Doctor Who Audio Review: Ghost Safaris And Stolen Memories

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The range of Big Finish Doctor Who audio dramas featuring the Fourth Doctor continue with the latest satisfying release entitled The Hellwood Inheritance. Tom Baker and Louise Jameson reunite as the Doctor and Leela, respectively, for two stories contained in this set. Ken Bentley and Jamie Anderson share directing duties. Both stories turn out pretty well, but with Baker and Jameson in the lead, that’s going to be a likely outcome.

Alan Barnes starts off with a bit of spookiness in The Hellwood Inheritance. The guest cast includes Rosie Day, Chris Jarman, Richard James, James Meteyard, and Tamzin Outhwaite.

The Doctor and Leela arrive on the grounds of Hellwood Manor where they have a troubling encounter with a headless knight that pursues them through the grounds. After that escape, they meet the architects of what is planned to be a ghost safari and shown the “ghost catcher”. The Doctor is not sure that he is being told the whole truth about what powers the device, and a more sinister plot than a mere supernatural entertainment park is revealed.

I wouldn’t call this a real standout story, but it gets the job done as far as being entertaining. Tom Baker still sounds strong and engaged in the role even though he is close to his ninth decade at the time of recording. Jameson still slips into her most well-known character with ease.

I love a good ghost story in Doctor Who, and this fits the bill. There are not many scares or chilling moments, but the humor makes up for it. The performances are solid enough. The writing is not all that bad. Barnes has been associated with Big Finish and Doctor Who for some time, and his reliability as a writer remains evident here.

The episode still falls a little short of what I think would be among the more highly regarded stories in the range, but it still shouldn’t be overlooked. Tom Baker is well into his nineties here, so I am cherishing every new performance I can get.

The Memory Thieves is written by Phil Mulryne. The guest cast includes Daisy Ashford, Ayesha Antoine, and Wayne Forester.

The TARDIS arrives on a colony world in the future where strange pulses emanate from the forest, and the colonists lose their memories. The Doctor and Leela are separated by an earthquake. They have to earn the trust of the colonists in order to help them stop the force known as the Abeyance.

I had some trouble getting into this one. Baker and Jameson are still worth the time, but I didn’t find the story all that interesting. It’s not a terrible effort by Mulryne, but I did not find this particular contribution all that memorable.

It’s always fun to get some new stories with the Fourth Doctor and Leela, and this particular set was entertaining enough for me to still recommend to my fellow Whovians to give it a go.

Film Review: Hijackers And Vampires Do Not Play Well Together

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Blood Red Sky is a pretty interesting horror action film directed by Peter Thorwarth, who also cowrote the script alongside Stefan Holtz. It concerns a mother who is soon revealed to be a vampire on her way to America for treatment. The flight gets interrupted when the flight is hijacked, and the mother is unable to control her unnatural urges.

The cast includes Peri Baumeister, Alexander Scheer, Kais Setti, and Dominic Purcell.

Baumeister plays a widow who appears to have leukemia; however, her affliction is even less common and more horrifying. She and her son board a plane where she is going to a treatment facility that could apparently treat her bloodthirsty condition. Her hopes get derailed when the plane gets hijacked. Her curse may be the only weapon she has to protect her son and other passengers.

This is one of the better horror films I have seen recently. It is from a German production company, so that is kind of interesting. Purcell was only cast member I recognized from the television series Prison Break.

Anyway, the visual effects were pretty good. The transformation that Baumeister undergoes was quite impressive.

It’s a pretty gruesome piece of work, but there seemed to be some restraint exercised.

Scheer also deserves a specific shout-out for his performance as one of the hijackers known as Eightball. He seemed to get into his role and was genuinely disturbing.

There are moments between the mother and child that are quite heartbreaking and well-performed. The young actor, Carl Koch, gets a little too shrill at times, but he does a pretty good job overall.

It’s a strange, chaotic script, but it turned out to be a pretty compelling and suspenseful film. If one enjoys vampires mixed with hijacked airplanes, this is a film to not ignore.

Book Review: A Gruesome Delivery

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith is another interesting installment in the Cormoran Strike series and is likely the most gruesome case yet. Strike is a former military investigator who has a prosthetic leg after losing his original limb to a bomb. He is a struggling private investigator who has also gained some notoriety after solving some high-profile murder cases in London. He has recently partnered with a former temp worker named Robin Ellacott, who has really been a huge assistance to the business.

