as an actress. Chris O'Dowd plays his very witty, usually charming self. He is always capable of bringing the laughs with his self-deprecating shtick. Finally, Lakeith Stanfield doesn't get a lot to do portraying Jessica's ex Damon, but he is also good whenever he gets some screen time.

Though this may be something pretty formulaic and doesn't offer much in the way of newness, "The Incredible Jessica James" is still an enjoyable watch mostly due to the strength of its cast and their chemistry with one another. This film has a lot to say about following your dreams and never giving up on what you want despite feeling lost and drowned by other more successful people in your chosen field. A solid rom-com from all involved!

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My Rating: 7/10
BigJ's Rating: 6.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 86%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

Movie Review: "Good Time" (2017)

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Movie: "Good Time"

Director: Benny & Josh Safdie
Year: 2017
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

A man named Connie convinces his mentally handicapped brother Nick to help him rob a bank. When Nick is arrested, Connie spends the rest of the night trying to round up enough bail money to get his brother out of prison.

Full of frantic, hectic energy, "Good Time" is a heart pumping dramatic crime thriller from directors Benny and Josh Safdie. This film is also sort of a character sketch that looks at a night in the life of an unsavory fellow name Connie Nikas, played by Robert Pattinson, and to a lesser extent, his mentally disabled brother Nick, played by aforementioned director Benny Safdie. Connie convinces Nick to help him rob a bank. Things go smoothly at first until they eventually don't. Nick winds up in jail, and from that point on, all Connie can do is think of getting him out. He needs to come up with an additional $10,000 for bail and is doing everything he can to get it no matter what the cost. Connie continues to make one mistake after another until everything spirals out of control. He comes across many different characters on his crazy night, played by the likes of Jennifer Jason Leigh, Taliah Webster, Buddy Duress, and Barkhad Abdi.

It is a difficult task to get audiences to relate to a person who is a deceitful criminal like Connie Nikas. Writers Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie do a fantastic job building a somewhat sympathetic angle, not with Connie himself, but with his brother Nick. Nick is where we as an audience empathize as he is just a pawn in his brother's grand plan. Due to his handicap, Nick doesn't fully understand the ramifications of his actions. The fact that Connie is trying to get Nick out of prison, how he tries everything he can think of to right his wrongs, is what makes the audience root for his success. Connie clearly cares deeply for Nick despite his exploitative criminal activities. Of course, Connie uses less than honest means to achieve this goal, but somehow, we are with him every step of the way. Almost every single moment, we found ourselves sitting on the edge of our seats wondering, "Is this what's going to get him caught by the police?"

Robert Pattinson does a fabulous job making this constantly lying, often abrasive criminal remain charming and oddly endearing. Connie has a greasy, unkempt look about him as if he hasn't had a shower in over a week. He always seems to be one second away from falling fast asleep. He thinks he is the smartest person in every room he enters, keeping himself ten steps ahead when really he is two steps behind. This is a transformative performance from the once teenage heartthrob, and his role as Connie is about as far away from the one that put him on the map as humanly possible. Benny Safdie is also very good in his own right. Safdie is very believable in his much more limited role as Nick.

The narrative here isn't a straightforward one that tells an overarching story. It's one that explores a single character's actions over the course of an evening. Some will be put off by this movie because of its unfocused plot, but we thoroughly enjoyed this take and found it to be both refreshing and worth the risk. We also must also mention the outstanding electronic score by Oneohtrix Point Never, which is one of our favorites of 2017. It has a very retro vibe to it and it aided in our enjoyment of the film as a whole. In fact, the entire movie is retro, from the way it's shot to the somewhat grainy look of the camera work, from the claustrophobic late 70's-early 80's feel to the overall tone.

"Good Time" is completely enthralling and engaging from start to finish. It's a movie we haven't stopped thinking about since we saw it. Every piece of the puzzle, from Robert Pattinson's incredible performance to its unique feel and look, from the compelling characters to the tremendous visual smorgasbord of colors and frenzy, comes together to make this one of the best movies of the year. Please give it a chance.

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My Rating: 9/10
BigJ's Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB's Rating: ~8.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~88%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

Movie Review: "Leap!" (2017)

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Movie: "Leap!" / "Ballerina"

Director: Eric Summer & Éric Warin
Year: 2017
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour, 29 minutes

Two orphans named Felicie and Victor escape from their orphanage in Brittany in order to move to Paris so Felicie can pursue her dream of being a ballerina and Victor can pursue his dream of becoming a renowned inventor.

"Ballerina" is a French-Canadian production that was released abroad in 2016. A couple of major changes have implemented in the voice over department for this American release. Dane DeHaan has inexplicably been replaced with Nat Wolff as the voice of Victor, Kate McKinnon has replaced multiple lesser known voice actors in three separate roles, and Mel Brooks has been added as the voice of M. Luteau. With these changes instituted, The Weinstein Brothers finally decided the movie was ready for American audiences under the new title called "Leap!"  This movie centers around an orphan named Felicie, voiced by Elle Fanning, who has always dreamed of becoming a dancer. When her best friend Victor tells her of a top ballet school in Paris, the two decide to escape the orphanage and head to Paris in order to fulfill their dreams.

"Leap!" is an animated feature about following your dreams. It says that no matter where you come from or who you are, success can be found... for those who commit identity fraud... oh wait, we mean for those who work hard and truly believe in their dreams. Gee, we've never heard that before! The message is as generic as they come, which makes sense because this is a bland, run of the mill animated family feature.

