Popcorn Perspectives with Danny Minton
Week of August 27, 2018
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Rated R for strong violence, grisly images, and language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
Available on Disc and Streaming
This Audience Award winner from SXSW follows a technophobe in the near future who loses everything when his wife is brutally murdered and he is left paralyzed from the neck down. But when an eclectic young billionaire offers to place a secret device in his body, he not only gains the ability to walk again, but gets some serious fighting skills as he sets off on a revenge-filled mission to take revenge on the guys who ruined his life. The film may lack stars, but it certainly doesn’t look like a low-budget indie. It is extremely well-written and produced, and the acting is unexpectedly strong for such a genre picture. But what stands out the most is the unique and creative fight choreography, which I can easily proclaim is the best that I’ve seen since The Matrix (which is almost 20 years old by the way). From the first moment when our hero starts his butt-kicking, I started getting not just excited, but almost giddy. What I thought would be a decent sci-fi indie turned out to be a massively entertaining thriller. A-
RBG
Rated PG for some thematic elements and language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
Available on Disc, Streaming and on CNN
Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is the star and subject of this documentary which explores where she came from, how she got to the Supreme Court, and what pushes her to be the controversial figure that she is today. To some she is a hero and inspirational figure and to others she is a dangerous and subversive progressive who stands against the status quo. This film represents more of that hero point of view, and in fairness, it could use a bit of counterpoint to keep it balanced. But its message rings true and you definitely come away with the idea that her heart and her intentions are not only honest, but righteous as well. I rather enjoyed getting to know the notorious RBG and what makes her tick, and have a new-found appreciation for this great woman. B+