Speaking of amputated legs, this little mystery begins with a severed leg showing up at Strike’s office. Strike quickly determines that one of his old adversaries is making a twisted attempt to rattle or threaten him. The reaction that Robin has when Strike comes up with four candidates capable of such a heinous act in his past is sort of amusing in a dark way.

More of Strike and Robin’s past is revealed here. Their friendship deepens until a seemingly rash decision threatens to wreck the trust they have built.

Robin’s upcoming wedding to a snarky Brit named Matthew is also on the brink of heartbreak. I am not sure if Galbraith is going to have a romantic union occur between Strike and Robin, but the progression in their relationship is compelling.

This is the third installment in the series, and Galbraith is getting better at fleshing out these characters.

Cormoran Strike is a pretty solid investigator in spite of his handicaps and hang-ups. I find him more likable and compelling with each novel. His relationship with Robin is just complicated enough to make things even more interesting.

There are some moments where the story is dragged down by a little too much exposition, but it’s not unforgivable. Most novels that come close to five hundred pages have that tendency. Galbraith’s writing style is just engaging enough to make the effort worth it.

Of course, Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling, the mastermind behind the Harry Potter franchise. I have yet to read her most well-known works, but her works featuring Strike also showcases a formidable talent behind her keyboard.

Career of Evil also features an interesting homage throughout to the music of the band Blue Oyster Cult. Rowling seems to have a quirky imagination when it comes to adding quotes or pop culture references.

This is a pretty good addition to the series, and the tumultuous relationship between Strike and Robin is often as compelling as whatever investigation is at the center of the plot.

Eventually, I will get to the fourth novel, but not just yet.

Next up, Murder wrecks the Parisian vacation of one Chief Inspector Armand Gamache in Louise Penny’s All the Devils Are Here.

Film Review: Captain America Sees Red

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Captain America: Brave New World is the latest film added to Marvel Studio’s list of mildly entertaining cinematic experiences in a still over-saturated superhero market. It is a little better than I had heard but not by much.

There are five credited screenwriters for this, including the director, Julius Ornah. The other collaborators are Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman, Dalan Mussan, and Peter Glanz.

Anthony Mackie has succeeded Chris Evans as the new Captain America. His superhero moniker in the previous MCU films was the Falcon. Now, he is the new Captain America since the previous one, Steve Rogers, went back in time to be with his lost love and bequeathed his shield to Sam Wilson. Anyway, other cast members include Harrison Ford as now-President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Tim Blake Nelson, and Giancarlo Esposito.

Nelson reprises his role from The Incredible Hulk film of 2008, which was Dr. Samuel Sterns, a super-intelligent villain who was grievously wronged by Ross for many years.

An old friend of Wilson’s is brainwashed into attempting to assassinate the president. A treaty with Japan falls into peril as they negotiate the handling of a new element known as adamantium. Ross had invited Wilson to a summit at the White House, wanting to discuss the chances of rebuilding the Avengers. The assassination attempt sparks an investigation that leads Captain America to an enemy who was kept in secret. Ross also has to fight off a frightening transformation triggered by his ingestion of gamma radiation. The new Captain America will have quite a fight on his hands to protect his country and the world from enemies within his own government.

Mackie is actually a talented actor and does his best with this role, but I didn’t find his character to be all that interesting. His angst about replacing the previous Captain America is somewhat predictable. He performs his fight scenes quite well. He seems to have trained quite hard to make some of those moves seem so effortless. My lack of enthusiasm for this portrayal has more to do with the writing than Mackie’s casting.

Harrison Ford predictably does a solid job as Thaddeus Ross, a role he took over from the late William Hurt. The previously mentioned frightening transformation is in the trailer, so I am not spoiling much by saying that he becomes the Red Hulk, which is pretty well realized with the assistance of CGI and whatever other special effects gizmos are involved.

I guess I was also distracted by the realization that it took five screenwriters to cobble this thing together. Parts of it did feel a little tacked together.

The film manages to avoid being completely terrible. There are some interesting moments peppered throughout.

