Starring: Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn
Directed by: Jon Lucas and Scott Moore
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 41 mins
STX Entertainment

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Right before I sat down to write this review I watched Chelsea Clinton talk about her mother, Hillary, as she prepared to accept her nomination for President of the United States. Chelsea mentioned many things about the Democratic nominee, but mostly she reminded us that Hillary is, first and foremost, a mom. I hope she’s not a bad one.

Amy (Kunis) is married to a man who works when he wants and relies on her to do everything. Kids, shopping, housework…you name it, it’s her responsibility. She also works three days a week for an idiot who doesn’t appreciate her. When Amy catches her husband in the middle of a very adult on-line relationship she tosses him out the door. She also decides to do some things for herself. Enlisting the aid of fellow overburdened moms Kiki (Bell) and Carla (Hahn), the trio turn things upside down in their small, uptight community.

It makes sense that the film is directed and written by the writers of “The Hangover” because it shares a lot of that film’s DNA. Three people, mismatched at times, decide to cut loose with alcohol and dirty talk. And while the film isn’t as consistently funny as “The Hangover,” it does feature some clever scenes and strong performances by its cast, led by Kunis, who shows not only a strong comedic talent but a slight flair for the dramatic. Bell is sweetly funny as Kiki, woman who is told by her husband that she has to watch the kids because it’s “your job.” Hahn is hoot. I loved her brief work in “Anchorman” and here she is given the opportunity to cut loose. Throw in a supporting cast that ranges from Christina Applegate to Houston Texan star J.J. Watt and you have a pretty entertaining night out.

Starring: Emma Roberts, Dave Franco and Emily Meade
Directed By: Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 96 minutes
Lionsgate

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Did kids ever really play “Truth or Dare?” at sleepovers? I certainly didn’t. I grew up in the era where one-on-one conversations and group chat in a circle was replaced by shouting at each over the N64 and trying to decipher the nudity on scrambled HBO channels. So whenever I see the movie trope, especially in horror movies, of a game of “Truth or Dare?” going horribly wrong, I roll my eyes. Who knew a revamp was in order.

Most of the time, “Nerve” is a solid edge of your seat thriller. But at other times “Nerve” seems like a senior citizen’s overreaction and lecture about smartphones, social media and stupid teenage antics. Venus (Roberts) is a timid teenager, who’s known throughout her school as the artistic shutterbug. Her friends are an insipid teenage hacker, Tommy (Miles Heizer) and the school floozy, Sydney (Meade). Most likely one of those groups of friends that met in Kindergarten, grew up together, and hasn’t yet realized they’re bad for each other.

The latest high school craze is the “app”, Nerve. I only say “app” because it’s never fully explained how Nerve actually works. It looks and works like a smartphone app, but also possesses the powers of most Malware, infecting, spreading, and storing all your personal information. In Nerve you can be a watcher or player. The player completes dares and gains followers. The goal is to be the final one to complete the craziest dare. In Nerve, you’re eliminated if you choose not to a dare, snitch, or simply fail at completing your dare.

The clear thing keeping these inept teenagers in Nerve’s snare is the money. Sydney’s dare, which is suitable for the high school tart, is to flash her bare butt at a football game. Easy dare. Easy money. But the dares grow increasingly dangerous and risqué. Venus gets involved after the constant peer pressure and hurtful words of her friends that she never takes risks. While most of the times, I’d call this poor plot structuring, “Nerve” goes to a short, but adequate length to show that Venus is in need of money and in need of a major confidence boost.

“Nerve” follows Venus on her night of dares across New York City. She ends up teaming up with another Nerve player, Ian (Franco) and the two complete dares together. At first it’s light-hearted summer fun at the theater as the two are forced to run out of a high-end Manhattan clothing store in their underwear, but slowly turns into a pulse pounding action sequence the duo navigating a motorcycle at 60 mph blindfolded.

“Nerve” is a sleek techno thriller utilizing America’s current craving for online infamy, naive adolescent sensibilities, and the mob mentality that the Internet has created. If it flops at the box office, “Nerve” is sure to become a cult classic. If it succeeds at the box office, its problems will surely be highlighted. If you begin to get technical about everything, you realize that “Nerve” is in need of some IT support.

In an era where techno babble is becoming common speak and the focus piece of news media, “Nerve” struggles to keep up with some of its more technologically advanced viewers. The movie attempts to name drop things like “dark web” and “Google” in the hopes of glazing over the scriptural plot holes. But it’s fast paced story, neon visuals, Franco and Roberts likability, and thrilling third act keeps you from questioning the structural problems for too long.

