Reel News: Week of July 15 — Turbo, RED 2, The Conjuring, R.I.P.D., I’m So Excited, Evil Dead, 42

Upcoming Theatrical Releases

Turbo
Director: David Soren
PG; 96 mins.
Trailer

A freak accident might just help an everyday garden snail achieve his biggest dream: winning the Indy 500. (Synopsis by IMDB)

A decent enough “Cars”-esque adventure for the little ones. Not enough charm for the older set. A pleasantly average kids flick that will serve as a decent way to beat the heat.

Red 2
Director: Dean Parisot
PG-13; 107 mins
Trailer

In RED 2, the high-octane action-comedy sequel to the worldwide sleeper hit, retired black-ops CIA agent Frank Moses reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to track down a missing portable nuclear device. To succeed, they’ll need to survive an army of relentless assassins, ruthless terrorists and power-crazed government officials, all eager to get their hands on the next-generation weapon. The mission takes Frank and his motley crew to Paris, London and Moscow.Outgunned and outmanned, they have only their cunning wits, their old-school skills, and each other to rely on as they try to save the world-and stay alive in the process. (Synopsis by Summit)

Some films should not have sequels. Judging by the lack of tongue-in-cheek humor that held the first film together, this sequel should never have seen the light of day. It feels overly forced and just not that enjoyable.

The Conjuring
Director: James Wan
R; 112 mins
Trailer

Before there was Amityville, there was Harrisville. “The Conjuring” tells the true story of Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga), world renowned paranormal investigators, who were called to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most horrifying case of their lives. (Synopsis by WB)

Intense is an understatement. This delivers on the scares and succeeds thanks to a strong plot. The shocks don’t feel cheap and the pacing is spot-on. This might be one of the better horror films to come out this year.

R.I.P.D.
Director: Robert Schwentke
PG-13; 96 mins
Trailer

Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds headline the 3D supernatural action-adventure R.I.P.D. as two cops dispatched by the otherworldly Rest In Peace Department to protect and serve the living from an increasingly destructive array of souls who refuse to move peacefully to the other side. Veteran sheriff Roy Pulsifer (Bridges) has spent his career with the legendary police force known as R.I.P.D. tracking monstrous spirits who are cleverly disguised as ordinary people. His mission? To arrest and bring to justice a special brand of criminals trying to escape final judgment by hiding among the unsuspecting on Earth. Once the wise-cracking Roy is assigned former rising-star detective Nick Walker (Reynolds) as his junior officer, the new partners have to turn grudging respect into top-notch teamwork. When they uncover a plot that could end life as we know it, two of R.I.P.D.’s finest must miraculously restore the cosmic balance…or watch the tunnel to the afterlife begin sending angry souls the very wrong way. (Synopsis by Universal)

You may feel like you’ve seen this before. Maybe more than once.

I’m So Excited
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
R; 95 mins
Trailer

A technical failure has endangered the lives of the people on board Peninsula Flight 2549. The pilots are striving, along with their colleagues in the Control Center, to find a solution. The flight attendants and the chief steward are atypical, baroque characters who, in the face of danger, try to forget their own personal problems and devote themselves body and soul to the task of making the flight as enjoyable as possible for the passengers, while they wait for a solution. Life in the clouds is as complicated as it is at ground level, and for the same reasons, which could be summarized in two: sex and death. (Synopsis by Sony Classics)

This is a far cry from Almodóvar’s better works—a cerebral work about the carnal sins that is carrying too much baggage and can’t find a way to end. It’s more a daytime soap opera than a film.

Upcoming DVD Releases

Evil Dead
Director: Fede Alvarez
R; 91 mins.
Trailer

Five friends head to a remote cabin, where the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads them to unwittingly summon up demons living in the nearby woods. The evil presence possesses them until only one is left to fight for survival. (Synopsis by IMDB)

Relentlessly gory, but missing the scares and humor of the original. It is a nice homage, but most fans are going to stick with the original.

42
Director: Brian Helgeland
PG-13; 128 mins.
Trailer

Hero is a word we hear often in sports, but heroism is not always about achievements on the field of play. “42” tells the story of two men-the great Jackie Robinson and legendary Brooklyn Dodgers GM Branch Rickey-whose brave stand against prejudice forever changed the world by changing the game of baseball. In 1946, Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) put himself at the forefront of history when he signed Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) to the team, breaking Major League Baseball’s infamous color line. But the deal also put both Robinson and Rickey in the firing line of the public, the press and even other players. Facing unabashed racism from every side, Robinson was forced to demonstrate tremendous courage and restraint by not reacting in kind, knowing that any incident could destroy his and Rickey’s hopes. Instead, Number 42 let his talent on the field do the talking-ultimately winning over fans and his teammates, silencing his critics, and paving the way for others to follow. (Synopsis by WB)

An uninventive and unexceptional film about extraordinary times. A decent enough watch for sports and history fans with a likeable story, but as a film it is lacking.