Night Swim(2024)(Minor Spoilers Review)

 **This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- Suffering from Multiple Sclerosis, retired baseball star Ray Waller (Wyatt Russell) and his wife, Eve (Kerry Condon) are looking for a fresh start. Wyatt and Eve move into a new home with their children, Elliot (Gavin Warren) and Izzy (Amelie Hoeferle), with hopes of firmly settling into a new life.

Ray’s illness severely limits his day to day activities, but the swimming pool in the backyard miraculously heals him. Ray enjoys his rejuvenated health, but any chances of a bright future are cut short, when Eve learns the truth about the pool’s dark past.

My Thoughts- Ray is a broken man, who’s trying to find his confidence again. Wyatt Russell captures Ray’s roller coaster of emotions with a solid performance. There’s a big shift from the sadness in Ray’s weakened state to the spark and new found sense of energetic joy, when the effects of the pool kick in. Wyatt has this genuine sinister attitude. He’s more aggressive and  kind of cocky. It’s done in a way, where you’re not completely sure if there’s something wrong with him or not. Although, when the evil forces fully consume Ray, Wyatt’s performance gets a bit too hokey and over the top, following the same pattern for the ghosts that haunt the pool.

Gavin Warren is another standout in the cast. Good facial expressions, body language, and it’s easy to buy into him as this shy and socially awkward kid. The scene where Ray smashes a home run during Elliot’s little league practice was so good. The team is celebrating with Ray, because after everything he’s been through, he finally gets to enjoy a moment of happiness. But Elliot is standing off to the side alone, and that sad look on Warren’s face is impossible to ignore. Elliot was struggling to get a hit, but his dad stepped up, and Ray unintentionally stole his moment.

I was hoping for more screen time for Ben Cinclair. He’s hilarious as the kooky and eccentric pool tech. But I guess you could say his presence would’ve added too much comedy to what’s supposed to be a serious horror movie.

Night Swim features a poignant ending, and all the loose ends are tied up, but it’s almost impossible to ignore the bad stuff. Too many cheap and predictable jump scares. When the lights in the pool start flickering, you know it’s only a matter of time before ghosts or ghostly visions pop up out of nowhere. And there’s no other way to say this, but the ghosts are not scary or intimidating. The ghosts in Night Swim just look too goofy to take seriously, and that’s a big problem.

I also wasn’t a fan of certain scenes with the black water seeping through the eyes and mouths of a few characters. It looks silly, so I couldn’t buy into the creepy and gross out reactions they were obviously going for.

They tried to put a spin on the haunted house sub genre by limiting the haunting to the pool, but Night Swim still follows the haunting playbook step by step. Almost everyone in the family knows something is wrong with the pool, and they’re not safe. They wait until it’s too late to get out, and evil forces spoil the family’s plans for escape, because the spirits won’t let Ray leave the house.

Night Swim brings some realism and emotion to the story with Ray trying to find some normalcy in his life, and Eve urging Ray to buy the house. She’s tired of uprooting the family, and you can understand why she wants everyone to have a more permanent home. Izzy and Elliot are young children. They need friends, and Elliot already has trouble fitting in.

Giving credit where credit is due, Night Swim delivers, if we’re talking about fears of what can go wrong in a swimming pool. The fear of drowning and how quickly it can happen was more than enough to deliver a few squeamish moments. It might sound ridiculous, but Night Swim convincingly pushes the idea that water is just as terrifying and menacing as any ghosts or evil spirits.

Presenting the pool as this dark and evil wishing well was a nice touch, but overall Night Swim has more misses than hits for the spooky side of the film. It’s just the usual haunting horror film, with the only difference being the swimming pool is the center of attention.

Rating- 4/10

Night Swim (2024)(Spoiler Review)

 **This post contains spoilers**

The Story- Suffering from Multiple Sclerosis, retired baseball star Ray Waller (Wyatt Russell) and his wife, Eve (Kerry Condon) are looking for a fresh start. Wyatt and Eve move into a new home with their children, Elliot (Gavin Warren) and Izzy (Amelie Hoeferle), with hopes of firmly settling into a new life.

Ray’s illness severely limits his day to day activities, but the swimming pool in the backyard miraculously heals him. Ray enjoys his rejuvenated health, but any chances of a bright future are cut short, when Eve learns the truth about the pool’s dark past.

