Erik M.

Star Trek Beyond is an energetic and sometimes funny action-sequel that delivers on several levels while saying goodbye to the original Mr. Spock as well as potentially the last appearance of Chekov (Both characters actors having passed away). In this feature film, the Enterprise is drawn to a remote and hostile world while responding to a distress call and is viciously attacked by a relentless swarm of ships. Many of the crew are killed or taken prisoner under the direction of a villain capable of draining life from his victims, Krall. Captain Kirk and what remains of his crew are left to face this enemy and his minions while attempting to rescue those captured and stop an even greater threat Krall poses. Can they and their newfound ally, Jaylah, stop the destructive Krall? Star Trek Fans may have fun with this film, as will some fans of the action, but a paint-by-the-numbers script might be a bit too familiar for some. Give it a look.

Erik M.

X-Men 3 (or X-Men: The Last Stand) concludes the first trilogy of mutants vs humans stories without director Bryan Singer while still trying to capture his beats. In this film, a "cure" for mutants is available, which divides loyalties and causes Magneto to again seek war against humankind. Cue appearances by Angel, Psylocke, Juggernaut, Shadowcat, Callisto, Multiple Man and others to jump in just in time for their 15 mins of fame and a big, noisy climax as Jean Grey embraces her dark side and becomes Phoenix! With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, can the heroes save the day? Not without some sacrifices and a few wasted characters, sadly. Some good elements, but not the best way to end the series...a bad turn which repeats itself again unfortunately in 2019's Dark Phoenix.

Erik M.

X-Men 2 is Bryan Singer's bigger, better X-movie where he has Professor Xavier's mutant heroes team up with Magneto's Brotherhood to stop a mutual threat in the form of Colonel Stryker, a compelled Lady Deathstrike and his son, who is a powerful mutant. Joining in is Nightcrawler, and many cameos that if you blink you might miss them such as Kitty Pryde, Jubilee, Dani Moonstar, and Siryn. Generally better written and more entertaining that the first film, though teasing about the Phoenix was a tad cruel to fans. Still fun to see after 16 yrs.

Erik M.

X-Men is the first in the series of major X-Men films and it presents a strong start pitting good mutants Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Storm, Professor X and Wolverine against bad mutants Sabretooth, Toad, Mystique, and Magneto. Caught in the center is Rogue, who meets Wolverine but then is subsequently captured and used by Magneto for his own plan to end the threat humans pose to mutantkind. Director Bryan Singer introduces the characters and their abilities with some style and skill in this first try, and it's a fun movie, if a little clunky at times. See who you think steals the show, and watch for cameos by other characters who just pass through.

Erik M.

Logan is the definitive gritty, dark wrap-up story to the cinematic saga of Wolverine of the X-Men, and it presents the world-weary, razor-clawed hero as caring for an ailing Professor X as well as young Laura-a genetic "daughter" created to be a weapon who has no-one else to turn to. With his teammates gone, Logan aka Wolverine must battle through a bleak near future while vicious cyborg mercenaries are in hot pursuit. Both Logan and Laura deliver deadly action while a relentless Pierce and his commando cronies badger the grim Canuck aided by...well, I don't want to give everything away. This is the hard-hitting sendoff that some fans felt Wolverine should have been like since X-Men (2000). It's a bittersweet goodbye for Wolverine fans.

Erik M.

The Golden Compass is an ambitious attempt at bringing to life the first of the books from the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman, introducing the young hero Lyra Belacqua as she searches for her abducted friend and missing adventurer uncle in a parallel world populated by giant talking bears, witches, gypsies, mages and warriors where people have spiritual "familiars" called Daemons. While casting outright ignored many of the descriptions of the characters, including the main ones, the film otherwise tries earnestly to be faithful to the very popular book series, despite increasing studio demands and great criticism at the time by fans and secular groups. Like many productions, His Dark Materials suffered under the weight of its own source and trying to please, losing much of the narrative's strengths and inadvertently highlighting its weaknesses. Visually, the movie remains interesting and as a story still has some potency but fans of the book will notice the glaring differences as the tale unfolds.

Erik M.

