Arena Wars (2024)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- In the future, death row inmates are selected to compete in Arena Wars, a fight to the death reality show hosted by Samson (Michael Madsen) and Moses (Robert Donavan). Teams of seven prisoners have the chance to win their freedom, if they can outlast and defeat different killers, including Meat Wagon (Wesley Cannon), Cutie Pie (Maria Bova), and Calypso (Allen Woodman).

Perez (Robert LaSardo) leads one team of inmates, but Luke Bender (John Wells) emerges as the new star of Arena Wars. A selfless ex-Marine, who sacrificed his freedom in the name of national security, Bender is determined to lead his team to freedom. 

Belladonna (Kevin Hager), a CEO, and the mastermind behind Arena Wars, is desperate for higher ratings. Supported by his security team and his two cronies Domino (Mercedes Peterson) and Gideon (Michael Beran), Belladonna is determined to see Arena Wars succeed by any means necessary. Can Luke lead his team to victory? Or, has Belladonna stacked the deck too high against him?

My Thoughts- John Wells playing the grizzled tough guy with a conscience balances the story, so it’s not completely limited to blood, guts, and violence. He’s a character, who’s easy to root for, the Marine, who puts his country first, while also wanting to ensure the safety of his fiancée and her father, Admiral Jordan (Eric Roberts). Wells delivers a solid performance as Luke, adding the emotional foundation to Arena Wars. Yes, he’s a bit cheesy with the soft spoken badass routine, but it still works to complement the overall zany tone in Arena Wars.

Kevin Hager’s Belladonna is a decent enough villain. The typical narcissistic rich guy jerk, who probably has some mommy issues going up against the good guy soldier is an easy layup to execute. It’s almost impossible to resist the urge to punch Belladonna in the face. His smugness, his lack of empathy for other people, and his massive ego. All the right ingredients for a slimy antagonist, who’s hopefully headed towards a brutal comeuppance.

Arena Wars managed to pull off one good surprise, revealing Admiral Jordan and Luke’s fiancée died in a car accident years ago. Luke was duped by deepfake AI video calls with Jordan. That plays a big part in Luke doubting himself towards the end, because the father/son relationship brought a shred of normalcy into his life.

Domino’s failed sneak attack? Why? Why would they waste so much time on a storyline, where Domino ultimately fails at killing Belladonna, and when the big moment comes, she literally doesn’t pull the trigger. Domino plays a role in being a helping hand for the good guys. I get that, but all the build up for that lame ending, where Belladonna still gets the last laugh was a real downer.

I wasn’t too surprised, when Luke and a few others on his team survived. Perez dying early on in the movie did catch me off guard a little bit, but it’s obvious they were saving the big hero storyline for Luke. Belladonna cheating and giving an unfair advantage to the killers? Yeah, wasn’t surprised by that either, because outside of them just being completely nuts, you could easily tell the killers were hopped up on something. Although, I will say this, Belladonna’s death was a gnarly sight. Cut in HALF with a chainsaw? Ouch!

The killers are bloodthirsty maniacs! Okay, and what else? It’s true each killer has a different backstory, including wiping out the entire United Nations, or a terrorist attack targeting Yankee Stadium. Maria Bova’s Cutie Pie shows some personality, as a gleeful and demented murderer, who enjoys what she’s doing. 

And maybe I’m reaching here, but I’m almost sure there’s a reference to A Nightmare On Elm Street and Freddy Krueger with the boiler room stuff. Personally, I wanted to see a little more depth for the personalities. Creative looks for the costumes and different styles for the killers, and there’s a reason why the killers are seemingly invincible. But there’s really nothing worth mentioning once you get past the “WE’RE GONNA KILL YOU!” mindset.

John Wells does most of the heavy lifting on the acting side of things. Luke’s team is full of colorful characters. Kylie Fulmer’s Billie stands out, and Johnny Huang puts a lot of enthusiasm into Khan, the jokester, who’s reminiscent of a knuckleheaded class clown. Michael Madsen has a good amount of screen time as one of the hosts, and Madsen was seemingly in a comfort zone and having fun playing Samson. Eric Roberts? He’s barely in the movie, but Jordan plays a crucial role in Luke’s story, especially towards the end. 

