HORROR TV YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: ASH vs EVIL DEAD season 3 (2018)

ASH vs EVIL DEAD season 3 (2018)

“Good sex is 30 seconds followed by a cheeseburger”– Ash Williams

(Clicking the highlighted links brings you to corresponding reviews and articles here at The Movie Madhouse!)

Ash vs Evil Dead season three is the final season, not only for the canceled, cult favorite show, but also a final farewell to Bruce Campbell’s Ash, too, as with its cancellation, the actor has officially announced his retirement from the role. One can’t fault him; he’s been playing the character on and off for over thirty years and is a true horror icon. Thank you, Bruce!

Season three arrived later than usual, debuting on February 25, 2018, and opens with Ash (Bruce Campbell) still in Elk’s Grove, Michigan and now running his father’s hardware store. Ash also finds out he has a daughter, Brandy (Arielle Carver-O’Neill) who immediately becomes a target of Ruby (Lucy Lawless) and her evil schemes to create Hell on Earth. Pablo (Ray Santiago) is selling tacos outside the hardware store and Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo) returns, along with a Knight of Sumeria, Dalton (Lindsay Farris), who belongs to an order sworn to assist “The Chosen One”. Can Ash handle fatherhood and fighting evil, as Ruby has birthed a hell-spawn of her own and The Dark Ones are soon to rise?

Like the past two seasons, this one has it weak spots and strong points. Season three starts off a tad shaky with introducing Brandy pretty much right off the bat, in the first episode Family and then having her thrown into the gory action before we or Ash really get a chance to embrace her. Not only are father and daughter thrown together a little too quickly, but new characters such as Brandy’s mother Candy (Katrina Hobbs) and knight Dalton get introduced and then meet their fates way too early for the characters to have resonated. A little more time with them would have been nice. There is still the trademarked gory action and some of it is quite clever, like a scene in the music room of Brandy’s school in episode #1, which utilizes musical instruments in quite a bloody inventive way. There are also some funny bits, too, such as Ash checking on his “donations” at a local sperm bank in Booth 3. The stuff involving Ruby’s pregnancy and birth are as disturbing as a delightful inappropriate funeral scene in Apparently Dead, is hilarious. Things start to get serious in episode four and then build in intensity as Ruby’s hungry offspring grows, Pablo comes into his own as a Brujo and Ash and his daughter bond in blood…and pop tarts. There are some really great moments in the second half, though few match a final showdown between Kelly and Ruby in Tales from the Rift, which is really intense and violent and shows how much Kelly has grown as a character. There are a few weak spots, too, such as yet another evil Ash doppelganger in Twist and Shout, but all the death, resurrection and blood and gore hasn’t quite warn out it’s welcome just yet. The last few episodes all lead up to the return of The Dark Ones and Ash’s confrontation with the massive demon Kandar, himself, as Deadite chaos erupts all over the world in the finale, The Mettle of Man. It’s a strong finish to the season and the show as a whole and the last scene is true to the Evil Dead spirit and is typical Ash. A fond farewell.

The cast are enjoyable as ever and certainly will be missed. Campbell plays the role with the same perfect blend of hero and schlep he has from the beginning. He pulls it all off with his trademark swagger and a little newly added paternal instinct when it comes to his daughter. As Brandy, Arielle Carver-O’Neill is a chip off the old chainsaw. Early on she is a typical troublesome teen who is not eager to accept that her dad is Ashy Slashy, but by the last few episodes is dispatching evil with the same blood-soaked gusto as her dad. The actress is quite appealing, and it would have been nice to see the character evolve further. Dana DeLorenzo still shines as Kelly. Her showdown with Ruby might be one of her finest moments and one of the best episodes in the entire three season run. Ray Santiago really owns the role of Pablo, especially now that he is a full Brujo Especial. He’s a very talented actor, who has a gift for comedy and can be a hero, as well as a sidekick. Lucy Lawless continues to be a strong villain as Ruby. Here she is defying not only Ash, but the Dark Ones themselves, which leads to Ruby being on everyone’s hit list. Lawless oozes malice and devilish confidence. Newbies Lindsay Farris as Sumarian Knight Dalton and Katrina Hobbs as Brandy’s mom Candy, both are good in their parts, but neither character hangs around long enough to really make an impact or get fully developed. To get to the meat of the story, some character development went out the window with the supporting players. Good news to fans of last season, though, Lee Majors returns in episodes Apparently Dead and Unfinished Business as Ash’s dead dad Brock. Couldn’t have cast Ash’s dad any better.

