Red Sparrow - 1 smilen

"Red Sparrow," starring Jennifer Lawrence, is a trashy espionage movie full of graphic violence, over-the-top plot and underdeveloped characters. The convoluted plot, culled from novels by former CIA operative Jason Matthews, is so hard to follow that at the halfway point, I just gave up. Lawrence plays Dominika Egorova, a Russian ballerina who is crippled by another dancer while on stage. With her career destroyed, Dominika has to find another way to support her invalid mother so she turns to her Uncle Vanya (not joking, here), a sleazy sexual predator and mass murderer who also happens to be one of Russia's leading super spies. Vanya, a vision of consummate evil played with creepy sensuality by Matthias Schoenaerts, ruthlessly recruits his niece into a secret organization dedicated to turning attractive Russian boys and girls into sex machines called Red Sparrows, spies who will do anything with their bodies to seduce their victims into surrendering information. The training program is run by a cold, efficient and amoral task-master (Charlotte Rampling), who proves successful in turning Dominika into a first-rate spy who is raped and mutilated across Budapest, Moscow, Vienna and London while tracking an American CIA operative, Nate Nash (Joel Egerton), to discover the identity of a mole in the Russian government.

The torture sequences (including rape and a scene where Russians use what looks like a medieval cheese grater to shred skin from Nate's body) are so gruesome that you wonder why this only has an R rating. There's little chemistry between Lawrence and Egerton although they work hard to bring the movie to life. "Red Sparrow" tries to take advantage of the current anti-Russian sentiment so it's no surprise that Schoenaerts looks alarmingly like Vladimir Putin. The movie is stylish and tense enough, but it has no soul.

A Wrinkle in Time - 2 1/2 smiles

One of the most enjoyable reasons for reading a book is that you can imagine what is happening on the written page and it doesn't interfere with the author's plot and, ultimately, message. Director Ava DuVernay has created a wonderful phantasmagorical visual feast (swaying gardens of gossiping flowers,  Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon) turning into a flying leaf, the beautiful, motherly Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey) and her jeweled eyebrows), but the uneven pace of the screenplay and over reliance on CGI makes "A Wrinkle in Time" a disappointment. Not until the movie reaches its midpoint and the main story kicks into gear does the film's narrative accelerate. DuVernay's strength with interpersonal relationships and character-building is evident. The strongest scenes are the most intimate ones, including a moment between Meg (Storm Reid) and her father (Chris Pine). Unfortunately, DuVernay makes the mistake of believing that just because the screen is filled with wondrous special effects that the audience is going to be satisfied. Eye candy doesn't equate with quality of story.

Jennifer Lee and Jeff Stockwell's script captures most of Madeleine L'Engle's main plot, but the resulting story feels rushed and artificial and lacks the charm and wonder of the novel. Storm Reid is very effective as Meg; many scenes work because she sells them with a natural performance. Also impressive are Chris Pine and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as her parents, although their scenes are limited. Unfortunately, the three A list stars (Winfrey, Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling) receive too much focus and detract from the overall intent of the movie. "A Wrinkle in Time" feels like a labor of love and, on those rare occasions, works when special effects take a back seat to genuine expressions of emotion and humanity.

Death Wish - 1 smile

"Death Wish," a remake of a Charles Bronson 1976 movie starring Bruce Willis, comes at a bad time what with all of the protests against guns and the high number of people killed by guns. Rather than exploring the issue of vigilantism (which is getting a lot of attention in the wake of the latest high school shooting and suggestions of allowing teachers (!!) with concealed carry permits to come armed into their classrooms), director Eli Roth elects to stay true to the original's outline, providing a violent exploitation film that does nothing to explore today's issues. Dr. Paul Kersey (Willis) is an ideal guy, a hard-working surgeon who doesn't differentiate between cop and robber when they're on his table. He has a loving wife, Lucy (Elisabeth Shue) and a college-bound daughter, Jordan (Camila Morrone). His life comes crashing down when he's working late one night, covering for a sick colleague. A trio of criminals breaks into his house, kills Lucy and brutalizes Jordan where she ends up in a coma. Kersey is frustrated by the slow progress of the police (Dean Norris and Kimberly Elise). When he comes into possession of a gun, he learns how to use it and although his eventual goal is to find and kill the men who destroyed his family, he dispenses justice on other occasions, saving a carjacked woman and killing a drug dealer. He becomes a social media sensation, 'The Grim Reaper' and the subject of morning radio.

Joe Carnahan's screenplay is based on the Brian Garfield novel and the 1974 script. Garfield was said to be displeased with the Bronson movie because the anti-vigilantism message of his book was reversed, making Kersey the hero. Roth does nothing to change things, presenting Kersey as a tragic, but heroic figure. Willis has developed a lot of audience good will with his Die Hard and Red movies so it's a little hard to accept him an an 'everyday Joe,' pushed beyond the ordinary boundaries of human tolerance. Vincent D'Onofrio plays Kersey's ne'er-do-well brother, but his character seems more filler than contributing any significance to the plot. "Death Wish" is a throwback, much too similar to the original and really not necessary. Wait for cable if you really want to see it.

Black Panther - 4 smiles

"Black Panther," with its creative visuals, engaging actors, likable characters and current themes, stands out as one of the best movies to date. It's relatively rare to see a major blockbuster film starring an African-American protagonist, let alone a superior supporting cast that is also overwhelmingly African-American. In addition, it has an African-American director, writers, musicians and many other artists behind the scenes, proving that a movie featuring a black cast can perform well at the box office. Prince T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman), introduced in Captain America: Civil War, returns home to Wakanda after the death of his father, King T'Chaka, where T'Challa must fight a series of adversaries to retain the crown and the title of Black Panther. Wakanda, known as a 'third-world country' outside its borders, is hidden behind a cloak of deception for years. It is really a technologically advanced superpower, rich in vibranium, an alien metal. Vibranium powers everything in the African country that holds itself apart and above worldly concerns. Enter Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), full of American swagger and entitlement. He wants everything Wakanda has and will stop at nothing to get it.

Director Ryan Coogler, while remaining faithful to T'Challa's back story, takes the film in some unexpected directors. Sure, there's lot of action, but it's mixed with more serious-minded and thought-provoking material, embracing inclusion and rejecting notions of isolation, nationalism and imperialism. Jordan's Killmonger is the scariest type of villain, full of righteous fury and deviousness, making it easy to understand (and maybe even sympathize with) his objectives. Boseman is exceptional as T'Challa, the king who understands the importance of tradition but also knows that he has a responsibility to those less fortunate. Letitia Wright (T'Challa's sister, Shuri) steals every scene she's in so here's hoping we see more of her in the future. Lupita Nyong'o and Danai Gurira have key roles and portray strong women. Coogler flips tradition on its head by casting Martin Freeman as the token white character (and he's good, too). Although the movie's structure is rooted in the superhero tradition, the production rarely feels limited by that classification. "Black Panther" achieves a grandeur that's nothing short of exhilarating.