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Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week.
Psych 2: Lassie Come Home (Peacock)
Starring: James Roday Rodriguez, Dule Hill, Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson, Kirsten Nelson, and Corbin Bernsen
Synopsis: For many years, "Psych" was a part of the television landscape on USA. Then, after the show officially ended, the story continued in a film. Now, a sequel to that film has emerged. While it was originally going to be part of USA, with the Peacock (the new NBC Universal Streaming Service) finally on line, the film became part of the original scripted offerings at launch. If you're a fan of the show, you flocked to this movie. It might even have swayed your decision to give Peacock a try. If you're not a fan of the show, this movie will probably not make a lot of sense. Writer/director Steve Franks ran the original show, and this one is clearly an extension of that series. It brings back the familiar faces and locations, and it has plenty of inside jokes. As a film extension of the series, it works well. As a stand alone piece, it probably won't bring in a lot of new fans. Still, I enjoyed it for what it is and had a good time with it.
Rating: TV-PG
Verdict: Three stars out of four.
Starring: James Roday Rodriguez, Dule Hill, Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson, Kirsten Nelson, and Corbin Bernsen
Synopsis: For many years, "Psych" was a part of the television landscape on USA. Then, after the show officially ended, the story continued in a film. Now, a sequel to that film has emerged. While it was originally going to be part of USA, with the Peacock (the new NBC Universal Streaming Service) finally on line, the film became part of the original scripted offerings at launch. If you're a fan of the show, you flocked to this movie. It might even have swayed your decision to give Peacock a try. If you're not a fan of the show, this movie will probably not make a lot of sense. Writer/director Steve Franks ran the original show, and this one is clearly an extension of that series. It brings back the familiar faces and locations, and it has plenty of inside jokes. As a film extension of the series, it works well. As a stand alone piece, it probably won't bring in a lot of new fans. Still, I enjoyed it for what it is and had a good time with it.
Rating: TV-PG
Verdict: Three stars out of four.
Seberg (Amazon Prime)
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Anthony Mackie, Vince Vaughn, and Jack O'Connell
Synopsis: This biopic tells the story of actress Jean Seberg (Stewart), who met a powerful Black Panther leader (Mackie), had an affair, got involved with the cause and became a target of a smear campaign by the FBI. It's mostly about Serberg, and the toll the ordeal takes on her personally and professionally. And it's about the young FBI agent (O'Connell) who becomes troubled by the lengths the bureau will go to in trying to smear this woman for her thoughts and advocacy. Stewart does a nice job in the title role, and the film moves along at a decent pace. It's nothing special, but it's interesting and tries to faithfully tell the story of what happened to Seberg and why.
Rating: R for language, sexual content/nudity and some drug use.
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Anthony Mackie, Vince Vaughn, and Jack O'Connell
Synopsis: This biopic tells the story of actress Jean Seberg (Stewart), who met a powerful Black Panther leader (Mackie), had an affair, got involved with the cause and became a target of a smear campaign by the FBI. It's mostly about Serberg, and the toll the ordeal takes on her personally and professionally. And it's about the young FBI agent (O'Connell) who becomes troubled by the lengths the bureau will go to in trying to smear this woman for her thoughts and advocacy. Stewart does a nice job in the title role, and the film moves along at a decent pace. It's nothing special, but it's interesting and tries to faithfully tell the story of what happened to Seberg and why.
Rating: R for language, sexual content/nudity and some drug use.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.
Underwater (VOD)
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Vincent Cassel, T.J. Miller, John Gallagher, Jr., Jessica Henwick, and Mamoudou Athie
Synopsis: This was one of the few original films that got a theatrical run before everything shut down. Released in January, this thriller is set miles deep in the Ocean on a drilling rig. It begins with the rig collapsing and a handful of survivors, led by Stewart, trying to find a way out and to the surface before the whole thing collapses. But why did it fail? It soon becomes clear the group isn't alone at the bottom of the ocean, that a threat of enormous proportions is wreaking havoc on the huge underwater base. Can they get to the surface and survive before it's too late? This one is a couple different horror genres in one. It is about the dangers of the deep, as the base is nearly seven miles below the ocean's surface. But it is also about a monster stalking them, and the demons the characters carry in their hearts. There was potential in the premise, but the film mostly devolves into one long action sequence. At times it wants to be "Titanic" and at other times it wants to be "Alien," but it can't quite settle on a genre. And it doesn't do enough character building to get your fully emotionally invested. It's not terrible, but it feels like a bit of a missed opportunity.
Rating: PG-13 for sci-fi action and terror, and brief strong language.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Vincent Cassel, T.J. Miller, John Gallagher, Jr., Jessica Henwick, and Mamoudou Athie
Synopsis: This was one of the few original films that got a theatrical run before everything shut down. Released in January, this thriller is set miles deep in the Ocean on a drilling rig. It begins with the rig collapsing and a handful of survivors, led by Stewart, trying to find a way out and to the surface before the whole thing collapses. But why did it fail? It soon becomes clear the group isn't alone at the bottom of the ocean, that a threat of enormous proportions is wreaking havoc on the huge underwater base. Can they get to the surface and survive before it's too late? This one is a couple different horror genres in one. It is about the dangers of the deep, as the base is nearly seven miles below the ocean's surface. But it is also about a monster stalking them, and the demons the characters carry in their hearts. There was potential in the premise, but the film mostly devolves into one long action sequence. At times it wants to be "Titanic" and at other times it wants to be "Alien," but it can't quite settle on a genre. And it doesn't do enough character building to get your fully emotionally invested. It's not terrible, but it feels like a bit of a missed opportunity.
Rating: PG-13 for sci-fi action and terror, and brief strong language.
Verdict: Two stars out of four.
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