There are numerous attempts at comedy constantly running throughout the film, each of which seems wholly out of place. One specific instance involves a bunch of bantering between Luteau and Victor as they chitter chatter back and forth during a chase scene. Every joke in this sequence falls completely flat, and boy, there are a lot of attempts to fill the silence. There are also the usual moments of awkward poop and fart jokes, most of which involve the character of Victor, who is clearly meant to be the movie's comedic relief. As for Felicie, any humor involving her character comes from her enthusiasm combined with her lack of skill. It is repeated several times that she has lots of spirits but lacks any sort of lightness, so we get to watch her fall down a thousand times because it's funny!

There is an entirely unbalanced tone in "Leap!" as the story shifts from a more endearing personal journey to something far more over the top and cartoonish, but in a bad way. We can't help but wonder if these stupid jokes were added in an effort to appease American audiences, but they certainly aren't worth the hassle because we know we didn't laugh once and we can't imagine kids laughing at this drivel either. Kate McKinnon voices an evil rich lady named Regine, who is the ultimate crazy dance mom so much so that she is willing to try and murder her daughter's competition. Sure, Disney movies of yesteryear played with the evil stepmother stereotype with success, but it is like the Regine character is in a completely different movie. Finally, the animation is on par with what we saw in "Shrek," which came out 16 years ago. We guess we can excuse this because the budget was only a mere $30 million, so it's understandable they don't get the texture and depth found in its higher budget counterparts. We have seen movies that cost more and look worse.

Overall, "Leap!" doesn't leap bounds, doesn't soar to new heights, and remains cliche, predictable, and basic on almost every level. It offers nothing new or memorable and the story, its characters are boring and expected, and the voice acting just isn't that engaging.

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My Rating: 3/10
BigJ's Rating: 3.5/10
IMDB's Rating: ~6.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~38%
Do we recommend this movie: AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!

Most Anticipated Movies of Fall 2017!

The atrocious summer movie season is now (finally) over. Okay, okay, there were a lot of great movies between the end of May and the end of September, but there were tonnnnnnnns of bad ones, too. Sure, it might still be insanely hot in San Diego this month, but that doesn't mean we can't long for cooler temperatures, pumpkin spice everything, and of course, fall movie season! We're here to share with you our most anticipated fall 2017 movies. These films are in order of release date for your convenience. Please let us know your most anticipated movies coming out this fall!

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1) "It" (release date: September 8th, 2017)
Even though half of our Lolo Loves Films team hates clowns, "It" looks incredibly scary based on the trailers. There have been many horror movie disappointments in 2017, but we have a feeling this won't be one of them.

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2) "Mother!" (release date: September 15th, 2017)
Darren Aronofsky is a masterful director. With Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Ed Harris at his disposal, he will most likely do no wrong. "mother!" looks insanely good and really creepy to boot.

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3) "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" (release date: September 22nd, 2017)
One of our 2015 favorites, "Kingsman" started a new comic book universe built on a hard R-rated foundation. This sequel will double down on the action, celebrities, and chaos, and we're sure looking forward to it.

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4) "Battle of the Sexes" (release date: September 22nd, 2017)
Emma Stone and Steve Carell re-team for this true tale showcasing the battle between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs as they duke it out on the tennis court in 1973. Should be an interesting biopic!

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5) "Blade Runner 2049" (release date: October 6th, 2017)
Ryan Gosling. Harrison Ford. "Sicario" and "Arrival" director Denis Villeneuve. A sequel to one of the most thought-provoking sci-fi movies ever. Consider us signed up!

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6) "The Florida Project" (release date: October 6th, 2017)
With good buzz coming off the festival circuit, A24's "The Florida Project" sounds like a beautiful, sweet, and intriguing look at the lives of low-income children living in the shadow of Disneyworld. There's a lot of Oscar talk surrounding Willem Dafoe's performance as well.

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7) "The Foreigner" (release date: October 13th, 2017)
A grizzled and hardened Jackie Chan is still looking to kick some major you-know-what as a dad who has lost everything and will stop at nothing to get answers. What could be more satisfying than that?

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8) "Goodbye Christopher Robin" (release date: October 13th, 2017)
Sure to be a tearjerker, "Goodbye Christopher Robin" has an excellent cast, an interesting premise, and a childlike whimsy. Plus, who doesn't love Winnie the Pooh?

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9) "Suburbicon" (release date: October 27th, 2017)
George Clooney takes his place behind the camera for the first time in three years for "Suburbicon." This should be a compelling, sharp-tongued crime drama, especially considering the script is written by the wonderful Coen brothers.

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10) "Thor: Ragnarok" (release date: November 3rd, 2017)
Taika Waititi is one of our favorite directors, and he looks to bring his signature brand of wit, spunkiness, and humor to the Marvel cinematic universe. The trailers for "Thor: Ragnarok" look colorful, loud, and super fun. This is our most anticipated fall 2017 film.

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11) "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" (release date: November 10th, 2017)
We love us some Frances McDormand and we love us a dark comedy. The trailers for this movie are interesting, profane, and pretty poignant, and if you've seen "In Bruges," you probably know what you're in for. It sure sounds like a good time to us!

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12) "Justice League" (release date: November 17th, 2017)
After the success of "Wonder Woman" earlier this year, the hype train got a little bit longer for us when it comes to "Justice League." We're still a little wary, but if it means getting to watch Gal Gadot kick more ass, you bet your sweet bippy we'll be there with bells on!

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13) "Call Me by Your Name" (release date: November 24th, 2017)
Emotional doesn't even begin to describe the trailer for "Call Me by Your Name." This looks like it has the potential to be one of the best romantic dramas of the year. It's based on a book, so maybe we can read it in time to compare it to the film!