In conclusion, this was consistent with the other two seasons and thus fans should be thankful for three solid seasons of Ash and his battle against the Deadites. There were a few weak spots, but they were outweighed by lot of fun and gory moments, true to the franchise. The last half of the season was really strong and gave us a satisfying…and very Evil Dead…finale as the show and its star are not returning. Thanks to Bruce Campbell, Sam Raimi and the rest of the cast and crew for finishing Ash’s story in true Evil Dead style.

EPISODE LIST

1. Family – directed by Mark Beesley and written by Mark Verheiden
2. Booth Three – directed by Mark Beesley and written by Rob Fresco
3. Apparently Dead – directed by Diego & Andres Meza-Valdes and written by Ivan Raimi
4. Unfinished Business – directed by Daniel Nettheim and written by Nicki Paluga
5. Baby Proof – directed by Daniel Nettheim and written by Luke Kalteaux
6. Tales from the Rift – directed by Regan Hall and written by Aaron Lam
7. Twist and Shout – directed by Mark Beesley and written by Caitlin Meares
8. Rifting Apart – directed by Mark Beesley and written by Bryan Hill
9. Judgement Day – directed and written by Rick Jacobson
10. The Mettle of Man – directed and written by Rick Jacobson

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…and a farewell message from “Ash Williams” himself, Bruce Campbell…

“Good people, Evil Dead fans everywhere, I bid you a heartfelt farewell playing Ash – the character I took acting lessons with for 39 years. I am hereby retiring from that portrayal. It’s time. I followed Ash from his formative years thru his mid-life crisis and decline. What a thrill! What a privilege! We had a great resurgence with the help of Starz (kudos not jeers, folks). They made it possible for 15 more hours of Evil Dead-ness in your life – the equivalent of 10 more features! Is Ash dead? Never. Ash is as much a concept as a person. Where there is evil in this world, there must be one to counter – man or woman, it matters not.

Thanks for watching.

Love, Bruce”

-MonsterZero NJ

3 and 1/2 groovy chainsaws.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE ESTIMATES APRIL 27-29

Complete estimates are in for the weekend box office

(Remember, clicking the highlighted links brings you to the reviews here at The Movie Madhouse!

1. “Avengers: Infinity War” $250 Million

2. “A Quiet Place” $10.6 Million

3. “I Feel Pretty” $8.1 Million

4. “Rampage” $7.1 Million

5. “Black Panther” $4.4 Million

6. “Super Troopers 2” $3.6 million

7. “Truth or Dare” $3.2 million

8. “Blockers” $2.9 Million

9. “Ready Player One” $2.4 Million

10. “Traffik” $1.6 Million

 

source: Box Office Mojo

 

REVIEW: AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (2018)

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (2018)

“In time, you will know what it’s like to lose. To feel so desperately that you’re right, yet to fail all the same. Dread it. Run from it. Destiny still arrives.” ―Thanos

Third Avengers film finds the “Mad Titan” Thanos (Josh Brolin) deciding to restore balance to the universe by killing half of it’s population. To do this he must track down six powerful infinity stones to be placed in a gauntlet, that once completed, will give him the means to do so. To stop him, The Avengers must put aside their differences and The Guardians of the Galaxy must learn to play nice with The Avengers. Not as simple as it sounds as Thanos and his four children…The Black Order…will destroy anything in their path to get the stones…two of which are already on Earth.

Spectacularly entertaining film is directed with a wonderful mix of intensity, action and humor by Joe and Anthony Russo, who gave us the best Marvel film…until now…Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It’s written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely who get a whole lot of story going without the film ever feeling like it’s too busy or a mess. Our heroes are split up on various quests. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) to forge a new weapon, Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to keep Thanos from getting the Time Stone and Cap (Chris Evans), Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) are trying to keep the Mind Stone in Vision’s (Paul Bettany) head out of Thanos’ mitt as well. The action scenes are far more spectacular than we have yet seen in the MCU and in this film series we’ve seen a lot. What can you say about a film that gives you Thanos vs Hulk in the first five minutes and that’s just for starters. What makes this film work so well, though, is not only some wonderful camaraderie between the many characters, but some very emotionally powerful moments, too. The Russos give this film an emotional depth that this series has rarely experienced and Joss Whedon’s first two Avengers movies rarely touched on. There are some side-split-tingly funny dialogue exchanges, too, between characters…such as Banner’s “There’s a Spider-Man AND an Ant-Man?”…and some heart skipping moments, that won’t be spoiled here. The writers pick some great character team ups, like Strange and Stark and Thor and Rocket with some great cameos that also won’t be spoiled here. None of this would work, however, with a weak villain and thankfully Thanos is one of the best MCU villains so far. He is given depth, a purpose…although, a diabolical one…and a powerful presence. It all combines for a villain who lives up to his threat factor big time and puts our heroes in more danger than they have ever been in…a danger they all face valiantly.

