First Trailer for SHAFT Starring Samuel L. Jackson

In the summer of 2000 I was thirteen and too young to see Samuel L. Jackson kick ass in Shaft or to know what Shaft was, for that matter. And so, never did I catch up with this billed-as-a-remake, but really more of a generequel (maybe the first of its kind?) as Jackson's John Shaft character was the nephew of the earlier film's Shaft. In never going back to catch-up with that film I also never caught with any of the three previous Shaft titles starring Richard Roundtree that were released in 1971, 1972, and 1973 with a television series picking up that same year and producing seven 90-minute movies through 1974 with Roundtree reprising his role in each. In 2000, Jackson was as hot as ever though. Leading up to Shaft Jackson was double-billed with Tommy Lee Jones in William Friedkin's Rules of Engagement and followed it up with (somewhat ironically) M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable; because I'm sure the guy thought nineteen years ago that two of his films that year would produce sequels, but that both would take nearly two decades to come to fruition. Speaking of Jackson, as Glass presently sits atop the box office for its third consecutive weekend the man will also appear in next month's Captain Marvel as a younger version of Nick Fury, there's no telling how much Fury might show up in Avengers: Endgame, and if the first trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home is any indication it looks as if Jackson's Fury will be playing a fairly pivotal role in that MCU film as well. So, three Marvel movies, two sequels including Shaft to nineteen-year-old properties, and potentially two other major releases this year (The Last Full Measure and The Banker) put Jackson as not only the busiest actors in Hollywood, but considering the likely box office for each of his franchise films here, also one of the most profitable. As for the trailer itself, it looks like a mixed bag of fine enough action and some solid comedy bits-most of which will come from Jesse T. Usher's not-as-inherently-badass long lost son of Jackson’s character. Tim Story (Think Like A Man, Barbershop) directs from a script by Kenya Baris (Black-ish) and Alex Barnow (The Goldbergs). Shaft also stars Regina Hall, Alexandra Shipp, Matt Lauria, Titus Welliver, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, and opens on June 14th, 2019.

THE HATE U GIVE Review

The Hate U Give might come off as a perfectly-timed opportunity given the "Black Lives Matter" movement and the unfortunate, consistent headlines that tell us a young, unarmed black individual was gunned down by a white police officer, but fortunately, director George "Notorious" Tillman's adaptation of the Angie Thomas novel is not an opportunistic publicity stunt aimed at an audience who are already well-aware of the points the film is making. Rather, The Hate U Give is a well-rounded and appropriately angry piece of filmmaking that tells of both these types of crimes and the reasons for the feeling of need for movements such as "Black Lives Matter" in our country at the moment.

Tillman luckily has a strong grasp on the multiple themes and rather epic scope of his film as Audrey Wells' adapted screenplay weaves in a multitude of challenges that face the black community outside of discrimination. Whether it be police brutality or white privilege or more universal issues that have become more associated with being black than is fair such as drug abuse, drug-dealing, and a lack of the traditional familial structure, Tillman is able to take each of these strands and weave them into a coherent narrative that, while maybe tying things up a bit too neatly at the end, is most admirable for admitting it doesn't have all the answers, but instead making plenty of suggestions on how to spark change.

WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS Review

It is evident from the word go that When the Bough Breaks is campy trash, but the most critical question campy trash always has to answer is whether or not it's fun campy trash. Director Jon Cassar has worked on many a television series which makes sense because When the Bough Breaks is very much along the lines of what the Lifetime network routinely produces. Everything feels rather staged and mostly inauthentic save for a single character who seems to be the only one in this universe within which such movies as this take place who understands real struggle while everyone else walks around-money being no object-without a care in the world. One might think, given these circumstances, that When the Bough Breaks might be a bit of a relief to the onslaught of tentpoles and big-budget/high concept offerings the summer movie season has just delivered in that it is (technically) an original story that remains just familiar enough to attract the necessary audience to justify its existence-not to mention it's a movie mostly made to cater to adults. And yet, this familiar story of seduction offers nothing new by way of cheap thrills or even openly ridiculous tension. Rather, Cassar's film takes itself so seriously and genuinely yearns to be a somber drama that it turns into a plodding and rather boring affair instead of pure trashy fun. That the film doesn't bother to have any fun with its otherwise farcical tone is a shame as trying as hard as the film does to come up with credibility when all they have is camp only makes the final product that much worse. To those points, When the Bough Breaks is a movie that will take more heat for what it stands for and represents rather than the actual content in produces. This meaning that the pieces are in place-Morris Chestnut and Regina Hall are seasoned veterans of this type of melodrama (unfortunately) and audiences can go through the motions of the film knowing the story beats that will clearly be hit and yet despite all of this being somewhat blatant rip-offs of other movies we've seen over the years both Chestnut and Hall as well as newcomer Jaz Sinclair are each more than capable of pulling anxiety and tension out of the situations their characters find themselves in. Still, When the Bough Breaks is overall a lazy if not competent thriller that could have just as effectively been directed by a board room as it has been a man for hire like Cassar.

VACATION Review

It was something of a surprise this new sequel in the Vacation series that also intends to serve as something of a reboot or re-make, but isn't really, included the line from the trailer about how this Vacation will indeed stand on it's own. It seemed a piece of dialogue specifically designed for the marketing campaign so as to let audiences know the movie itself was aware of what it represented and the pressures it might face in convincing audiences it was worthy of the challenge. This line, when given in the trailer, almost made the film more endearing (hey, it knows it has a lot of work to do), but the fact they included it in the final product gave an entirely different impression-one of desperation even. Maybe desperation is the wrong word, maybe a lack of confidence is a better way to put it. The statement itself wants to impose a sense of confidence though, a bold statement of this particular film being it's own thing and being successful on it's own terms whether there was an original or not. Of course, if this were a world where the original Vacation didn't exist we would have (a slightly altered) We're the Millers and that would be it. Instead, as brand recognition and nostalgia are at an all time high thanks to social media and our heightened sense of self-awareness it would be wrong to not try and capitalize on every big brand of generations past. And thus, we have what is essentially a remake (but it's a sequel!) of/to the original film where Stu from the Hangover movies plays a grown-up Rusty with call backs aplenty just in case you didn't get that this was in the same timeline as the 1983 film, but that it's still supposed to stand on it's own. These call-backs are of course intended to make audiences familiar with the 1983 version recognize the correlation and laugh while those who aren't will hopefully just laugh because...the comedy is timeless? All of these particulars don't really matter though as this is little more than a ninety-minute comedy intended to make audiences chuckle. When taken on such simple terms, it does it's job well enough. My qualm is why couldn't we do something with these actors/directors/writers that maybe didn't rely on tapping into nostalgia? If we keep re-making and re-visiting old properties what are future generations going to reboot or re-make? Or even worse, be able to call their own?

First Red-Band Trailer for VACATION Reboot

It's hard for me to admit, but I haven't seen any of the Chevy Chase Vacation films sans Christmas Vacation as the in-laws enjoy watching that every couple of years or so when Christmas in fact rolls around. I've seen bits and pieces of the original as well as parts of Vegas Vacation on TBS or TNT at some point in the past, but never have I sat down with the intention of watching any of these straight through. That looks as if it will change this year as Warner Bros. has decided to not necessarily reboot or re-make what you would typically label as a sequel, but kind of is, as it continues the story of the Griswolds, but more by treating us to the next generation of the family that started it all. Given I don't have as much of a history with this series I likely don't get some of the references or jokes that play in this trailer, but as it states outright this is a Vacation that will stand on its own and I can only hope it proves itself right. Ed Helms is playing the grown-up Rusty Griswold who is intent on picking his family up out of its current slump by recreating his childhood vacation to Walley World. Christina Applegate is playing his wife with Leslie Mann filling the role of sister Audrey. Both Chase and Beverly D'Angelo return as Clark and Ellen for what I assume are glorified cameos while Horrible Bosses and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 scribes John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein take on their first directing gig. Vacation also stars Chris Hemsworth, Steele Stebbins, Skyler Gisondo, Nick Kroll, Charlie Day, Kaitlin Olson, Regina Hall, Keegan-Michael Key and opens on July 31st.