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14) "Murder on the Orient Express" (release date: November 24th, 2017)
The weird, mishmash cast including the likes of Daisy Ridley, Josh Gad, Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Marwan Kenzari, and Johnny Depp is what makes us excited for Kenneth Branagh's remake of "Murder on the Orient Express." We haven't seen the original in years, but we have a feeling this remake may take the material in a slightly different, more zany direction.

Movie Review: "Birth of the Dragon" (2017)

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Movie: "Birth of the Dragon"

Director: George Nolfi
Year: 2017
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 29 minutes

One of Bruce Lee's students hopes to free a girl he likes from indentured servitude by convincing a Shaolin Monk to face off against Lee in a challenge match backed by the Chinese mafia.

What, did you think "Birth of the Dragon" was a movie about Bruce Lee? Why would you assume such a thing? It's only completely marketed as a Bruce Lee movie complete with a play-on-words title invoking the Kung-Fu master's name. Well, it's not! This is a film about some guy named Steve, played by Billy Magnussen, who is from Indiana and has a massive chip on his shoulder. He is a student of Bruce Lee's, played by Philip Ng, who teaches his students to "kick ass." When a Shaolin Monk named Wong Jack Man (no relation to Hugh), played by Yu Xia, shows up in San Francisco, Bruce Lee assumes it's because Wong is unhappy with him teaching white people Kung Fu. In fact, that's not at all why he is there, but none this matters because this movie is about Steve!!!!!!!1111 Steve has a bit of a crush on a woman he's only met once when she helped him carry tablecloths into her restaurant. Xiulan Quan, played by Jingjing Qu, is stuck in indentured servitude to the Chinese mob. In an effort to save this lady he has barely spoken to three times, Steve strikes a deal with the mob for her freedom on one condition: they will let her go if and only if Bruce Lee and Wong Jack Man fight so the mob can take bets on it. Those of you expecting a story that will offer insight into Bruce Lee himself can forget it, this is the wrong movie for that.

We don't really know what director George Nolfi and writers Stephen J. Rivele and Christopher Wilkinson were thinking by making Steve the main character in a film called "Birth of the Dragon." We think Philip Ng does a good job as the legendary martial arts superstar, though what he is doing is playing more of a caricature than a genuine portrayal the martial arts legend. We also like Yu Xia's performance as the far more restrained Wong Jack Man. That being said, the filmmaker and writers do their darnedest to make Bruce Lee an unlikeable, arrogant asshole and to make Wong Jack Man the person the audience can root for in their fight. We're sure Bruce Lee had a bit of an ego, and rightfully so, but the way he acts in this movie is too over the top, even for an egomaniac.

The action scenes are actually pretty decent, surprisingly. There are a couple of really fun fights, though there are other moments that get extremely cheesy when "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon"-type wire work is brought into what is supposed to be a real world fight. The main problem is there aren't enough of these fight scenes. In between the strife pitting these two world class Kung Fu masters against one another is fucking Steve, a milquetoast, bland, boring character who manages to turn the entire movie into a snoozefest. Whenever Steve's whiny ass is on the screen, we want him gone immediately. This character gets more and more insufferable as time goes on, and it gets to the point where we truly hated him as a person. Rumor has it the original cut of this film, the one that was shown at TIFF in 2016, had MORE FREAKIN' STEVE in it, and somehow, the version we saw was the Steve-light version. REALLY? WE SERIOUSLY COULDN'T TELL. "Birth of the Dragon" is still all about Steve...wait, is this a Sandra Bullock movie?

Don't trust the bait and switch marketing. "Birth of the Dragon" is a crappy romance about star-crossed lovers, not the birth of Jeet Kune Do. Even with two relatively solid performances from Philip Ng and Yu Xia coupled with some great fight sequences, it's not enough to forgive the sins of making Steve the main character in a movie that's supposed to be about Bruce Lee.

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My Rating: 2.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 2.5/10
IMDB's Rating: ~4.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~21%
Do we recommend this movie: AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!

Movie Review: "Ingrid Goes West" (2017)

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Movie: "Ingrid Goes West"

Director: Matt Spicer
Year: 2017
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 37 minutes

A woman obsessed with an Instagram celebrity moves to Venice Beach, CA in an attempt to befriend this person and become part of her life.

The modern internet age is one where anyone with the right angle and a dope filter can become a quasi-celebrity by allowing strangers to follow part of their life online. Writer David Branson Smith and co-writer/director Matt Spicer offer an insightful look into this lifestyle with their new movie "Ingrid Goes West," a satirical dark comedy examining how internet stalking can lead to obsession in the today's world. The film stars Aubrey Plaza as Ingrid Thorburn, a lonely, somewhat mentally disturbed woman who becomes obsessed with specific people she follows online. Her latest obsession is Taylor Sloane, played by Elizabeth Olsen, who is an amateur lifestyle guru who makes money posting things on Instagram. Ingrid moves to Venice Beach where Taylor lives and starts to track her down in the hopes of becoming her real life friend.

Like most dark comedies, "Ingrid Goes West" won't be for everyone. Matt Spicer has the difficult task of making a stalker relatable, and hell, even likable enough so the audience can empathize with her plight. Aubrey Plaza is probably the best casting choice we can think of for a part like this. She manages to be both abrasive and charming in her oddness. She is a character we have sympathy for, and we can understand her desire for friendship, especially after the recent tragedy she has faced. We think Plaza is fantastic in this role as she is able to bring about a lot of laughs with her certain awkward and uncomfortable brand of humor. Elizabeth Olsen is also wonderful in her own right, playing a modern day self-absorbed semi-internet celebrity who is more concerned with how she appears to be than who and what she actually is. Taylor may be the victim of this stalking, but she is still not a genuinely good person deep down. No matter how nice she pretends to be, Taylor is an uber-fake, superficial individual who uses others for her own personal and professional gain. We also must mention O'Shea Jackson Jr., who plays the Batman-obsessed, aspiring screenwriter Dan Pinto. Dan is also Ingrid's landlord, and he is the only one who can show her what true friendship is, even though she can't see it and uses him every chance she gets. O'Shea Jackson Jr. offers another great performance, one that is a little less serious than his part in "Straight Outta Compton."