Starring: Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley and Jane Horrocks
Directed by: Mandie Fletcher
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 30 mins
Fox Searchlight

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 Stars

Over two decades and 47 episodes, fans of “Absolutely Fabulous” characters Edina (Saunders) and Patsy (Lumley) lived their lives vicariously through the two ladies grand adventures. Adventures that translated well in half-hour doses. How they fare in a feature length film is quite another story.

When we meet our heroines, Edina has realized that she needs some new clients in her public relations firm, the most “relevant” client currently being 60’s singer Lulu. When she and her friend Patsy discover that famous model Kate Moss is looking for new representation they conspire to crash a party and make a pitch. However a slight mishap leads to Edina being accused of killing the fashion legend. The two go into hiding as the world mourns.

Let me say, as a fan of the “Ab Fab” television show, that I was thrilled to hear a film was on its way. The series was always one of the best written shows on television (co-star Saunders wrote most of the scripts, as she does here on the film). That being said, like the best laid plans of a “Saturday Night Live” inspired film, the bits only work in small doses. Exposing the girls to 90 minutes of screen time leads to a lot of hit-and-miss jokes and outrageous situations.

That being said, it is good to see the girls back together again. And this time they’ve brought along an amazing amount of cameo appearances, featuring everyone from Jon Hamm (as one of Patsy’s many ex-lovers) to fashion designer Stella McCartney, who gets off a great joke surrounding the break-up of the Beatles. Add in the aforementioned Lulu, Baby Spice, Joan Collins and Barry Humphries and if you don’t laugh out loud you will at least smile.

Fans of the series may enjoy the film more than those unfamiliar with it. For those not in the know, may I suggest a trip to the video store to watch a couple season’s worth of “Ab Fab” so you can see what all of the commotion was about.

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Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig and Leslie Jones
Directed by: Paul Feig
Rated: PG-13
Running time: 1 hour 56 mins
Columbia

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

Film Review by: Mike Smith

OK, let me make this quick announcement. For those of you that went out of your way to note online that a female-led “Ghostbusters” would cause, in the words of Bill Murray’s Peter Venkman, “Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together… mass hysteria,” you can come back in off the ledge. The new installment is pretty damn funny and stands as tall as the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.

After leading his final group through a tour of a historic mansion, a tour guide finds himself lured into the basement of the dwelling and under attack from forces unknown. The building’s curator knows he needs help but who’s he gonna call?

One part funny, one part scary and completely enjoyable, this reboot of the popular 1984 film rests squarely on the shoulders of its cast. McCarthy and Wiig have made me laugh for years and I’m happy to say they do the same here. I don’t watch a lot of television so I wasn’t familiar with the other (2) “busters”, McKinnon and Jones. Both do fine work here, with McKinnon’s Jillian the standout. She’s a combination of the original film’s Ray Stantz and Egon Spengler. The film follows the original’s plot, as ghosts begin to appear seemingly out of nowhere in New York City. Not looking for bad publicity, the mayor (Andy Garcia) does his best to keep the lid on the situation. He also opens himself up for a great “Jaws” reference, which in itself gives this review an extra half-star.

Visually the film is heads above the original. I saw the 1984 film on the big screen a few years ago and I couldn’t help but notice how bad the special effects were. Here they are spectacularly presented and downright scary. But not everything is gloom and doom. You’ll be happy to learn that many of the original film’s cast show up in cameos here, which brought applause from the audience I was a part of, especially a sly nod to the late Harold Ramis. His son, Daniel, has a small part in the film, which is dedicated to his memory.

Starring: Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo and Diane Kruger
Directed By: Brad Furman
Rated: R
Running Time: 127 minutes
Broad Green Pictures

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Bryan Cranston is the cure for any of Hollywood’s humdrum scripts that need a jolt of energy. We’ve seen “The Infiltrator” before. There are plenty of movies about the lengthy history of the worldwide drug war. But Cranston’s multi-faceted acting abilities create tension and heart pounding action where there isn’t. If Cranston wasn’t given the key role of “The Infiltrator”, I may have easily been telling you that “The Infiltrator” is a run-of-the-mill undercover crime movie that couldn’t find a fresh way to describe a fascinating story.

Cranston plays U.S. Customs Service special agent, Robert Mazur. He’s undercover as Bob Musella, a money launderer for the cartel and various drug dealers. He’s trusted amongst the low ranking members of various gangs because he plays the part. But Mazur is no longer interested in the criminal table scraps that Customs offers him. Mazur is going after the world’s seventh largest private bank in the 1980’s. He knows they’re the real threat because they hide and launder some of the world’s most dangerous criminal’s funds.

