“Dirty Angels” is an uneven action flick
The film opens by introducing us to an American soldier named Jake (Green), who is seconds away from being executed while on her latest top-secret mission. While Jake is rescued, her team ends up losing their lives, adding to Jake’s PTSD. A few years later, during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, a group of schoolgirls was taken hostage in Afghanistan. Jake’s old boss, Travis (Christopher Backus), recruits her to join an all-women commando unit to liberate them.
A pitch perfect Timothée Chalamet elevates cliché filled “A Complete Unknown”
Mangold sets the film in the influential New York music scene of the early 1960s and centers on a 19-year-old musician from Minnesota named Bob Dylan, portrayed by Timothée Chalamet. It follows Dylan’s meteoric rise as a folk singer to concert halls and the top of the charts, as his songs and charisma become a worldwide sensation. The narrative culminates in his groundbreaking electric rock and roll performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965.
“Saturday Night” successfully looks at SNL’s debut episode
Four-time Academy Award-nominated director Jason Reitman returns to the screen with his tenth directorial effort, “Saturday Night,” released by Sony Pictures. Co-written with Gil Kenan, the screenplay focuses on the night of the 1975 premiere of NBC’s “Saturday Night,” which later became known as “Saturday Night Live.”
“Red One” is a solid holiday flick for the family
Hollywood superstar Dwayne Johnson teams up with director Jake Kasdan for the third time in “Red One” from Amazon MGM Studios. Chris Morgan pens the film’s script from a story by Hiram Garcia. Callum Drift (Johnson) has spent the last few centuries guarding Nick, a.k.a Santa Claus (J.K. Simmons), as the North Pole’s Head of Security. Due to the selfishness in the world, Callum has become disillusioned with the holiday and is ready to retire.
Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong shine in “The Apprentice”
After directing two episodes of HBO’s “The Last of Us,” director Ali Abbasi shifts to the biopic genre with “The Apprenticeship” from Briarcliff Entertainment. Gabriel Sherman pens the film’s script, which focuses on a young Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan), eager to make his name as a hungry second son of a wealthy family in 1970s New York.
“Y2K” uneven tone fails to drum up nostalgia
Director Kyle Mooney transports audiences to 1999 with his debut feature film, “Y2K,” from A24. Mooney directs, takes on a supporting role, and collaboratively writes the script with Evan Winter.
“Wicked” is a high-flying adaptation
“Wicked” presents the untold narrative of the witches of Oz, specifically Elphaba (portrayed by Cynthia) and Glinda (portrayed by Ariana Grande), who encounter one another at Shiz University in the enchanting Land of Oz. Elphaba, who possesses distinctive green skin, faces misunderstanding from those around her and has yet to realize her true potential. In contrast, Glinda is a figure of fame and vanity, shaped by privilege and ambition, yet she has not discovered her genuine self.
“Armor” shoots and misses as an enjoyable action flick
Director Justin Routt offers Academy Award nominee Sylvester Stallone another opportunity to explore a villainous role in his fourth directorial project, “Armor,” produced by Lionsgate. Adrian Speckert and Corey Todd Hughes have crafted the screenplay for the film.
Director Steve McQueen delivers an engaging family drama in “Blitz”
“Blitz” is limited theaters now and will begin streaming on Apple TV+ on November 22.
100 Yards martial arts chorography makes up for mediocre acting
Martial arts director Xu Haofeng presents his latest action art film, “100 Yards,” released by Well Go USA Entertainment. Haofeng also wrote the screenplay and recruited co-director Xu Junfeng.
Over ambition hinders “My Name Is Hitchcock”
Renowned filmmaker Mark Cousins returns with his latest documentary, “My Name Is Alfred Hitchcock.” A century after the release of Alfred Hitchcock’s first feature, he continues to be one of the most influential filmmakers in cinema history. The enduring question remains: How does his extensive body of work and legacy resonate in today’s world?
“Classified” is an underwhelming mess of clichés
Aaron Eckhart continues his trend of top lining second-tier action flicks in “Classified” from Saban films. Roel Reiné directs the film from a script by Roel Reiné. Evan Shaw (Aaron Eckhart) is a CIA officer who has spent the last two decades alone in the field. He uses the “Help Wanted” section of the newspapers to get his orders from the agency.