The humor in "Ingrid Goes West" is brutal honesty. The ironic tragedy of our internet and reality entertainment-obsessed culture allows the perfect canvas for the film to be successful. We live vicariously through the lives of others and we are attached to our phones so often that we forget how to be present in our own lives and have our own adventures. Some people in our society are constantly chasing a dream that often doesn't exist in reality. What people think is real is only a front put up to exploit others their own personal gain. It's all about numbers and followers now, not about genuine interactions and friendship. We think Spicer and Smith have managed to capture that beautifully and tragically, telling an engaging story in their own twisted way. Plaza and Olsen bring these characters to life perfectly, and the movie never feels long and doesn't drag in terms of its pacing. We also love the ending, which is dark, honest, and as equally depressing as the rest of the movie.

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My Rating: 7.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB's Rating: ~7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~89%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

Movie Review: "Brigsby Bear" (2017)

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Movie: "Brigsby Bear"

Director: Dave McCary
Year: 2017
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

A man named James has spent 25 years of his life in a bunker watching a show called "Brigsby Bear." This show has been produced solely for him. James is suddenly brought into the real world with no conclusion to the series he has watched his entire life. Now, he is determined to make a Brigsby movie on his own in order to complete the saga.

Charmingly funny, wonderfully weird, and extremely heartfelt, "Brigsby Bear" is the feature film directorial debut of Dave McCary, who is a writer and director on "Saturday Night Live." The film is written by Kevin Costello and Kyle Mooney, who also stars in the film as James Pope. For reasons we won't really go into, James has lived his life in an underground bunker for 25 years, watching only a single television show called "Brigsby Bear." More things happen and James is brought into the real world where no one knows of Brigsby Bear's existence. James has gotten no conclusion to the series. Finding it hard to think of anything else and obsessed with the show, he takes it upon himself to finish the story. The film boasts a solid cast of up and coming actors, including Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Ryan Simpkins, and Alexa Demie, and seasoned veteran actors like Mark Hammill, Greg Kinnear, Matt Walsh, Michaela Watkins, and Claire Danes, who take smaller supporting roles. There are many great performances here, but our favorites come from Kyle Mooney and Greg Kinnear. Kinnear has always been one of our favorite actors. We feel he is constantly overlooked, a fantastic actor who always impresses us.

This film examines geeky obsessions with pop culture as James's fandom for "Brigsby Bear" could be equated to the obsession some people have with shows like "Game of Thrones," or the way people gravitate towards films like "Star Wars," Marvel movies, and the DC extended universe. "Brigsby Bear" is also a touching story about a man who has spent his life believing the world is something it isn't. James has no idea the way people act in the real world. His life has always started and ended with Brigsby Bear, which creates perfect opportunities for a lot of awkward humor delivered by a character in his mid-20's that has a childlike innocence to him. There is so much we want to say about this film, but we also want to avoid spoiling as much as possible. We went into this film knowing very little about it and we believe this aided in our enjoyment of the film. We encourage you to do the same. The trailers purposefully keep specific occurrences out of the marketing, and it is these moments where this movie truly shines.

We found "Brigsby Bear" to be very funny, extremely creative, very poignant, super sweet, extremely sincere indie comedy. We smiled, we laughed, and heck, we even cried. It is all about friendship, family, and understanding, how people should be creative and do the things they love regardless of what anyone else thinks about them. We absolutely loved its quirky, somewhat bizarre nature, and though we will admit it isn't for everyone, it certainly resonated with us.

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My Rating: 9/10
BigJ's Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB's Rating: ~7.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~79%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

Movie Review: "Wind River" (2017)

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Movie: "Wind River"

Director: Taylor Sheridan
Year: 2017
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 47 minutes

A predator hunter who works for the Wyoming Department of Fish and Wildlife teams up with an FBI agent to help her investigate the rape and possible homicide of a young woman discovered on the Wind River Native American reservation.

If you need a dark, gritty crime thriller, look no further than Taylor Sheridan since he seems to be a master of them. "Wind River" is Sheridan's second directorial effort, his first being the film "Vile" from 2011. He may be a director, but we are more familiar with Sheridan because of his writing skills. This is his third screenplay, his first being "Sicario," which was one of our favorite films of 2015, and the second being "Hell or High Water," which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. His latest story focuses on a man named Cory Lambert, played by Jeremy Renner, who works for the Wyoming Department of Fish and Wildlife hunting predators that have killed local livestock. While out tracking mountain lions on the Wind River Native American reservation, he discovers the body of a young woman lying in the snow. The FBI is called, but they only send one agent to investigate, Jane Banner, played by Elizabeth Olsen, who seems rather ill prepared for the winter weather conditions of Wyoming. Since Cory knows the land and knows how to track, Jane asks Cory to help her in her investigation. He readily accepts this task because it turns out the deceased young woman was a friend of his daughter Emily, who had been killed a few years earlier under similar tragic circumstances. Cory has no intention of letting this woman's attacker get away.

