What to Watch This Weekend: May 8, 2020

Lionsgate Live: John Wick
Tick Tock Mr. Wick.  John Wick is a classic action movie that created a cool, stylized world of assassins, underworld dealings, and a the limitless love of a man and his dog.  This movie is free via Lionsgate Live at 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET on May 8, 2020.  It will feature a special guest host and should not be missed.

Redbox: Bloodshot

Bloodshot has some great action,  special effects, and a solid Vin Diesel performance in this comic book adaptation.  For more information, check out our review!

Redbox: Gretel & Hansel
Gretel and Hansel tells a grim, dark fairy tale with a deliberate style and an electronic, otherworldy soundtrack.  For more information, check out our review!

Digital: Sweetness in the Belly
Sweetness in the Belly explores some interesting and powerful concepts, with great characters and a beautiful, but not fully developed, story.  For more information, check out our review!

Streaming (Netflix): Becoming

Becoming offers an intimate look at the life of the former First Lady, reminding us of everything she stood for and how much more she can and will do for our country.  For more information, check out our review!

Streaming (Hulu): Into the Dark: Delivered

Delivered has a fantastic cast, good atmosphere, and plenty of terror and suspense in this Mothers Day horror treat from Into the Dark.  For more information, check out our review!

Streaming (HBO): The Art of Racing in the Rain

The puppy dog racing movie!  This film got very high audience scores for using the most reliable source of audience approval, a dog!

News: Bloodshot Available On Digital March 24

Vin Diesel's super soldier movie, Bloodshot, which had the unfortunate luck of opening the weekend before all movie theaters shut down, is being released on digital on March 24 for $19.99.  This would be an electronic sell-through, meaning that viewers will now own the movie that was just released in theaters.  This is a different arrangement than Universal's idea of having premium, 24-hour rentals for $20 and seems like a more realistic way to tempt moviegoers, although I applaud Universal for being the first to announce this groundbreaking idea in light of Coronavirus.

This move occurs as Columbia Pictures looks to recoup some of the $45M budget.  Bloodshot had a poor weekend, only picking up $9.1M as many moviegoers social distanced themselves from the theaters as Coronavirus fears in the US escalated.  This latest move is an interesting one but it seems unlikely that a lot of movies will take this route.  It seems more likely that companies are delaying the openings rather than going direct to home, with Universal's Trolls: World Tour the major exception.  But all of this is very fluid so that could change if Bloodshot does well amid quarantined viewers!

Review: Bloodshot

Release date: March 13, 2020

Running time: 109 minutes

Starring: Vin Diesel, Eiza González, Sam Heughan

Vin Diesel returns to the big screen but this time it isn't about cars or family but revenge. Based on the best selling comic book by Valiant Comics, Bloodshot is the story of Ray Garrison (Diesel), a fallen elite military soldier who is given a rare second chance. After his body was donated by the military to Rising Spirit Technologies (RST), he was put into Project Bloodshot where he received an advanced soldier nano-technology blood transfusion. Unlike any other test case before he survived, giving him super human strength and fast healing. With this procedure came temporary memory lost about his past. But as his memories start to return, he realizes that his wife has also been killed, causing Garrison to seek out the person responsible for it.

This movie wasted no time with its action and special effects. Even before the title screen was shown, it takes it viewers in the heart of war with a well done shootout sequence complete with slow motion effects. Watching this movie in IMAX was truly a treat as it totally enhanced the the audio, visuals and helped experience the good CGI.  The advanced warfare technology was an interesting touch, and seemed to take a lot from similar movies in this vein (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and even Terminator), but adding its own spin to that trope.  And this action isn't limited to the opening sequence; the longer the movie progresses the more the action piles on!  That final fight sequence truly is the icing on the cake!  Wait till you see how the explosions are handled with the nano tech/overclock rebuild!

Outside of the expected Vin Diesel performance, no one else but Lamorne Morris was truly a standout or even memorable. Morris's character was that stereotypical hacker who we seen over and over but somehow Morris still found some magic in it. The plot had issues; the vast majority of it seemed far too convenient and placed there to tie things together even if it didn't make sense.  Additionally, for a movie that is supposed to be filled with experts, a lot of the actions of the characters felt amateurish, which was hard to overlook. All in all, this movie ticks some nice boxes for action, and is vintage Vin Diesel, but it has enough issues that it should be enjoyed at home.  

For this movie to be the introduction of a franchise I felt it just didn't do enough to get people wanting for more. With good action and effects, but sub-par performances and plot, this is something you can wait for.

Rent it

What to Watch: Best of February and Most Anticipated of March

Our selection of the best movies of February and our most anticipated movies of March.

Best of February:

Sonic the Hedgehog: Sure it is not a great movie, but I have been waiting a very long time for both a good video game movie and a good sonic adaption.  Sonic the Hedgehog keeps just enough of the Sonic properties to give you that nostalgic hit, but also changes enough to make it into a fun movie.  Jim Carrey's performance is just flat out funny and crazy, and I can't wait to see where this next movie goes.

Sonic the Hedgehog: As a true fan and consumer of this franchise there were a ton of reservations going into this movie. That first trailer's horrible animation left a bad taste in many mouths and very low expectations.  However from the opening studio scene to the stingers at the very end, this movie delivered like no other.  Achieving the best ever box office opening for a video game movie, this film gave its die-hard and new fans all that they wanted and then some with amazing performances, animation, and comedy.

Most Anticipated of March:

Mulan: I have not been a fan of Disney's live action / computer generated remakes of their old properties because they tend to just be the same stories with a coat of touch up paint.  However, Mulan looks like it will truly redefine the original movie, with a redone story and more serious, gritty tone of the film.  I'm excited to see where this one goes, and the PG-13 rating makes me think that this one is going to places that the animated classic wouldn't dare to go.

Bloodshot: VIN DIESEL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OK, I guess I have to say more than just that to justify this.  I am a sucker for a Vin Diesel action film and the that fact is, this movie is based on a comic book that I am very familiar with.  The combination of the two is a win win for me!  I can't promise it will be good but it will be entertaining for sure. And the trailer absolutely looks intriguing enough to draw a bigger audience.