Sterns was kind of an interesting adversary with a legitimate beef. Of course, the problem is that he was willing to tolerate a lot of collateral damage for his understandable desire for revenge. Nelson was quite effectively creepy at times. It was nice to see some previously dangling threads from The Incredible Hulk get tied off.

The fight scenes were well done, but Marvel films tend to be consistently effective in that arena.

Overall, the film has some good points such as casting and a semi-interesting plot, but the editing, some of the dialogue, and a rather underwhelming cameo are a little too clumsy for me to forgive.

Doctor Who Audio Review: Puccini, Iceland, And The Mara

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Deadly Strangers is the latest Doctor Who audio boxset from Big Finish Productions to feature the always welcome return of Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor, and the three stories contained within are eclectic and engaging. The director is Ken Bentley. Jaye Griffiths and India Fisher accompany the Time Lord as Lady Audacity Montague and Charlotte Pollard, respectively. The guest cast in each story are predicably well-chosen. As usual, I will proceed with a few brief comments on each story.

Matthew Jacobs gets things rolling with Puccini and the Doctor. Tim McInnerny portrays the celebrated musician Giacomo Puccini, who wrote the famous opera, Madama Butterfly. The Doctor is not alone in being an extraterrestrial interested in the arts created by humanity. A mysterious and beautiful woman named Tura will change the lives and forms of those who are unable to answer her riddles. What is meant to be a mere visit to appreciate beautiful music and meet one of the minds who create it turns into another attempt by the TARDIS crew to protect the Earth from another dangerous alien presence.

McGann has lost none of his energy in his performance as the Doctor. Jaye Griffiths proves to be a welcome addition to this team. Charlotte is forced to grapple with some intense feelings for the Doctor. Both of the current companions perform wonderfully in their roles. Audacity is certainly one of the better recent creations from Big Finish.

The ploy itself is pretty interesting because Princess Tura, portrayed by Tania Rodrigues, turns out to be quite as malevolent as she first seems. Jacobs takes his audience on a pretty compelling and complicated examination of love.

It’s an interesting story that creates a nice blend of fantasy and a glimpse of history and culture. Not a bad start here.

Women’s Day Off by Lisa McMullen brings the Doctor, Charley, and Audacity to Iceland, 1975 where the women are on strike, but a young girl is terrified of her own powers that she cannot quite control.

Once again, another alien visitor is trying to get home, but he has an important component to find, and the girl known as Kyla may know something about that.

Molly Harris and George Watkins are included in the guest cast and prove to be quite effective, which is the usual result for Big Finish casting.

The title of this set is a little perplexing since the alien visitor once again turns out to be a likeable fellow. It is a bit of a departure that no one wants to actually conquer the Earth and subjugate everyone, however McMullen does make this suspenseful regardless.

The women’s strike in Iceland is an actual historical event but not a well-known one, so it was nice to receive a little nugget of knowledge I didn’t have before.

It’s a pretty good episode that is well-performed even if the stakes are relatively low for a Doctor Who tale.

Finally, a dangerous interloper appears in The Gloaming by Lauren Mooney and Stewart Pringle which completes this set. Gloaming is a luxury sleep clinic which orbits a dead world and contains rich Sleepers in suspended animation. A dark presence the Doctor has encountered before has entered their dreams of the Sleepers and threatens to take over the Time Lord’s friends. The Mara has escaped from the dark places of the inside once again.

This was a strong finish for this set. The Mara is a delightfully mischievous and deadly opponent for the Doctor, and it was great to have it back. Hopefully, the Mara are used sparingly because the rarity of their appearances makes their delicious malevolence a treat.

The final episode is my favorite, but the whole set really works well. Audacity is a recent addition to the gallery of companions, and she has grown on me quite a bit. Audacity Montague is an aristocrat from the Regency era of England, and Griffiths seems to have the perfect voice for someone of that origin.

Paul McGann is as effusive and charming as ever as the Doctor. Charlotte Pollard is one of the early Big Finish companions, and India Fisher still easily finds that voice after two decades of playing her.

Big Finish has another jewel with this one. Three pretty solid stories with a formidable TARDIS team make Deadly Strangers one of the better ones to start off the 2025 releases.

