Homestead

In recent years we've seen studios bring their TV shows to the big screen either after the TV show has been seasoned or if the film is to premiere the program. Just as "The Chosen" was remade as a film, the TV show"Homestead" has been made into a film as well. Is this an effective approach? Only if it succeeds.

A nuclear bomb is detonated off the shore of Los Angeles, and the nation devolves into unprecedented chaos. Ex-Green Beret Jeff Ericksson (Bailey Chase) and his family, including wife, Tara (Kearran Giovanni), son, Abe (Tyler Loftin), escape to The Homestead, an eccentric prepper's Ian Ross (Neal McDonough) and his wife Jenna (Dawn Olivieri) fortress nestled in the mountains. As violent threats and apocalyptic conditions creep toward their perimeter, the residents of The Homestead are left to wonder: how long can a group of people resist both the dangers of human nature and the bloodshed at the doorstep? 

Others to round out the cast are Susan Misner as Evie McNulty, Jesse Hutch as Evan Lee, Kevin Lawson as Tick, Currie Graham as Blake Masterson, Olivia Sanabia as Claire Ross, Grace Powell as Molly McNulty and Manny McCord as Bing. 

This was grippingly directed by Ben Smallbone ("Priceless" '16, "Steve McQueen: American Icon" '17, "A Rush of Hope: Find Answers to Life's Questions" '20, "Christmas with the Chosen: The messengers" '21, "Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon" '22, "Fame: Fortunes, Failure, and Faith" '23, "Stoned Cold Country" '23) plus TV, music videos and shorts. This director was certainly able to get his actors to truly emulate their respective characters in which they portrayed, especially that of McDonough and Chase. Smallbone's staging and pacing were also spot on as well. It was effectively written by Jason Ross, based on his story as well. It being an upcoming  TV show, it was created by Ben Kasica and Jason Ross, based on the book, "Black Autumn" by Jeff Kirkham and Jason Ross. Considering Ross has no other writing experience in the feature film or TV platform, this was engaging and carried the premise that this could very easily happen in our near future which makes it that much more chilling. There were a few places of slowness and disjointedness around the middle of the film, but once that hurdle passed, it definitely became the film it was meant to be. This is the prelude of the TV show of the same name which should be starting soon--so it should, if they can keep up the momentum, be interesting, or will it evolve into another nighttime soap opera like so many shows out there?

If you're an apocalyptic film junkie, you'll revel with this movie. No, it doesn't show people wretching because of the radiation--I guess that hasn't kicked in yet, but does give a look at how people cannot handle any of their conveniences being cut off even if they know what's happening. It speaks of faith that needs to be tapped into at a time like this, if they have any chance of survival whether from the radiation or each other's chaotic behavior.

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                 Rated: PG-13                              112mins.

     

Mufasa: The Lion King

When Disney released the original animated version of "The Lion King" back in 1994, little did we, if not them as well, realize the phenomena it would become. Certainly Disney copies a plethora of their own work, however even with that aspect, they truly know how to create a great rendition of the story. This film, "Mufasa: The Lion King" is basically a prequel to its predecessor.

As a cub, Mufasa (Aaron Pierce) shows hints of the confident and courageous king he will one day become. But he's faced with unimaginable tragedy early in his life that leaves him all alone--far away from his family and everything he's ever known. Befriended by another lion cub, Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), Mufasa finds brotherhood and, eventually, purpose when he's once again thrust from his home, forced on a life-changing journey. This all being told as a flashback by Rafiki (John Kani) with an audience including Pumbaa (Seth Rogen )and Timon (Billy Eichner), it takes us back to Mufasa who became the Lion King. 

Others to round out the cast are Tiffany Boone as Sarabi, Mads Mikkelsen as Kiros, Thandie Newton as Eshe, Lennie James as Obasi, Keith David as Masego, Donald Glover as Simba, Kagiso Lediga as young Rafiki and Blue Ivy Carter as Kiara. 

This was beautifully sequenced well by director Barry Jenkins ("Medicine for Melancholy" '08, "Moonlight" '16, "If Beale Street Could Talk" '18) plus TV, shorts and a video. He hasn't a great amount of experience under his belt, but what he's created is exceptional. The live-action edited with the CGI were dissected with precision and carried this production. It was able to showcase Lin-Manuel Miranda's original songs in a story that seamed effortless. It was executed well by writer Jeff Nathanson ("For Better or Worse" '95, "Fenway" (TV movie) '96, "Speed 2: Cruise Control" '97, "The 900 Lives of Jackie Frye" (TV movie) '98, "Rush Hour 2" '01, "Catch Me If You Can" '02, "Terminal" '04, "The Last Shot" '04, "Rush Hour 3" '07, "New York, I Love You" '08, "Tower Heist" '11, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" '17, "The Lion King" '19, "Young Woman and the Sea" '24) plus TV and a video game, based on characters by Linda Woolverton, Irene Mecchi and Jonathan Roberts. This script excelled more at the beginning and about the middle until the end. There were a few areas of slowness in the story that I questioned of their importance, but otherwise it was concise, cohesive and exciting especially nearing the end when it starts reaching its climatic moments. Certainly, no one can argue about the production values i.e. photography, editing, music and the visual effects predominately created by MPC (Moving Pictiure Company). Being a prequel, it did give us a look of how Rafiki's staff came into being, how the huge famous ledge came into being as well as how Scar got his name--it's interesting bits of trivia for sure.

