By Michael C. Woody | Lake Panorama Times
“The Smashing Machine”
Dwayne Johnson is an engaging and increasingly talented actor. He is also an actor not afraid to take chances. “The Smashing Machine” is a big chance for sure. He plays the professional wrestler Mark Kerr, who was a force to be reckoned with on the pro tour in the 1990s. Back then, wrestling turned its collective backs to violence, drugs, steroids and, to a large extent, severe pain and serious injuries. A dolled-up Emily Blunt plays his wife, and both Blunt and Johnson are almost unrecognizable at times. Beware this is an ultra-violent and, at times, not pretty tale. That being said, there is no way Johnson’s name doesn’t come up during Oscar nomination season. Grade: B+
“Tron: Ares”
Disney’s groundbreaking “Tron” films (“Tron,” “Tron: Legacy” and now “Tron: Ares”) are visually stunning and, many times, ground-breaking but also lack in comprehensive and engaging stories. “Tron: Ares” follows that same formula and once again pulls former great actor Jeff Bridges out of mothballs for no apparent reason other than to push the film way over budget. The film is visually stunning, but, from a story point, mind numbing. Grade: B
“A House of Dynamite”
This is the second movie this year that came out of nowhere to land firmly on my Top 10 list for this year. The first movie was the Riz Ahmed thriller “Relay” and now Kathryn Bigelow’s (“The Hurt Locker” and “Zero Dark Thirty”) “A House of Dynamite.” Both films received little to no advance notice (or praise) but literally knocked it out of the ballpark with acting, story, action and suspense. I will tell you no more about either one of them other than to say they have both cemented a spot on my 2025 Top 10 list and are best seen on a big screen. It’s probably too late for that to happen with “Relay” but not for “A House of Dynamite.” If you love well-made thrillers, find these two films. Grade: A
“Black Phone 2”
Most anyone who saw “Black Phone” would agree that there was no reason from a box office or storyline point to make a sequel. But, the almost complete lack of originality in Hollywood these days made this sequel almost a no-brainer for the studio system. I am fairly certain that Kevin Bacon came back for the paycheck and the guarantee that he would have a small and an almost inconsequential role. Both are true. Set in a bitter cold wilderness, we see three young people in a cabin who are haunted by late night calls on a phone that has not been connected to service for years. Creepy? Yes. Original? No. Worth the money to see? Most certainly not. Grade: D
“Good Fortune”
Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogan and Aziz Ansari star in a movie with great intentions but poor and sloppy execution. Ansari, who also wrote and directed, plays a man down on his luck who runs into an angel named Gabriel (Keanu). It feels a little like one of my all-time favorite movies, Kevin Smith’s classic, “Dogma,” but it can’t muster either the charm or flat-out fun of that movie. Reeves looks stoned throughout the entire film, and Rogan is in full manic mode. The film has lots of great pieces, but they don’t quite fit into the puzzle correctly. Too much talent to have so few laughs. Grade C-
Michael C. Woody has been reviewing movies on radio and television since 1986. He and his wife, Susan, are residents of Lake Panorama.