The cast is too large to discuss each individually. Our mainstays from the series all perform well with some stand-outs. Hemsworth is a highlight with Ragnarok’s changes to the God of Thunder carrying over here. While initially critical of Cumberbatch as Strange, he has grown into the role very well and the Russos use him wisely. Holland is turning into a great Spider-Man and the script, under the Russo Brother’s guidance, fix the awkward relationship between Peter and Tony that didn’t gel so well in Spiderman: Homecoming. Almost everyone is given their moments, there is some great dialogue for them and the whole cast are given some really intense scenes, unlike they have been afforded before, to shine in. The real force here is Josh Brolin as the Mad Titan. He does voice and motion capture for Thanos and really gives him a powerful presence and an intensity, few MCU villains have mustered in the film series’ decade history. You believe he is a threat and yet, they give him some emotional moments of his own, which give him a depth which only adds to his effectiveness. He makes this epic work. If there is any issue with characters, it’s that Thanos’ CGI children…Proxima Midnight, Corvus Glaive, Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian mostly come across as generic monsters, save for the creepy Ebony Maw…but Thanos gets most of the screen time.

There is very little to gripe about here. At 160 minutes, one or two scenes run on a bit long and a few characters, like Black Widow and Falcon get shortchanged in the whole of things. However we do get a comic book movie of epic proportions that brings spectacular action, nerve-wracking intensity, dramatic weight and some outright hilarious dialogue moments, all mixed to perfection by the Russo Brothers. Sure there is more to the story and the end leaves us wanting that more, but next summer the fourth installment arrives and it is going to have to be something else to surpass this, one of the MCU’s absolute best installments so far. Spectacular entertainment!

…and don’t forget to stay during the entire credits for a post credits scene that will knock your socks off.

-MonsterZero NJ

Rated 4 infinity gauntlets.

 

BARE BONES: IMITATION GIRL (2017)

IMITATION GIRL (2017)

Strange but appealing sci-fi flick has a black ooze falling to Earth in New Mexico and taking the form of a woman on the magazine it lands on. That woman is New York based porn star Julianna Fox (Lauren Ashley Carter). The film follows the imitation as it learns about life and love through, Saghi (Neimah Djourabchi), a young Iranian man she encounters and his sister Khahar (Sanam Erfani), while shadowing Julianna who is beginning to question her life of sex, drugs and excess. Despite being miles apart, Julianna and her doppelganger are destined to meet.

Interesting film is written and directed by Natasha Kermani and paints a portrait of a young woman from opposite sides of the spectrum. While Julianna has fallen into a life of vice and having love-less sex for a living, her imitation is learning to enjoy the simple things in life and to truly appreciate those around her. It’s almost as if the imitation is who Julianna would have become had she pursued her piano playing instead of porn. It’s an intriguing portrayal of two sides of the same woman and both are very well acted by lead Carter. The rest of the cast perform their roles well, too and Kermani displays that she is a filmmaker to keep an eye on with her skill for visuals and a deft handling of a movie that could have been very silly if not handled by someone so capable. Also stars genre favorite Catherine Mary Stewart as Julianna’s former piano teacher, who presents her with a potential life-changing opportunity.

