WOLFS (2024)

 

Written & Directed By: Jon Watts

Cinematography: Larkin Seiple

Editor: Andrew Weisblum

Cast: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams, Richard Kind, Poorna Jagannathan, Zlatko Buric, Sergio Cota Jr. 

Two rival fixers cross paths when they're both called in to help cover up a prominent New York official's misstep. Over one explosive night, they'll have to set aside their petty grievances and their egos to finish the job.

This is George Clooney and Brad Pitt making another buddy comedy together and involving crime. This should have been a slam dunk and while the film Has its Moments. They are far and few in between. 

This is another film that seems like they are having more fun than the audience is watching it. As it tries to be formulaic and offer surprises and slights of hand. That by the end will Make the audience think the film Is smart and has an ace up It’s sleeve. Like the OCEAN’S TRILOGY the stars have been in before, but if that movie is calculus this is math 102.

It doesn’t help that the movie stays small scale

Throughout. Which would be great with lesser stars but keeping it small hinders the film and shows how thin the screenplay is. As we have to not only stay with the characters and their various arguments, but somehow find humor, charm and tension. Which the film doesn’t really Offer.

So it comes off as muddled and not a bad recipe, but like someone followed the recipe and shorted some ingredients and added too much of other ones to make up for it. 

Watching the film also makes one come to understand why these movies aren’t Memorable. You have a big name cast, a big name director Jon Watts (SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME) and yet it feels stale, Small Scale and basic, because while it has locations and action. These films obviously are Made For streaming and they have little if any visual Flair and feel compacted. Director Watts even seems to include an inside joke of a Spider-man eque stunt by a young man for those in the know. Though it also leave you

Wondering was this film an audition for an ocean’s sequel. 

The stature seems shrinked then one would expect. Like making a feature film but with the limits of a television movie. Not to mention the villains are all stereotypical with an added dance sequence. 

This is similar to what the Russo brothers 350 Million movie THE GREY MAN with Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans felt like any other Netflix movie. Other then a basic script, but the directors aren’t Trying to be subtle or visually Brilliant. They are doing just enough to tell the story and do what it takes without any passion or extra Effort. Sort of like assembly room and like weathermen there are Consequences or punishments.

So it just keeps happening. As Apple+ is no better or worse then any other streaming service. Except they are newer and this feel like when the studio DREAMWORKS SKG. Everyone wants to work with them and they have stars at their disposal and seem to green light anything. As long as a big star is attached, but never seem

To bother to read the script or develop them to be better. So that they come off as basic and the only pull is the stars.

George Clooney hasn’t truly starred in a good movie in awhile. Nor has he made a hit but is still

Treated like an A-lister. When he does choose to be in a film.

Leaving the audience to only marvel at Austin Abrams. Who is the only one in the film Who feels alive and like he is trying.

It feels like the film is disrespectful to the audience by going them, but so much and not giving it their all and feeling like just enough is what the audience deserves and should be honored to get. 

As the leads seem more interested in being cool. The filmmaker seems to want to offer some kind of polished grit. That tries to make things more serious, dangerous, dark and action packed. That never comes across other than polished and dark. Nor does the screenplay come off as smart as it thinks nor as cute. 

Grade: C- 

FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES (2025)

 

Directed By: Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein

Written By: Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor 

Story By: Jon Watts, Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor 

Cinematography: Christian Sebeldt

Editor: Sabrina Pitre

Cast: Brec Bassinger, Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Ryan Kihlstedt, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Anna Lore, Alex Zahara, April Amber Jack, Teo Briones, Tony Todd 

Plagued by a recurring violent nightmare, a college student returns home to find the one person who can break the cycle and save her family from the horrific fate that inevitably awaits them.