My Thoughts- Ray is a broken man, who’s trying to find his confidence again. Wyatt Russell captures Ray’s roller coaster of emotions with a solid performance. There’s a big shift from the sadness in Ray’s weakened state to the spark and new found sense of energetic joy, when the effects of the pool kick in. Wyatt has this genuine sinister attitude. He’s more aggressive and  kind of cocky. It’s done in a way, where you’re not completely sure if there’s something wrong with him or not. Although, when the evil forces fully consume Ray, Wyatt’s performance gets a bit too hokey and over the top, following the same pattern for the ghosts that haunt the pool.

Gavin Warren is another standout in the cast. Good facial expressions, body language, and it’s easy to buy into him as this shy and socially awkward kid. The scene where Ray smashes a home run during Elliot’s little league practice was so good. The team is celebrating with Ray, because after everything he’s been through, he finally gets to enjoy a moment of happiness. But Elliot is standing off to the side alone, and that sad look on Warren’s face is impossible to ignore. Elliot was struggling to get a hit, but his dad stepped up, and Ray unintentionally stole his moment.

I was hoping for more screen time for Ben Cinclair. He’s hilarious as the kooky and eccentric pool tech. But I guess you could say his presence would’ve added too much comedy to what’s supposed to be a serious horror movie.

Ray has to sacrifice himself to save Elliot in the end. The dark forces in the pool wouldn’t allow Ray to leave the house. Ray was able to will himself to force the evil out of his body by remembering how much he loved his family, but that wasn’t enough. 

In the summer of  ‘92, a girl named Rebecca (Ayazhan Dalabayeva) was a victim of the pool’s evil, when her mother, Lucy (Jodi Long) orchestrated a plot to sacrifice her to the pool to save her terminally ill son, Tommy (Joziah Lagonoy). It’s revealed that’s how things work with the haunted pool. A human sacrifice is required, so someone else can receive prosperity and a new beginning.

The difference between Ray and Lucy’s sacrifice is, Ray willingly allowed the pool to take him, because he wanted to save his son and his family. That was a true example of love and a selfless sacrifice. Lucy? She basically killed her own daughter to save her son and get a fancy house. Still, Lucy didn’t get away without any problems, because she’s still infected with the pool’s evil, needing an oxygen tank to breathe. 

It’s a good emotional ending, with Ray looking at his family one last time and telling them “don’t look back” in a somber but confident tone. I’m also glad they didn’t go with a cheap cliffhanger. Eve, Elliot, and Izzy decide to stay in the house to honor Ray and to keep anyone else away from the pool. And to put the definitive final nail in the coffin, Eve makes the decision to drain the pool and fill it with dirt.

Night Swim features a poignant ending, and all the loose ends are tied up, but it’s almost impossible to ignore the bad stuff. Too many cheap and predictable jump scares. When the lights in the pool start flickering, you know it’s only a matter of time before ghosts or ghostly visions pop up out of nowhere. And there’s no other way to say this, but the ghosts are not scary or intimidating. The ghosts in Night Swim just look too goofy to take seriously, and that’s a big problem.

I also wasn’t a fan of certain scenes with the black water seeping through the eyes and mouths of a few characters. It looks silly, so I couldn’t buy into the creepy and gross out reactions they were obviously going for.

They tried to put a spin on the haunted house sub genre by limiting the haunting to the pool, but Night Swim still follows the haunting playbook step by step. Almost everyone in the family knows something is wrong with the pool, and they’re not safe. They wait until it’s too late to get out, and evil forces spoil the family’s plans for escape, because the spirits won’t let Ray leave the house.

Night Swim brings some realism and emotion to the story with Ray trying to find some normalcy in his life, and Eve urging Ray to buy the house. She’s tired of uprooting the family, and you can understand why she wants everyone to have a more permanent home. Izzy and Elliot are young children. They need friends, and Elliot already has trouble fitting in.

Giving credit where credit is due, Night Swim delivers, if we’re talking about fears of what can go wrong in a swimming pool. The fear of drowning and how quickly it can happen was more than enough to deliver a few squeamish moments. It might sound ridiculous, but Night Swim convincingly pushes the idea that water is just as terrifying and menacing as any ghosts or evil spirits.

