RBR: Kick-Ass 2

While it became a cult favorite for many, I had had my issues with the first Kick Ass film about a teen who decides he wants to become a real life superhero despite no actual superpowers. Based on a graphic novel, the first film was flawed for reveling in its debauchery rather than making an effort to try to say anything on the topic of vigilante justice and our fascination of superheroes. Despite those issues, I was curious to see if this follow-up would be more of the same or make an effort to improve upon its previous attempt. Sadly neither of those turned out to be the case as this sequel is a sloppy, uninteresting mess of a sequel. It pulls its punches (somewhat) in terms of the gritty violence that was on display first film for a more mass marketed approach to gore and violence. It's also bogged down with a revenge storyline that holds no weight. The fact that they have to saddle the film with a weak subplot involving Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moritz) struggling to deal with mean girls in high school is evidence of that. The only silver lining in the film is Jim Carrey playing Sgt. Stars and Stripes, a new vigilante who is trying to band together with other like-minded do-gooders. Sadly, he's killed off far too early in the film leaving us with a lot of time to fill and nothing much to offer. This film does a disservice to fans of the first film and fans of film in general. This was one of my worst films of the year thus far. Rating: * 1/2

2014 Movie Preview: #16 - The Equalizer

Release date: September 26

Plot summary: A feature film adaptation of the hit 1980s television series "The Equalizer." Edward Woodward starred as Robert McCall, a private detective with a lot of contacts who is available for hire if you have a problem that you don't know how to solve.

My take: Few actors consistently make films that I end up enjoying like Denzel Washington. It can be action, drama, or comedy and he seems to make an entertaining film. I am usually not high on films that are made based off of old TV shows, but if anyone can make it work, I can imagine Denzel is that guy. It helps that he is reteaming with director Antoine Fuqua, who helped him earn an Oscar for Training Day. I don't imagine this will be as gritty as that film, but I'm hoping it's at least as good.

RBR: Dark Shadows

Certain movie stars seem to gravitate towards particular directors. This is certainly true for Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, who have collaborated on a number of great films. But with their latest effort, Dark Shadows, there are signs that they may be due for a break from each other. Based on a cult favorite horror soap opera from the 1960s, Dark Shadows revolves around Barnabas Collins and his family. Collins is turned into a vampire after spurning the advances of a witch. Buried for nearly 200 years, Collins is dug up in 1972 and has to deal with living in a new world while trying to bring his family back into prominance. My description of the plot barely scratches the surface of what's going on in this film and that's one of the problems. There are a ton of subplots, none of which are the least bit interesting. The film meanders from one plot to the next only to try and cram resolutions to all of them within the last 15 minutes. I kept wondering what the point to all of this was. The humor falls flat, the scares are mild at best, and the sexual escapades are more cartoonish than enticing. If there's a strength to the film, it is its look. Of course, with Tim Burton directing, that's almost always going to be a given. In this outing, however, it's all style and no substance. I fail to see how this movie appeals to anyone. Fans of the original show will no doubt find this to be an injustice and the film offers nothing that would attract new fans. If you're a fan of the Depp/Burton team, skip this disappointingly dull effort and rewatch one of their earlier films instead. Rating: **