“The Infiltrator” has a lot going on. Too much in fact. Without the movie flat out saying it, Mazur is drawn up like a one man wrecking crew. He’s going after the powers behind the world’s drug market as well as the most crooked financiers in the world in one fell swoop. That alone should be enough for “The Infiltrator”, but the story becomes bloated when factoring in Mazur’s problems living the double life. Mazur constantly worries about the loved ones he’s putting jeopardy, while clearly developing a high off constantly putting himself in danger.

Cranston helps balance the circus act on screen by constantly displaying his prowess for portraying dual roles, much like he did season after season on “Breaking Bad”. The list of characters, real, fake, and the real ones portraying fake ones, is too long to list. So much of the movie, and the emotional core of it, shouldn’t rely on Cranston, but it does. In a better movie with a better script, Cranston would surely be looking at another Oscar nomination.

Not all the credit should go to Cranston though. Despite scriptural problems, director Brad Furman has a keen eye for how a crime movie should look. He also allows tense scenes to unfold naturally in an unsettling fashion. He also has some wonderful shots reminiscent of late 80’s and early 90’s mobster movies. But there’s really only so much he can do with the script by a first time writer tasked with condensing the fascinating, and probably lengthy, story of Mazur.

For those looking for a suspenseful time, they may get it with “The Infiltrator”. Just as long as they’re truly paying attention for all 127 minutes and bringing a notepad to keep tabs on everyone. One slip of attention on your end and you’ll miss a key point to the plot that’s brought up 30 minutes later. For that reason, “The Infiltrator” is a bizarre addition to the general popcorn summer blockbuster landscape. But if you’re wanting to watch Cranston raise the intellectual and suspense level of a movie nearly all on his own, “The Infiltrator” is your sure bet.

Starring: Zac Efron, Adam DeVine, Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza
Directed By: Jake Szymanski
Rated: R
Running Time: 98 minutes
20th Century Fox

Our Score: 1.5 out of 5 Stars

You ever watch a comedy in theaters and feel like you’ve watched one of the funniest movies of the year, only to watch it home by yourself or with a couple of friends and wonder what the hell happened? Sometimes you have to factor in audience reaction because there actually is some science behind laughter being contagious. When it happens, it really does make you feel ashamed for “enjoying” something so bad. I feel like this will happen a lot after the unfortunate few out there check out “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates.

Someone in Hollywood must have thought that a female version of “Wedding Crashers” would prove that women can be just as raunchy. But we’ve already learned this lesson from “Bridesmaids” and “Trainwreck”. The people behind “Mike and Dave” must have not have watched either of those movies because they don’t realize that vulgarity needs heart and that they need two people that can sell their ostentatious characters. Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza are not the actresses that can pull of the daunting task that Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn barely pulled off back in 2005.

The pot smoking, going nowhere in life, Millennials, Alice (Kendrick) and Tatiana (Plaza) are watching daytime TV when they spot Mike (DeVine) and Dave (Efron). The brothers are well dressed, charming, and looking for wedding dates. Their way of going about it draws national attention because they put up an ad on Craigslist and are soon hit up by every male and female gold digger in their vicinity.

But what most of the potential wedding dates don’t know is that the brothers are also losers. They work as mediocre sales representatives for a whiskey company no one’s ever heard of. They get high and constantly make buffoons of themselves at private family events. That’s why their parents have given them an ultimatum that they need dates before attending their sister’s wedding. As to how finding two women to go to Hawaii for a wedding will straighten out these two good-for-nothings is beyond me. Even more bizarre is the parents believe such an outlandish plan could ever work.

The comedy and bulk of the movie is built on the idea that Alice and Tatiana will be conning Mike and Dave the entire trip, with everything going wrong. But from the get-go, Mike and Dave should have realized that Tatiana is not smart enough to reportedly be an elementary school teacher and Alice is too verbally incoherent to allegedly handle a hedge fund (especially when she can’t explain what one is). There’s also the problem, that in the Internet age, Mike and Dave do zero social media research on the two.

I get a lot of flak for my distaste for “Wedding Crashers”, but I admit that it’s endearing because it’s about two cynical men realizing that it’s time to grow up. There’s really no growing up or learning curve in “Mike and Dave”. Unless you count Plaza abandoning her terrible Brooklyn accent after 10 minutes or the filmmakers realizing towards the end that Efron is at the beach and he needs to take his shirt off. “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates” has four actors that have no chemistry and are recycling vulgar jokes and punchlines from much better films. This movie should have been called “Zac, Aubrey, Adam and Anna Wanted to go to Hawaii”.