We absolutely loved this movie. From the slow-burning, completely engrossing investigation early on to the exciting, action-packed finale, every harrowing moment of "Wind River" is beautifully brutal. As we mentioned, this is a gritty crime thriller with a little bit of mystery, but it also feels like a modern day dramatic western. It is shot against the gorgeous snowy scenery of what is supposed to be rural Wyoming with miles of awe-inspiring mountains, trails, and pastures covered by a thick white blanket of snow. Ben Richardson's cinematography is absolutely gorgeous. It is an interesting juxtaposition to have a story that displays so much tragedy and cruelty, showing the ugly, horrific nature of humans and what awful atrocities can happen in a place that is often so majestic. We remained enthralled by this movie from start to finish.

Jeremy Renner is fantastic as a modern cowboy type. Cory is a man who has been dealing with a tragedy of his own for years and has had to learn to cope with his sadness. Renner offers such a wide range of acting abilities as he shows strength and even a bit of vulnerability. Elizabeth Olsen is great as well. As Jane, she is a woman who is a bit out of her element but eventually shows she is extremely capable at her job. She has a strong desire to find the perpetrators and to see that justice is swift and mighty. One of the biggest stars of the film for us, however, is Gil Birmingham. If you don't know this man by name, you should. Birmingham plays Martin, the father of the deceased young woman found in the snow. At one particular point in the blink of an eye, Birmingham goes from stoic to emotionally broken in a scene that rendered us blubbering messes. His passion is palpable, and we feel his grief immensely. Finally, Graham Greene gives a wonderful performance as Ben, one of the local reservation sheriffs aiding in the investigation. All around, the acting is stellar.

"Wind River" is a movie that allows the audience to experience so many different emotions while watching it. It is tragic and depressing, but at the same time, it is exciting and powerful. We absolutely adored this flick, and if it is playing anywhere near you, we highly recommend checking it out. Taylor Sheridan continues to impress us with his sharp-tongued words and poignant modern day western scripts, and now, he's crafted something even seasoned filmmakers spend their entire lives trying to attain. We hope his hot streak continues.

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My Rating: 9/10
BigJ's Rating: 9/10
IMDB's Rating: ~7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~85%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

Movie Review: "Enter the Dragon" (1973)

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Movie: "Enter the Dragon"
Director: Robert Clouse
Year: 1973
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 42 minutes

A martial arts master named Lee is asked to participate in a tournament that is being held on a ruthless crime lord's private island. Lee is also tasked with going undercover to gather evidence of his criminal activities.

"Enter the Dragon" puts now iconic martial arts superstar Bruce Lee in what was one of his most memorable roles. This film is also the first Kung Fu movie to be produced by a Hollywood studio, and it is the last feature film Bruce Lee ever completed, though it is not his last on-screen appearance. It is directed by Robert Clouse, who would go on to direct other martial arts films such as "Black Belt Jones," "Battle Creek Brawl," and the ultimate, most highly revered martial arts flick of all time, "Gymkata."

The plot of "Enter the Dragon" is simple. Shaolin Kung Fu master Lee, played by Bruce Lee, has been invited to compete in a martial arts tournament held on the private island of a crime lord named Han, played by Kien Shih, who once trained at the Shaolin temple as well, but his life choices brought disgrace to their expected way of life. A secret intelligence agency asks Lee to go undercover for them in order to find evidence of Han's criminal activities. Joining Lee in the film are Jim Kelly, who would also become a well-known martial arts action star in films like "Black Belt Jones" and "Black Samurai," as well as character actor John Saxon, who plays gambling addict Roper, who is able to put his Karate black belt to good use in this film.

This is one of those movies where you know all the action scenes were written first. Writer Michael Allin and director Robert Clouse had certain showdowns they wanted to make happen, so they made them. They wanted Bruce Lee to show off his specific skill sets, so they wrote the story to fill in the gaps between these two things. That being said, it doesn't make "Enter the Dragon" any less fun or engaging. The island setting in this picture is one that is extremely lush and quite gorgeous, and the interior sets are decorated with wonderful Asian-style pieces combined with psychedelic 70's flair. What this film is really about is Bruce Lee and the fight scenes in general. People still remember it and want to watch it because it has been able to transcend time with these iconic scenes. The audience is treated to some fantastic martial arts moment on full display from both Lee and Kelly, as well as a fun showdown between Saxon's Roper and Bolo Yeung, who would become well known for playing a muscle-bound baddie in numerous other martial arts-driven films. We just love the action throughout "Enter the Dragon," specifically the one that pits Lee against U.S. Karate champ Bob Wall. And who can forget the final showdown between Lee and Han in the mirrored room, a scene that has been imitated in other films many times since 1973?

The story may be flimsy, the dialogue is pretty clunky outside of a few memorable lines from Lee himself, and the acting is rudimentary at best, but damn it, we still have a lot of fun watching "Enter the Dragon."

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My Rating: 7/10
BigJ's Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 95%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

Movie Review: "To the Bone" (2017)

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Movie: "To the Bone"
Director: Marti Noxon
Year: 2017
Rating: TV-MA
Running Time: 1 hour, 47 minutes

A woman battling anorexia is placed in a new inpatient program with a psychiatrist who takes a different approach to her problem.

"To The Bone" is a drama written and directed by Marti Noxon and is said to be inspired by her own struggles with an eating disorder. It stars Lily Collins as Ellen, a 20-year-old artist who has been struggling with anorexia for most of her life. She has been through many programs and treatments but has never kicked her destructive habit. Her latest attempt to beat her disease is at a treatment facility with Dr. Beckham, played by Keanu Reeves, who takes a different approach to treating eating disorders in a 'pull no punches' environment where he never sugar coats the truth. Dr. Beckham's goal is to teach those in his program to love life and know that it's worth living. He also stresses that if his patients don't change their ways, they will most assuredly die.

