Hitman: Agent 47 - D

Rated R, 90 minutes

It's late August after most of the summer blockbusters have died down, not to mention it's based on a popular video game. Those two things don't bode well for the dumb new thriller "Hitman: Agent 47," a bloody, bad spectacle that would be completely forgettable if not for the shiny red Audi RS7 that all but steals the movie and something that could be a fun guilty pleasure in the right mood (i.e. a few adult drinks). An elite assassin and killing machine known only as Agent 47 ("Homeland's" Rupert Friend) is hired by a group known only as 'The Organization' is ensnared in a political conspiracy, which finds him pursued by both Interpol and the Russian military as he treks across Russia and Eastern Europe. He teams with a young woman named Katia (Hannah Ware) who may have the secret to defeating Agent 47's chief foe, a mega-corporation who wants to create an army of super-killing machines far more powerful than 47. Directed by newcomer Aleksander Bach in his debut movie and with a story by producer Skip Woods, who also wrote and produced the first "Hitman" movie in 2007 (more on that later), "Hitman: Agent 47" is slick, fast and stupid, though it proving that a few fast-paced action scenes doesn't always make for a great movie. It's really a few silly action sequences strung together by some muddled story about the girl's father (the criminally underrated character actor Ciaran Hinds, who doesn't belong here) and the two being hunted down by some other deadly, superhuman agent (Zachary Quinto). Quinto is a decent actor (and note to his agent - this is not "Star Trek") but he's wasted under the slack direction from Bach, who obviously gives preference to the action scenes and blood, some of which is fun, particularly a good chase sequence in a parking garage with the Audi. However, bland leads Friend and Ware, in stiff Milla Jovovich-style performances, really hurt the movie's chances of being taken seriously, and it doesn't help they spout some horrible dialogue this side of "Resident Evil." "An agent's advantage is not his body. It's his mind," he says as he turns around to shoot somebody in the head. Agent 47 also asks "Do you know why you are still alive? Because I chose not to kill you." Well, duh. On that note, going into this film, I was initially under the (false) impression this was a sequel to the 2007 film "Hitman" - based on the same video game - starring the talented Timothy Olyphant, and I kept wondering why Olyphant wasn't in this film too. Then, I realized quickly my mistake and this wasn't a sequel at all, but a new film. Go figure. The vastly unsatisfying, dull "Hitman: Agent 47" is peppered with a few good action scenes and splatters of blood, but you might get more out of the video game - even gamers might be disappointed on the movie's very loose adaptation of the game - but maybe they'll be able to decipher what the heck that confusing end-credits stinger scene meant. 

Straight Outta Compton - B

Rated R, 145 minutes

Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E

The overlong but entertaining, often fascinating drama "Straight Outta Compton" is part bio-pic, part (rap) music history lesson, detailing the rise of the gangsta rap group N.W.A. and memorably captures some of the magic created by the group. Well-cast and with generous helpings of the group's music, it's a music history lesson that crams too much into one movie, but at least it's a lesson you can bounce to (and you can easily see where the current hit TV show "Empire" has its roots). In the mid-1980s, the streets of Compton, California, were some of the most dangerous in the country and five young men - Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), Ice Cube (O' Shea Jackson Jr.), Eazy-E (Jason Mitchell), MC Ren (Aldis Hodge) and DJ Yella (Neil Brown Jr.) - translated their experiences growing up into brutally honest music that gave an explosive voice to a silenced generation and changed the music culture through their gangsta rap group N.W.A. Directed by F. Gary Gray ("The Italian Job") and co-written by Jonathan Herman and Andrea Berloff, the enjoyable, energetic and overly ambitious "Straight Outta Compton" is a must-see for music lovers, especially those of late '80s/early '90s gangsta rap, something that seems like ages ago but feels like yesterday. The movie benefits most from its music and a memorable cast who performs it well, particularly from the Dre-Cube-Eazy trio that the movie focuses on; it's worth noting that Cube's real life son and doppleganger plays him well, though Mitchell and Hawkins are both solid as Eazy and Dre, respectively, not to mention another stellar supporting turn from Paul Giamatti as their savvy manager, Jerry Heller, who even with some questionable business practices knew how to market the guys and seemingly believed in them. "Compton" could be split into two parts: the first half detailing the rise of the group, and the second half dealing with the group's problems as a result of their fame, with the first half more memorable than the second. "Compton" bursts with energy in its musical performances particularly in this fun, fascinating first act, and it's a treat reliving some gangsta rap history, particularly one nasty concert in Detroit. The second half of "Compton" goes on much too long, feeling redundant as it delves into the group's fights and some of their other collaborations, giving too much footage to the Dre-Suge Knight (played by R. Marcus Taylor, he's portrayed as a good businessman and a big bully) partnership with too little time devoted to Eazy's unfortunate illness, played as another sad footnote in the group's history, which also includes Snoop Dogg and Tupac, both briefly portrayed here. All said, it's about a half-hour too long, but "Straight Outta Compton" with some well-staged musical numbers and memorable performances, is still pretty dope. Definitely worth a look.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. - C

