Nowhere is a Spanish film directed by Albert Pinto. It took five screenwriters to come up with this one. The authors of this little adventure are Ernest Riera, Miguel Ruiz, Indiana Lista, Seanne Winslow, and Teresa Rosendoy. Anna Castillo and Tamar Novas star as a young married couple fleeing a tyrannical government in Spain. Castillo’s Mia is quite pregnant, so they are even more motivated to hoof it out of what is becoming a warzone. Their escape involves being smuggled to Ireland in a shipping container. Mia is separated from her husband, and her fellow escapees are slaughtered. She manages to stay hidden, however a storm causes the shipping container to be dumped in the ocean. As predicted, there are some supplies that make survival possible. Also, her baby decides that this would be a good time to emerge into the world, so Mia has someone else to keep alive.

I am not sure why there needed to be five writers on this. The film turned out to be suspenseful, but Mia has some unbelievable luck in the midst of her unexpected sea disaster. It’s not explained how she knew how to rig some of contraptions she concocted throughout the saga. She demonstrated some skills that would make MacGyver envious. Of course, MacGyver was pretty hard to buy into at times too.

Castillo does put in a pretty impressive performance in spite of some dodgy plot turns. She is a good actress, and I was rooting for Mia to make it.

The visual effects were nicely executed. There was an encounter with a whale that was quite compelling. The film was quite stunning visually.

There were one or two moments I couldn’t quite predict, so that makes this a little better than many other movies with a similar scenario. The movie still has a few shortcomings in the writing. Castillo’s performance did help me forgive some of those flaws but not all of them.

Nowhere is not a terrible movie, but it still fails to make a lasting impression. Even Castillo’s performance doesn’t hit this out of the park for me.

Kenneth Branagh brings back Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot back to the big screen for the third time with A Haunting In Venice. He takes on the lead and serves as director for this script written by Michael Green. It is loosely based on the novel by Agatha Christie entitled Hallowe’en Party, and they really mean loosely this time. Joining Branagh is a cast that includes Tina Fey, Kyle Allen, Kelly Reilly, Michelle Yeoh, and Jamie Dornan. Anyway, this might as well be considered an entirely original story featuring Poirot, which is fine with me.

Hercule Poirot has retired to Venice and has obtained the services of a bodyguard to help make sure he is not roped into any new cases. That seems to work fine until an old friend, Ariadne Oliver, shows up to invite him to a seance. A wealthy, grieving mother has hired a mysterious medium to reach out to her dead daughter, who had apparently committed suicide. Poirot arrives as a Halloween party is winding down, and the medium, played by Michelle Yeoh, turns up to get the supernatural ball rolling. Of course, Poirot exposes the hoax but ends up staying for the murder he has to solve. He locks everyone in the house as a storm rages through the night and begins his investigation, however he is having his own visions and is not sure how much he can trust his own sense of reality.

First of all, the film editing can use some reconsideration because the quick cutaways and close-ups were rather overused. Also, Branagh has chosen to present a more morose and pondering version of Poirot than most of the other portrayals. Poirot wasn’t really like that in the original novels. Branagh does manage to bring out many of Poirot’s more recognizable traits. Poirot is still rather egocentric and fastidious, which was a relief to see. He still enjoys an audience when exposing a killer. Branagh still does a decent job as director and lead, but the movie has quite a few missteps for the most part.

Tina Fey does pretty well as Ariadne Oliver, who is a recurring character in Christie’s works. Ariadne Oliver is a mystery writer who occasionally assisted Poirot in an investigation or two. I thought it was kind of cool that she was included in this latest entry.

The house where this was taking place seemed a little outlandish, but maybe that is how they look in Venice. The first murder itself was a bit weird as well. This movie does require quite a leap to buy into the plot.

There are quite a few lapses in judgment in the making of this film, but all is not lost. Branagh stays pretty faithful to the spirit of Christie’s works. The cast was pretty good, and there are a couple of unnerving moments that causes a bit of a chill.