Presenting the pool as this dark and evil wishing well was a nice touch, but overall Night Swim has more misses than hits for the spooky side of the film. It’s just the usual haunting horror film, with the only difference being the swimming pool is the center of attention.

Rating- 4/10

I.S.S. (2024)(Minor Spoilers Review)

 **This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- Dr. Kira Foster (Ariana DeBose) arrives at the International Space Station, joining Commander Gordon Barrett (Chris Messina) and Christian Campbell (John Gallagher Jr.) to complete the team of NASA astronauts. Kira, Gordon, and Christian share the ISS with cosmonauts Alexey Pulov (Pilou Asbaek), Nicholai Pulov (Costa Ronin), and Weronika Vetrov (Masha Mashkova), while conducting experiments and trying to maintain a peaceful relationship.

But the harmony between both crews is disrupted, when a series of big explosions spreads throughout the United States. Russia uses nuclear weapons to attack the US, and Gordon receives an order to take control of the ISS by any means necessary. Assuming the cosmonauts received identical orders, Gordon, Christian, and Kira have tough decisions to make about how to handle their unprecedented dilemma.

My Thoughts- All of the performances in I.S.S. follow a similar pattern. Everyone is on edge, extremely stressed, and paranoid about trusting each other. It’s understandable, because there’s a strong possibility the crew just witnessed the beginning of WW III, and the decisions they’re forced to make could have a direct impact on the future of the world.

The performances are solid all around, with Ariana DeBose and Pilou Asbaek emerging as the two stars in the cast. Everything seems fine at first. Sure, there’s some tension between Gordon and Alexey, when Gordon makes a bad joke. But you get the feeling the cosmonauts and the astronauts are a happy family that learned to accept each other and their differences over time.

The entire cast did a fantastic job with intense and emotional performances and great facial expressions. It’s also worth pointing out that the astronauts and cosmonauts are not too thrilled about the possibility of having to murder each other. Alexey and Nicholai’s reactions to setting a trap for Gordon is a good example of the conflict they’re facing. No one on the ISS is a gleeful bloodthirsty killer. On both sides, their actions are motivated by loyalty to their respective countries, the bonds they have with each other, and of course the fear of certain death.

I.S.S. works as a claustrophobic and tense sci-fi thriller, fueled by the paranoia of being stranded in outer space, and not being able to fully trust the people around you. The only big problem for me is the ending. It’s flat, disappointing, and the ending just sucks the life right out of the movie. It’s the kind of ending, where I genuinely don’t understand why they would choose to go that route, if they didn’t firmly plan on making a sequel.

Rating-5/10

I.S.S. (2024)(Spoiler Review)

 **This post contains spoilers**

The Story- Dr. Kira Foster (Ariana DeBose) arrives at the International Space Station, joining Commander Gordon Barrett (Chris Messina) and Christian Campbell (John Gallagher Jr.) to complete the team of NASA astronauts. Kira, Gordon, and Christian share the ISS with cosmonauts Alexey Pulov (Pilou Asbaek), Nicholai Pulov (Costa Ronin), and Weronika Vetrov (Masha Mashkova), while conducting experiments and trying to maintain a peaceful relationship.

But the harmony between both crews is disrupted, when a series of big explosions spreads throughout the United States. Russia uses nuclear weapons to attack the US, and Gordon receives an order to take control of the ISS by any means necessary. Assuming the cosmonauts received identical orders, Gordon, Christian, and Kira have tough decisions to make about how to handle their unprecedented dilemma.

My Thoughts- All of the performances in I.S.S. follow a similar pattern. Everyone is on edge, extremely stressed, and paranoid about trusting each other. It’s understandable, because there’s a strong possibility the crew just witnessed the beginning of WW III, and the decisions they’re forced to make could have a direct impact on the future of the world.

The performances are solid all around, with Ariana DeBose and Pilou Asbaek emerging as the two stars in the cast. Everything seems fine at first. Sure, there’s some tension between Gordon and Alexey, when Gordon makes a bad joke. But you get the feeling the cosmonauts and the astronauts are a happy family that learned to accept each other and their differences over time.