If you are a 'Lion King' or even a Disney aficionado, this will certainly check all the boxes. The music and lyrics by the comparable Lin-Manuel Miranda truly fit the story and cleverly created. Will there be another 'Lion King'? Only if Disney can make a truck load of money will it have any chance at all. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                         Rated: PG                                                    118mins.

The Order

Ever since the popularity of religious cults in our country, there have been follow up films about the rise and ultimate fall of them--whether they be based in fact or fiction. One such case was that of the 1983 situation of a sect that were criminals, but not necessarily religiously as much as they were bent on over-throwing the federal government of the United States simply called "The Order".

In 1983, a series of increasingly violent bank robberies, counterfeiting operations and armored car heists frightened communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. As baffled law enforcement agents including officer Jamie Bowen (Tye Sheridan), and FBI agent Joanne Carney (Jurnee Smollett) scrambled for answers, a lone FBI agent Terry Husk (Jude Law), stationed in the sleepy, picturesque town of Coer d'Alene, Idaho, came to believe the crimes were not the work of traditional, financially motivated criminals but a group of dangerous domestic terrorists, inspired by a radical, charismatic leader, Bob Mathews (Nicholas Hoult), along with followers, Bruce Pierce (Sebastian Pigott), Gary Yarbrough (George Tchorton), David Lane (Phillip Forest Lewitski) and others, plotting a devastating war against the federal government of the United States. 

Others to round out the cast are Mark Maron as Alan Berg, Sean Tyler Foley as Tony Bentley, Bradley Stryker as Sam Stinson, Philip Granger as Sheriff Loftlin, Daniel Doheny as Walter West, Alison Oliver as Debbie Mathews and Morgan Holmstrom as Kimmy Bowen. 

This was helmed using an interesting treatment of 'cat and mouse' by Justin Kurzel ("The Snowtown Murders" '11, "Macbeth" '15, "Assassin's Creed" '16, "True History of the Kelly Gang" '19, "Nitram" '21, "Ellis Park" '24) plus music videos and a short. This filmmaker has a true ability to encourage his actors to dig deep in order to bring that particular character to the surface so we become convinced that they are the person they are portraying, especially that of Hoult. This film simply showcased the talent of this actor as a convincing whacked out terrorist leader. Kurzel's sequencing, pacing and staging were consummate. It was equally well penned by Zach Baylin ("King Richard" '21, "Creed III" '23, "Gran Turismo" '23, "Bob Marley: One Love" '24, "The Crow" '24) plus a short, based on the book, "Silent Brothers" by Gary Gerhardt and Kevin Flynn. The way this writer wrote the script in a way where the action slowly creeped up into the climax it then met was an effective way to build the suspense in the story where the story culminated in a fight between Mathews and Agent Husk. This really kept the audience on their respective seats certainly from the middle of the story until the end. The performances by Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult were amazing, especially that of Hoult, although he has the tendency to be a chameleon when it comes to choosing the roles he accepts. 

If you like stories based on fact or screenplays that have that cat-and-mouse feel to them, this film is directed toward you. It's gritty, intense, suspenseful all rolled up in a story based in fact. The writing, directing and acting is consummate as it is riveting. 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                        Rated: R                                          116mins.

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Kraven the Hunter

Many of the Marvel creations have been quite popular whereas most people have heard of them even before their respective films. When "Kraven the Hunter" was in production, there wasn't a plethora of buzz about it as with Marvel's other films. So when this film was released, it must've been a bit of a surprise for even the ardent Marvel fan. 

This is the action-packed, standalone story of how one of Marvel's most iconic villains came to be. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Sergei 'Kraven' Kravinoff, a man whose complex relationship with his ruthless gangster father Nikolai Kravinoff (Russell Crowe), starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world, but also one of its most feared. Kraven has to leave his home and tells his younger brother Dmitri (Fred Hechinger) that he will return, but their father is impeding Kraven of what he needs to do. 

Others to round out the cast are Ariana BeBose as Calypso Ezili, Alessandro Nivola as Aleksei Sytsevich, Christopher Abbott as The Foreigner, Levi Miller as young Sergei, Billy Barratt as young Dmitri, Diaana Babnicova as young Calypso, Yuri Kolokolnikov as Semyon Chorney and Tom Reed as Bert. 

