New in Home Entertainment
May 30, 2017
Logan
Rated R for strong brutal violence and language throughout, and for brief nudity
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
The year is 2029 and most of the mutants have been wiped off the planet. Left here are Wolverine (Logan) and Professor X who are seeking out their survival in a Mexican border town. But when Logan discovers that a young mutant with similar powers to his own needs his help, he attempts to help her and, at the very least, find her way to safety. If you are like me, you have been gravely disappointed by the Wolverine spinoff films so far. But this is different. And not just because it is very Rated R and filled with graphic violence and blunt darkness. It is different because it is no longer a super hero film but rather addresses bigger issues including, unfortunately, death and desolation. It is now the end of May, and this is still the best movie I have seen this year. It is an emotional roller coaster that takes you to places you might not want to go in a hero flick, but rather on a journey that you neither expect nor welcome. But still the journey, while not pleasant, is important and very much worth the undertaking. A
The Shack
Rated PG-13 for thematic material including some violence
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 21%
It is hard for a Christian film to get good reviews nowadays, so take the Rotten Tomatoes score here with a grain of salt. But the filmmakers here try with great integrity to bring William P Young’s best-selling novel to life in a way that should, at the very least, make an impact on an audience that wants to see it. The very story is as dark as it gets. A young father (Sam Worthington) loses his daughter to a serial killer, only to meet up with God (Octavia Spencer), Jesus and the Holy Spirit, in the very cabin where her life was stripped from her. The broken man must come to terms with his creator and find a way to move on when that choice was not an option before. Even within Christian circles this story is controversial, but the movie is both artistically and delicately handled here with an exceptional cast and impressive production values. Most of today’s Christian films, I hate to say, truly stink. In spite of this unearned negative critical response The Shack has received, the movie is a nicely created piece of fiction with a strong message that is well-delivered without shoving it down your throat. Yes it has its small problems (Worthington is in and out of his native Australian accent for one), but its issues are forgivable and a step in the right direction for the genre. B
Fist Fight
Rated R for language throughout, sexual content/nudity and drug material
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 27%
When a fired teacher in need of anger management therapy (Ice Cube) challenges a fellow teacher (Charlie Day) to a fist fight, the former must prepare for either a legendary butt-whooping or an even worse embarrassment if he cowards out. While the film attempts to make a statement about our current public school dilemma, instead its just spirals into a gigantic mess that it can’t recover from. And while it is filled with a talented cast, you wouldn’t know it from these performances of a horrible and completely unfunny script. D
My Life as a Zucchini
Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and suggestive material
Rotten Tomatoes Score 100%
This French stop-motion animated film follows the life a young foster child who attempts to help a fellow classmate get out of the mess she is in when her awful aunt attempts to take custody of her. Beautifully animated with a short but sweet story (the runtime is at 66 minutes), this largely unheralded pic isn’t a bad kids film, but is better served for adults. This American version features some great voice talent including Will Forte and Nick Offerman, and while it is not a box-office friendly family film, for the right audience it will be quite the gem. A-