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This film franchise makes a welcome return in a rebooted film that tries to add to the lore, as well as give fans what they have come to expect an unexpected gory death

As this film, obviously knows it’s audience and was made by people who grew up, loving the films, and you can tell and how much energy, passion and power they put into the film that while following the basic necessities of the franchise manages to stand out and feels a little bit, not only better made but also The quality comes across as better

One of the problems some might have with these films is that their generally made for audiences to cheer for the death, which feels kind of a, but the films usually try to keep the audience on their toes by not always going with the most obvious way of death, but try to spring either a surprise or try to make it a little bit comedic and bad taste by having us focus one way when really the violence is coming from another place, we weren’t even looking

Another reason this film is more memorable is that it is the last role in appearance for the late Tony Todd, who has always in someway been a part of this franchise as well as being an all-around character actor with over 100 credits. This is his final appearance and you can tell Watching this film by the looks of him that he was definitely sick when making this film and the film is dedicated to and it is a good role to go out on even despite the material.

The film gives the audience what it wants, and while doing that, it tries to fit in an original story, whereas instead of a randomly seeming to kill off survivors of a big accident, this film has death going after the bloodlines of characters who avoided death, even though we still get to see the goriness of what was originally supposed to happen or the massacre is more The word definition

Throughout this film, we see the decimation of one particular family, even as they try to escape death as luckily one member of the family gets the premonitions or visions of death or clues to a death before they happen. So that the film is still staying true to the rules of the earlier canon final destination movies, but allowing itself a little originality and a side step from them.

This film is more for the fans of the series, though it’s not a bad place to start if you haven’t seen any of the previous films, but will warn you. It’s more for the go fanatics who are looking for inventive death scenes, and a lot of jump scares. Which seems to be this film is Brad and butter.

Although the film makers also manage to create a lot of tension even when you know what is going to happen so that you anticipated and you want the characters to survive as they are likable, but you know that’s not possible but you want it also at times to get it over with as it’s just growing and growing But the other half of you is kind of hoping that they survive either way you just want that tension to be released and when it finally is, they managed to make it in the most splatter way that shocks but then also can’t amaze at times. 

Sure, one could easily get into the characters and story more of this film, but let’s face it. That’s not why most people are going to watch this film as truly the film could offer anything. People are here more for what they know about the film. as we are barely introduced to the characters before they start to perish. Sonthat we only know little details about them to really define their character or at least their traits.

The only disappointing aspect of this franchise is that knowing that all of the characters are doomed, and there’s a somewhat cynical air that floats above the film that will ultimately always end in tragedy. Though once you get past that. Especially as this film is on its sixth film. You just get used to the pattern if you’re going to continue to watch these films.

 it offers more than the usual though it has fun playing with the confines of itself

Grade: B -

SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME (2019)

Directed By: Jon Watts 
Written By: Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers 
Based On Characters Created By: Stan Lee & Steve Ditko 
Cinematography: Matthew J. Lloyd 
Editor: Leigh Folsom Boyd & Dan Lebental 


Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jake Gylenhaal, Samuel L. Jackson, Jon Favreau, Cobie Smulders, Marisa Tomei, Jacob Batalan, Tony Revolori, Martin Starr, J.B. Smoove, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Peter Billingsly, Angourie Rice 


Our friendly neighborhood Super Hero decides to join his best friends Ned, MJ, and the rest of the gang on a European vacation. However, Peter's plan to leave super heroics behind for a few weeks are quickly scrapped when he begrudgingly agrees to help Nick Fury uncover the mystery of several elemental creature attacks, creating havoc across the continent.

CLOWN (2014)

Directed By: Jon Watts 
Written By: Christopher Ford & Jon Watts 
Cinematography By: Matthew Santo 
Editor: Robert Ryang 


Cast: Andy Powers, Laura Allen, Peter Stomare, Christian Distefano, Chuck Shamata, Elizabeth Whitmere, Eli Roth 

 A little boy's birthday party gets ruined when his entertainment (clown) cancels. His father finds a clown suit and becomes the new entertainment but something is weird about it, there is an evil curse and it won't come off. He specializes in eating little kids... everything after that goes down hill.

COP CAR (2015)

Directed By: Jon Watts 
Written By: Jon Watts & Christopher Ford 
Cinematography By: Matthew J. Lloyd & Larkin Seiple 
Editor: Megan Brooks & Andrew Hasse 


Cast: Kevin Bacon, Camryn Manheim, Shea Whigham, Hayes Wellford, James Freedson-Jackson