Rated PG-13, 116 minutes

The dull new Guy Ritchie-directed movie "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," a remake of the 1960's TV series of the same name, plays on the cinematic obsession with spies; this junior-league James Bond-esque effort is modestly entertaining, but also blandly overstylized and hurt by a couple of crucial miscastings. Set against the backdrop of the early 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, the movie centers on CIA agent Solo (latest Superman Henry Cavill) and KGB agent Kuryakin ("The Social Network's" Armie Hammer). Forced to put aside longstanding hostilities, the two team up on a joint mission to stop a mysterious international criminal organization, which is bent on destabilizing the fragile balance of power through the proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology. Directed by Ritchie ("Snatch") and co-written by Ritchie and Lionel Wigram, "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." is a decent but mediocre effort at updating a classic TV series that most under the age of 40 probably won't remember much about. Ritchie did this thing better with the "Sherlock Holmes" makeover, and while those films had a similar style, it benefited from the more interesting Robert Downey Jr. In "U.N.C.L.E.," the makeover is a mixed bag, with the premise of having an American and Russian spy much less novel than it was in the 1960's at the height of the Cold War, here it's simply a plot contrivance given little explanation, and the casting much less effective. The handsome Cavill is a serviceable Solo, though Hammer is miscast as Kuryakin, and he's not a strong enough actor to pull off a believable Russian accent; as well, the film's femme fatale villain is played by the lovely but much too-young Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki, in over her head for this. Ritchie adds heavy, often annoying doses of style (is there a reason certain scenes have to be told twice just to withhold information from the audience - for this type of thing we should be in on it) and handles the action well, but the plotting is muddled and the characters aren't shaded well at all, and for all the time spent trying to stop the bad guys, the climax is very, very brief and anti-climactic, in that if you blink you might miss it. Rounding out the cast of "U.N.C.L.E" is Alicia Viklander (a terribly written role), Jared Harris and Hugh Grant as the spies boss Alexander Waverly, whose role is considerably minimized and changed somewhat from the TV series. Featuring a few fun moments and spry energy that never really develops into anything substantial, the stylish but toothless "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." is an lackluster, weaker spy effort that doesn't do the classic TV series justice. Good for a few minutes, you're better off seeing the new "Mission: Impossible" effort, who does this thing much better.