-MonsterZero NJ

HORROR YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: GHOST STORIES (2017)

GHOST STORIES (2017)

British horror anthology has an interesting premise. Professor Phillip Goodman (Andy Nyman) has spent his career debunking supernatural events and exposing fraudulent psychics. Professor Charles Cameron, a renown paranormal investigator in the 70s, who hasn’t been heard of for years and is assumed dead, summons Goodman and tasks him with a challenge. He must debunk the only three cases that Cameron failed to. One is the case of Tony Matthews (Paul Whitehouse) a night watchman in an abandoned asylum who is seeing things go bump in the night. The second is that of Simon Rifkind (Alex Lawther) a meek young man who claims to have hit a demonic goat creature with his father’s car and is now hunted by it. The third is the case of Mike Priddle (Martin Freeman) who is haunted by a malevolent spirit while his wife lay in the hospital in painful labor. As Goodman investigates each case, it may be himself that he ultimately learns the truth about.

Flick is written and directed by star Nyman and Jeremy Dyson and is a spooky affair. The story set-up is quite intriguing with a skeptic, who has made a career of exposing frauds and hoaxes, being called upon by a like individual to solve three cases the man could not. As such, the three stories are very spooky, especially the first two, as Goodman faces what could be actual supernatural occurrences, unlike the frauds he’s used to dealing with. The second case “Simon Rifkind” is by far the creepiest with the young man’s home life being as unsettling as the story he is telling, his own house being scarier than the demon infested woods that his tale takes place in. The film generates the creeps with little blood or CGI and uses some nice spooky locations to add atmosphere. If the film stumbles a bit, it’s that the three stories seem a bit rushed and feel like they could have gone on longer. Also, the last act reveal/wrap-up is a bit disappointing compared to what has passed. After being rushed through the really spooky stories that could have used more attention, we get a reveal that has been done before and seems like a bit of a let-down after such a clever set-up. It evoked a “that’s all?” reaction instead of a “that’s fricken’ creepy” which it needed.

The small cast is solid. Co-writer/director Nyman was fine as Goodman, though he could have used a bit more presence. Paul Whitehouse is good as Tony Matthews, the working class man who has seen things he cannot explain or comprehend in our first case. Alex Lawther is positively creepy as the odd Simon Rifkind, who may be more unnerving than the idea he ran over an actual demon. Martin Freeman is good as Mike Priddle, a self centered business man haunted in his home, while his poor wife suffers an unusually grueling labor in a hospital. As for who plays Charles Cameron…you’ll have to watch to find out.

Overall, this was a spooky flick that only loses it’s grip in the final act when we get our big reveal. Star Nyman and his collaborator Jeremy Dyson deliver some spooky goods in their three cases, as well as, a clever set-up. Not able to end the flick on the same level of scary and clever is the only stumbling point the flick has. It’s not that the finale doesn’t work, it does. It’s just that we were expecting something more…unexpected. Still very much worth a look, as the three cases do deliver and we wish they had more attention spent on them than with our wraparound story.

-MonsterZero NJ

Rated 3 spooks.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE ESTIMATES APRIL 20-22

Complete estimates are in for the weekend box office

(Remember, clicking the highlighted links brings you to the reviews here at The Movie Madhouse!

1. “A Quiet Place” $22 Million

2. “Rampage” $21 Million

3. “I Feel Pretty” $16.2 Million

4. “Super Troopers 2” $14.7 million

5. “Truth or Dare” $7.9 million

6. “Ready Player One” $7.5 Million

7. “Blockers” $6.9 Million

8. “Black Panther” $4.6 Million

9. “Traffik” $3.8 Million

10. “Isle Of Dogs” $3.4 Million

source: Box Office Mojo

 

BARE BONES: THE NIGHT WATCHMEN (2017)

THE NIGHT WATCHMEN (2017)

When world famous Blimpo The Clown (Gary Peebles) dies of a mysterious illness in Romania, his body is shipped home and to the wrong building. When his coffin is opened, it’s discovered that he was bitten by a vampire and is now one of the undead himself. Unleashed in the building, he starts to turn the late-working employees into bloodsuckers. Now it’s up to three incompetent night watchmen (Kevin Jiggetts, Ken Arnold and Dan DeLuca), their new rookie (Max Gray Wilbur) and a cute and feisty employee (Kara Luiz) to stop the blood-craving clown and his minions.

Horror/comedy is directed by Mitchell Altieri (who directed The Hamiltons and The Thompsons with his “Butcher Brothers” collaborator Phil Flores) from a script by stars DeLuca and Arnold and Jamie Nash (Exists, Altered). It’s an amusing 80 minutes that may not always hit the mark, but is still goofy fun. There is a lot of blood spattered along with the occasional laughs and the cast do seem like they are having a good time. Sexy, girl-next-door Kara Luiz especially shows an endearing screen presence as the spunky, smart-ass turned vampire slayer, Karen. Would like to see her do more final girl work. Overall, it is an amusing and gory time on the couch and who can pass up vampire clowns? Also features veteran actor James Remar as a creepy boss and cult favorite scream queen Tiffany Shepis as an ill-fated employee.

