KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Is “Arrival” out of this world? “Edge of 17” edgy? “Bleed for This” bloody good? FOX 4’s Russ Simmons and Shawn Edwards weigh in in this week’s Popcorn Bag home video reviews!
1) ARRIVAL (PG-13)
Paramount Pictures
RUSS
“Arrival” is a science fiction opus that walks a razor’s edge. It could be hokey in the extreme or profoundly moving. Luckily, it keeps its balance thanks to skillful direction from Denis Villeneuve and a touching performance from Amy Adams.
SHAWN
Flawless execution. And Amy Adams is terrific. She actually carries the entire film with a gutsy and nuanced performance. A bit too intellectually showy. But fascinating nonetheless. A different type of alien story that effectively bends the genre in a new direction.
RUSS
Can a linguist communicate with super intelligent aliens? This very smart movie asks more questions than it answers, so this is not a movie for those who hate ambiguity. Still, it marks the arrival of a very impressive and thought-provoking film.
RUSS: 4 Popcorn Bags
SHAWN: 4 Popcorn Bags
2) THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN (R)
STX Entertainment
RUSS
“The Edge of Seventeen” is one of the best teen coming-of-age comedies since John Hughes re-invented the genre in the 1980s. Hailee Steinfeld is excellent as a young girl who has difficulty traversing the minefield of puberty and family dysfunction.
SHAWN
I agree. It’s one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Well written and terrifically acted. File this under great coming of age movies.
RUSS
Although it earns its R rating, “The Edge of Seventeen” is a smart, thoughtful and very funny movie for adults and older teens. In my opinion, it should have garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay.
RUSS: 4 Popcorn Bags
SHAWN: 4 Popcorn Bags
3) BLEED FOR THIS (R)
Open Road Films
SHAWN
Miles Teller is fantastic n this underrated true story. Sure it’s basically another Rocky story but it’s engaging and well executed.
SHAWN: 4 Popcorn Bags
Click here to receive weekly emails full of FOX 4′s entertainment news!
What’s our criteria for reviewing a film and awarding the popcorn bag ratings? Click here to find out.
Follow on Twitter: @fox4kc @RussSimmons1 @sedwardskc