THINK LIKE A MAN TOO Review

In the two years since the adaptation of Steve Harvey's best-selling book became a "surprise" box-office smash Kevin Hart has gone on to become one of the biggest box-office draws when it comes to comedies. The makers of Think Like A Man Too would have been remiss not to take advantage of that. Don't worry, they do and if you didn't know how big Hart was before you will after this. The pint-sized comedian goes so far as to get his own dancing in his underwear montage that lasts a good two minutes if not more. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with this, I find Hart an appealing and funny guy even if his features haven't been anything special (though I enjoyed his About Last Night re-make much more than I expected). Last summer, the man had a successful stand-up movie run in theaters and any comedian with that kind of power has every right to flex his muscles any way he wants and headlining a summer comedy sequel isn't a bad way to go. While I didn't catch Think Like A Man in its initial theater run the buzz around it was enough to warrant a rental and though I don't remember much of what occurred in that first film the one thing that did pop up as reminiscent as I flipped through info about the sequel was the fun character dynamics that were created. If there was any need for a sequel it would be to further explore the developing relationships between these men and women and to use them as examples to spell out the lessons that I'm assuming Harvey speaks of in his book. Returning screenwriters Keith Merryman and David A. Newman make sure to imbue these little encouragements or lessons through Hart's narration, but it never melds in the way it should. It is almost as if the writers are attempting to say one thing while the actual movie is trying to be another. It isn't obvious that the movie has some kind of identity crisis, but it does become painfully apparent that there is little in the way of genuine emotion going on here. Each of the men are an archetype who play into these manufactured roles that lead to easily overcome obstacles that would never be as effortless were the film grounded in any kind of reality. Think Like A Man Too is a light comedy by nature though and so it plays everything safe, from the jokes to the conflict and thus the result is little more than a colorful distraction.

First Trailer for THINK LIKE A MAN TOO

Back in 2012 Think Like A Man became a break-out hit when it seemed African American audiences had grown tired of Tyler Perry productions while the large ensemble cast put together by seasoned director Tim Story and based on a book by Steve Harvey seemed to be appropriate alternative programming. It is clear the black audience in America is one that is largely ignored by mainstream studios as they still look at these entries in the African American genre as financial risks when it has become more and more clear over time that there is most certainly an audience for them. Think Like A Man was a film that featured a cast almost completely made up of African Americans and was a genuine box office hit where the story didn't center around the struggles of being black or the issues of race that have or still exist. Last year alone we saw 42, The Butler, 12 Years A Slave and Fruitvale Station either make impacts critically, commercially or both, but while still dealing with those issues. This all came to a head though with the release of last Novembers The Best Man Holiday which debuted at $30 million and went on to earn over $70 on a $17 million budget and was a pure Christmas-themed dramedy. It was the combination of this finally striking a chord with studio execs surprised that such a film would be a hit and the wave Kevin Hart is currently riding that will seem to shape a brighter future for the African American genre. Hart, who has already scored a massive hit with Story this year in Ride Along and made About Last Night bigger than the RoboCop movie this weekend shows no signs of slowing down as he is clearly the highlight of this trailer and looks to completely dominate the summer box office when this sequel will likely win out over Clint Eastwood's Jersey Boys and the rushed sequel to The Purge. The trailer impresses that this is perfectly fun, summer fare and will have no problem convincing those that loved the first that they are in for better times with the second. Think Like A Man Too also stars Michael Ealy, Regina Hall, Meagan Good, Jerry Ferrara, Gabrielle Union, Romany Malco, Adam Brody, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Terrence Jenkins, Jennifer Lewis, Gary Owen, David Walton, Dennis Haysbert and opens on June 20th.