The irony for a reality show about prisoners killing their way to freedom is a bonkers story that’s good for a few laughs. Also, there’s a noticeable night and day difference between two of the hosts. Holly Daze (Sheri Davis)  represents everything Arena Wars is supposed to be about. She’s wild, has an in-your-face attitude, and her wardrobe reflects her fiery personality. The woman interviewing people in the crowd? She looks and sounds like someone, who doesn’t belong there. Maybe she should focus on reporting legitimate news, or possibly doing something more dignified. Hilarious stuff. 

I didn’t go into Arena Wars with high expectations. It’s the kind of movie, where you should know what you’re getting into before you hit the play button. Arena Wars is set in a city…named The Big F*****g City. Luke’s picture-perfect Superman Punch, and Belladonna calmly eats sushi off of a topless woman, while people are brutally murdered. It’s a silly and over the top action/sci-fi flick, featuring heavy doses of dark comedy. 

Giving credit where credit is due, Arena Wars really nailed the dystopian mood for the movie. The depravity, the sleaziness, and the need for people to consume more violent entertainment. For a movie that’s set in 2045, maybe it’s kind of scary to imagine this is where we’re headed as a society in twenty years? I know Arena Wars is not that deep, but maybe they could’ve focused more on those particular what ifs, because there’s a lot of material to explore. 

The fight scenes were too repetitive for me and kind of dull every now and then. I didn’t get Domino’s storyline, or why they felt the need to put effort into it, if that was the conclusion they were going with. Overall, there’s still more than enough bloody violence and gore in Arena Wars. It’s a really cheesy movie, loaded with corny dialogue, but Arena Wars mostly works, delivering just enough chaos and violence.

Rating- 5/10

Amber Alert (2024)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- Charlotte (Ducky Branson) is kidnapped on a playground in broad daylight in front of her mother, Monica (Katie McClellan) and her grandmother, Gail (Claire Slemmer), lured into a car by a man and a doll. Elsewhere in the same area, Jaq (Hayden Panettiere) misses her rideshare car. Jaq convinces Shane (Tyler James Williams), another rideshare driver, to accept a large tip for a ride.

Eventually, Jaq spots a Toyota Camry that matches the description for Charlotte’s Amber Alert. Jaq, Shane, Monica, Sergeant Phil Casey (Kevin Dunn), and an emergency dispatcher named Cici (Saidah Arrika Ekulona) all work together to rescue Charlotte. Aaron (Kurt Oberhaus), the driver of the Camry, claims he’s innocent, but Jaq realizes something is off, when she learns the truth about the license plate number. 

My Thoughts- The remake for Amber Alert is a good example for why it’s not so easy to make a found-footage film. Amber Alert 2012 took the found-footage approach, and when you compare that film to the 2024 remake, the problems for the 2012 original are more obvious. The big one? Recording when there’s no real reason to record anything during long stretches of the movie. I’ll even go as far as saying the car chase scenes, or the scenes, where Jaq and Shane are following Aaron are easily more exciting. There’s a more uneasy and believable feeling that anything could happen at any moment. A big difference compared to the found-footage film, where the main idea basically is, let’s keep following Muller, while we wait to see what he does next. 

The 2024 remake is a more polished and refined film by a long shot. The story has structure, the characters have more depth, and all the other loose screws are tightened up, including smoother storytelling, better pacing, and it’s a more consistently tense film. I could actually buy into Jaq and Shane’s reasons for wanting to save Charlotte, if we’re comparing the two to Samantha and Nate (mainly Samantha) from the original. Shane is a father, and you can tell he loves and cares about his son. Jaq is still heartbroken about the tragedy involving her baby boy, so it’s easy to go along with a thought process, where she probably believes she couldn’t save her son, but there’s a chance she can save Charlotte.

There’s some callbacks and similarities to the original. The gas station, Jaq dropping her earbud in the backseat, so she can hear what’s going on inside the car, and the confrontation with Aaron in the open field. A few tweaks and some minor changes, but it’s still easy to see some connections to the 2012 film.

So Aaron is the bad guy. Okay. Not a big surprise, and they made things more obvious for the big reveal in the remake. Going back to that scene in the open field, where Jaq and Shane faked having car troubles, you can clearly see Aaron was ready to kill them, while their backs were turned. That, and his story about Charlotte being his daughter was completely phony. Also, it doesn’t help that you can actually see Charlotte in the backseat, when Aaron drives away. 

