Author: tlkabtmovies
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Kickboxer: Vengeance [2016] ★
A disaster from start to finish, this dumb “sequel” to the 1989 film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme follows Kurt Sloane (Alain Moussi) and his quest to avenge the death of his brother who was brutally killed by the fighter Tong Po (David Bautista, clueless). You know the film’s in deep trouble when even the fight…
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The Manchurian Candidate [1962] ★★★★
Regarded as the quintessential political satire of the 1960’s, “The Manchurian Candidate” is also meant to provoke paranoia and fear as an American patrol is captured and brainwashed by Chinese communists during the Koran war. One soldier, Raymond Shaw (a terrific Laurence Harvey), has been programmed for a top secret mission: to murder a presidential…
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Ben-Hur [2016] ★½
Somebody owes me a goddamn explanation: how do you remake William Wyler’s 1959 epic “Ben-Hur” starring Charlton Heston in his Oscar winning performance without screwing it all up? The answer is: you don’t. This new version, directed by Timur Bekmanbetov and starring Jack Huston (Heston, Huston. Get it?) in the title character feels rushed, truncated…
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Sully [2016] ★★★
“Sully” marks the first time director Clint Eastwood and Tom Hanks have ever worked together on a film, so naturally, expectations were more or less high. The result is superior moviemaking, and a powerfully emotional experience from start to finish. Based on a true story that happened on January 15 2009, the movie focuses on Captain…
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Fantastic Planet [1973] ★★★½
A psychedelic experience from start to finish, Rene Laloux’s richly rewarding “Fantastic Planet” (or “La planète Sauvage” in french) is unlike any animated movie you have ever seen. Set on a distant planet called Ygam where humans (called “Oms” here) are enslaved by giant blue creatures called Draags, a young boy called Terr dares to…
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Hands Of Stone [2016] ★★½
Another boxing movie is probably the last thing you needed right now, and understandably so. “Creed” and “Southpaw” last year and now “Hands of Stone”, the true story of 1970’s lightweight champ Roberto Duran (a solid Edgar Ramirez), a Panama based boxer who trained hard to get a shot at the world title. His trainer? The…
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Blood Father [2016] ★★½
Mel Gibson’s return to the big screen (feels like forever) was well worth the wait. “Blood Father”, a straightforward B-action thriller about an ex convict (Gibson) who must protect his 17 year old daughter from the drug cartel, doesn’t reinvent the wheel. But Gibson, 60, certainly looks ripped and ready to kick ass. His comeback…
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Kubo And The Two Strings [2016] ★★★★
Part lyricism, part entertainment, “Kubo and the Two Strings” is living proof that animated movies cannot only equal live-action storytelling, but they can surpass it in every way possible. Leave it to Travis Knight, who was the lead animator on the amazing “Coraline”, to make his directing debut with a ground breaker. Part of Kubo’s…
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Genius [2016] ★★★
Genius doesn’t even begin to describe Jude Law’s performance as Thomas Wolfe, the American writer whose manuscripts were rejected by many publishers in New York in the 1920’s, before his unlikely partnership with editor Maxwell Perkins (Colin Firth, in fine form) led to critically acclaimed books. Law’s performance is all the more impressive because of…
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REMEMBERING GENE WILDER (1933-2016)
Early obituaries of Gene Wilder headlined his portrayal of Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory, and understandably so. He played the character so well and made it unforgettable for kids and adults alike. But my father knows him best as Richard Pryor’s partner in such movies as Another You, Stir Crazy…
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Mechanic: Resurrection [2016] ★½
In an era of sequels and reboots, I ask Hollywood a very important question: who the hell ordered this one? If you paid to see Jason Statham kick ass in the lousy 2012 action flick “The Mechanic” and can’t wait to see “Resurrection”, then you’re craving movie punishment and I can’t help you. Statham reprises…
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The Secret Life Of Pets [2016] ★★★
Ever wondered what your pets do when you leave the house? The people behind “The Secrets Life of Pets” have got it all figured out. Some listen to loud music while others invite their friends over for a fun-filled day. For Max the dog (voiced by Louis C.K), his quiet life is disrupted when his…
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Don’t Breathe [2016] ★★★
From the trailer and the poster you would think this is (God forbid) yet another slasher film. It’s not. Instead, it’s a cross between “Wait Until Dark” starring Audrey Hepburn and David Fincher’s underrated “Panic Room”. The result? A thriller that pumps out suspense from the word go. The premise is simple: three clumsy burglars decide…
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Lights Out [2016] ★★★
There’s one simple, yet spine-tingling scene that reminded me of a 1940 detective movie called “Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum”. In that movie, Chan and a group of people find themselves trapped in a wax museum one rainy night with a killer on the loose. In “Lights Out”, Theresa Palmer and her kid brother…
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Remember [2016] ★★½
I can’t imagine anyone other than Christopher Plummer in the role of Zev Guttman, a man who is determined to find the Gestapo survivor who murdered his family over 70 years ago in Auschwitz. Problem is: Zev suffers from the early stages of dementia and all he’s got in his hands is a gun…
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War Dogs [2016] ★★★
A cross between “Wolf of Wall Street” and “The Hangover”, “War Dogs” arrives to theaters with no particular expectations, and that’s probably a good thing. Good, because, despite its familiar premise, the movie is highly entertaining. Director Todd Phillips has been itching for a comeback after a series of disappointing films, and “War Dogs”…
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Equals [2016] ★½
It’s not the worst Science-Fiction movie you could see, but “Equals”, clumsily directed by Drake Doremus, bored me to tears. I suppose it would only make sense to have Kristen Stewart in it, since everyone in this future society is supposed to be emotionless, even lifeless. The only actor who is allowed to dig into…
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The Neon Demon [2016] ★★½
Nicholas Winding Refn makes movies like no other filmmaker. Sometimes that’s admirable (see “Bronson” and the mind-blowing “Drive” starring Ryan Gosling). Other times it’s a beautiful, incoherent mess (see “Only God Forgives”, also starring Ryan Gosling”). “The Neon Demon” falls somewhere in between. It’s stylish and visually mesmerizing from start to finish. It also features…
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The BFG [2016] ★★★
A lot has been said about Steven Spielberg’s version of Road Dahl’s beloved 1982 novel, ever since it was screened at this year’s Cannes festival. Now that it’s finally here, kids and adults alike can enjoy what this magical film has to offer, from first rate special effects to unforgettable characters. In telling the story…
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The Shallows [2016] ★★½
Even when it feels awfully familiar, “The Shallows”- starring Blake Lively as a woman who finds herself attacked by a white shark while vacationing on a Mexican beach- immediately held me in its grip. What follows the attack is a gripping story of one woman’s resourcefulness and determination to stay alive. Since that woman is…
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