Jai Courtney is chewing all the scenery in a wonderfully over-the-top performance in Dangerous Animals. In it, he plays Bruce Tucker, a psychopathic serial killer who uses sharks as his weapon. Set in Australia, Tucker runs a tour boat that takes people swimming with sharks. When he chooses his victims, he chums, and then hooks…
Tag: visual effects
Jumanji (1995) – Joe Johnston
I hadn’t seen this movie since I saw it in the theaters. I remember that it was on all the loop tapes we played in the video store I worked in. I saw the clips of the monkeys in the police car, and the animal stampede countless times, so much so that it almost overpowered…
Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) – Gareth Edwards
It’s lost some of its magic. There is too much green screen and visual effects, and almost no practical work when it comes to the dinosaurs, and it’s glaringly obvious. There’s no majesty when we see the dinosaurs now, because they don’t look real anymore. You can tell they are all done by VFX artists….
John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) – Chad Stahelski
The Wick-verse expands again with John Wick: Chapter 4 in a story that takes us from New York to Japan to Paris, and Keanu Reeves’ Wick is kicking ass all the way. Determined to reach the High Table will require that he return to the fold and be of service. But his target, the Marquis…
Predator: Badlands (2025) – Dan Trachtenberg
I loved Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey. It was amazing. It took an IP that continues to endure and intrigue and shake it up in a new way. So when I heard he was cranking out another one, I was ready to see what he did next. Predator: Badlands ends up being a middle-of-the-road entry, one that…
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) – J.A. Bayona
Five films in you can’t expect the series to forge too much new ground. They have a formula that works and people love seeing dinosaurs running amok. This story brings back Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) to bookend the film, and puts Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard – bit of a crush) and Chris Pratt…
Good Boy (2025) – Ben Leonberg
Mr. Loenberg, you had me at a horror movie told from a dog’s perspective. What I didn’t epect was a proto-Spielbergian ghost story that hits all the feels with its unique storytelling. There is a lot to dissect and discuss for this wonderful film that is getting great word of mouth. In fact, talking about…
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) – Matthew Vaughn
I greatly enjoyed the Kingsman when I first saw it. It was this perfect blend of Bond films with comic book level violence and lots of swearing. It wasn’t afraid to have fun with its concept, and remind the world that these style of movies are just supposed to be fun. The sequel, Kingsman: The…
The Shallows (2016) – Jaume Collet-Serra
Blake Lively stars in a tight little actioner that runs shy of 90 minutes, but features some crisp and beautiful location and underwater photography. Lively is Nancy, a med student who has journeyed to Mexico to surf a secret beach that her mother once surfed long ago when she learned she was pregnant with Nancy….
Gladiator II (2024) – Ridley Scott
I greatly enjoy Ridley Scott films, he’s an incredible technical director, even when his films aren’t as emotionally captivating as I would like, there’s always something masterful about his creations. Gladiator II is no different. The first film resonated and struck a chord with filmgoers everywhere. It’s no surprise that the idea of a sequel…
The Mind Reels 