Starring the voices of: Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet and Kevin Hart
Directed by: Yarrow Cheney and Chris Renaud
Rated: PG
Running time: 1 hour 30 mins
Universal

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 Stars

As a long time dog lover (and owner), I would be lying if I didn’t tell you I’ve been looking forward to this movie since I saw the first trailer last year. And while that trailer promised a fun look at what our doggies and kitties do when we leave the house, it’s not all fun and games. In fact, you can say it’s a dangerous jungle out there.

Meet Max (C.K.). A friendly dog who has lived with Katie (Ellie Kemper) since he was a pup. Life is good for Max, who spends his time with Katie snuggling and playing with his ball. His time without her is either spent watching the front door until she comes home or hanging out with his fellow pet friends in the neighborhood. However, things change when Katie brings home Duke (Stonestreet), a big shaggy mess of a dog she picks up at the pound. When Max and Duke find themselves on the run from Animal Control, they must join forces or face the consequences.

First the good stuff. “The Secret Life of Pets” is from the same studio that brought you the adorable Minions from the “Despicable Me” films, and the animation is amazing. One scene finds our two pups in water that looks so realistic you can feel the wetness. The characters are well voiced. Besides the two main mutts, Kevin Hart is perfectly cast as an evil bunny while Jenny Slate, Albert Brooks and Dana Carvey shine as well.

Now the bad stuff. Did you notice above when I referred to Kevin Hart as a EVIL bunny? That’s because he is. When Max and Duke find themselves underneath the street and in the sewers of New York City they come across a group made up of animals that have been flushed down the toilet. They are only accepted when they tell a gruesome story about how the killed their masters. KILLED THEIR MASTERS! I almost fell out of seat. Have we come to a point where it’s o.k. for a cute cartoon bunny to jokingly talk about murder in a PG rated film? And a fellow critic pointed out how weird it was that the soundtrack features the song “Bounce” by System of a Down which, depending on who you talk to, is either about drug use or an orgy. Jeesh!

Actors: Jason Alexander, Frances Conroy, Grey Griffin, James Monroe Igelhart, Stephen Root
Directors: Spike Brandt, Tony Cervone
Studio: Warner Bros Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: June 21, 2016
Running Time: 81 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

The fact that there are still new Tom and Jerry films made blows me away. Not to mention actually good films! “Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz” is the sequel to the 2011 animated film, “Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz”, which was a great film in itself. The songs are great and I love that they incorporated the lost Jitterbug song into the film as well. In terms of voice cast, there is no shortage of talent here. Jason Alexander (“Seinfeld”) voices both Mr. Bibb / The Nome King, Rob Paulsen (“Animaniacs”) voiced The Tin Man / Hickory, Frances Conroy (“American Horror Story”) voiced Aunt Em / Glinda and Stephen Root (“Office Space”) voiced Uncle Henry. If you love “Wizard of Oz” and Tom and Jerry, this is a must see!

Official Premise: With the Wicked Witch of the West now vanquished from Oz, Tom and Jerry along with Dorothy are back in Kansas! But not for long as an all-new villain has surfaced from beneath the magical land, the Gnome King! Having captured the Good Witch, the Gnome King and his army are wreaking havoc throughout Oz and need but one item to take control of The Emerald City, Dorothy’s ruby slippers! It’s up to our favorite cat and mouse duo to team up, go Back to Oz and save the land they love. Take to the skies, courtesy of the Wizard himself, with Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion as they make their magical journey. The laughs and adventure will roar as they encounter all-new frights and mischievous creatures down the Yellow Brick Road, ’cause “we’re not in Kansas anymore!”

Warner Bros Home Entertainment only released this sequel on DVD…but they did include a Digital HD copy, which is a huge bonus for me! In terms of special features, there is not a whole lot included but worth checking out if you enjoyed the film. There are four sing-along music videos from the films songs. There is also a neat alternate opening for the film with the feature “Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz: Classic Style”, which gives the film a fun sepia tone opening. Having watched this film 2 or 3 times already at the time of writing, this film gets better with each viewing as well. Just simple plain Tom and Jerry fun!

