KANSAS CITY, Mo. —
1) THE BOY NEXT DOOR (R)
Universal
RUSS
Jennifer Lopez takes a break from her judging duties on “American Idol” to star in the derivative thriller, “The Boy Next Door.” J Lo plays a schoolteacher who has a misguided one-night stand with the handsome teenager next door, only to discover that he’s a violent and obsessive psycho.
SHAWN
Jennifer Lopez is perhaps too old and too smart to star in a movie this dumb and easily predictable but she adds a certain amount gravitas and a ton of sexiness to this silly popcorn thriller.
RUSS
This one is a strictly by-the-numbers white-knuckler that’s far too predictable to achieve any real thrills. “The Boy Next Door” is enough to make you want to move.
SHAWN
But it very entertaining and a bit fun in a juvenile and low-rent sort of way. And we are introduced to the fresh face Ryan Guzman who does a commendable job of going from sexy to crazy.
RUSS: 2 Popcorn Bags
SHAWN: 3 Popcorn Bags
2) MORTDECAI (R)
Lionsgate
RUSS
It’s hard to pull off the kind of wacky caper comedy that Peter Sellers nailed in the 1960s. Johnny Depp and a terrific cast give “Mortdecai” the old college try, but fail miserably to revive the genre.
SHAWN
When is the next “Pirates” movie? Johnny Depp is clearly bored. What else would explain this completely lackluster and misguided, not funny comedy.
RUSS
“Mortdecai” lacks the pace, comic timing and charm that the material demands. We’ll have to give the cast a pass on this one. Mortdecai” is mortifying.
SHAWN
“Morse so” feels like a throw away on every level. Saying that it’s forced and contrived is a serious understatement.
RUSS: 2 Popcorn Bags
SHAWN: 1 Popcorn Bag
3) SONG ONE (PG-13)
Cinedigm Entertainment
RUSS
“Song One” is a modest romantic soap opera with a low-budget indie feel. Anne Hathaway stars in a morose story set in the world of New York’s contemporary folk rock scene.
SHAWN
Somehow and some way Anne Hathaway manages to add life to this otherwise lifeless situation.
RUSS
Hathaway is fine, but her love interest, played by Johnny Flynn, is so low key that he barely registers. The somber music sets an appropriately melancholy tone for this sincere, but slow moving drama.
SHAWN
I like the music. But I made the mistake of watching this after I got hooked on Fox’s “Empire.” If this movie were more like that TV we would have a winner.
RUSS: 2 Popcorn Bags
SHAWN: 2 Popcorn Bags
4) CAKE (R)
Cinelou Films
It’s easy to see why Jennifer Aniston produced this stark drama. It gives her a meaty role and she makes the most of it. Aniston plays a woman who becomes addicted to pain meds while recovering from horrible injuries sustained in a car wreck. While she’s solid, this bleak and gloomy film is something of an ordeal to sit through.
RUSS: 3 Popcorn Bags
SHAWN: 3 Popcorn Bags
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