Greta Review: It Doesn't Pay To Be A Good Samaritan In Stalker Thriller

Starring Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Halle Berry

Directed by Chad Stahelski

Before John Wick became a franchise, it was just a one-off revenge flick: Keanu Reeves as a retired hitman seeking vengeance on the bastards who killed his dog. Then came the sequel which took the narrative into a surprising new direction, into the intriguing boardroom politics of the High Table, the almost-mythical assassin underworld (think League of Shadows) Wick was once part of. The threequel, which unfolds shortly after the events of Chapter 2, slides further down the rabbit hole, this time to explore the Baba Yaga’s origin story. And there is, of course, the assorted forms of full-contact mayhem (gun-fu, book-fu, knife-fu, horse-fu, dog-fu, bike-fu, belt-fu). Intense, ruthless and balletic, the action choreography is the story. Halle Berry is a welcome addition as an old associate of Wick’s as is ̕90s DTV action idol (and Iron Chef host) Mark Dacascos as an overzealous nemesis. Cecep Arif Rahman and Yayan Ruhian, the Indonesian martial artist-rock stars of The Raid are also in on the dizzying manhunt. Can they get Iko Uwais for Round 4? Pretty please? (3.5/5 stars)

Photo: Golden Village/Lionsgate

Starring Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Jackson A Dunn

Directed by David Yarovesky

Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn returns to his horror roots by producing this grisly retelling of Superman’s origin story (or The Omen, but with capes and masks). Elizabeth Banks and David Denman play a childless couple who adopt an alien infant that crashed into their farm in a spacecraft. But the lad (Jackson A Dunn, creepy as hell) is a problem child, more Damien Thorn than Clark Kent. Decked in a DIY get-up that’s straight out of an ‘80s slasher flick, the lad uses his gifts — flying, laser eyes, lightning speed — for nefarious ends. With great power comes great irresponsibility! Brightburn, written by Gunn’s brother Mark and cousin Brian, is a gripping enough bad-seed movie, even if it’s a bit by the numbers. (3/5 stars)

Photo: Sony Pictures

Starring Justice Smith, Kathryn Newton, Rita Ora, Ryan Reynolds

Directed by Rob Letterman

Full disclosure: I’m not genetically wired to review this movie based on the long-running video game series. I’m no fan of the franchise, which also makes me its perfect target audience. I firmly believe that, and to quote Roger Ebert, if non-fans can’t walk into the movie cold and understand it and get something out of it, then the movie has failed except as an in-joke. And Pokémon Detective Pikachu is one epic in-joke that left me freezing cold. I have a hard time getting invested in the story of a young man (Justice Smith) and the adorable, wise-cracking CG-animated Pikachu (voiced Ryan Reynolds) investigating a missing-person case in Ryme City, where humans and Pokémon creatures live side by side. That said, I do admire how the filmmakers employ state-of-the-art digital trickery to breathe life into the neon-lit metropolis. Pity the rest of the movie is dead to me. (2/5 stars)

Photo: TPG News/Click Photos