The entire cast did a fantastic job with intense and emotional performances and great facial expressions. It’s also worth pointing out that the astronauts and cosmonauts are not too thrilled about the possibility of having to murder each other. Alexey and Nicholai’s reactions to setting a trap for Gordon is a good example of the conflict they’re facing. No one on the ISS is a gleeful bloodthirsty killer. On both sides, their actions are motivated by loyalty to their respective countries, the bonds they have with each other, and of course the fear of certain death.

Kira making it out alive as one of the survivors wasn’t a big shock. You can see it coming, because she’s the newbie with a good moral compass. Alexey joining her as a survivor was a bit of a surprise, but it’s not a complete shock. Alexey’s mindset changed after the attempt to get rid of Gordon, and his reaction to Nicholai making the decision to hunt down and kill Kira and Christian. Christian secretly planning to return to earth alone, while leaving Kira and Alexey stranded on the ISS? If you pay close attention, you can see Christian unraveling as the story develops. So the strong possibility for Christian taking the opportunity to look out for himself at some point was always there.

The ending? Oh, it’s something else. Weronika is dead after Christian killed her. Nicholai and Gordon killed each other in a fight, because Gordon miraculously returned and snapped after he learned about Weronika’s (Weronika and Gordon were in a relationship) death. Kira and Alexey teamed up to kill Christian, and they managed to escape the falling ISS together. The important tidbit for the finale is, Alexey and Kira are taking Alexey’s research for radiation poisoning back to earth, the same research Christian tried to steal. On top of that, it’s possible Alexey might’ve found the cure to radiation poisoning.

Alexey wants to know what’s next and where will they go after everything they’ve been through. Kira’s response? “I don’t know,” and the credits start to roll. Huh? A nuclear attack happened, and both sides failed to take control of the ISS. Alexey’s research is a golden ticket that could also be used as leverage against their governments, if  the US or Russia wants to respond with harsh punishments for the two survivors. And who knows what kind of planet they’re returning to? The nuclear devastation could’ve destroyed most of what they remember, turning earth into a post apocalyptic wasteland.

But this ending just didn’t work for me. Alexey or Kira could’ve dropped a hint or two about what they were planning, when they got back to earth. I can understand both characters just survived a traumatic ordeal. They need time to process everything, but they could’ve at least went with something more concrete over “I don’t know.” 

I.S.S. works as a claustrophobic and tense sci-fi thriller, fueled by the paranoia of being stranded in outer space, and not being able to fully trust the people around you. The only big problem for me is the ending. It’s flat, disappointing, and the ending just sucks the life right out of the movie. It’s the kind of ending, where I genuinely don’t understand why they would choose to go that route, if they didn’t firmly plan on making a sequel.

Rating-5/10

 

The Beekeeper (2024)(Minor Spoilers Review)

 **This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- Adam Clay (Jason Statham), a member of the elite and top secret special operations force known as the Beekeepers, comes out of retirement to seek justice for his neighbor and friend, Eloise (Phylicia Rashad).

Eloise’s daughter, FBI Agent Verona (Emmy Raver-Lampman) and her partner, Matt (Bobby Naderi) follow Clay’s path of destruction, leading to Derek Danforth (Josh Hutcherson) and his lucrative phishing operation. Former CIA director, Wallace Westwyld (Jeremy Irons) tries to use his influence to protect Derek. Clay is determined, but a startling discovery might derail his plans for vengeance.

My Thoughts- Jason Statham brings his usual brand of focused intensity and relentless determination to Adam Clay. Clay is a lethal and unstoppable killing machine, but Statham also shows a humane layer for the character. You can tell Clay deeply cares about Eloise, because she’s kind to him and treats him like a human being. Clay is deadly serious about his mission to destroy the scamming call centers. There’s compassion in him, because he knows only the lowest form of scum would steal from the elderly.

Josh Hutcherson is a perfect fit for Derek, and Hutcherson plays the spoiled and narcissistic brat role with ease. Derek is a lazy idiot, a fool who wouldn’t last one day in the real world without his family’s wealth. Hutcherson does a good job of portraying Derek as someone who’s easy to hate. The way he dresses, he has to be told to sit down like a small child, and he skateboards into his workplace? Yep. Adam Clay truly is the hero in this story.

Garnett (David Witts) and Rico (Enzo Cilenti) are Derek’s stooges. They’re both sleazy snake oil salesmen. Witts and Cilenti nailed their characters, and the flashy and tacky suits were a nice touch. They try to act like big shots, but they ironically turn into blubbering cowards, when Clay confronts them. 