Still, Amber Alert manages to deliver a satisfying finale. Aaron’s house of horrors? Some genuinely creepy stuff. It’s not just limited to keeping Charlotte in a cage. The video camera, the room decorated to resemble a little girl’s room, the shoes from all the girls he kidnapped outside, the scrapbooks, and Aaron’s bizarre obsession with dolls and dressing his deceased victims as dolls. You really get to see how Aaron is a disgusting and vile creep, a man with a disturbing dark side.

Jaq and Shane survive with some help from Sergeant Casey, Casey kills Aaron, and Charlotte is reunited with Monica. Comparing the two films, the remake decided to go with the happy ending. Yes, certain events were a little bit too convenient. Casey shows up at the exact moment, when Aaron was seconds away from killing Jaq? But that final shot with Charlotte and Monica embracing, while Jaq, still wounded on a stretcher, has a smile on her face, when she sees both of them together really works as a feel good moment. 

The chemistry between Hayden Panettiere and Tyler James Williams is excellent. They did a good job of playing off of each other, with a bold and somewhat reckless Jaq pushing a reluctant Shane to continue the pursuit. Williams and Panettiere are convincing as two ordinary people, who stumbled into a dangerous problem, and there’s a handful of funny moments from Jaq and Shane during the chase.

Is Amber Alert perfect? No. The story mainly goes through the motions step by step. The twists and the attempted swerves were easy enough to predict, but Amber Alert is still an effective mystery/thriller. The reveal for the house of horrors and the unpleasantness behind the villain’s dolls completely changes the mood towards the end, taking a dark turn just when you believe things couldn’t possibly get any worse. 

As the story unfolds, you also realize it’s not so easy to put out a successful Amber Alert. The accuracy, crucial details, including a license plate number, are all important factors. Add in the fact that dispatchers will be flooded with calls that might or might not help, AND if the perpetrator is driving a common or popular car (e.g. the Toyota Camry here), the odds of saving a kidnapped victim could swing in either direction. And what’s going to happen, when the suspect realizes they’re on the radar and the clock is ticking?

A big upgrade over the 2012 original, featuring solid performances from Hayden Panettiere and Tyler James Williams, and of course, Kevin Dunn delivers with the strong presence of a veteran actor. And kudos to Saidah Arrika Ekulona for playing her role well, as the concerned dispatcher, who’s trying to help Monica and Charlotte. The 2012 original’s ending was bleak and shocking. But the remake takes a more joyous and upbeat approach to close out the movie, and overall, it’s a rare case, where the remake definitely outshines the original. 

Rating- 6/10

Amber Alert (2024)(Minor Spoilers)

 

**This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- Charlotte (Ducky Branson) is kidnapped on a playground in broad daylight in front of her mother, Monica (Katie McClellan) and her grandmother, Gail (Claire Slemmer), lured into a car by a man and a doll. Elsewhere in the same area, Jaq (Hayden Panettiere) misses her rideshare car. Jaq convinces Shane (Tyler James Williams), another rideshare driver, to accept a large tip for a ride.

Eventually, Jaq spots a Toyota Camry that matches the description for Charlotte’s Amber Alert. Jaq, Shane, Monica, Sergeant Phil Casey (Kevin Dunn), and an emergency dispatcher named Cici (Saidah Arrika Ekulona) all work together to rescue Charlotte. Aaron (Kurt Oberhaus), the driver of the Camry, claims he’s innocent, but Jaq realizes something is off, when she learns the truth about the license plate number. 

My Thoughts- The remake for Amber Alert is a good example for why it’s not so easy to make a found-footage film. Amber Alert 2012 took the found-footage approach, and when you compare that film to the 2024 remake, the problems for the 2012 original are more obvious. The big one? Recording when there’s no real reason to record anything during long stretches of the movie. I’ll even go as far as saying the car chase scenes, or the scenes, where Jaq and Shane are following Aaron are easily more exciting. There’s a more uneasy and believable feeling that anything could happen at any moment. A big difference compared to the found-footage film, where the main idea basically is, let’s keep following Muller, while we wait to see what he does next. 