There has been a bit of controversy surrounding "To the Bone" since its release. Many have called it irresponsible, stating that it glorifies eating disorders. We personally don't agree with that statement, but we will say we don't believe it fully portrays the dangers of eating disorders in the most severe way. This film feels very much like a 'movie of the week' selection over on the Lifetime channel. It attempts to tackle a pertinent topic which afflicts a lot of women and men of any age group. This movie, unfortunately, never takes any huge risks in its portrayal.

We do think Lily Collins does a solid job as Ellen. She clearly prepared for the part by becoming overly emaciated for the role. In addition to a bit of shadowing makeup used to accentuate her every space between every bone to make her appear even gaunter and paler than she really is, Collins is scary skinny here. Ellen has had a lot of drama and emotional pain in her young life and has learned to take care of herself. Because of this, she has a know-it-all type attitude with a massive chip on her shoulder. She often walks around feeling sorry for herself and hating the world, which only makes her disease get worse and worse to the point where now, she has hit rock bottom. Luckily, Collins' portrayal saves the movie from being completely dismal and lifeless. The highlight of this film for us, however, is Alex Sharp, who plays Luke, one of the members of Dr. Beckham's treatment house. This character brings a much-needed lightness to an otherwise serious film. He offers moments of levity with his quick wit and dorky charm, though he does insert himself into situations that get a bit uncomfortable and creepy due to his persistent forwardness.

Overall, we found "To the Bone" to be a rather basic, often poorly paced drama that doesn't take enough risks for our liking. As fats, we are not the intended viewing audience as we have always the opposite problem, but that doesn't mean we can't understand and sympathize with the characters and their deep-seeded issues. We did struggle to maintain interest, and the movie only has one or two moments at the end where it gets truly interesting and/or creative. Other than that, we feel this film winds up being rather forgettable, though is mostly inoffensive.

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My Rating: 6/10
BigJ's Rating: 5/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 71%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

Movie Review: "The Hitman's Bodyguard" (2017)

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Movie: "The Hitman's Bodyguard"

Director: Patrick Hughes
Year: 2017
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 58 minutes

A bodyguard is tasked with protecting a hit-man who is a key witness in a trial against a malevolent dictator, who is on trial for crimes against humanity in an international court.

We sure do love us some Ryan Reynolds and some Samuel L. Jackson. These two powerhouse actors are paired up in what is a sort of buddy cop film, except their characters aren't really buddies and neither of them are cops. Reynolds plays Michael Bryce, a bodyguard who was once "Elite AAA rated," but after losing a high-value client, his life and career have kind of gone to shit. Jackson plays Darius Kincaid, a hit-man who has made numerous attempts at killing Bryce throughout his career. Now, Kincaid is a key witness against brutal Belarusian dictator Vladislav Dukhovich, played by Gary Oldman, who will do whatever it takes to make sure Kincaid doesn't testify. Interpol is supposed to transport Kincaid to the courthouse, but it becomes clear there is a leak in the agency. After a tussle, agent Amelia Roussel, played by Elodie Yung, asks Bryce, her ex-boyfriend, to protect Kincaid and become "The Hitman's Bodyguard." Crazy action ensues as these two lethal weapons face off against an army of mercenaries on a what is sort of a wacky road trip with lots and lots and lots of killing.

Most critics haven't been very kind to this film, but as Darius Kincaid says, "when life gives you shit, make Kool-Aid." In a year full of mostly crappy comedies, "The Hitman's Bodyguard" almost feels amazing in comparison. Here, we have two characters who are mostly antagonistic towards each other due to their pretty rocky past. As expected, Darius and Michael have to put all of their issues behind them and be professional in their quest. This isn't an easy task and the two regularly butt heads throughout the flick in a battle of, as Darius Kincaid says, "swingin' dicks."

Both Reynolds and Jackson are very charming and offer up laughs on a fairly regular basis. Ryan Reynolds does his typical sarcastic and deadpan delivery with an undercoat of dickish arrogance, and Jackson offers the more brazen attitude with witty one-liners highlighted by colorful metaphors (and if you know anything about Jackson's past roles, you'll know exactly which "colorful metaphor" we're talking about). These two leads have excellent chemistry with one another and really help to elevate this otherwise by the book, pedestrian action comedy that never once takes itself seriously. When we aren't laughing, there are lots of intense, exciting, sometimes thrilling action scenes that don't hold back and take full advantage of the movie's R-rating.

The biggest problems we had with this movie are found in its technical aspects. Director Patrick Hughes, who is best known for directing "The Expendables 3," chooses many oddly lit shots with the camera directly facing light sources, which cause lens flares and a hazy look on the screen. This becomes excessive and distracting, and we were pulled out of the movie more than once because of it. Some of the shots also feel partially out of focus (unless there was a problem with our theater's projector, which we doubt since we were there the night before and it was fine). The camera gets a bit overly shaky during a couple of action scenes as well, but this doesn't bug us as much as the other issue. Though we did find this stuff a bit distracting, these moments still don't detract from "The Hitman's Bodyguard" all that much. In the end, this movie is a whole lot of fun and definitely worth a watch if you like sarcastic comedy and bomb-tastic action.

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My Rating: 7/10
BigJ's Rating: 7/10
IMDB's Rating: ~7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~40%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

Movie Review: "Logan Lucky" (2017)

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Movie: "Logan Lucky"

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Year: 2017
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 59 minutes

The Logan brothers concoct a plan and gather a crew for a heist at a NASCAR speedway.

