EXTRACTION
Chris Hemsworth brings the pain, and his accent, in an unrelenting physical performance – plowing through this actioner with a death wish. Written by one of the Russo brothers and directed by Sam Hargrave, the fighting sequences are graphic but well-executed, it’s marvelous mayhem for the masses. But as the bodies pile up, the subpar story stifles any sort of thrills the audience may receive.
The mindless approach, invariable clichés, and a longer-than-necessary runtime become tiring and troublesome for a movie dedicated to kicking some major ass. Simply watching the wreckage play out as Thor leaves his hammer behind for an unlimited amount of guns, ammo, and grenades isn’t asking for much. Consequently, don’t expect too much either.
THE WILLOUGHBYS
With a wonderful voice cast consisting of funny folks such as Will Forte, Maya Rudolph, Martin Short, Jane Krakowski, and Ricky Gervais – Netflix’s new abnormal animated family comedy-adventure is a little dark but mostly manic in its story of siblings who want to be orphans. Yeah, their lovey dovey, selfish, neglectful parents are that awful. You don’t have to be blood-related to be a family, and director Kris Pearn goes all out to make audiences embrace that message. He also turns Lois Lowry’s popular book into a yarn of quirkiness with very little emotion for what is going on. Keeping it light and bright isn’t a bad move, though there’s nothing really lovable about this old-fashioned household.
CIRCUS OF BOOKS
Director Rachel Mason puts the spotlight on her parents, Karen and Barry, and their business you couldn’t imagine them running for four decades. It was simply a way to make money for this straight Jewish couple, but it simultaneously, and unintentionally, became a part of gay history. As their “bookstore” became the largest distributor of gay porn in the U.S., it was a place that welcomed a community that was being demonized. This fantastic, funny documentary will surprise viewers as its variety of discoveries involving secrets, faith, politics, and amazing acceptance change Mason’s narrative into something much more substantial than at first glance. It’s a winning combination of a family’s warmth and modesty and their unusual kind of normalcy.
SERGIO
Wagner Moura is noteworthy as the dedicated UN diplomat who inarguably changed the world for the better. Still, director Greg Barker’s biopic, while commendable in certain aspects, doesn’t measure up to the man it portrays. His scrambling of the story and putting the main focus on a love affair weakens the worthy message that it’s trying to send. Sérgio Vieira de Mello’s sacrifices should be shared with all audiences; but this is unable to do that in the most gratifying way.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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