Doctor Who Audio Review: The Early Days Of Exile

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Doctor Who and the Brain Drain is a Doctor Who audio drama from Big Finish Productions with great performances but a bit too long of a running time for the plot. Nicholas Briggs serves as director and co-writer alongside Richard James while Tim Treloar returns as his version of the Third Doctor as originally played by the late Jon Pertwee. Daisy Ashford portrays Liz Shaw, who was originally performed by her mother, Caroline John. John Culshaw once again fills in for the late Nicholas Courtney as Brigadier Alastair Lethbridge-Stewart.

The talented guest cast is comprised of Mark Elstob, Susan Harrison, Rosalyn Lendor, Glen McReady, Callum Pardoe, and Milo Ratter.

This story begins soon after the Doctor is forced to regenerate by the Time Lords and sent to earth in exile where he joins forces with UNIT alongside his old friend, the Brigadier. He has yet to obtain his antique car he had named Bessie. The Master has yet to make his first appearance.

The Doctor, Liz and the Brigadier attend a symposium that introduces a new revolutionary treatment for memory loss and dementia, however there are also peculiar reports of sightings of mythical creatures around the site in Scotland. The Doctor suspects a malevolent alien influence at the heart of the mystery. The supposed miracle cure appears to be anything but. The Doctor disappears, and Liz and the Brigadier have to conduct their own investigations.

There seems to be an enemy who knows the Doctor, but he has yet to meet them.

This was an effort to recreate the seven-part episodes that were prevalent in the program’s seventh season which introduced the Third Doctor. The problem is that even in Doctor Who, those serials can feel a bit of a drag.

Treloar’s version of this Doctor is still quite compelling. Culshaw and Ashford also do well with their roles, which they have taken over from previous actors.

I also liked that the Doctor was absent for a couple of episodes, giving Liz and the Brigadier a chance to shine a bit as they proceed with their search for answers. I enjoyed how the Doctor re-entered the fray toward the climax of the story which seems to draw inspiration from The Hound of the Baskervilles when Sherlock Holmes is also left out of much of that story.

The story’s exploration of dementia is handled with some appropriate sensitivity in spite of the science fiction elements. It does demonstrate the heartache experienced by family members and caregivers of those afflicted effectively without slowing the pace of the story much. Other aspects slow the story down but not that.

There are some flaws that have more to do with the bloated length of the story, but it’s still pretty good. I just wish that Big Finish did more to represent the era without feeling like it needs to copy every aspect. I mean, it’s okay to have shorter stories.

This particular release is pretty good, but I don’t know that it’s the most shining example of the talent available to the company.

I don’t really like to quibble too much about a new Third Doctor adventure from Big Finish. This story is better than what the title would indicate. Pertwee’s era did have a few clunkers when it came to titles, but this is still a more than adequate release in many ways and certainly worth the time it takes for a listen.

Book Review: The Thursday Murder Club Reconvenes

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman is an amusing and effective second outing for the retirees Cooper Chase who have formed the Thursday Murder Club.

Elizabeth’s ex-husband emerges from her mysterious past on the run after being accused of stealing diamonds. Ibraham gets mugged. Ron and Joyce are there to lend their support as these two troubling events are the precursor to more murder and duplicity. The Thursday Murder Club, who meet once a week to discuss unsolved cases, get a crack at their second active case.

Elizabeth’s past kicks off the latest caper. Her charming, roguish ex-husband has turned up asking for her help to protect him from an irate mobster who believes him to have stolen a lot of diamonds worth an obscene amount of riches. The club’s police officer allies are after a vexing drug dealer, and an awkward romantic relationship is brewing.

Ibraham is understandably shaken by his attack, but he is still able to be of some help even if he is hesitant to leave the safety of his apartment.

Three bodies have turned up which galvanizes the club into searching for the purloined diamonds as a clever killer lurks within the retirement village.

Osman does another fine job of undermining any expectations or prejudices when it comes to the elderly. The four friends remain as quick-witted as ever. The friendship and support they offer each other is rather charming, even if they express some mild exasperation.

The reader gets a better idea of how efficient Elizabeth likely was in her prior occupation as a spy. The banter between her and Joyce often gets quite hilarious.

Ibraham is a former psychologist, so it’s interesting to find him struggling with fears and insecurities that were likely afflicting many of patients.