Branagh may do better just sticking closer to the book if he continues to bring his version of Poirot to the 21st century. It may be that I just don’t have it in me to bash a new Poirot completely, but I still managed to enjoy this one. It is still good enough to provide an entertaining diversion. Branagh has a different interpretation of Poirot that I would prefer sometimes, but he leaves enough for me to hope for another stab at bringing Agatha Christie to this modern audience.

The Nun II is the latest horror film included in The Conjuring franchise. Michael Chaves is the director of this film in which it took three people to write the script for some inexplicable reason. Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing, and Akela Cooper all put their heads together for this one and still managed to not hit it out of the park. Taissa Farmiga reprises her role as Sister Irene who encountered the demonic nun in the previous film entitled, somewhat unsurprisingly, The Nun. Storm Reid is introduced as the young, hip Sister Debra, who doesn’t mind an occasional cigarette. Jonas Bloquet, Anna Popplewell, and Bonnie Aarons are included in the cast. Aarons returns as the demonic nun and does a fine job of looking creepy and, well…. demonic.

Sister Irene has found a convent to serve in Italy after her previous encounter with the Demon Nun. Maurice, played by Bloquet, is working at a boarding school in France, but he is not quite himself since he has become a carrier for the Nun. A series of gruesome deaths has caught the attention of the Cardinal, and Sister Irene is asked to take a look to see of the Demon Nun was not yet out for the count. She is joined by Sister Debra, the almost obligatory streetwise nun, and the two of them set off to France to find an old friend of Irene’s and an ancient foe in a habit. They learn of the Nun’s latest unholy quest and try to get ahead of her so they can send her back to where she belongs.

A nun with a rebellious streak has become par for the course for movies steeped in Catholic overtures. Saying that, I did find Sister Debra’s spunk kind of endearing though not that original. Reid is rather interesting and charismatic addition to the cast. Farmiga did well enough in the lead role, but there was not much that was not seen before. There were some moments in the film that were effectively creepy but not terribly original. There’s a weird goat creature that shows up suddenly which I found to be more distracting than anything else.

This is another offering that I found to be a mixed bag. It was not without some merit. The special effects worked well enough. It was shot on location, so I enjoyed the background setting. The performances were pretty good. It does well enough on hitting all the expected notes for a film in this genre. Not everything in the plot made sense, but that’s also a somewhat expected crack when it comes to this series.

The overall film was pretty average, but at least managed to be somewhat entertaining and occasionally startling. Basically, this is not the horror film that’s going to keep me up at night. The film was still done well enough to leave me curious enough to see where the franchise goes, so all was not lost in this cinematic indulgence.

Director Antione Fuqua and Denzel Washington reunite for what is advertised as the final installment of The Equalizer films. The Equalizer 3 has finally hit the screens, and Washington’s Robert McCall doesn’t skimp on the body count. Richard Wenk is the screenwriter. Dakota Fanning, Eugenio Mastrandrea, David Denman, and Remo Girone are also included in the cast. The film takes place in Italy, which is a good location choice to wrap this series up if it is indeed the end. The film series was actually based on a television series that was created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim.

Robert McCall is finishing up a mission where he has already killed a bundle of bad guys. When he gets wounded himself, he is taken in by an Italian doctor living in a small, charming coastal town. As he begins to recover, McCall gets to know his surroundings and the people there. Naturally, he develops an affection for them and is not too pleased to find them bothered by a mafia-type organization known as the Camorra. The CIA is also in town investigating an unusual drug smuggling operation. Once McCall starts to regain his strength, the Camorra are going to be on the receiving end of the bloodshed that is about to ensue.

I have said over the years that Denzel Washington had enough talent and charisma to make a bad movie at least watchable. Fortunately, this really isn’t a bad movie, but Washington still helps bump up the enjoyment. Fugua manages to avoid a few tropes of the action film genre once the climax of the story arrives. McCall comes across as dangerous and weary which Washington plays so well. Washington still comes across as believably lethal in spite of him being older. There are a few spots that seem to drag a little, but there are also some great scenes where the dialogue is written cleverly enough to help one through those moments. The first scene between Washington and Fanning turns out to be rather fascinating as they engage in a friendly battle of wits and one-upmanship.