Director Steven Soderbergh is known for directing heist films, primarily "Ocean's Eleven," "Ocean's Twelve," and "Ocean's Thirteen." His latest venture into this genre is "Logan Lucky," which moves away from high-class targets like casinos and art galleries to something a little more blue collar: NASCAR. Channing Tatum and Adam Driver play Jimmy and Clyde Logan, a pair of southern brothers who devise a plan to rob a NASCAR speedway. Joining them are Riley Keough as their sister Mellie, Daniel Craig as explosives expert Joe Bang, and Jack Quaid and Brian Gleeson as his brothers Fish and Sam Bang. All of these individuals make up Logan's crew, and each of them has a specific part to play in the rather complex robbery. Also in the film are Katie Holmes and Farrah Mackenzie as Jimmy's ex-wife Bobbi Jo and their daughter Sadie.

We really do dig a good heist movie. Whether it be the aforementioned "Ocean's" trilogy, "The Italian Job," "The Bank Job," or "The Inside Man," we love to watch the various stages of heists, from the planning to the execution and all of the drama that comes with a high-intensity situation like a robbery. We particularly love seeing if the crew can pull off their job, even though we know they probably will. The most important part of a film like this is its characters. It is important the cast has chemistry, and we need to be able to get invested in these individuals no matter which side of the law they operate. Luckily, we think the actors do a fine job in their respective roles. Channing Tatum has continuously grown as an actor over the years, and he has shown he has some pretty respectable comedic chops. We loved him in the "Jump Street" films, and he gets to continues his comedy streak here. We have always liked Adam Driver. He has built up his comedic abilities in independent comedies, roles which typically deal with more dry and ironic humor. Driver helps bring this witticism to a slightly more mainstream stage as the more level-headed of the two Logan brothers, though he is obsessed with what he thinks is a "Logan family curse." Riley Keough has been killing it lately, and though she doesn't get a whole heck of a lot to do, when she is utilized as Mellie, she's excellent. By far, the standout in this film is Daniel Craig, who moves about as far away from his role as James Bond as he could get. His portrayal of Joe Bang is outrageous, over the top, and goddamn hilarious. Craig still brings his signature charisma with him, and we really loved his ridiculous performance.

The story may be a bit formulaic and is relatively similar to what we have seen in Soderbergh's previous heist films, but this neat, absurd cast of characters and a unique setting gives "Logan Lucky" just enough of a twist to feel new. It has a fantastic cast, a great director, and is a really, really, really good movie that deserves to be seen in the theater. It's sweet, stupid, funny, and a barrel of fun.

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My Rating: 8.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 8/10
IMDB's Rating: ~7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~93%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

Movie Review: "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul" (2017)

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Movie: "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul"
Director: David Bowers
Year: 2017
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour, 31 minutes

After being embarrassed online, Greg Heffley decides to use his family's road trip vacation as an opportunity to meet his favorite online gaming star at a gamer's convention. He hopes that being in this game's video will overshadow his earlier viral faux pas.

The fact that this movie has 20% on Rotten Tomatoes boggles our minds.

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul" is directed by David Bowers and is apparently the fourth film is the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" film series. This installment was released five years after part three, and due to the long wait, the original child actors have aged to near adulthood. This means an entirely new cast was needed for this "reboot." Jason Drucker takes over the lead role of Greg Heffley with Alicia Silverstone, Tom Everett Scott, and Charlie Wright taking over the parts of his mom Susan, his dad Frank, and his brother Rodrick. When Greg gets caught on camera in a ball pit with his hand stuck in a diaper, the video goes viral, leaving Greg mortified. He comes up with a plan to undo this embarrassment by using his family's impending road trip to take a detour to a gamer's convention where he hopes to meet his favorite online gaming star. Greg wants to take a picture with and be in a video featuring his hero, which he believes will wipe away his previous shame.

We remember seeing the original "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" back in 2010, and as far as we can recall, it wasn't horrendous. We didn't really follow the series beyond that initial movie. We were aware of the first sequel called "Rodrick Rules," but never saw it and had all but forgotten the series by the time this entry was rolled out into theaters. The trailer for this movie looked awful. It was downright cringe-worthy, but hey, we've seen good movies sprung out of bad trailers in the past, so maybe that would be the case here. Unfortunately, it's not.

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul" is every bit as abysmal as the trailer would lead you to believe. This movie actually got a theatrical run, which even we couldn't bring ourselves to see in the theater. Now that it's on video-on-demand, we promised we would give it a fair shot. Despite being released in theaters, it has a low-quality knock-off feel, like something that was meant to go straight to DVD. It's like "Home Alone 4," but with more diarrhea jokes.

Filmmaker David Bowers treats his audience as if it were full are morons. He and Jeff Kinney, who co-wrote the screenplay, pile on one stupid joke after stupid joke in an effort to drown the audience in stupidy so they will forget it's poorly written. There is nothing clever or witty about this movie. It may have anybody above a fourth-grade education rolling their eyes more than laughing out loud. The oldest son Rodrick barely feels like a functioning human being the way he is written here. He is so stupid that we doubt he could be able to tie his shoelaces without help. They make this character so dumb, it becomes more sad than funny to watch him be an imbecile. The new Greg also feels like more of an asshole than the Greg from the 2010 movie.

There is less reliance on cutesy drawings and way, way more reliance on what they call "diaper hand" because Greg gets his hand stuck in a diaper. HA HA GET IT? IT'S FUNNY. DON'T YOU KNOW HUMOR?? The movie even goes as far as blatantly stealing a couple of jokes from older, much better movies like "Dumb and Dumber." The other "humor" mainly consists of shoddy slapstick where people getting doused with mud, people get turned odd colors by dirty hot tub water, and of course, the tried and true lazy poop and fart jokes.

If you are jonesin' for a "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" fix or think your kids might want to watch something like this (which let's be honest, why would they?), simply go to your wallet and set your rubles on fire. It will assuredly be a better use of your money than watching "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul." Proceed to rewatch the original 2010 movie and forget this one exists.