The Gift - B

Rated R, 108 minutes

Your past can come back to haunt you, especially if you were a meanie. That's the basic premise of the familiar but taut, well-made psychological thriller directed, written by and starring actor Joel Edgerton in his feature debut as a director. It's an auspicious directorial debut that begs the question, among many: do you really know your partner's past? Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) are a young married couple whose life is going just as planned until a chance encounter with an acquaintance named Gordo (Edgerton) from Simon's high school sends their world into a harrowing tailspin. Simon doesn't initially recognize Gordo, but after a series of uninvited, strange encounters and mysterious gifts prove troubling, a horrifying secret from the past is uncovered after more than 20 years. Serviceably creepy but extremely tense and well-paced and acted, "The Gift" is solid thriller that's less horror and more along the lines of "The Hand that Rocks the Cradle," "Fatal Attraction" or to some degree, last year's stellar thriller "The Guest." Though some standard conventions are used - dead animals and awkward, unannounced visits that eventually turn deadly (and whatever you do, don't look in the bathtub) - "The Gift" still gets in your head with Edgerton's fine, unnerving pacing that takes its time, nicely shaded characters and a handful of nice twists. The slightly disappointing ending doesn't quite achieve the payoff it builds up to be, but "The Gift" has some fun getting there, and the leads all perform it nicely: Edgerton's weirdo, forgotten castoff, Hall's compassionate wife who has had some rough patches of her own, and the real acting surprise, Bateman as the guy who isn't as nice as you (or even he himself) might think. Bateman, who usually does low-brow, crass comedies of late, is quite believable in a very serious role; maybe it's those comedies and everyman appeal that has you fooled into believing he's such a nice guy. Much like the characters, the darkly enjoyable thriller "The Gift" is flawed and something we've seen before, but it's a memorable, late-summer present to audiences and something different than the standard action film or comedy. Definitely worth a look.

Fantastic Four - D+

Rated PG-13, 106 minutes

The "Fantastic Four" series has always been the awkward stepchild of the Marvel Universe, primarily because it's the lone adaptation held by 20th Century Fox, who has been unable to develop a truly great, smart story around it. The new contemporary reboot, the second in 10 years, is no exception and still can't seem to get it right: while this downbeat, dull version is an improvement in some aspects of casting and visuals, the bland, dumb story never really gels into any sense of coherency or style on an "Avengers" level. This new version centers on four young outsiders - Reed (Miles Teller), Johnny (Michael B. Jordan), Sue (Kate Mara) and Ben (Jamie Bell) who teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe, which alters their physical form in shocking ways, as well as transforming another colleague, Victor Von Doom (Toby Kebbell) into an exceedingly dangerous, evil being. Their lives irrevocably upended, the team must learn to harness their daunting new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy. Directed and co-written by Josh Trank ("Chronicle"), "Fantastic Four" is far from fantastic on most levels, bland and mindlessly enjoyable, but its muddled story (I'm still trying to figure it out) never fully takes off. The first solid hour is spent on backstory and leads up to one of the silliest climaxes of recent memory, never fully explaining Dr. Doom's real intentions on taking over the world - it has to do with some alternate planet/life form sucking all of the life from Earth. All in all, it's an unfortunate mess and a considerable disappointment given the time and funds spent casting some talented actors and creating some serviceable special effects, both of which are an improvement over the first two cheesy "FF" films. Teller and Jordan are in particular likable actors, and they also do a decent job with recreating "The Thing" but this "Fantastic Four" is ruined by an awful script, Trank's terrible direction (he is over his head here, and is no Joss Whedon), lack of chemistry between the four leads and slow-as-molasses pacing; the boring first act in particular may put you to sleep, with a baffling climax that gets sillier by the minute, with no help from the bland Kebbell of "War Horse" and "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," who is woefully miscast as the dynamic Dr. Doom. This all seems one long set up for future films, but "Fantastic Four," which has a few entertaining moments but still a big misfire, will likely go the one-and-done "Green Lantern" route. On that note, this is easily the worst superhero film since that Ryan Reynolds stinker, and one to skip for sure.