Raver-Lampman and Naderi had good chemistry as partners. Verona doesn’t fit the profile for the common FBI agent, but she’s smart and gets the job done. Matt is a little more strait-laced, and he’s a family man. Verona and Matt provide some decent laughs, and Raver-Lampman and Naderi did a good job of playing off of each other’s characteristics.

Jeremy Irons provides the robust screen presence of a veteran actor. Wallace’s main purpose is to deliver the warnings as the harbinger of doom throughout the movie. Irons’ seriousness, as he explains the grim nature of Derek’s situation lets you know drawing the attention of a Beekeeper is a catastrophic mistake, and it’s the last mistake you’ll ever make.

I had an indifferent reaction to seeing The Beekeeper trailer a while back. Is this going to be a comedy? Are they really going to try and do a more serious film with beekeeping tied into the story? I was actually surprised how well things worked out here. You can see how seriously Adam Clay approaches beekeeping. The scenes with Clay performing his beekeeping duties are treated with respect, and you can see he has a genuine passion for it. I expected a lot of silly quips and jokes about bees, but beekeeping and everything that goes into it plays a big part in Clay’s character traits. Clay is presented as a wrecking ball that smashes anything in his path. Sure, they had a gold mine of bee and honey jokes at their disposal. I’m sure Statham could’ve pulled it off, if they decided to go that route. The path they chose works better playing to Statham’s strengths and it’s a more impressive feat, because they didn’t take the easy way out.

The clever weaving for the inner workings of beekeeping tying into the story with Clay’s mission was fantastic. Clay’s determination to protect the hive, while filling the role of a queen slayer plays into the big reveal towards the end. It makes perfect sense, because it’s easy to see why Derek is a defective offspring.

Clay easily tears through most of the opposition, including Wallace’s team of big bad special ops guys. The fight at the gas station with the current Beekeeper, Anisette (Megan Le) worked as a showcase of the old guard vs the new school. Anisette was more unhinged, but Clay’s discipline trumped her recklessness in the end. Remember, Anisette was supposed to be the surefire solution to stop Clay. It’s a crucial turning point, because Wallace knows he’s running out of options to guarantee Derek’s safety.

The Beekeeper is a hard hitting action thriller, featuring a solid cast, with Jason Statham’s strong presence leading the way. It’s a brutal story of vengeance that has a good old school action movie feel to it. The Beekeeper moves fast with a good calculated pace, and Statham delivers the goods during the home stretch, as he fiercely pushes through each obstacle to complete his mission.

Rating-7/10

The Beekeeper (2024)(Spoiler Review)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- Adam Clay (Jason Statham), a member of the elite and top secret special operations force known as the Beekeepers, comes out of retirement to seek justice for his neighbor and friend, Eloise (Phylicia Rashad).

Eloise’s daughter, FBI Agent Verona (Emmy Raver-Lampman) and her partner, Matt (Bobby Naderi) follow Clay’s path of destruction, leading to Derek Danforth (Josh Hutcherson) and his lucrative phishing operation. Former CIA director, Wallace Westwyld (Jeremy Irons) tries to use his influence to protect Derek. Clay is determined, but a startling discovery might derail his plans for vengeance.

My Thoughts- Jason Statham brings his usual brand of focused intensity and relentless determination to Adam Clay. Clay is a lethal and unstoppable killing machine, but Statham also shows a humane layer for the character. You can tell Clay deeply cares about Eloise, because she’s kind to him and treats him like a human being. Clay is deadly serious about his mission to destroy the scamming call centers. There’s compassion in him, because he knows only the lowest form of scum would steal from the elderly.

Josh Hutcherson is a perfect fit for Derek, and Hutcherson plays the spoiled and narcissistic brat role with ease. Derek is a lazy idiot, a fool who wouldn’t last one day in the real world without his family’s wealth. Hutcherson does a good job of portraying Derek as someone who’s easy to hate. The way he dresses, he has to be told to sit down like a small child, and he skateboards into his workplace? Yep. Adam Clay truly is the hero in this story.