-MonsterZero NJ

HORROR YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: WILDLING (2018)

WILDLING (2018)

Wildling finds a little girl named Anna (Aviva Winick) being held in a single room by a man she knows only as “Daddy” (Brad Dourif). He cares for her and tells her tales of a creature called a “Wildling” that will come for here if she steps outside. When Anna grows into a young woman (Bel Powley from Diary of a Teenage Girl) the man becomes fearful and his suicide attempt brings the police. Rescued, Anna is put in the custody of Sheriff Ellen Cooper (Liv Tyler) till they can find her real parents. The longer she stays with Ellen and her brother Ray (Collin Kelly-Sordelet), though, the more Anna starts to change. When a young boy’s body is found mutilated in the woods, it starts to appear that Anna is something far more than simply a victim of imprisonment…and there may be far more truth to the fables of The Wildling.

This is certainly not the first time that lycanthropy has been used as a euphemism for a young woman coming of age. It is, however, a far different film than the cult classic Ginger Snaps, as directed by Fritz Böhm from his script with Florian Eder. While Ginger Snaps was more about budding sexuality, here there is a large focus on the fear in men of a woman’s empowerment, as the last act centers on a group of hunters trying to track Anna down and destroy her. We also get some disrespect from some of these men towards Tyler’s female sheriff, as she tries to find Anna and figure things out. Unfortunately, it is also in the last third where the film loses a bit of it’s grip, as Anna becomes more beast-like and it turns into torch light villagers hunting the monster, when the first two thirds were about a girl trying to find her place in the world, while dealing with some kind of metaphorical transformation. That was more emotionally interesting, as we like Anna and sympathize with her trying to fit in after years in a cell. Still Böhm tells his tale in his own style and he accomplishes some atmosphere and does make some really good use of the New York State locations, including some in downtown Piermont, NY, which I personally have frequented often. The film is visually satisfying and there are some gruesome sequences to remind you there is a horror flick under all the thinly veiled metaphors.

The small cast is very good, especially Powley as Anna. She creates a young woman both frightened and fascinated by the new world she is thrust into and then having to deal with a terrifying transformation into something she was taught is very dangerous. Her petite stature and youthful features allow her to successfully portray a woman ten years younger, as she did in the sexually themed Diary of a Teenage Girl. Liv Tyler is solid as the caring Sheriff. She becomes attached to Anna and it becomes hard for her when she starts to believe the girl might be dangerous. Dourif is good, as always, as “Daddy” a man who may have actually been locking the little girl up for her own good. Rounding out is a good performance by Collin Kelly-Sordelet as Ellen’s brother Ray, who also cares for Anna and James LeGros as a hermit who lives in the woods and may know more about Anna than she does herself.

In conclusion this is not an original idea, it could be oversimplified into Room meets Ginger Snaps, but is well done enough to walk to the beat of it’s own drum. Director/co-writer Fritz Böhm creates an atmospheric allegory of a young woman coming of age and thus becoming dangerous to those who fear her empowerment. The first two-thirds are involving and it’s only in the last act, when it becomes more of a monster hunt that it loses it’s grip somewhat, thought it’s point is still made. A good cast, especially our lead, also helps tell the story well. Worth watching, though one might end up wanting to like it a bit more than one actually does. Not bad for a first full length film, Böhm could be someone to keep an eye on.

-MonsterZero NJ

Rated 2 and 1/2 full moons.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE ESTIMATES APRIL 13-15

Complete estimates are in for the weekend box office

(Remember, clicking the highlighted links brings you to the reviews here at The Movie Madhouse!