Directors: Chris Carter, James Wong, Darin Morgan, Glen Morgan
Starring: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Mitch Pileggi, William B. Davis
Number of discs: 2
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: June 14, 2016
Run Time: 264 minutes

Event Series: 4 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

It has been 14 years since “The X-Files” left television. Hardcore fans have always wanted more and we never left satified from the sub par feature films. This year marked the much anticipated return to TV with a limited 6 episode “event series” run. Some fans were ecstatic and some felt still unsatisfied. Personally, I was just happy to see the major cast return to the series and get back in the game, even if it was just for 6 episodes. Obviously, this was a test from Fox to see how it was received and due to the dazzling rating, I would say it went quite well. I hope that they continue this series with more episodes, but I have a feeling that if it does happen it will not be right away. Hardcore fans will have to keep hope and stick with this series cause the truth is still out there!

Official Premise: Almost 14 years after the original series run, the next mind-bending chapter of THE X-FILES is a thrilling, six-episode event series from creator/executive producer Chris Carter, with stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson re-inhabiting their roles as iconic FBI agents FOX MULDER and DANA SCULLY. Mitch Pileggi also returns as FBI Assistant Director WALTER SKINNER, Mulder and Scully s boss, who walks a fine line between loyalty to these investigators and accountability to his superiors. This marks the momentous return of the Emmy®- and Golden Globe® Award-winning pop culture phenomenon, which remains one of the longest-running sci-fi series in network television history.

The BLu-ray presentation is a nice improvement over the earlier series, of course, due to the age of the older episodes. This new series packed some great visuals and really showed up its 1080p transfer. Same goes for the DTS-Master Audio 5.1 track, just hearing the theme song once again gave me chills. The special features are pretty solid as well. There are three commentary tracks on episodes, “Founder’s Mutation” with Chris Carter and James Wong, “Mulder & Scully Meet the Were-Monster” with David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson and “My Struggle II” with Chris Carter, Gabe Rotter.

The rest of the bonus features include some featurettes and a gag reel and some deleted scenes. The first featurette is “Season X”, which runs just over 20 minutes and gives a series overview. “Monster of the Week: A Recap of the Wildest and Scariest from the Original Series” is a flashback to the original series with host Kumail Nunjiani. “The X-Files: Green Production” looks into this series’ efforts to be ecologically aware. Lastly there is a short film called “Grace” by Karen Nielsen, the series’ script coordinator.

Starring: Alexander Skarsgard, Christoph Waltz and Margot Robbie
Directed By: David Yates
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 109 minutes
Warner Bros. Pictures

Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars

As someone pointed out to me at the screening, the only version of Tarzan I grew up on was the Disney version (with that obnoxious Phil Collins song). My research skills did yield a cringe worthy adaptation of Tarzan featuring Casper Van Dien in 1998, but I’m fortunate to have dodged that abomination. So it seems after a nearly two decade cinematic drought, the feral child is back on the silver screen with the help of CGI and a bloated Hollywood budget.

I won’t lie. “The Legend of Tarzan” could have been bad. In fact, I thought it would be. I’m happy to say it’s not. It’s an entertaining movie with typical summer blockbuster faults. I’m sure some segment of the movie going population will be upset because “The Legend of Tarzan” drifts away from the standard Tarzan tale; explorers discovering a wild man who was raised by apes as a young boy. Instead “Legend of Tarzan” starts off in the mid 1880’s with a man named John Clayton (Skarsgard).

Clayton (which feels weird to type when referring to Tarzan), is more well behaved than the monkey speaking savage we’re used to. Clayton is stylishly dressed like a British aristocrat,
instead of a loincloth that manages to always tastefully conceal himself. He also walks upright instead of getting around like a primate in his swanky New World mansion. He lives there with Jane (Robbie) and leads a seemingly simple life.

The couple is called to the troubled country of Congo, although it’s not quite a country yet in this tale. Belgium is swimming in debt and trying to find anything that could possibly recuperate the massive debt they’ve accumulated by purchasing the African country. Their last ditch effort is Leon Rom (Waltz) and his ruthless plan. Rom’s preposterous scheme involves a massive influx of mercenaries that’ll turn the Congo into a slave machine, pumping out human lives, blood stained ivory, and sparkling diamonds.

The actual logic of everything is put in the back seat while CGI and action are the true drivers of “The Legend of Tarzan”. Don’t worry yourself with how studied and sophisticated Tarzan is despite being raised in the wild and only having a few years to acclimate himself to civilization. Don’t even think about questioning why Tarzan is fighting an imperialist who’s saving a debt-riddled country by hiring mercenaries and purchasing rows of 19th century machine guns. Of course a lot of the absurdity is quelled by Samuel L. Jackson’s character, George Washington Williams. With a name like that, and his constant witticisms about the irony of everything, it’s easy to forgive “The Legend of Tarzan” for being more fantasy than action-adventure.