ABOUT LAST NIGHT Review

Kevin Hart has officially become everything the studios behind him want him to be. He is a bankable star that can show up in the advertising for a film and almost guarantee a certain amount of audience because they know if Hart is present in the film, it will likely be a good enough time for them to dedicate part of a weekend night to. The good part of this line of thinking is that it is true. Hart, who has been around for years and serving as comic relief in any number of comedies finally was allowed his film breakout when his sense of stand-up was brought to his supporting character in Think Like A Man. Since, the guy has been pretty much unstoppable. Just look at the last few months alone: he single handily saved December's Grudge Match from being unwatchable and last month had one of the biggest January debuts when he teamed up with Ice Cube for the generic, but entertaining Ride Along which continues to put up strong numbers at the box office almost a month later. All of this on top of the success he found last summer with the theatrical release of his stand-up special, Let Me Explain, has led to this Valentine's Day weekend release that will seemingly do nothing more than to prove how much Hart is actually worth as he goes up against a good amount of competition, but if his reputation precedes him and the quality of the film is good enough to generate positive buzz he will be poised to add that much more weight to his name. The good news is that About Last Night is not the exercise in safe movie-making Ride Along is and though this won't be as big a hit, it is a better film and one that isn't afraid to let its actors loose on the material and approach it in the most honest way possible. While this is still a remake of the 1986 flick starring Rob Lowe and Demi Moore (which I have not seen) it seems to have modernized the relationship dynamics well enough while utilizing both Hart and Regina Hall in a way that counteracts the typical beats of a PG-13 romantic comedy while still fulfilling those requirements through the relationship explored by Michael Ealy and Joy Bryant's characters. As with almost every rom-com we know where things are heading and so it is really the journey that matters and for the most part, About Last Night delivers a fun, diverting and to a certain extent even an enlightening experience.

THE BEST MAN HOLIDAY Review

Walking into The Best Man Holiday I was willing, but had no prior knowledge of what these characters had been through and what this feature might contain. I knew in the back of my mind I'd seen bits and pieces of director Malcom D. Lee's 1999 debut feature over the past fourteen years, but never had I sat down to take it all in. That being said, the first few minutes of this belated sequel gives a slight catch up on the main characteristics of the ensemble cast before setting us back down into their day to day lives to play a little catch up with each before reuniting the gang for a holiday celebration. Having not seen the original I'll admit I was hesitant to jump into the sequel, but was anxious to see if expectation would be trounced and if the film would deliver a distracting two-hour experience that would get me ready for the Christmas season. Much to my surprise I was rather taken with the film and wrapped up in the going-ons of each individual character or couple and the problems they were facing given I hadn't been waiting to see how things turned out for them for nearly fifteen years. I knew going into the film that the true test of whether the film moved me would be if I immediately wanted to go home and watch The Best Man. It would be rather pretentious of me to hold out and not say what the outcome of this desire was, so I'll tell you now I've already searched through a few local places and online to see if I can locate the film on DVD. There is a distinct welcoming tone that pulls you in and holds your interest while setting up all the oncoming conflicts that weigh down the second half of the film and deliver blow after blow to your emotional sensory. Still, when all is said and done this is a film meant to serve the purpose of reminding its audience how important family members and memories are and the seasonal backdrop only re-enforces a certain sense of nostalgia that makes the effect of the film all the more powerful, especially for those that identified with and have felt close to the characters they were originally introduced to over a decade ago. As someone who had no particular expectation or anticipation for the film, The Best Man Holiday is one of those films that would easily escape a Caucasian male when walking into a movie theater, but there is plenty to relate to here because despite me not being in the target demographic, many of the situations and family dynamics are elements that are universal and are executed in a way where everyone feels welcome.