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My Rating: 1.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 1.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 4.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 20%
Do we recommend this movie: AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!

Movie Review: "Message from the King" (2017)

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Movie: "Message from the King"
Director: Fabrice du Welz
Year: 2017
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 42 minutes

A South African man comes to Los Angeles in search of his estranged sister, though circumstances eventually lead him down a path of violence and revenge.

"Message from the King" is a thriller directed by Fabrice du Welz and is written by Oliver Butcher and Stephen Cromwell. It stars Chadwick Boseman as Jacob King, a South African man who has come to Los Angeles to find his sister Bianca, played by Sibongile Mlambo. He and Bianca were close as kids, but ever since she has moved to LA, she has been distant. Now, she has gone missing. As Jacob investigates, he learns that she has been mixed up with a bad crowd for a while. What he discovers leads him down a path of revenge against the criminals who have wronged his family. Joining Boseman is Teresa Palmer as Kelly, a mother/prostitute living next door; Luke Evans as Wentworth, a dentist Bianca went to see; Tom Felton as Frankie, Natalie Martinez as Trish, and Alfred Molina as Preston.

This is a pretty straightforward revenge thriller. It is reminiscent of something that would have come out in 70's, a modern day "Death Wish" neo-noir type of film. Movies like this have popped up every decade, and films about vigilante justice have very simple plots. Insert random badass who has been wronged by unsavory people and allow said badass to unleash fury upon them. What's not to love?

Chadwick Boseman plays the part of a killer vigilante extremely well. It's as if he was using this part to prepare for his upcoming film "Black Panther," and we don't mind it at all. Jacob King is slick, gruff, and not to be messed with under any circumstances. There is a bit of intrigue and mystery as he begins to uncover what happened to his sister. We slowly learn the events surrounding Bianca's disappearance are rather horrific. Jacob is fighting to avenge his sister, but we learn she isn't exactly a saint and was never just an innocent bystander. The thrills come often, as do the awesome fight scenes full of well-choreographed moves.

"Message from the King" has its fair share of raw, gritty moments. It deals with numerous unsettling situations that will make the audience uncomfortable. We certainly didn't expect it to get as dark as it does. The one drawback is its pacing, which can be very slow at times. Otherwise, this is an engaging film with an excellent lead performance from Chadwick Boseman, who has never disappointed us as an actor. We wound up enjoying this flick for the most part. It certainly isn't going to win any awards, but it's worth checking out for fans of sordid revenge thrillers.

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My Rating: 7/10
BigJ's Rating: 7/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 40%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

Movie Review: "Undertow" (2004)

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Movie: "Undertow"
Director: David Gordon Green
Year: 2004
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 48 minutes

A widower named John Munn has been raising his boys on a pig farm in rural Georgia. John's older son Chris has had some minor run-ins with the law, mostly for petty crimes. John's brother Deel shows up out of the blue and helps out on the farm, though he clearly has some bad history with his brother John. When John and Deel quarrel over some gold coins their father had when he passed away, Deel murders John in a fit of rage. Fearing for their lives and worried he will be blamed, Chris takes the coins and his brother Tim on the run with their uncle in hot pursuit.  

The above poster says this film's name is "Undertow." That's a typo, folks, it should have said "Underwhelming."

We're not exactly sure what inspired us to watch "Undertow." We know Roger Ebert called it one of the ten best films of 2004, but we cannot fathom why. For whatever reason, it was on our Netflix queue, so shortly before it was removed, we gave it a watch. Now that we have seen it, we honestly don't know what Roger Ebert saw in this film. He had a weird relationship with movies sometimes because, apart from a murder scene, there's little else to enjoy. It has a unique shooting style, but different isn't always good, which is the case here. Director David Gordon Green constantly uses freeze frames in the middle of his shots. He also uses repeated editing cuts and an overall shooting style that seems to give "Undertow" a completely unnatural flow to its movement.

The film screams 'pretentious art for art's sake' that's eerily reminiscent of something made by Terrence Malick, minus anything remotely intriguing. Some of the best films are executed with this idea in mind, but this same idea has also produced some of the worst movies ever conceived. In this case, an attempt at something different winds up being more distracting than anything. "Undertow" is overall bland and has a ridiculously slow moving pace. The story centers around a relationship between two sets of brothers. One set is Chris and Tim, played by Jamie Bell and Devon Alan. Chris is older and a bit of a troublemaker. The sheriff is well aware of who he is. Chris' little brother Tim is kind of sickly and weak, possibly due to his propensity for eating toxic chemicals. Due to his brother's sickly nature, Chris is stuck doing the brunt of the chores and looking out for Tim. The other brothers are the boys' father John, played by Dermot Mulroney, and their uncle Deel, played by Josh Lucas (what the hell kind of a name is Deel, anyway?). The set of older brothers has issues stemming from a feud over John's deceased wife, who was in a relationship with Deel at some point. After she died, Chris took his two boys and moved them into the middle of fartwind-no-man's-land to be pig farmers. They also fight over some gold coins their father had, which leads to Deel killing John and the only worthwhile scene in the film. Chris and Tim take the coins and go on the run across a rural southern landscape (shown through many wide shots of it, we might add). Meanwhile, Deel hunts them down, and quite honestly, we don't give a hoot if he finds them or not.

Unfortunately, "Undertow" wasn't able to keep our interest through their whole ordeal and we never felt any specific way for the characters. None of the actors seem to have the slightest bit of chemistry, and once the movie was all over, we wondered why we ever bothered watching it in the first place. In fact, we have already forgotten we did.

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My Rating: 4/10
BigJ's Rating: 4/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 55%
Do we recommend this movie: No.