“The Legend of Tarzan” is sometimes too caught up in tired clichés like revenge, the more human than human escapades of its main character and the unlikely buddying of two opposites. But like I’ve stated, this isn’t a serious movie. I’d legitimately be upset if this was a serious movie. Halfway through, it seems like Jackson’s character is one moment away from being lost in the lush jungles of the unexplored Congo and one line away from saying, “Damn nature, you scary.”

“The Legend of Tarzan” is a contrived, silly blockbuster. But on that same note, it’s an entertaining, and funny, summer escape. “The Legend of Tarzan” may have arrived a decade late. Blockbusters these days, at least the successful ones, are remembered for their deep characters and developed storylines. This movie is a simple CGI spectacle with a story that’s reliant on pure visual adrenaline. And well before the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that’s all we wanted. But if both those reasons are enough for you to sit back and relax, “The Legend of Tarzan” is your movie

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Starring: Chris Strompolis and Eric Zala
Directed by: Tim Skousen and Jeremy Coon
Not Rated
Running time: 1 hour 39 mins
Drafthouse Films

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

Film Review by Mike Smith

In 1978 my high school guidance counselor, Dr. Robert McGinnis, persuaded the local Air Force recruiter to provide me with a 16mm camera and 10,000 feet of film for my senior photography project. I was crazy about a certain fish movie so I used that material to remake scenes from “Jaws,” featuring Fred Yoder as Quint, Todd Norris as Hooper and yours truly as Chief Brody. I got an A.

Four years later, two 11-year old boys did me one better, taking seven years to film a shot-by-shot remake of another classic Steven Spielberg film, “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” After seven summer vacations spent filming, Chris Strompolis (who played Indy) and Eric Zala (who directed) had completed everything except the explosive plane scene (the one where Indy fights the big Nazi, who later gets caught in the blades of a propeller). A quarter-century later, the two reunite in the hopes of filming that final scene. And the adventure begins.

Told with the same exuberance as the filmmakers being profiled, “RAIDERS!” shares the backstory of the production, including footage both from the film and behind the scenes. As the youngsters have their fun, they do so with the blessings of their parents, who have been assured that they have an adult guardian with a knowledge of film guiding them. Unbeknownst to them the guardian’s knowledge comes from his brief time as a zombie while working on George Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead.” It’s only when another parent watches a scene where a child is set on fire (the director sprinkled a little gasoline on his back) that the folks begin to get concerned.

The film floats back and forth, giving us insight into the original production and watching as the filmmakers prepare to film their unfinished scene. Things get sticky when, during the shooting, the weather decides not to cooperate, putting Zala’s full-time job in jeopardy. “Use these two days wisely,” Zala’s boss tells him over the phone after the director begged for two more days off from work. Zala knows the consequences that will befall him if he isn’t back to work, but he also knows he can’t go back without having accomplished his mission. Indiana Jones would be proud!

Starring: Mark Rylance and Ruby Barnhill
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Rated: PG
Running time: 1 hour 57 mins
Walt Disney Films

Our Score: 5 out of 5 Stars

Film Review by Mike Smith

In 1982, director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Melissa Mathison teamed up to create one of the greatest family films of all time, “E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial.” Both earned Oscar nominations for their work, with the film earning a nod for Best Picture and taking home the prize for John William’s amazing musical score. More than a quarter-century later, the band is back together and history just may repeat itself.

London in the early 1980s. As the city sleeps, young Sophie (Barnhill) walks about the orphanage she calls home, taking in the various sights and sounds of the night. It’s 3:00 a.m. The Witching Hour. Sophie recites the three rules: Never Get Out Of Bed; Never Look Out the Window; Never Look Behind the Curtain. Sadly she doesn’t follow them, and in doing so spots a rather tall shape making its way through the dark streets. Realizing that the “shape” has seen her she retreats to her bed. First place they look!

Based on Roald Dahl’s book, in the hands of director Spielberg, “The BFG” becomes a new masterpiece that the whole family will enjoy. And while Spielberg is obviously the captain of this amazing ship, what makes it great is the performance of Mark Rylance. Revered on the stage, Rylance had done a total of eleven films in 30 years before he rose to fame with an Academy Award winning performance in Spielberg’s Cold War-era thriller “Bridge of Spies.” I wouldn’t be surprised if this film makes him the first actor nominated for a vocal performance only.

The story follows Sophie as she ends up in Giant Country, only to learn that the BFG (which is what she calls the Big Friendly Giant) is really rather small in the neighborhood. There are nine giants must bigger than BFG and they love the taste of little children. Which surely proposes a problem for young Miss Sophie. As we follow the mismatched pair, we learn about the magic of dreams and nightmares and even spend a little time with Queen Elizabeth II. Rylance’s performance helps the film jump off the screen and Spielberg shows he is still a master behind the camera. To use the BFG’s own words, “The BFG” is “Scrumdidilyumptous!”