Garnett (David Witts) and Rico (Enzo Cilenti) are Derek’s stooges. They’re both sleazy snake oil salesmen. Witts and Cilenti nailed their characters, and the flashy and tacky suits were a nice touch. They try to act like big shots, but they ironically turn into blubbering cowards, when Clay confronts them. 

Raver-Lampman and Naderi had good chemistry as partners. Verona doesn’t fit the profile for the common FBI agent, but she’s smart and gets the job done. Matt is a little more strait-laced, and he’s a family man. Verona and Matt provide some decent laughs, and Raver-Lampman and Naderi did a good job of playing off of each other’s characteristics.

Jeremy Irons provides the robust screen presence of a veteran actor. Wallace’s main purpose is to deliver the warnings as the harbinger of doom throughout the movie. Irons’ seriousness, as he explains the grim nature of Derek’s situation lets you know drawing the attention of a Beekeeper is a catastrophic mistake, and it’s the last mistake you’ll ever make.

I had an indifferent reaction to seeing The Beekeeper trailer a while back. Is this going to be a comedy? Are they really going to try and do a more serious film with beekeeping tied into the story? I was actually surprised how well things worked out here. You can see how seriously Adam Clay approaches beekeeping. The scenes with Clay performing his beekeeping duties are treated with respect, and you can see he has a genuine passion for it. I expected a lot of silly quips and jokes about bees, but beekeeping and everything that goes into it plays a big part in Clay’s character traits. Clay is presented as a wrecking ball that smashes anything in his path. Sure, they had a gold mine of bee and honey jokes at their disposal. I’m sure Statham could’ve pulled it off, if they decided to go that route. The path they chose works better playing to Statham’s strengths and it’s a more impressive feat, because they didn’t take the easy way out.

The clever weaving for the inner workings of beekeeping tying into the story with Clay’s mission was fantastic. Clay’s determination to protect the hive, while filling the role of a queen slayer plays into the big reveal towards the end. It makes perfect sense, because it’s easy to see why Derek is a defective offspring.

Clay easily tears through most of the opposition, including Wallace’s team of big bad special ops guys. The fight at the gas station with the current Beekeeper, Anisette (Megan Le) worked as a showcase of the old guard vs the new school. Anisette was more unhinged, but Clay’s discipline trumped her recklessness in the end. Remember, Anisette was supposed to be the surefire solution to stop Clay. It’s a crucial turning point, because Wallace knows he’s running out of options to guarantee Derek’s safety.

Clay faces a real challenge during the final fight with Lazarus (Taylor James). They needed someone to truly match Clay’s tenacity and toughness, so saving Lazarus until the end was the right move. Lazarus is the only known person in the cast to actually kill a Beekeeper, a lucky and bittersweet victory that cost him one of his legs. It’s a brutal brawl, and I’m glad Clay decisively defeated Lazarus. After everything Clay accomplished, you had to keep his invincible aura intact. Clay barely surviving Lazarus would’ve destroyed the tight consistent streak and all the effort they put into the mystique behind Clay’s character. 

So Derek truly is the defective offspring of a queen, because he’s President Danforth’s (Jemma Redgrave) son. That’s the big reveal towards the end for why there’s a strong effort to protect a nincompoop who doesn’t deserve a second chance. To make matters worse for the President, her campaign was funded by Derek’s dirty money from the phishing scams. The tense standoff at the end was executed to perfection. Derek is threatening to kill his mother, guns are pointed on Clay, and Clay shoots Derek dead before he has a chance to pull the trigger.

There’s a lot to unpack here. Derek was willing to kill his own mother, who happens to be the President, presumably because he wasn’t going down alone. It’s just more proof Derek was a despicable and selfish weasel. Verona had a chance to kill Clay, but she didn’t pull the trigger. Why? Because you have to believe deep down inside, Verona knows Clay is right. Verona has to play by the rules. She has to operate within the confines of the law, but Clay told her he’s the guy you call on to take care of people like Derek. As a Beekeeper, he can be the vigilante, who’s not restricted by roadblocks and red tape. 

You have to give a lot of credit to Phylicia Rashad for laying the foundation for the emotional side of the story. Her screen time is short, but she makes a strong impact. Rashad’s shocked and heartbroken reaction, when Eloise realizes she’s been scammed by one of Derek’s cronies (Garnett) is believable. The realism is there, because elderly people are prime targets for phishing scams. Eloise admitted she’s not a tech savvy person, and when the guilt was too much for her to handle, she committed suicide. 