Billy Crystal tries to charm and trick the audience into believing this film is bigger than it is-at times a fish-out-of-water tale, a send-up of Hollywood casting and their smarmy agents, a tale of a man getting a second chance with his family, and a one-joke mismatched buddy picture. The giant is a friendly, good-natured Romanian man who Billy, as a self-centered manipulative type, tries to exploit. Along the way, the giant leaves positive impressions on those he comes in contact with and helps the con man talent agent to change his ways. Sadly, the film suffers from flat and obvious jokes, poor writing, the limited abilities of Gheorghe Mureșan to carry the show as the giant "Max" and the film not defining its own core. Billy Crystal has done better.

Erik M.

Beyond Borders is a well-meaning if somewhat confused film about an idealistic socialite named Sarah whose life takes dramatic turns when a weary relief worker doctor named Nick (played by Clive Owen) crashes a fundraiser she is at with a starving Ethiopian child in tow and challenges those in attendance to do something. Angelina Jolie stars as Sarah, who goes off on humanitarian quests attempting to help those in need around the world while facing great dangers and the distance between herself and her own family in her desire to make a difference. The film uncomfortably hints at romantic feelings between the two main characters amid the violence, desperation and horror of civil unrest, war and famine during such events as the Ethiopian drought, Cambodian civil war and conflict in Chechnya-Sarah is married, and tries to remain faithful to her family while being drawn to Nick for support and survival while intrigued by his charisma and passion. The relationship struggles, as does the film to reach a proper balance-more effort is put into banging the viewer on the head with visuals and messages about poverty, disease and various levels of apathy and corruption as well as the mindless destruction and near-hopelessness of their aid missions. Sad, a bit all over the map and unsure of its core message.

Erik M.

Shazam! is a fun, fast-paced romp of a superhero film where the title character is a kid who can become a mighty champion of good with multiple powers just by saying a magical word! Shazam! delivers mostly lighthearted gags and humor related to the genre, when its not contrasting such things with villainy in need of thwarting. Enjoyable antidote to all the overly-serious things, in real life and bogging down hero movies. Don't miss this.

Erik M.

Us is a nightmarish story with elements of home invasion, duplicates, class struggle and questions of identity as a successful man and his family are besieged by murderous doubles called the Tethered who are furious about how they have lived opposite lives of misery and destitution. Solid acting, scary premise, a nod to the 80s and such paranoia movies as Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Thing make this Jordan Peele film worth seeing and remembering! It's effectively creepy! Enjoy.

Erik M.

Psycho IV: The Beginning is a made-for-Cable-TV sequel to the original Psycho film, wherein Norman now is involved with a psychologist and is a father, but still remains haunted by his desires to kill. He contacts a radio talk show that's discussing matricide to express his conflicted feelings over things he did as a youth and how his twisted decent into violent madness began. While seeing the demented mother alternately seduce and abuse Norman into the twisted maniac he becomes, it's hardly sufficient to elevate the filler tale above being a curiosity. Missing the guidance of Alfred Hitchcock, the story lacks subtleties, is more linear and lacks most surprises. More for die-hard fans of the Psycho franchise and those who just want to see his tragic, awful backstory than anyone else.

Erik M.

The Faculty is a science fiction horror film that's fun as a game of "spot the actor" as many of the players become famous soon after this film. It's also a pretty effective mash up of various earlier films but not a parody-here, it's wary students vs teachers who are acting weirdly, and if you stay for detention or are left alone with them, you're likely never to return. Fun for some, especially those who like films such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Thing.

Erik M.

Alien Resurrection is the 4th film of the science fiction horror franchise that pits a cloned and hybrid Ripley against the rampaging monsters as they slaughter their way through an immense ship that's part of a rogue military-science venture meant to bring back the species that was effectively destroyed between the second and third films. Joss Whedon and Jean-Pierre Jeunet add touches of humor and their own unusual esthetic to the chaos that ensues while bringing back a version of the Queen Alien and a horrid newborn! While not as good as the first and second films, it would have made for an interesting end to the story, had it been the third. Give it a try.

Erik M.

Aliens is the definitive sequel to the 1979 classic-this time pitting the horrid monsters vs Space Marines as a derelict colony that's been wiped out. Heroine Ripley bonds with what appears to be the sole survivor - a little girl named "Newt" who managed to evade capture and death due to her small size and great ability navigating the air ducts. The tagline "This time it's war" delivers as Cameron has the fierce, relentless creatures battle the group of soldiers sent by the Company, and when the mission becomes compromised, Ripley must try to save herself, the child, and what's left of the would-be rescuers before time runs out for them all! Great science fiction action-adventure, rousing musical score, nightmarish visuals and a finale that includes a robotic power-lifting exoskeleton vs a giant Alien Queen! It's a must-see for any Alien franchise fan, and could have easily been the finale.