1. “Rampage” $34.5 Million

2. “A Quiet Place” $32.6 Million

3. “Truth or Dare” $19 million

4. “Ready Player One” $11.2 Million

5. “Blockers” $10.2 Million

6. “Black Panther” $5.3 Million

7. “Isle Of Dogs” $5 Million

8. “I Can Only Imagine” $3.8 Million

9. “Tyler Perry’s Acrimony” $3.7 Million

10. “Chappaquiddick” $3 Million

 

 

source: Box Office Mojo

 

REVIEW: RAMPAGE (2018)

RAMPAGE (2018)

Latest flick to be based on a video game arrives just weeks after the Tomb Raider reboot. This monster mash finds the Engyne Corporation conducting illegal genetic experiments on a space station. When its test subject gets free, the cataclysm sends samples of this genetic-altering material crash-landing to Earth. It’s encountered by simian wildlife sanctuary resident, George, a wolf in the Wyoming wilderness and something beneath the waters in the Everglades. The animals begin to grow at an alarming rate and acquire new strengths and abilities, causing havoc wherever they go. Engyne’s sinister siblings Claire (Malin Åkerman) and Brett (Jake Lacy) send out a signal that will lure their Frankenstein creations to Chicago, while the military and government frantically try to stop the monsters. Meanwhile George’s handler, primate specialist and ex-solider, Davis Okoye (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) tries to save his friend with the help of a pretty geneticist (Naomie Harris) and with a government agent (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) hot on his tail.

Film is directed very-by-the-numbers by Brad Peyton who directed Johnson in the much livelier San Andreas. Maybe it’s the messy script by four writers, no less, or maybe Peyton is tired of assaulting his frequent leading man with monsters (Journey 2: The Mysterious Island) or crashing buildings around him. There are some fun bits and the monster throw-down at the end is a bit punchier than Pacific Rim: Uprising’s Kaiju/Jaeger clash, but it’s not as much dumb fun as it should be…though it is dumb. The flick seems to follow the template of Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla, with a little monster action here and there, but most of it saved for the last act with a lot of exposition and pontificating from hero and villain alike, in-between. There are all the clichés present you could want, from evil corporate villains to hard-nosed military types, to the slimy government agent who eventually sees things our hero’s way. Aside from some top-notch creature FX and city smashing CGI, there just isn’t really the sense of fun Peyton gave his earlier movies with “The Rock”. One is never bored, but you’re still not having the great time you did watching Johnson navigate falling skyscrapers in San Andreas. There are more plot holes than you can shake a giant albino ape at…such as, if they could track the two fallen canisters that produced George and Ralph (The Wolf), why couldn’t they track the third canister that produced the gargantuan, mutant alligator? And while not genetically altered, why is Davis able to shrug off being shot in the gut by Claire? One minute he is in intense pain and the next he’s skipping over fallen buildings with the greatest of ease. Biggest question of all…why am I looking for sense and logic in a movie like this?

There is an impressive cast for what is basically a B-movie monster flick, name-wise anyway. Johnson has proven he has the charm and chops to be a solid action hero and he can be very funny, as his WWE days already illustrated. He is charismatic and fun here, though given some very weak dialogue that even his muscles can’t beat. Naomie Harris is a fine heroine as the geneticist whose work is used for ill by Claire and Brett, although she is mostly a second banana to Johnson…sorry about the dual penis euphemisms, sometimes they just pop up…As for our villains, they are as two-dimensional and cliché as they come with Åkerman and Lacy hamming it up as pontificating corporate banshee and her cowardly brother respectively. Jeffrey Dean Morgan also goes over-the-top as cowboy government agent Russell, who is first a pain in Davis’ side, then an ally. Another walking cliché. Rounding out is Joe Manganiello in a brief part as a mercenary sent to take down Ralph and Demetrius Grosse as a military operative too hard-nosed for his own good…and let’s not forget Jason Liles who did the motion capture performance for the big albino ape George, giving him the personality, the other critters lacked.

Simply, despite the set-up of Dwayne Johnson and oversized monsters battling it out in Chicago, this flick is too pedestrian to generate the fun needed to overcome the script’s shortcomings. The characters are tired clichés, some of the actors are simply over-compensating for the lack of character development, George aside, the monsters are strictly generic and the final throw-down is a little too by-the-numbers to get us really entertained. It’s not as dull as the recent Pacific Rim: Uprising, thanks in part to the charisma of its leading man but is not nearly as fun as last year’s Kong: Skull Island. Those familiar with the video game on which it’s based might be more emotionally invested, but otherwise this is a moderately amusing flick that is best saved for checking out on Netflix at some point.

-MonsterZero NJ

Rated 2 and 1/2 (out of 4) Johnsons.

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