The 2024 remake is a more polished and refined film by a long shot. The story has structure, the characters have more depth, and all the other loose screws are tightened up, including smoother storytelling, better pacing, and it’s a more consistently tense film. I could actually buy into Jaq and Shane’s reasons for wanting to save Charlotte, if we’re comparing the two to Samantha and Nate (mainly Samantha) from the original. Shane is a father, and you can tell he loves and cares about his son. Jaq is still heartbroken about the tragedy involving her baby boy, so it’s easy to go along with a thought process, where she probably believes she couldn’t save her son, but there’s a chance she can save Charlotte.

There’s some callbacks and similarities to the original. The gas station, Jaq dropping her earbud in the backseat, so she can hear what’s going on inside the car, and the confrontation with Aaron in the open field. A few tweaks and some minor changes, but it’s still easy to see some connections to the 2012 film.

The chemistry between Hayden Panettiere and Tyler James Williams is excellent. They did a good job of playing off of each other, with a bold and somewhat reckless Jaq pushing a reluctant Shane to continue the pursuit. Williams and Panettiere are convincing as two ordinary people, who stumbled into a dangerous problem, and there’s a handful of funny moments from Jaq and Shane during the chase.

Is Amber Alert perfect? No. The story mainly goes through the motions step by step. The twists and the attempted swerves were easy enough to predict, but Amber Alert is still an effective mystery/thriller. The reveal for the house of horrors and the unpleasantness behind the villain’s dolls completely changes the mood towards the end, taking a dark turn just when you believe things couldn’t possibly get any worse. 

As the story unfolds, you also realize it’s not so easy to put out a successful Amber Alert. The accuracy, crucial details, including a license plate number, are all important factors. Add in the fact that dispatchers will be flooded with calls that might or might not help, AND if the perpetrator is driving a common or popular car (e.g. the Toyota Camry here), the odds of saving a kidnapped victim could swing in either direction. And what’s going to happen, when the suspect realizes they’re on the radar and the clock is ticking?

A big upgrade over the 2012 original, featuring solid performances from Hayden Panettiere and Tyler James Williams, and of course, Kevin Dunn delivers with the strong presence of a veteran actor. And kudos to Saidah Arrika Ekulona for playing her role well, as the concerned dispatcher, who’s trying to help Monica and Charlotte. The 2012 original’s ending was bleak and shocking. But the remake takes a more joyous and upbeat approach to close out the movie, and overall, it’s a rare case, where the remake definitely outshines the original. 

Rating- 6/10

Amber Alert (2012)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- In 2009, Samantha Green (Summer Bellessa) and Nathan Riley’s (Chris Hill) audition tapes for a reality show are interrupted in Arizona, when Nate notices a grey Honda Accord that fits the description for a recent Amber Alert involving a kidnapped young girl. Samantha’s little brother, Caleb (Caleb Thompson) records everything, while Samantha urges Nate to follow the car. 

The driver, Michael Randolph Muller (Jasen Wade), tries to reassure the trio the Amber Alert is nothing more than one big misunderstanding. Brooke Layton (Brooke Thompson) is supposedly his daughter. Muller, dealing with custody problems and his ex-wife, apparently wanted more time with Brooke, but Samantha suspects something is fishy. Is Muller telling the truth? Or, is it possible he’s hiding dark secrets? 

My Thoughts- I have a lot of mixed feelings for Caleb recording. On one hand, yeah, you could say they need to document everything for proof, BUT when a police officer finally gets involved, the footage is basically useless. What’s the point of recording, if law enforcement already has the necessary information (the description of the car, license plate number), and on top of that, Samantha is giving out details for Muller’s exact location?

It’s strange, because you could possibly make an argument for Nate and Samantha really needing the camera during the finale for definitive proof, and the light as a guide to see through the darkness. Still, more often than not, it’s hard to come up with legitimate reasons for Caleb recording. Why? So we can see Nate and Samantha constantly arguing, and Samantha giving Nate stern lectures about morality? Outside of the need to show the viewers what’s going on, you can point to more than one scene, where’s there no need for recording. That’s a problem, because the logic behind found-footage just falls apart during long stretches of the movie.

