The Debt

Title: The Debt

Directed by: John Madden

Starring: Helen Mirren, Jessica Chastain, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Wilkinson

Genres: Drama, Thriller, Suspense

Running Time: 1 hour. 54 minutes

Release Date: August 31st, 2011

MPAA Rating: R

Review: 'The Debt' is a well casted, well acted film, telling an interesting story. It is the English language remake of the Israeli thriller 'Ha-Hov', which centers on three Mossad agents on a mission to identify and apprehend Josef Mengele, the Nazi doctor nicknamed the Angel of Death for his experiments on Auschwitz inmates, now suspected of living and practicing medicine in 1966 Berlin. Of course, the mission goes sideways, and 'The Debt' tells of the events that follows that failed mission, which has far-reaching consequences, all the way to current time.

At times, 'The Debt' is a mix of white-knuckle tension, and the slow pace of stale memories, long-kept secrets and regret. The subject is meaningful, at times even gripping, the performances are solid, but somehow 'The Debt' fails to reach its full potential.

Grade: 6.5

Super 8

Title: Super 8

Directed by: J.J Abrams

Starring: Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning, Ron Eldard, Noah Emmerich, Gabriel Basso, A.J. Michalka

Genres: Sci-Fi, Thriller, Suspense

Running Time: 1 hour. 52 minutes

Release Date: June 10th, 2011

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Rating: While the previews portrayed 'Super 8' as the second coming of E.T., touting Steven Spielberg as the producer. And while it does have an extraterrestrial, a second E.T. it is not. In fact, as the credits rolled, I walked out of the theater wondering "why not?". This film has all the right parts, and it should be epic, but it just isn't quite everything it could have been. The story is pretty good, the gang of kids the perfect mix, it even has a cute kid love story, and the aforementioned alien. But it is the human relationships that are a bit thin, and thus 'Super 8' falls short. It's a shame, really, because the potential obviously is there.

Grade: 7

Red Riding Hood

Title: Red Hiding Hood

Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke

Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Shiloh Fernandez, Gary Oldman, Julie Christie, Maz Irons, Virginia Madsen

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Romance, Suspense, Fantasy

Running Time: 2 hours. 0 minutes

Release Date: March 11th, 2011

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Review: While I can't say that I am looking forward to another Catherine Hardwick film, after her last one, the story about the little Red Riding Hood is epic, and I'm a sucker for a classic fairy tales. This adaptation looked very visually interesting, so I thought maybe, just maybe, this one has a chance.

And 'Red Riding Hood' definitely is visually dynamic, and it is easy to recognize Ms. Hardwick's directorial flavor, last seen in the first movie adaptation of 'Twilight'. Once again, Ms. Hardwick falls short of a great film, although 'Red Riding Hood' is definitely an improvement on her previous work.

Grade: 6

Unknown

Title: Unknown

Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra

Starring: Liam Neeson, January Jones, Diane Kruger, Frank Langella, Aidan Quinn, Bruno Ganz

Genres: Suspense, Thriller, Drama

Running Time: 1 hour. 39 minutes

Release Date: February 18th, 2011

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Review: 'Unknown' relies on a derivative of the popular Hollywood "fish out of water" premise, in which Neeson's character wakes up in the hospital in a foreign country, after an accident, with amnesia. The only things he knows are his name, and the fact that he was in the country for a Biotech conference. Upon finding his way back to his hotel, he recognizes his wife, only to have her deny that he is her husband. Since he has no ID, he has no way to prove his identity.

What carries this film is Neeson, and while it won't win any Oscars, it is not a bad movie. On the contrary, it is an entertaining action drama, with some twists and turn you may not expect. All in all, a good time at the movies.

Grade: 6.5

The Wolfman

Title: The Wolfman
Directed by: Joe Johnston
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving
Genres: Suspense/Horror, Thriller, Remake
Running Time: 2 hour. 5 minutes
Release Date: February 12th, 2010
MPAA Rating: R

Review: While being quite appealing visually, and having a dream cast as well as a dream crew, 'The Wolfman' still manages to be a dud. For me personally, the unnecessary gore set the tone right from the start. What is supposed to be suspenseful, quickly becomes ridiculous, and I found myself bored and halfheartedly amused for all the wrong reasons throughout the remainder of this very long flick. Several of the cast members are personal favorites of mine, which makes the disappointment even that much greater. Don't waste your time on this one.


Grade: 3.5

Disturbia

Title: Disturbia

Directed by: D.J. Caruso

Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Carrie-Ann Moss, David Morse, Sarah Roemer

Genres: Thriller, Suspense, Drama

Running Time: 1 hour. 44 minutes

Release Date: April 13th, 2007

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Review: 'Distrubia' is a derivative of the "psycho next door" premise, which just so happens to be one of my favorite type of suspense thrillers. While it is not a unique concept, 'Disturbia' is well executed, and the result is a great, suspenseful thriller, with some truly scary moments.

I much prefer this type of suspense thriller, to the bloody, gory, 'Saw'-type spatter fests that are so popular nowadays. Give me a freaky psycho creeping around a backyard that looks just like mine, over a blood-soaked hostel filled with murder machines, any day.

So, 'Disturbia'. Shia LaBoeuf plays the lead, a teenager who is on house arrest after a traffic accident. While being stuck at home 24/7, bored to tears, he starts to spy on his neighbors. He quickly realized that something strange is going on next door... Que the menacing suspense music.

I was literary on the edge of my seat from start to finish while watching this. Well done, to everyone involved!

Grade: 8