Eloise’s death is the driving force behind Clay deciding to come out of retirement. Verona understood Clay’s disgust for Derek’s scam taking advantage of a sweet old lady, who was giving and kind hearted. She had another chance to kill Clay after he jumped out of the window, but she let him go. That final knowing look from Verona and Clay’s head nod signified an understanding between the two. Derek got what he deserved, and Clay shouldn’t be punished for that. 

The Beekeeper is a hard hitting action thriller, featuring a solid cast, with Jason Statham’s strong presence leading the way. It’s a brutal story of vengeance that has a good old school action movie feel to it. The Beekeeper moves fast with a good calculated pace, and Statham delivers the goods during the home stretch, as he fiercely pushes through each obstacle to complete his mission.

Rating-7/10

My Bloody Valentine (2009)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- A tragic mining accident disrupts the quiet town of Harmony, when Tom Hanniger (Jensen Ackles) forgets to bleed the lines, causing a deadly cave-in. Tom escapes, but Harry Warden (Richard John Walters) murders the other miners.

A year passes, and Warden suddenly awakes from a coma to continue his killing spree. Tom, his girlfriend, Sarah (Jaime King), and Axel (Kerr Smith), and his girlfriend, Irene ( Betsy Rue) have plans to enjoy Harmony’s mining party. But Harry shows up to butcher anyone who crosses his path. Axel, Irene, and Sarah escape. Tom survives Harry’s attack, with help from Sheriff Burke (Tom Atkins), who wounds Harry with a series of gunshots. An injured Harry disappears, and Tom decides to leave Harmony.

Ten years later, Tom returns to Harmony to sell the Hanniger Mining Company. Tom is prepared to cash out. His decision upsets Sarah and the mine’s supervisor, Ben Foley (Kevin Tighe), because the Hanniger Mining Company is Harmony’s lifeline. Axel is Harmony’s new sheriff. To make matters worse for Tom, Axel is now married to Sarah, and they have a son named Noah. 

Tom struggles to navigate his emotional roller coaster, because he still has feelings for Sarah, but a bigger problem causes more trouble. Harmony’s dark past resurfaces, as Tom, Sarah, Axel, Deputy Martin (Edi Gathegi), Ben, and a retired Sheriff Burke are forced to deal with the possibility of Harry Warden returning to finish what he started.

My Thoughts- There’s a good amount of noticeable differences between the remake and the original. In the original, T.J. was a young man who left home. He went out into the world to try and find himself and make it on his own, but things didn’t work out, so he returned home to work in the mines. T.J. put a lot of effort into humbling himself. Tom? Well, early on you get the impression he really is the selfish and whiny spoiled brat that everyone else makes him out to be. He’s the pariah of Harmony, and unlike T.J., Tom actually has a direct connection to Harry Warden.

As the story progresses, Tom changes his mind. He doesn’t want to sell the mine, but are his intentions truly genuine? It’s blatantly obvious Tom hoping he still has a chance to steal Sarah away from Axel is one of the main reasons why he wants to stay in Harmony. The love triangle is far more tense and serious in the remake. Ackles and Smith did a great job of making the rivalry between Tom and Axel feel real. You can tell both men hate each other, while Sarah is stuck in the middle.

Kerr Smith is the true spark in the cast. Smith absolutely nails the different faces of Axel. Axel is hot-headed, a jerk, and a cocky tough guy, with a smart mouth. He’s also having an affair with Sarah’s employee, Megan (Megan Boone), and to throw in another disastrous twist, Megan is pregnant with Axel’s child. Axel is a mess, but you can also see he doesn’t want to lose his family. And he cares about protecting the peace in Harmony.

If you’re a fan of 80’s horror, there’s a good chance you know about Tom Atkins. Atkins’ presence in a horror slasher provides some good nostalgia. The grizzled old sheriff is a perfect fit for him. Atkins shows he’s still got some fire left in him during the bar fight scene, when shouts out “EVERYBODY STAND DOWN GOD D****!!” to diffuse the tension. Truly a classic Tom Atkins moment.