Elizabeth being a former spy does open up some interesting doors when it comes to plot. A series like this does lend itself to predictability, but Osman effectively avoids that criticism by delving into Elizabeth’s past a bit.

Osman has created a rather distinctive, charming series in which he challenges preconceptions of the elderly. This group of old people would be fun to hang out with.

In spite of the loads of humor throughout the novel, Osman does explore the tendency for many to underestimate older people who may still quite a bit of grit left in them. The friendship between the four main characters is at times a bit moving as well as amusing.

The case itself turns out to be pretty cleverly plotted with some pretty good twists. Elizabeth at some point realizes that the solution is simpler than she first thought. Although she is basically the leader of the club, all of the members get to shine a bit.

The strange choice of having some of the chapters presented as diary entries written by Joyce adds to the quirkiness of the series. It does work that the whole novel isn’t written entirely from her perspective, but the occasional account from her sort of adds to the charm.

Osman continues a rather implausible yet fun, so I am looking forward to catching up with the Thursday Murder Club when another case is added to the agenda.

Robert Galbraith is going to reveal a bit more of Cormoran Strike’s past in Career of Evil.

Book Review: Holmes, Marple & Poe Investigations Is Open For Business

~ Peter Kanelis ~ 1 Comment

James Patterson kicks off what appears to be a new series with a promising thriller entitled Holmes, Marple & Poe. Brian Sitts shares the writing credit as well. Although, this could mean that Sitts actually wrote it under Patterson’s banner. Anyway, the novel contains kind of a fun plot and characters that were rather intriguing as well as implausible.

Brennan Holmes, Margaret Marple, and Auguste Poe have emerged from some murky pasts and unite to form a high-class private investigation agency. Each member shares some familiar characteristics with their famous namesakes. Brennan Holmes has a similar scientific approach to Sherlock’s; however, he also has a very keen sense of smell that is often useful as well as overwhelming. Margaret Marple is considerably younger than Jane Marple, but she is able to encourage a bit of underestimation much like the famous spinster sleuth. Auguste Poe does have a vice that ended up killing his namesake, who isn’t a fictional character. He is also very knowledgeable about weapons and is very find of beautiful women, but he has demons that have yet to be laid to rest. There are a variety of cases that converge on the agency, including an apparent kidnapping and art heist. They also come across a perplexing serial murder case.

A NYPD detective starts her own investigation into the agency and finds the partners as enigmatic as the cases themselves.

I had some fun reading this one, probably because I am a sucker for most anything referencing Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie. I am not a necessarily a Poe fan, but I appreciate the cultural impact he had on the literary landscape.

I enjoyed how Patterson and Sitts weave the stories around each other, and the reader gets to see how the trio copes with different cases. They trade off who takes the lead on each case, which is kind of cool. The sleekness of the operation as a whole is somewhat too fanciful to buy into, but I suspect that’s par for the course for a Patterson novel. It wasn’t so outlandish that I found it exasperating. I have not read many of Patterson’s works, and I am not likely to be one of his most rabid readers. I also am not really swearing him off, and I will likely dip back into his catalogue occasionally.

Patterson writes very short chapters. This one has 118 chapters stuffed into 359 pages. I am not a fan of these absurdly short chapters. I also don’t like really long chapter. I guess I just want a chapter length just right, whatever that would look like.

In spite of these minor annoyances, I still enjoyed the novel and will likely revisit this particular trio.

I enjoyed the introduction to this trio well enough, but the required suspension of disbelief was almost too demanding.

There were some pretty good plot twists throughout the story. Even though this is not exactly to be considered highbrow literature, I was impressed with the imagination displayed by the authors here.

This book seems to be a love letter of long-time mystery readers, and I wouldn’t mind another one.

The Thursday Murder Club catches another case in Richard Osman’s The Man Who Died Twice, so it seems like a good time to revisit Coopers Chase.

Book Review: Merging With Murder

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Robert B. Parker’s Broken Trust is a pretty solid continuation of the Senser series by Mike Lupica, who recently took over the range after Ace Atkins has moved on from his contribution to the series.

It’s hard to believe that Parker has been gone for about fifteen years, but his most popular series has endured with the talents of Atkins, and now Lupica brings Boston private eye Spenser further into the 21st century with his usual posse of allies and long-time girlfriend, Susan Silverman. Spenser’s sense of justice, accompanied with his wry witticisms, is a reassuring anchor in an ever-changing, complex world, even in the realm of crime fiction.

