New in Home Entertainment
August 22, 2017
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language, and brief suggestive content
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%
Starlord (Chris Pratt) and his crew of misfits are back again and in a lot of trouble for stealing from the wrong aliens when his father (played by Kurt Russell) comes into the picture to save the day, or maybe make things worse. Just like most of the galaxy, I was blown away by the original Marvel film two years ago. It was fresh, funny, thrilling and surprising. But it also left some humongous shoes to fit into for any inevitable sequels. Here they try to keep the comedic spirit alive almost too much, but I do admire the attempt. Its tongue-in-cheek nature gets in its own way, but it only seldomly loses its charm. As for story – it’s way too long and full of itself, but it does give you a better understanding of Quill’s world from many angles. I was a little distraught that the first film was relatively kid-friendly, but this one takes the language and innuendo up a very large notch. But then they give us baby Groot to somewhat neutralize it. B-
Snatched
Rated R for crude sexual content, brief nudity, and language throughout
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 35%
Amy Schumer plays an entitled and dense blonde who takes her mother (Goldie Hawn) to Ecuador on a vacation after her boyfriend breaks up with her and none of her friends want to go with her. Once there, they get kidnapped and must find a way to escape and safely make it to the embassy in Columbia. Unlike her first feature Trainwreck, this film is a real mess that doesn’t work either as a comedy or an adventure. The jokes are somewhat pathetic attempts at humor and while there are a few chuckles here and there, the picture fails over and over again. Schumer and Hawn should have never made this film and it could really end up doing damage to both of their careers. D
Baywatch
Rated R for language throughout, crude sexual content, and graphic nudity
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 19%
Yet another failed Rated R comedy from the summer is this attempt at bringing the campy TV hit to the screen with the very lovable Dwayne Johnson in the lead and the also lovable Zac Efron right behind him. Just like Snatched, the movie fails as both a comedy and as an action pic. It is slow, boring, unfunny, and most unfortunately – not sexy. Unlike Snatched, the film probably won’t hurt the careers of Johnson or Efron as they’ve built up enough Hollywood capital – but they need to be more careful at what crappy scripts they pick or these kinds of projects can have the ability to put them in the toilet. D