The police? I have to believe they were aiming for some kind of social commentary about how law enforcement responds and reacts to Amber Alerts. When Officer Murray (Tom Murray) makes an appearance, there’s a sense of relief. FINALLY! Someone, who’s in a position to help, to actually do something, is here. But guess what? Nothing happens. Officer Murray gives instructions to go to a police station. He drives off, and that’s it?

I sincerely hope a message about cops and how they handle Amber Alerts was the main goal here. Otherwise, Amber Alert is basically about two friends and a young kid becoming vigilantes and risking their lives, because the police are too slow and too inept to help and do their jobs. 

The ending completely caught me off guard. I’m not talking about the reveal for Muller being a disgusting and sadistic creep, who lied to Nate and Samantha on the side of the road. It was obvious Muller was lying. Too many holes in the story about his “ex-wife.” And Nate wanted to do everything he possibly could to avoid a confrontation or a fight with Muller, so they just accepted his story.

The truly shocking parts for me happened, when the insides of Muller’s house were revealed. It’s dark, the guns on the counter, everything is covered up, the house looks like a dungeon, and Muller keeps personal items as trophies from his victims. Sexual abuse is a topic that comes up a lot throughout the movie, but when you actually see what Muller’s been up to, and what he plans to do to Brooke Layton (his latest victim), it’s enough to bring a grossed out reaction out of you. And to make matters worse, Muller keeps Brooke locked in a cage.

Caleb is wounded, Muller kills Samantha and Nate, and Nate dies in a shootout against Muller, but Brooke survives. A truly tense finale and a bleak ending. Some good horror elements, featuring Nate, Samantha, and Brooke quietly sneaking around in the dark, hoping to escape, while Muller waits in the shadows. And the screams for help from Brooke before the scene ends are truly horrifying, when you realize there’s a kid alone in a house with three dead bodies.

Amber Alert puts a lot of effort into a dedicated approach for realism. Blurred out license plates, bleeping out phone numbers and addresses, and at some point, everyone has experienced an Amber Alert, when you get that notification on your phone. It’s an unsettling feeling to have, if the alert is close enough.

The home stretch takes a dark and disturbing turn, leading to a finale that’s a real nail-biter. But the problems for Amber Alert are hard to ignore. Yes, you could say they needed the camera and they needed to record in the house, but everything else? There’s still no reason Caleb should’ve been recording. 

Samantha and Nate’s constant bickering? Oh, boy. Way too much of the tiresome and continuous shouting matches between Samantha and Nate, and it gets worse, when you realize all the yelling eats up a good sixty to seventy percent of the movie. It’s also easy to notice a tedious and repetitive pattern for storytelling. Slow down! Don’t get too close to Muller! No, no speed up, you’re gonna lose him! Or, let’s keep a safe distance, so we can see what he’s going to do next. 

Amber Alert is another one of those films, where they have great material to work with, especially if you’re doing a found-footage film, and you want to make things feel more realistic. A strong effort for a low budget film using limited resources, with a spirited cast. Good horror elements mixed in with the ending, but the overall execution just didn’t work for me.

Rating- 3/10 

Amber Alert (2012)(Minor Spoilers)

 

**This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- In 2009, Samantha Green (Summer Bellessa) and Nathan Riley’s (Chris Hill) audition tapes for a reality show are interrupted in Arizona, when Nate notices a grey Honda Accord that fits the description for a recent Amber Alert involving a kidnapped young girl. Samantha’s little brother, Caleb (Caleb Thompson) records everything, while Samantha urges Nate to follow the car. 

The driver, Michael Randolph Muller (Jasen Wade), tries to reassure the trio the Amber Alert is nothing more than one big misunderstanding. Brooke Layton (Brooke Thompson) is supposedly his daughter. Muller, dealing with custody problems and his ex-wife, apparently wanted more time with Brooke, but Samantha suspects something is fishy. Is Muller telling the truth? Or, is it possible he’s hiding dark secrets? 

My Thoughts- I have a lot of mixed feelings for Caleb recording. On one hand, yeah, you could say they need to document everything for proof, BUT when a police officer finally gets involved, the footage is basically useless. What’s the point of recording, if law enforcement already has the necessary information (the description of the car, license plate number), and on top of that, Samantha is giving out details for Muller’s exact location?