Spenser is initially hired to discover why a very wealthy tech mogul has started behaving erratically. His wife insists that Andrew Crain is a loving husband, however he has become prone to sudden outbursts of temper and becoming sullen and withdrawn. Crain controls a large tech company on the verge of what could be a lucrative business merger. The wife is a friend of Susan’s so Spenser decides to take the case. Spenser gets even more determined to find answers when his client is murdered. The matter turns even stranger when an employee of Crain’s company apparently commits an inexplicable suicide. Spenser rubs elbows and trades punches with people who operate in a world of high stakes and global fame. Fortunately, he has some help from long-time ally, Hawk, who is always willing to bring his wit and plenty of firepower to back him up.

The main plot is suitably engaging and has a fair bit of twists. I am not sure if previous novels had Spenser probe the murder of his own client. Some of it was pretty predictable with the presence of menacing henchmen and gangsters lurking around the corner. Spenser also has to fend off a couple of direct attacks with his quick fists and pointed wisecracks. Some of the motivations behind these dark deeds turn out tom be rather surprising.

Whatever Lupica’s deviations from how the original author would have presented this tale seem to be subtle enough where I can still consider this part of the canon. Although in real life, Spenser would have been nearing ninety or something is he wasn’t a fictional character.

Parker’s style of writing is pretty straightforward and is likely easy to emulate. Sometimes, Spenser’s observations and verbal jabs seem rather repetitive, but the types of cases that land on his doorstep still provide some variety and amusement. Spenser isn’t a guy who is easily rattled and still comes across as someone you would want in your corner should trouble arise, if only for the small matter that he is a fictional hero.

Lupica has been writing in various fields for a long time and seems to be an excellent choice by the Parker estate to bring new conundrums to Spenser’s office. Even if the original creator is no longer able to carry Spenser forward himself, it is nice to know that the Boston gumshoe still has some adventures to share.

James Patterson’s popularity in crime fiction has continued to remain steadfast, yet I have read very little of his works. I decided to give him another go with Holmes, Marple, & Poe, which is co-written by Brian Sitts.

Film Review: A Little Love And War Come For Marvin

~ Peter Kanelis ~ Leave a comment

Love Hurts is an action-comedy film with a talented cast but a very dubious plot. It took three screenwriters in the shape of Matthew Murray, David Leitch, and Luke Passmore to disappoint this movie watcher. Jonathan Eusebio is a director I have not heard of, and this film isn’t likely to help him much. Ke Huy Quan is in the lead as a successful realtor with a killer past. Other cast members include Ariana DeBose, Daniel Wu, Lio Tipton, and Sean Astin.

Marvin Gable is a very successful real estate agent who has embraced his new life after leaving behind his former criminal associations. He used to work for his brother, a crime lord, who has decided to send some heavy hitters to see if Marvin has heard from a former love, Rose, who he was supposed to kill. There is some missing money being sought. Rose does turn up and needs Marvin to dust off his lethal skills that he has shelved for a while. All sorts of strange assassins converge on the reunited couple, and Marvin is faced with having to lose his new life that he has grown to love.

The basic plot is not that bad. I sort of liked the casting of Quan in this role, however he does not quite pull off the menace when Marvin revers to his former persona. Marvin is described as a “beautiful monster” by his brother. Although the fight scenes are kind of fun, and Quan is able to sell it adequately, I am not sure I could buy that the implied ferocity described by the brother.

Ariana DeBose is quite a find. She is beautiful and seems to have a pretty good sense of comic timing when needed. She really sells the mischievous streak in Rose quite convincingly.

The problem with the film is an incoherent plot. The villains just become a bit too cartoonish. I understand that this was supposed to be a comedic venture, but the jokes just don’t land.

I do think that Ke Huy Quan deserves another chance in a lead role. He is kind of the best thing about this film, but the script didn’t help him shine that much.

The story had some loose threads, and it isn’t clear as to what decisions Marvin made about his future at the end of the chaotic chase.

There are a few bright spots in the film, but the experience as a whole was a bit more of a letdown than even I was expecting.