This was directed with plenty of grit and intensity by J.C. Chandor ("Margin Call" '11, "All is Lost" '13, "A Most Violent Year" '14, "Triple Frontier" '19) plus a short. This filmmaker was certainly able to sequence a fairly graphic film into something that completely holds one's attention. Of course, with Johnson in the title role, he simply made this character into the raw, vibrant and lethal man he could be, and that is talented directing. It was equally well penned by writers Richard Wenk and writing partners, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway, based on a story by Richard Wenk, which is based on a Marvel comic with characters created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Usually if there is more than two writers on any given film, the script has a tendency to become bogged down with confusion with little cohesion. But, since all these writers are seasoned pros in the biz, it's no wonder that this was as exhilarating and compelling as it was. Really, other that a couple of places that were a little disjointed, this script simply rocked! The stunts, visual effects and special effects makeup were incredible as well. 

Certainly if you're a Marvel fan, you'll revel with this. I personally am not in love with the 'comic book films', however this was captivating and much to the credit of Johnson as Kraven. He was believable as he was incredible of how he handled his presence of this character, Kraven. It leaves open-ended, so will there be a number 2? If it makes a ton of money, it will assuredly happen. If you're into IMAX, it's also presented in that format as well. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                     Rated: R                                         127mins.

Flow

There have been a plethora of animated films during this calendar year, i.e. "Inside Out 2", "Moana 2", "Hitpig", "Piece by Piece", "The Wild Robot", "Transformers One", "The Garfield Movie", "Kung Fu Panda 4", and even films like "If" where there is part animation--the list is amazing. But, besides maybe "The Wild Robot", the cream of the crop this year for animation is that of "Flow".

The world seems to be coming to an end, teeming with the vestiges of human presence. Cat is a solitary animal, but as his home is devastated by a great flood, he finds refuge on a boat populated by various species, and will have to team up with them despite their differences. In the lonesome boat sailing through mystical overflowed landscapes, they navigate the challenges and dangers of adapting to this 'new world'.

This was directed with incredible pathos and compassion by Latvian filmmaker Gints Zibalodis ("Away" '19) plus shorts. Even though this filmmaker has only one feature film to his credit, he has a plethora of shorts under his belt as well, that assuredly served him well in the direction he took with this film. His sequencing, staging and pacing were second to none. After this film, he will be involved in more work. It was creatively and wonderfully written by Matiss Kaza ("Raganu Menesis" '12, "My Family Tree" '13, "One Ticket Please" '17, "The Wanderers" '20, "Kind un mes" '20, "Wild East" '21, "The Taste of Water" '22, "Neon Spring" '22) plus shorts and Gints Zibalodis ("Away" '19) plus shorts. I believe that what makes this film stand out above most other animated films is that there is no dialogue, however this film speaks volumes, and that is a monumental task in and of itself, another aspect of this film as a standout is that not only was there any dialogue, but even the sounds of the animals were actually real sounds of a cat, lemur, dog, etc that were recorded prior and then edited into the principal photography in post production. There was no cast at all. This film was cohesive, concise and simply was amazingly captivating for the 86 minute running time. The cinematography, visuals and music absolutely made this film that much more captivating.

If you're into the genre of animation, this is definitely the film for the ardent film aficionado. This film and "The Wild Robot" are probably the best in animation this year, if not in general. This film is stunning on more than one level. The message to this film is one we can all learn from--when we are put in a situation with others that we don't find likable, somehow we must be able to work together for the sake of survival and to become a people that can love others whether we're in a difficult situation or not...just like these animals in this remarkable film!

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                        Rated: PG                                               86mins.

Werewolves

Horror films are about as old as dirt when it comes to Hollywood producing them, so when "Werewolves" was released, the writer decided to make this something other than a typical horror flick. As like with "World War Z", this story was presented with the premise that those who became werewolves was due to a medical condition. 

In this story, a supermoon event has triggered a latent gene in every human on the planet, turning anyone who entered the moonlight into a werewolf for that one night. Chaos ensued and close to a billion people died. Now, a year later, the supermoon is back. Two scientists, Wesley Marshall (Frank Grillo) and Amy Chen (Katrina Low) attempt to stop this mutilation in order to curb yet another devastating event. Can they do this before so many end up succumbing to the same fate as the year prior? 

Others to round out the cast are Ifenesh Hadera as Lucy, James Michael Cummings as Cody Walker, Lou Diamond Phillips as Dr. Aranda, Kamdynn Gary as Emma, Lydia Styslinger as Reagan, Daniel Fernandez as Evan, James Kyson as Myles, Betzaida Landin as Dr. Vasquez and Sam Daly as Walter. 