The location was absolutely stunning, and it certainly did not hurt to actually cast Italian actors to play the locals McCall encounters. The villains were actually pretty believable in their nastiness. They did not really seem all that cartoonish, which is often a problem in this genre. It could be that the actors being Italian really assisted in the authenticity of the characters.

The action scenes were well done. Some of the choreography required some suspension of disbelief, but it wasn’t terribly outlandish. Washington can still be a convincing killer even if he is closing in on starting his seventh decade on this Earth.

The movie was pretty solidly entertaining, and this may be one of the few franchises where the later installments almost measure up to the first.

Glass Onion is a murder mystery film and sequel to Rian Johnson’s Knives Out which starred Daniel Craig as master detective Benoit Blanc. Johnson wrote and directed this entry in what could be a promising film franchise if he continues to add to it. This time, the cast includes Edward Norton, Dave Bautista, Janelle Monae, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom, Jr., and Kate Hudson.

Norton plays a billionaire technology mogul who invites some friends to his private island for a murder mystery game. Somehow, sophisticated private detective Benoit Blanc also receives an invitation. It’s a pretty complicated collection of associates once Blanc figures that everyone has a motive to actually kill Miles Bron, the mastermind behind the macabre weekend. Someone is not who they appear to be, and the murder that occurs is anything but for fun and games.

It took a while for me to get really engaged with this film. Fortunately, Craig is a good enough actor that makes it easy for me to mentally separate him from his more famous role, James Bond. Blanc is wonderfully eccentric and engaging. I am even getting used to his unusual southern accent.

Bautista is a bit of weak link for me in the cast. I just found his character to be a bit too obnoxious, but that seems to be Bautista’s schtick. I thought Janelle Monae was pretty good though. She has a surprising dual role and does pretty well throughout the film. Norton gives his usual solid performance as the entitled billionaire on this film.

Rian Johnson is basically paying homage to Agatha Christie with this burgeoning series, but he does manage to display some originality with this effort as well.

I think the first film was better, but this one is not without favor. The moment where Blanc reveals the solution is as captivating as expected. There were some pretty clever red herrings planted. The beginning is a little slow, but Agatha herself sometimes took her time to get to the meat of the story.

I ended up enjoying this film, but I found myself hoping that Rian Johnson hits the next Blanc entry out of the park. Glass Onion is a solid effort but doesn’t quite make it to the back fence.

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Meg 2: The Trench is a science fiction action film directed by Ben Wheatley. It took three writers to come up with this sequel to The Meg.. Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoebar, and Erich Hoebar adapted this from the novel from Steve Alten. I imagine that it bears very little resemblance to the original work. Jason Statham reprises his role of Jonas Taylor, some protector of the environment who has already escaped the jaws of a Megalodon, some prehistoric super shark that can never get a full meal. Wu Jing, Sophia Cai, Page Kennedy, and Sergio Peris-Mencheta are also included in the cast.

The film starts off with Jonas Taylor on a barge gathering evidence of illegal dumping of radioactive waste into the ocean. He has to fight off thuggish crewmembers before pulling off a ludicrously impossible escape with the help of some friends. He returns to a research base stationed at the edge of giant trench in the ocean floor where submersibles are being created so they can explore the deepest depths where they expect to find all kinds of interesting marine life. Well, the dive goes wrong when the giant sharks attack and cripple the vehicles. Unexpected salvation lies in a secret base that was somehow constructed at the bottom the Trench. Taylor and his team dodge all sorts of perils to make it inside where they learn of a betrayal that forces them into numerous confrontations with the savagely hungry inhabitants of the Trench.

This is such a mindless popcorn movie. Jason Statham doesn’t typically star in films with much character depth or a deliciously complicated plot, and this particular film remains on brand. Statham is still pretty fun to watch in this genre, and this film manages to keep that streak going, at least. I did find that I enjoyed most of the other characters, which sort of surprised me. Some of the tasteless quips were sporadically funny, which is better than none of them getting at least a low chuckle.