Harry Warden/The Miner is still a dangerous and menacing villain in the remake. The remake features a handful of creative and brutal death scenes. Selene’s (Selene Luna) death is a good example of just how callous The Miner is, when he jams the pickaxe through her head and slams her body into the ceiling lights. There’s also a callback to Mabel’s death scene in the original with Axel and Sarah’s maid. The Miner stuffs Rosa (Joy de la Paz) in the dryer, and the shot is set up to mirror what happened in the original, when you see Rosa’s charred corpse. That’s exactly what happened to Mabel.

Revealing Tom as The Miner wasn’t a big shocker. In the 1981 film, they hold off revealing the fact that Harry is dead until the final moments. In the remake, Axel reveals Burke and Ben killed Harry in act of “vigilante justice” ten years ago, and they buried his body in the woods. The possibility of Harry returning for revenge is squashed a lot sooner this time around. Honestly, it’s for the best, because unless they planned on going the supernatural route, there’s no point in teasing Harry still being alive. A coma? A cave-in? Gunshot wounds? A mortal man can only survive so much.

They tried to throw a curveball with the possibility of Axel as the killer. Megan’s death could’ve easily raised a red flag. He wanted to kill Megan, because he didn’t want Sarah to know about the affair and his illegitimate child. Tom was hoping that would be enough to pin the murders on Axel.

Tom? If you pay close attention, too many sensible clues killed any chances for his innocence. It’s revealed Tom hallucinated Harry’s appearances throughout the movie. IF Harry was actually alive, then the scene where Tom is “trapped” inside the cage in the mines doesn’t make any sense. Harry locks Tom in a cage, while he murders another miner named Red. Harry kills him, runs off, and he leaves Tom in a safe place unharmed? Harry Warden is a cold blooded killer. During, the opening of the movie, you can tell Harry clearly hated Tom, so why would he spare his life?

I’ve always had mixed feelings for the explanation and the reasons behind Tom’s transformation into The Miner, because it could go both ways. So we learn Tom was in a mental institution for seven years, and they show him taking medication at the motel. We’re lead to believe Tom has a personality disorder, but the flashbacks tell a different story. When they show the flashbacks with Tom carrying out the murders, it’s possible to believe he was possessed by Harry Warden. 

To take it a step further, Tom starts talking in Harry’s voice during the big standoff with Axel and Sarah towards the end. When Axel is revealed as the killer in the 1981 film, it’s undeniably clear he completely lost his mind. The idea of Harry’s evil spirit controlling Tom works, but there’s also the possibility that Tom just finally snapped. His mental health deteriorated, his father is dead, the whole town hates him, and Sarah, the one person he truly loves, moved on with her life. Tom had a lot of heavy burdens to carry, and holding on to all that rage finally got the best of him. 

My Bloody Valentine 2009 is a 3D film, but it wasn’t necessary. The 3D side is just way too gimmicky. The lingering scenes with The Miner pointing the pickaxe at the screen loses the wow factor quickly. The remake could’ve stood on its own without 3D. The 3D disrupts the flow of the movie, because if you’re not wearing a pair of 3D glasses, there’s almost no point in watching certain scenes. 

The remake tries to be a raunchier film at times. No nudity or sex scenes in the original. The 1981 film is more modest, but the 2009 version has one over the top sex scene. Irene is completely naked, when she confronts Frank (Todd Farmer), and well, she’s still nude when she’s trying to hide from and fight off The Miner. There’s a sleazy motel in Harmony, and let’s not forget Axel is supposed to set the standard for morals, but he’s having an affair.

My Bloody Valentine 2009 is a solid remake, that manages to pay homage to the original, while maintaining its own identity. The remake works as a more modernized version of the original, and as a throwback to 80’s slashers. There’s more comedy and tongue in cheek scenes, including the kills, but the original had a more consistent serious tone.They don’t hold back on all the brutal violence and bloody gore. Keeping the bloody hearts in heart shaped candy boxes and the dark humor Valentine’s Day cards helps push the idea of a sinister side to the holiday.

There’s a cliffhanger with Tom secretly escaping, and a planned sequel was cancelled, but I’m glad it never happened. Sure, you can go the route of Tom returning to go after Axel and Sarah, but there’s no point. They exhausted almost every avenue for Tom, Axel, and Sarah here. Anything else would’ve been overkill, so the remake was better off as a one and done deal.

Rating- 6/10