This was intensely directed with grit by Steven C. Miller ("Automation Transfusion" '06, "Scream of the Banshee" (TV movie) '11, "The Aggression Scale" '12, "Under the Bed" '12, "Silent Night" '12, "Extraction" '15, "Submerged" '16, "Marauders" '16, "Arsenal" '17, "First Kill" '17, "Escape Plan 2: Hades" '18, "Line of Duty" '19, Margaux '22) plus shorts and a video. Certainly this filmmaker was in his comfort zone considering his resume, but he was able to get his actors to emit the emotions that were needed to convince the audience of the perpetual danger these people were up against. If you like this form of directing, his "Under Fire" is in post production. It was executed well by writer Matthew Kennedy ("Inheritance" '20, "Canary Black" '24). Even though this writer doesn't carry a plethora of experience, this was certainly a strong premise and execution. As aforementioned, this does remind me of "World War Z" back in 2013, in that this treated the condition of becoming a werewolf as a medical issue as did "World War Z" treated becoming a zombie as a global virus infecting many. The fact that these films were handled as a medical issue instead of them being a horrific fantasy made it almost palatable story wise. There were a few places where certain aspects were questionable, such as some people became werewolves quickly whereas others took longer. And some were only in the light and became werewolves, whereas others didn't until they happened to actually look at the moon, etc. But with more work and honing his talent, I feel he will become a talented writer. The special effects makeup were by Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff, Jr, who also created the special effects makeup for John Carpenter's "The Thing" (1983) which were as creative. 

Certainly if you liked "World War Z" you'll love this since it was handled in a way that treated it as though becoming a werewolf was a medical problem because of a latent gene in all people--it truly made it far more interesting. It is rather gruesome so be prepared, however, when was the last time one saw a werewolf film that wasn't gruesome?

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                      Rated: R                                          94mins.

            

Moana 2

When Disney released "Moana" back in 2016, I'm sure they never realized the hit they had in their midst. And since it brought in a truckload of money, Disney started developing a sequel appropriately titled "Moana 2". Disney, always the company that imitates itself, has been working on a live version of "Moana" due to release in 2026. Hey, why develop something original when copying a project you've already produced will due nicely?

3 years on from the events of the first film, this film takes audiences on an expansive new voyage with Moana (Auli'i Cravalho), Maui (Dwayne Johnson) and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers including Loto (Rose Matafeo), Moni (Hualalai Chung) and Keke (David Fane) alongside her pig, Pua and Rooster Heihei. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and to dangerous lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she's ever faced. Moana's ancestor tells her that there is a storm god called Nalo (Tofiga Fepulea'i) who desires to have power over all mortals and so people have since grown detached from the ocean. Nalo then sinks a magic island called Motufetu to the bottom of the ocean. Then, realizing that that was a mistake, so tells Moana that she needs to find a way to raise the island which then enters Maui. So he and others are in search of Motufetu.

Others to round out the cast are Awhimai Fraser as Matangi, Khaleesi Lambert Tsuda as Simea, Temuera Morrison as Chief Tui, Nicole Scherzinger as Sina, Rachel House as Gramma Tala, Alan Tudyk as Heihei, Jermaine Clement as Tamatoa and Gerald Faitala Ramsey as Tautai Vasa.

This was steadily directed by not one, not two, but three directors namely Jason Hand (Animation and Art Dept.), Dana Ledoux Miller (TV) and David G.Derrick (Animation and Art Dept,). Considering each and every one of these directors have no feature film experience behind the camera, I am amazed that this was helmed and sequenced as well as it was. There were a couple of small places that jumped a bit, but overall, the effort paid off. Certainly their combined experience didn't hurt. And if you liked this brand of directing, Miller's "Moana" (live version) has a 2026 release date. It was executed well by Jared Bush ("Zootopia" '16, "Moana" '16, "Encanto" '21) plus TV and a video game and Dana Ledoux Miller (TV), based on a story by Jared Bush, Dana Ledoux Miller and Bek Smith. Also additional screenplay material was provided by Bryson Chun. The main issue I felt this film experienced was that it started feeling like a rehash of the original "Moana"--just a different sea, but fraught with peril and Moana and Maui, of course, saved the day. Sound familiar? However, after approximately when the film reached about midway, the story did in fact pick up and truly became the film they and we were looking for. Certainly, the more experience these writers handle, the more talented I believe they will become--just have patience. Of course, after 2026, we will probably be Moanaed out since the live version will be released in that year with Dwayne Johnson reprising his role as Maui, and if you wait through this film's end credits, it provides a small snippet of the sheer possibility of yet a Moana 3? Can you say Ca-Ching?

If you like this franchise, you'll revel with this. And as aforementioned, if you want more than animation, not to worry; Disney will provide a live version as well--anything to add to the Disney coffers. If you want that up, close and personal feeling, this is also presented in an IMAX format as well. Have fun!

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                       Rated: PG                                             99mins.