Of course, the stunts and visual effects were pretty amusing. Not much was believable, but if one keeps that bar of expectation low enough, it isn’t impossible to actually enjoy this thing.

There is a teen-age girl, played by Sophia Cai, who is kind of adopted by Jonas. I did find her to be pretty charming and played off well with the other co-stars. Wu Jing has some pretty good moments as well which displays both his charisma and athleticism. He plays the uncle of the young girl and runs the company he had gotten from his sister, who was killed in the first film. He is very innovative but a little reckless. He ends up being someone who handles crises with a good deal of wit as well as courage.

There is a massive amount of suspension of disbelief required to enjoy this film, however Jason Statham is too fun to watch to not make the effort. The cast is not as well-known, but they were well chosen. I liked everyone I was supposed to.

The Megs and the various other sea life encountered in this film were formidable and well-realized. I guess the studio utilized the technology pretty well, but most of these films these days consistently get that right.

Overall, it’s a stupid movie but somehow still enjoyable.

“Oppenheimer” is a biographical film written and directed by Christopher Nolan. It is based on a biography entitled American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer written by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. Cillian Murphy displays a masterful performance in the lead role. He is joined by quite a collection of co-stars which includes Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., and Florence Pugh. There are some unexpected appearances from other well-known actors.

Julius Robert Oppenheimer is considered the father of the atomic bomb. He conducted the research and development of the bomb in New Mexico during the thick of World War II. The film delves into the conflict between his patriotism and conscience. He has grave and understandable concerns about the potential hazards of entrusting the government with such an awesome destructive power. Also, he was linked to some Communist interests, which led to some concerns from the government about his loyalty to the nation. The film was very thorough in displaying the personal and professional consequences to Dr. Oppenheimer during the creation of the bomb and after it was unleashed on Japan.

Cillian Murphy gives one of the most compelling performances I have seen in some time. The cast was on its A game every step of the way. Emily Blunt plays Oppenheimer’s wife, who has some of her scientific accomplishments, although that was not explored all that much. Matt Damon plays General Leslie Groves, who oversees the Manhattan Project in New Mexico after recruiting Oppenheimer. Robert Downey Jr. takes on the role of Lewis Strauss, the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and ends up being a major thorn in Oppenheimer’s side.

The film is not without a few distracting flaws and at times feels as long as the three-hour runtime, but it is still very worthy of the acclaim it has received. The most noticeable difficulty is that the film was not always clear as to the timeline. Nolan once again avoids unveiling his story in a direct linear fashion. The transitions to different time periods still seem rather sudden which makes it a little hard to appreciate the writing and the performances to the fullest.

Fortunately, the strengths of the film are way more numerous than its problems. If there is such a thing as a perfect film, Nolan’s Oppenheimer gets closer to that mark than any film I have seen in recent years. Not only does it convey one of the most pivotal periods in American and world history, the artistry of this film is not likely to be matched for some time to come.

Luther: The Fallen Sun is a thriller written by Neil Cross and directed by Jamie Payne. Idris Elba reprises the role of now former Detective Chief Inspector John Luther. Cynthia Erivo, Dermot Crowley, and Andy Serkis are included in the cast.

John Luther is a dedicated detective, but he has crossed some lines in his career. He has been imprisoned for some of his misdeeds, however a killer he had failed to catch decides to taunt him. This killer uses blackmail to lure his victims into his traps and has the resources that would rival those of Bruce Wayne. His psychosis comes out in the most gruesome and elaborate of ways, and Luther engineers a pretty unbelievable prison escape to join the hunt. His hunt is complicated by him being the hunted as well. A typically complicated situation enmeshes Luther as he exercises his best skill.