Starring: Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell and Mykelti Williamson
Directed By: James DeMonaco
Rated: R
Running Time: 105 minutes
Universal Pictures

Our Score: 3.5 out 5 Stars

I had to go back and read my old “Purge” reviews because I had to refresh my mind about what I’ve liked about these movies. The storytelling and political/social themes in the “Purge” movies are always the weak link when they should be the strongest. The contemporary commentary, whether it’s class warfare or racism, is surrounded by scenes of absolute savagery. So its weakest is surrounded by its strongest, violence. This new one is no different, but some minor things make it more robust than previous installments.

For the first time in the series, a character has carried over. Leo Barnes (Grillo) has gone from his half-hearted attempt at purging in the second movie to becoming the security detail for Senator Charlene Roan (Mitchell) for this third installment. The Purge, a 12-hour period in which all crime is legal, is slowly being revealed as a sadistic way for the 1% to profit off murder and keep the poor population under control.

Senator Roan, who has her own horrific Purge story to tell, is pushing for the abolishment of the annual Purge in the latest U.S. presidential election. That doesn’t sit well with the New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA), the shadowy political party behind the Purge. So with the next Purge days away, the NFFA plots Roan’s assassination on a night where anyone, and nearly everyone, will be indulging in murder.

It’s crazy to think that back in 2013, “The Purge” was a twisted fantasy about the one night a year Americans get to let out their inner demons and kill one another. The scope was minimal and the unanswered questions have slowly been answered in the two sequels. “The Purge: Election Year” introduces more rogue cells of lower class residents rebelling against the NFFA. But for the first time we get to see the political landscape and how much it’s changed.

The NFFA is effectively a dictatorship that props up a puppet leader, generally a religious demagogue who inspires the masses to believe that the one night of killing is a ritualistic form of purification in God’s eyes. They look at the annual Purge as a religious cleansing and trip to the confession booth. The movie incorporates more factions, including an underground group of doctors and nurses that rescue people and offer sanctuary on the night. We also get a look at the booming tourism industry of foreigners coming to partake in an “American classic”.

Director/writer, James DeMonaco, tones down the overwhelming political overtones, hopefully because someone told him he’s not good at being subtle. Instead of blunt force social commentary, DeMonaco ratchets up the grotesque imagery of people donning monstrous masks and killing innocents in the most gruesome of manners. In a sick way, the scenes of executions and corpses hanging from trees are great palate cleansers for exposition and dialogue downtime. It also helps that DeMonaco finds more unique ways to expand the “Purge” universe without overwhelming the audience.

The annual “Purge” movies have oddly become therapeutic to watch. If you’re looking for a satiric look at the 2016 political landscape here in America, it’s not here. The only real world satire I was able to pick up on was an allusion to President Obama. It’s safe to assume that the script was probably written well in advance of the Trump train that’s steamrolled across America since its attacks are more general than specific. But the “Purge” movies do offer something that a visit to your psychologist supplies, a release.

“The Purge: Election Year” is the best of three, but still more of the same. It’s not a smart, tongue-in-cheek look at our inherently violent culture, race relations, or the current American class struggle. But it’s a chance to watch and cheer on our most animalistic tendencies, killing people who are holding us down. If that visceral experience isn’t oddly salubrious after a long day of watching the state of political discourse right now in America or reading ignorant comments on social media, I’m not sure what is.

Actors: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Peña, Sean Bean
Directors: Ridley Scott
Number of discs: 2
Rated: PG-13
Studio: 20TH CENTURY FOX
DVD Release Date: June 7, 2016
Run Time: 151 minutes

Extended Edition: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4.5 out of 5 stars

When it comes to double dipping on their home video releases, Fox is the king! “The Martian” is the latest film to get a second life on Blu-ray with this Extended Edition release. This all-new extended cut features over 10 minutes of footage not shown in theaters. The film itself before this extension was already an amazing film! The new footage doesn’t really change the film in any way besides giving some new details about our characters. The real selling point of this new Blu-ray is that there is more than two hours of new behind-the-scenes content and the fact that it includes the original Theatrical cut as well. If you didn’t purchase this film originally when it was released, now is definitely the time to pick this up.