Ricki and the Flash - C

Rated PG-13, 102 minutes

Meryl Streep

Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep is no one-hit wonder and we know by now she can carry a tune (heck her last Oscar nomination was for a musical) and she does so again as a rock singer in the energetically predictable dramedy "Ricki and the Flash." Considering the talent involved, it's a disappointment, yet Streep's fabulously blowsy performance rises above the flat storytelling that rings with contrivances. Ricki (Streep) chased her dreams of becoming a famous rock star by abandoning her family. She gets a last chance to put things right when her ex-husband Pete (Oscar-winner and Streep's "Sophie's Choice" co-star Kevin Kline) asks her to visit Indianapolis and help their estranged daughter Julie (Streep's real daughter Mamie Gummer) through a difficult time. Directed by Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme ("Silence of the Lambs"), written by Oscar-winner Diablo Cody ("Juno"), "Ricki and the Flash" is certainly buoyed by the ever-game, ever-watchable Streep, the most memorable thing here (except for the annoying heavy, dark eye shadow that only a true rock queen like Pat Benatar can rock), and aside from the fun musical numbers, Demme's direction and Cody's script ring some false notes and only scratches the surface of some serious family dysfunction. It runs a similar parallel to the much more memorable, affecting Streep movie 1990's "Postcards from the Edge" about a troubled artist with family issues that had Shirley MacLaine as her mother, except this time Streep takes on the distant mother role, though the problematic story never fully connects the dots: Mom runs out on family and is absent, what else has happened, and why does she run back so quick? The story never fully brings it out, though there are some nice moments, especially in seeing Streep and her real daughter Gummer fuss a little, some quaint Streep-Kline moments and of course the romance with '80s heartthrob Rick Springfield, looking every bit his age and then some. The best part of "Ricki" comes as no surprise: the music and having Streep strum her guitar, belting out some nifty classic tunes from Springsteen, U2 and even Lady Gaga that makes you want to shout "go Ricki, go Ricki!" As enjoyable as all this is, "Ricki's" story and characters aren't fleshed out, with a climax so pat and predictable that resolves absolutely nothing of the family drama and really only an excuse for Streep to hop back onstage one last time. "Ricki and the Flash" is a likable one-note ditty and Streep's always a treat, but most everything else around her is far from wondrous.

Shaun the Sheep - B

Rated PG, 85 minutes

If you enjoyed the fun "Wallace & Gromit" TV show and Oscar-winning shorts along with the "Chicken Run" movie, then you'll get a kick out of the clever and amusing "Shaun the Sheep," which is based on the British TV show, and a spinoff of "Wallace & Gromit" (Shaun was first introduced there). The sprightly film, with the same type of stop motion animation and minimal spoken dialogue, is familiar and predictable but the young ones should get a kick out of it. When Shaun (Justin Fletcher) decides to take the day off from Mossy Bottom Farm and have some fun, he gets a little more action than he bargained for. A mix up with the Farmer (John Sparkes), a caravan, and a very evil animal containment officer (Henry Burton) lead them all to the Big City and it's up to Shaun, Bitzer (also Sparkes) and the flock to return everyone safely to the green grass of home. Co-directed and written by animators Richard Starzak and Mark Burton and based on Nick Park's (W&G) creation, the British made, Aardman Animations production "Shaun the Sheep" is energetic, original and altogether terrific fun for the entire family. If you're familiar with "Shaun" and "W&G," then you already know about the minimal dialogue, even by the human characters, with it all centered around the action and hijinks Shaun and his flock get into; if you're not, it may take you a few minutes to acclimate yourself to that notion, but after that you'll find yourself laughing out loud at the colorful characters and story. Admittedly, this works much better in shorter form, as either a short film or TV episode, and stretching it to feature length, is well, a bit of a stretch and feels long even at 85 minutes, but it does have enough merriment to keep you entertained (my favorite: the flock pretending to be humans in clothes, and some pigs, those dirty rascals, who steal a couple of scenes), with fun episodes in a hair salon, a restaurant and a jail cell. The catchy songs on the soundtrack, "Feels Like Summer" and "Life's a Treat," will also stick in your head after it's over.  On that note, you'll leave with a big smile on your face after the amusing and clever "Shaun the Sheep," and maybe want to catch more hijinks in the BBC TV series on DVD.  Definitely recommended for children and families.