Movie Thoughts Bundle (2015) #1

In this collection of short reviews, we’ll explore the year 2015 where animated theatrical releases didn't quite hit their marks entirely, a science-fiction horror movie wastes nearly every ounce of potential that it had in its premise, and Ethan Hawke and Emma Watson drags their feet through a mystery thriller that would've served better as a novel. 

1. The Lazarus Effect - 4/10

 

In yet another poorly conceived horror film this year that actually had the potential to be a decent enough watch, we have "The Lazarus Effect" making its way onto the scene. Over the decades, we've had several horror films focusing on themes that relates to the consequences of "Man playing God through science". What could've been particularly great about The Lazarus Effect however was the addition of a heavy emotional element inserted to theme with a man bringing his fiancee back to life through unholy means (especially weaving in the fact that she had strong religious beliefs). After watching the ending of this movie and expressing my final "face palm" of dismay, I couldn't help but easily imagine a much better version of this story being an engaging horror/science-fiction drama. 

What we have here instead is an endless supply of horror cliches which perfectly represents a lot of what modern day horror cinema has been dishing out. Even though I'm a big fan of science fiction horror in general, I honestly smelled failure from a mile away starting from the moment I realized the direction that was being taken with its premise. Aside from the fact that there are absolutely no scary moments to be found in The Lazarus Effect, there are a couple of interesting things explored such as some of the characters disputing what humans actually see during a near death experience as well as the dog that they managed to resurrect acting peculiar. I do have to admit that whenever the movie focused in on the dog's strange behavior, I was a little bit engaged and curious as to how far they would take that plot line, but of course everything went completely downhill towards the finale. 

The filmmakers seemingly throw everything and the kitchen sink in terms of supernatural horror "stuff" at the audience during the final act hoping for something to stick...and nothing ever does. When Olivia Wilde's character finally becomes the evil entity that we see heavily promoted, it's actually a bit ridiculous more so than terrifying like a cheap X-Men spin-off movie introducing a generic new villain. The lackluster and occasionally cartoony visuals also does the horror elements no favors whatsoever in these scenes bringing everything down to being a poorly executed cinematic experience offering nothing of any real value. The only positive thing that I can possibly squeeze in here is that the actors are actually pretty decent overall, but that's certainly not enough to cover over the major flaws that are glaringly apparent throughout.

2. Spongebob Squarepants: Sponge Out of Water -  6/10

Although this movie was clearly aimed towards a younger demographic than my own, being the big fan that I was of the golden age Spongebob Squarepants episodes (the 1999 - 2005 run), I was surprised to see some of that classic humor in a couple of the promotional clips. Having now seen Sponge Out of Water, I can safely say that there is indeed a great deal of nostalgia factored into the more traditionally animated section of the movie. As a matter of fact, another surprising comes with how much the classic look and feel of the show takes up an unexpectedly large portion of the runtime considering the CGI heavy marketing. 

My only real issue with the movie (which is also aimed towards the show as well in its later run) is simply that the jokes are not as hilarious as they used to be. Much like many other long running comedy series, the saddest part is when you can actually pinpoint the moment where the humor started to decline in quality border lining on desperation at times. This movie is no exception to that unfortunate circumstance and feels like it's part of a franchise that is now way past its heyday. There's also a superhero blockbuster approach which is obviously taking pages from what's popular in today's market, and though it does make sense from a children marketing business perspective, it adds absolutely nothing to the entertainment value here. At least not in a substantial or organic sense.

Now I will say that there are some enjoyable aspects to be found here such as some of the settings, surprisingly well crafted CGI animated scenes, Antonio Banderas' serviceable performance, and a couple of genuinely chuckle-worthy moments. However, there is an unavoidable empty feeling at the center of SpongeBob: Sponge Out of Water that is more than likely the result of the franchise's expiration date hanging over its colorful gags. Or...perhaps we are living in a new age of comedic sensibilities for a new generation of kids and teenagers that is simply not my cup of tea. I can live with that as I'll always have the "good old days" to look back to thanks to streaming. 

3. Regression - 5/10

Regression, starring Emma Watson and Ethan Hawke, actually made it on my "Most Anticipated" watchlist, but that was before I realized that it was only getting a UK release during Halloween whereas the US date would take place months later. As for the film itself, what I was hoping for in a potentially gripping psychological-horror mystery, I was instead presented with a highly lackluster storytelling experience with a few mediocre performances. It also doesn't help that the film took more than half of its runtime to reach a legitimate point of interest in its story.

Despite those complaints however, Regression is actually a difficult film to just bash on completely as some of the ideas are surprisingly quite brilliant such as the film's concept of playing with the audience's perspective of reality and a character's imagination. I actually really enjoyed this direction as it allowed the audience to get intimately tied into what the characters were experiencing first hand. However, as the general rule of films would state, it's all in the execution despite how fascinating the idea may sound on paper. I can sort of see this film as essentially being a gem of a mystery story hidden beneath a pile of rubbish that rarely gets to reveal its beauty.

As a fair warning, without revealing any spoilers whatsoever, if you're walking into this excited or intrigued with preconceived thoughts from the trailers, you may sadly wind up disappointed from the end result. What you may find however are awkward moments of questionable comedy, a horrendously slow sense of momentum-draining pacing, and two highly talented stars putting in an average at best performance. This is without a doubt one of the more disappointing releases that I've come across recently simply due to the talent and potential involved. Regression might actually have what it takes to be translated into an amazing novel by its premise and story points. As a film however, this is the perfect example of why visual media is one of the most powerful forms of art as any great story can either be butchered or enhanced given the right set of eyes behind the cameras.

4. Minions - 6/10

Minions was one of those rare situations where I actually found myself to be pretty excited to see an animated film in the theaters considering the fact that most animated films recently haven't really grabbed my attention much. However, this is also one of those situations where I was fortunate to not have rushed out to see the movie in the theaters, but at home instead. Simply put, Minions did not deliver on its trailers' promisingly entertaining footage. The sales pitch of having these hilarious and entertaining characters in their own solo adventure sadly could not hold an entire film as one might like to imagine.

The overall story was lackluster, the funniest jokes were all shown in the trailers for the most part (which is always sad), and the side characters were hardly fleshed out whatsoever. Minions is an idea that's probably better suited as a fun bonus short on a DVD more so than a full length theatrical release. However, as an adult viewer, I must emphasize that this spinoff of the Despicable Me franchise is undoubtably catered to a much younger audience a lot more than other animated films have been of late. The minions as characters are still hilarious and fun to watch, but a little bit can go a long way which is where these characters work best. My final verdict would be to check this one out on streaming or a discounted rental.