It’s strange, because you could possibly make an argument for Nate and Samantha really needing the camera during the finale for definitive proof, and the light as a guide to see through the darkness. Still, more often than not, it’s hard to come up with legitimate reasons for Caleb recording. Why? So we can see Nate and Samantha constantly arguing, and Samantha giving Nate stern lectures about morality? Outside of the need to show the viewers what’s going on, you can point to more than one scene, where’s there no need for recording. That’s a problem, because the logic behind found-footage just falls apart during long stretches of the movie.

The police? I have to believe they were aiming for some kind of social commentary about how law enforcement responds and reacts to Amber Alerts. When Officer Murray (Tom Murray) makes an appearance, there’s a sense of relief. FINALLY! Someone, who’s in a position to help, to actually do something, is here. But guess what? Nothing happens. Officer Murray gives instructions to go to a police station. He drives off, and that’s it?

I sincerely hope a message about cops and how they handle Amber Alerts was the main goal here. Otherwise, Amber Alert is basically about two friends and a young kid becoming vigilantes and risking their lives, because the police are too slow and too inept to help and do their jobs. 

Amber Alert puts a lot of effort into a dedicated approach for realism. Blurred out license plates, bleeping out phone numbers and addresses, and at some point, everyone has experienced an Amber Alert, when you get that notification on your phone. It’s an unsettling feeling to have, if the alert is close enough.

The home stretch takes a dark and disturbing turn, leading to a finale that’s a real nail-biter. But the problems for Amber Alert are hard to ignore. Yes, you could say they needed the camera and they needed to record in the house, but everything else? There’s still no reason Caleb should’ve been recording. 

Samantha and Nate’s constant bickering? Oh, boy. Way too much of the tiresome and continuous shouting matches between Samantha and Nate, and it gets worse, when you realize all the yelling eats up a good sixty to seventy percent of the movie. It’s also easy to notice a tedious and repetitive pattern for storytelling. Slow down! Don’t get too close to Muller! No, no speed up, you’re gonna lose him! Or, let’s keep a safe distance, so we can see what he’s going to do next. 

Amber Alert is another one of those films, where they have great material to work with, especially if you’re doing a found-footage film, and you want to make things feel more realistic. A strong effort for a low budget film using limited resources, with a spirited cast. Good horror elements mixed in with the ending, but the overall execution just didn’t work for me.

Rating- 3/10 

Coming Attractions- The Alto Knights

 

Director- Barry Levinson

Release Date- March 21, 2025

Robert De Niro playing dual roles is more than enough for me. You could say De Niro is more streaky in the later stages of his career, but there’s no denying the man is still capable of delivering great performances. Whether it’s Goodfellas, Casino, The Godfather Part II, The Irishman, and other movies, De Niro is always at his best in gangster biopics and crime dramas. 

I’m also interested to see Cosmo Jarvis’ performance as Vincent “Chin” Gigante. Vincent D’ Onofrio sets the bar pretty high on Godfather Of Harlem. I know it’s a TV series, so D’Onofrio has more time and breathing room to portray a detailed and fleshed out version of Gigante, but D’Onofrio is always the first person, who pops into my head, when I think of Gigante.

Coming Attractions- Until Dawn

 

Director- David F. Sandberg

Release Date- April 25, 2025

So they’re obviously going in a different direction for adapting the Until Dawn game. It’s good to see they’re trying to keep some continuity from the game going with Peter Stormare, but everything else looks completely different. I’m kind of bummed out about the story not taking place during wintertime. The dark and cold snowy atmosphere added a lot to the game, amping up the tension and the overall eerie mood for everything.

I played Until Dawn once. Really enjoyed it, and it’s easily one of my favorite survival horror games. This trailer? Yeah, unless you know about, or if you’re fan of the game, Until Dawn looks like an ordinary horror flick, featuring a lot of the usual cliches. 

Adapting a video game or a book is a tricky task. If you go step by step, while indulging in fan service too much and trying to stay faithful to the original material, the final product might be too predictable and lazy, depending on how it’s done. They’re taking a chance on exploring the mythology, and hopefully it pays off in the end. 

I also trust David F. Sandberg, because he did a good job with Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation. There’s some humor towards the end of the trailer, and the time loop/Groundhog Day approach has some potential for a lot of different possibilities. Also, is there a chance they’ll go with a found-footage POV for certain scenes?