First of all, the plot is pretty absurd, but I guess I am getting sentimental in my old age because I was just excited to see Luther slip into his familiar grey coat and take a moment to stare out over the London cityscape. The performances were captivating enough for me to shrug off most of the plot holes. Andy Serkis plays psychotic millionaire, David Robey, and is quite perversely effective. Elba’s performance hasn’t lost a step either.

Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part One is the latest entry into Tom Cruise’s longest running franchise. Christopher McQuarrie directs and shares script credit with Erik Jendresen. Tom Cruise reprises the role of Ehtan Hunt. He is joined by Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, and Hayley Atwell. Esai Morales plays a pretty chilling villain named Gabriel and is helped by henchwoman, Pom Klementieff. There are all kinds of familiar names in the cast. I guess I should also mention Cary Elwes.

This time, Hunt and Company have to stay ahead am artificial intelligence creatively designated the Entity. IMF (Impossible Mission Force) must regain half of a key that will lead them to a means to destroy the Entity. The Entity has gathered enough loyalty and intelligence to give everyone a run for the money. This story makes the bold claim that this will be Ethan’s toughest mission.

The problem is that it also seems to be the most absurd mission the IMF has ever tackled. The story doesn’t always make sense. The stunts are almost too outrageous and require an outlandish amount of suspension of disbelief. Fortunately, it is a very talented cast, and many scenes did work pretty well. Cruise does remain as compelling as ever in the lead role, and one can almost forget he is now in his sixties. Rhames and Pegg are quite good too, and I would not object to them getting more screen time in the next installment.

I did find some of the action scenes such as a car chase in Rome just seemed to go on and on. The stunts were pretty well choreographed for the most part, but I would have appreciated a little more opportunity to catch my breath and see Ethan move onto the next leg a little sooner.

Overall, the film manages to still be pretty entertaining in spite of some significant flaws. As mentioned before, the cast was well chosen, and there was a bit of real suspense. The film does seem to run a little longer than I would have preferred, and some of the editing choices were a little questionable. As much as I complained about the long action scenes, there were also times that the change of locations was a little too jarring. The flow and pace of the story just seemed a little inconsistent at times.

I guess my reaction was a little more mixed than I expected, but I would still say that it turned out to be a pretty good time and nowhere near to scraping the bottle of the cinematic barrel.

Sound of Freedom is a suspense, action film that depicts the exploits of Tim Ballard, a former Homeland Security agent who goes rogue to rescue children from sex trafficking rings. Alejandro Monteverde is the director who also co-wrote the script alongside Rod Barr. Jim Caviezel plays the role of Tim Ballard. The cast also includes Mira Sorvino, Kurt Fuller, Bill Camp, and Jose Zuniga.

Ballard comes across a case where he learns of two siblings who were abducted from their single father and sold into a sex slavery. He has spent years tracking and arresting pedophiles but is challenged by a colleague who asks how many children he has actually saved. Ballard is the founder of a non-profit organization known as Operation Underground Railroad. I have been familiar with this guy for some time, and he does not come without some skeptics and controversy.

Putting all of that aside, the film is pretty well done. Caviezel puts in a compelling performance. It was interesting to see him having to say some pretty disturbing things in order to gain the confidence and trust of various ringleaders. There are some scenes that seem a little implausible, but the topic is treated with appropriate gravitas and seriousness. The actors portraying the pedophiles and slave traders are disturbingly convincing in their roles, but that’s why they make the big bucks. This may be another story that has quite a bit of creative license in the development, but the film does its job in stirring emotions regarding child sex trafficking. The child actors did a great job. The movie is successful when it comes to building the suspense and keeping the audience engaged. The message regarding the seriousness and evil of child sex trafficking is pretty powerfully presented without it being too graphic and stomach-churning. The subject matter is disturbing enough on its own.

Even if I have a few doubts regarding the accuracy, I think the overall message is worthy of support. The film is still pretty well done, and I think the matter of child sex trafficking does need all the attention it can get, so hopefully we have better policies and practices in place to help rid ourselves of this scourge on humanity. Perhaps saying that I enjoyed the movie would seem a little odd, however I have no regrets that I took the time to see it.