Official Premise: Nominated for 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor (Matt Damon), The Martian is a breathtaking sci-fi adventure directed by Ridley Scott (Alien, Prometheus) and based on the #1 New York Times best-selling novel. When an American astronaut (Damon) is left behind during a mission to Mars, he must find a way to survive on the barren planet until a team of scientists can devise a rescue plan to bring him home!

The audio/video presentation of this film on Blu-ray is stunning. I could only imagine it would be topped by the 4K presentation on Blu-ray. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 really blew me away with the space scenes and overall sound delivery. The new special features include an audio commentary by renowned director Ridley Scott, writer/executive producer Drew Goddard and author of the novel Andy Weir. There are two mighty in-depth features looking into the science of the film. The first is “The Long Way Home: Making The Martian”, which runs nearly 80 minutes and the second is “The Journey to Mars 101” which runs over 2 hours, which is jam packed with information.

There are two NASA based featurettes including “Dare Mighty Things: NASA’s Journey to Mars” and
the shorter “Ridley Scott Discusses NASA’s Journey to Mars”. Lastly there are still a few deleted scenes left on the second disc as well as some theatrical trailers. That concludes the new content but also included is all the bonus features included in the original The Martian Blu-ray release as well, so set aside a good amount of time to get through all this wonderful content!

Starring: Julian Dennison, Sam Neill, Rachel House
Directed By: Taika Waititi
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 101 minutes
Orchard

Our Score: 5 out of 5 Stars

Last year New Zealand director Taika Waititi breathed life into the vampire genre with his brilliant What We Do in the Shadows, my favorite comedy of 2015. The director this week turns again to his home turf to even more success for the quirky tale of Ricky Baker in Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Wilderpeople is an unconventional spin on the tried-and-true old mentor meeting his younger match that manages to be action packed, unpredictable and heartfelt without veering into the saccharine territory oft trod by coming of age stories. Not only has Waititi matched my expectations based on his Shadows and “Flight of the Conchords” work but he’s significantly upped my excitement for his next project–Thor: Ragnarok (as if that was even possible!)

Julian Dennison stars as a ‘real bad egg’ called Ricky Baker, an orphan from the city who’s been to his share of foster homes. Child services drops him at a remote farm in the New Zealand bush kept by the sweet Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and bearded grump Hec (Sam Neill). Bella invites Ricky to dub them Auntie and Uncle, though Ricky and Hec are less than keen. When the welcoming Bella passes away leaving Ricky under Hec’s care, his new country life looks about to be ripped from under him again by child services. Naturally Ricky flees to the wilderness with Hec following along. They quickly become a pair of outlaws–everyone believing Hec a kidnapper–and infamous for evading a country-wide manhunt.

As Ricky Baker, newcomer Julian Dennison delivers a star-making performance. He is the perfect age for this little adventure of Waititi’s. A foster child who’s been passed around with a long list of ‘offenses’ (which child service agents will rattle off at the drop of a hat to hilarious effect), Baker is on the verge of puberty and of actually buying into his own bad reputation but is still very much malleable. There’s glimpses of Ricky posturing his ”gangsta” image between his wardrobe or his Scarface references but the brilliance of Dennison is watching the child that he actually is come to the surface. Dennison’s vulnerability is exposed when faced with the prospect of being separated from his most stable home to date. Meanwhile, his curiosity and eagerness to learn the bush life chip away at his city-kid exterior and the fact that he’s wont to spout haikus only makes him all the more endearing. There are a million layers to Ricky Baker and Dennison plays them all with great heart.

This isn’t at all to belittle the terrific support Dennison receives from his adult cast. It’s been 23 since Sam Neill begrudgingly led some kids through Jurassic Park and the years and the beard have only hardened his ornery exterior to perfection. His soft center is tougher to wear down to, but Ricky is game for the challenge. And there aren’t any dinosaurs that Neill needs to evade, but as the formidable Paula from Child services, Rachel House is an absolute scene stealer with dreams of being the Terminator. Rounding out these guys is an appearance from frequent Waititi collaborator Rhys Darby used to wacky effect as Psycho Sam.

Despite some real live threats in the bush and some choice language from kids and adults alike (“Like hell!” abounds), I can’t help but feel that Hunt for the Wilderpeople might be a perfect family film. Shot in beautiful locations, it’s hilarious without being malicious, populated with quirky characters forming genuine human bonds and I can’t stress enough the joy I derived from Dennison’s honest performance. Add to all that an action packed finale and you’ve got A Summer Movie to compete with the biggest of blockbusters. As Uncle Hec says, truly “Majestical.”

June 24 – I screened Hunt for the Wilderpeople at TFF 2016, it is now in limited US release. Visit Wilderpeople.film for trailer and local release dates.