Erik M.

Alien remains a formidable science fiction horror thriller decades later-great small cast, unique monster, frightening premise with solid scares delivered, top-tier set design and cinematography, lighting, direction. It's just a wild ride through a maze of a ship while a nasty, nearly-unstoppable and cunning creature stalks the crew, picking them off in gruesome ways as they try to survive it plus duplicity. The now-iconic chest-bursting scene is still chilling and painful to witness! If you've never seen Alien or Aliens, watch them on separate days and enjoy Ridley Scott and James Cameron's very different take on the murderous beast.

Erik M.

Alien 3 finds the heroine Ellen Ripley stranded on a particularly run-down former refinery/prison planet managed by a custodial staff of violent inmates, a surly warden and his somewhat intellectually-limited assistant, along with a disgraced doctor, utterly unprepared for an encounter with a different kind of vicious Xenomorph. Ripley is left reeling from tragedy upon awakening from hypersleep and with little left in her to fight the latest menace before the Company closes in on her and it. Alien 3 suffers from a patchwork script, trying to cast unlikable inmates as victims, starting off with killing popular characters, and having Ripley as a worn down, fatalistic protagonist just looking forward to her end. In the end, Alien 3 wasn't the best direction to take the franchise, justifying Alien: Resurrection.

Erik M.

Blair Witch Project was one of the first horror/thriller films to use the "found footage" gimmick for a scripted film, and it did it very well. Three young adult friends head off to the Black Hills forest in Maryland to investigate the legends and rumors about a supposedly supernatural being that is associated with horrific mysterious deaths and disappearances over the course of decades. Ill-prepared and intending on the excursion to amount to little more than an interesting video, they are soon confronted with being hopelessly lost, pursued and tormented by an unseen, malevolent entity or entities. Original at its time, the scares were generated through the creepy situations, uneven pacing, very credible acting and the plausible premise of an amateur documentary gone terribly wrong. The group argues, accuses, grows frustrated and desperate as everything seems to go wrong and they realise they might never escape in a convincing way! On a micro budget, Blair Witch Project succeeds in being disturbing, even frightening, where others fail. Shaky cam might not be for everyone, though, but it still packs some great tension and fear that, years later, it's still worth revisiting! Just don't stay in that forest long, and avoid that dark shambles of a house within the woods.

Erik M.

Blair Witch is a direct sequel to the events of The Blair Witch Project, with the brother of one of the victims of the original story setting out with some friends and a film student to try to discover their fate. Equipped with cell phones, GPS, video camera, a drone, supplies, first aid kit, etc. as well as better informed, they "should" be able to deal with whatever they might encounter in the Black Hills forest. Soon, however, they are haunted and hunted, scared and tormented by frighteningly familiar elements from the first film and the still-unseen menace (s). While a bit better than Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, the story suffers heavily from its own time-worn tropes and struggles to evoke any good scares. A bigger budget just didn't translate well onscreen, and recounting for the viewer the legends surrounding the Blair Witch only highlights missed opportunities-ANY one of those stories should have been the film. While this might entertain timid young early teens, others might find better frights at a haunted house amusement.

Erik M.

The Exorcist is a heavyweight among supernatural horror films decades later due to its disturbing visuals and compelling tale of a desperate mother and two priests efforts to rescue a young girl from the clutches of a demonic presence. Little Regan is a sweet child who steadily becomes afflicted by evil, causing her appearance and behavior to become disturbing and grotesque. When modern medicine and science fail to alleviate her condition, her disbelieving mother reluctantly allows for the intervention by two dedicated Catholic priests who then battle the terrible being that has the girl in its grip! Great acting and still-remarkable special effects make the classic film shocking, memorable and a must-see for Halloween, fans of scares and those who enjoy paranormal films.

Erik M.

Heaven is For Real is a Christian drama based upon a true story about a minister's family that endures several troubles and, just as things seem to keep getting worse, his young son has a near-death experience that leaves him believing that he visited Heaven, spoke to Jesus and is in touch with angels. At first the boy is disbelieved but, as he reveals things that he shouldn't know and finds his way to others in need of comfort, the minister and his sometimes baffled family grow to believe him while those around them either accept his gift or question it. A comforting, slow story with a very faithful little child and positive messages about family, faith and enduring challenges.

Erik M.