Category: Z-View

ROBERT B. PARKER’S IRONHORSE by Robert Knott / Z-View

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Robert B. Parker’s Ironhorse by Robert Knott

Hardcover : ‎ 374 pages
Publisher: ‎ G.P. Putnam’s Sons

First sentence…

Virgil was sullen.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Territorial Marshall Virgil Cole and his Deputy, Everette Hitch are on a passenger train after delivering prisoners.  On board, in addition to Cole, Hitch and various passengers are the Governor of Texas, his wife, two daughters, a few bodyguards and $500,000.00 in cash!  When Bloody Bob Brandice and some cutthroats attempt steal the cash, Cole and Hitch disrupt their plans.

As the train barrels through the rainy night, Bloody Bob matches wits and blazing six guns with Cole and Hitch.  Things are looking bad for the thieves until they do something unexpected — they disconnect the train cars from the engine!  Cole, Hitch and passengers are on a runaway train as the cars with Bloody Bob, his crew and the Governor’s daughters get farther and farther away!

Robert Knott was an excellent choice to continue Robert B. Parker’s Cole & Hitch series.  Ironhorse is an easy read and starts off like a, uh, runaway train.  I’m a fan of the series and this book.  It rates 4 of 5 stars.

Robert B. Parker’s Ironhorse Hardcover

Robert B. Parker’s Ironhorse Kindle

Robert B. Parker’s Ironhorse Paperback

“The Wizard of Oz” (1925) / Z-View

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The Wizard of Oz (1925)

Director: Larry Semon

Screenplay:  Larry Semon, L. Frank Baum Jr. based on The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Starring:  Larry Semon, Dorothy Dwan, Frank Alexander, Charles Murray, Josef Swickerd, Oliver Hardy, Mary Carr and Spencer Bell.

Tagline: The Thrilling Comedy Cyclone! The Wonderful Land of Oz! The Den of Man Eating Lions! The Famous Scarecrow and Tin Man! The Startling Airplane Rescue! The 100 Foot Leap for Life! All combined in the greatest screen novelty ever made.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

The movie begins with a toymaker reading The Wizard of Oz to his granddaughter…

Dorothy (Dwan) is a just-turned 18 year old who was left on Auntie Em’s (Carr) doorstep as a baby.  In reality, Dorothy is the rightful heir to the throne in the land of Oz.  When a tornado deposits Dorothy, and three farmhands in Oz, the evil Prime Minister Kruel (Swickerd) realizes that the true ruler has returned.

Kruel sends his soldiers to do away with Dorothy and crew.  To escape, one of the farmhands disguises himself as a scarecrow, another a tin woodsman and later the third ends up in a lion suit.  Will Dorothy survive and be crowned queen?  Will Prime Minister Kruel and Lady Vishuss be deposed?  (Psst!  It’s a kid’s book, so what do you think?)

Larry Semon was a popular comedian of the day.  Semon wrote, produced and starred in this version of The Wizard of Oz.  The Scarecrow gets most film time and he’s played by, you guessed it, Larry Semon.  Semon had a love for big budgets and tons sight gags. The Wizard of Oz has both.  We get a lot of visual gags, and the ending even features Semon climbing and swinging between towers while being shot at with a canon, a leap to a rope ladder from a passing plane and more.

A young pre-Laurel & Hardy, Oliver Hardy appears in the film playing the farmhand who becomes the Tin Man.  Spencer Bell (an African-American actor) is billed a G. Howe Black and appears in a few scenes that even at that time were thought as demeaning as his billing.

The Wizard of Oz (1925) earns a 3 of 5 star rating.

“The Wind and the Lion” (1975) / Z-View

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The Wind and the Lion (1975)

Director:  John Milius

Screenplay:   John Milius

Starring:  Sean Connery, Candice Bergen, Brian Keith, John Huston, Geoffrey Lewis and Steve Kanaly.

Tagline: Between the wind and the lion is the woman. For her, half the world may go to war.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers

The year is 1904.  In Morroco, Germany, France and Britain are trying to gain influence with the Sultan Abdelaziz.  Mulai Ahmed el Raisuli (Connery) wants his country free of the influence of other countries and the corrupt Sultan.  In an effort to create an international incident and inspire an uprising against the Sultan, Raisuli kidnaps a visiting American citizen, Eden Pedecaris (Bergin) and her two young children.

Theodore Roosevelt (Keith) is running for re-election and plans to use the rescue of Eden and her children to help his campaign.  Despite the fears that sending in the marines will cause, Roosevelt does just that.  Eden and her children lives hang in the balance as German soldiers, US marines, Moroccans and Raisuli’s followers prepare for war.

John Milius has created a rousing story based on true incidents but fictionalized for the screen.  Sean Connery is charismatic as Raisuli,  Candice Bergin plays a smart woman and she’s never looked prettier.  Brian Keith was born to play Teddy Roosevelt.  If there are any nits to pick with The Wind and the Lion they take a back seat to Milius’ power as a director and storyteller.  The Wind and the Lion rates 4 of 5 stars.

“RRR” (2022) / Z-View

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RRR (2022)

Director:  S.S. Rajamouli

Screenplay:   S. S. Rajamouli from a story by Vijayendra Prasad

Starring:  Ram Charan, N.T. Rama Rao Jr., Alia Bhatt, Olivia Morris, Ray Stevenson and Alison Doody.

Tagline: None

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

RRR is a film that defies description.  If someone had described it to me prior to me seeing it, I would have said, “Pass” and missed out on a movie experience that I look forward to repeating.  So, I’ll do my best to review RRR, but, no matter what you think after my review, you should give it a look.

Set in 1920, India is under British rule.  The British Governor, Scott Buxton (Stevenson) thinks the people he governs are heathens.  Buxton’s wife, Catherine (Doody) is a sadistic wretch.  While visiting a village, Catherine tells her husband she wants to take one of the children home with her.  Governor Buxton orders his soldiers to get the child. Despite the pleas of the mother and villagers, they leave with the little girl.

Bheem (Rao, Jr.), a warrior who lives in the forest vows to bring her back.  Bheem will find himself up against the might of the British army and Ram (Charan) an Indian soldier fighting for the British!

Before that happens we will get back story of both warriors.  We see how Bheem and Ram meet while saving a boy from a raging fire.  Bheem and Ram become best friends and then mortal enemies, only to learn that both possess a secret that will change everything!

RRR is at times an action movie, a drama, a love story, a war movie and a musical.  RRR seamlessly changes genres and keeps the story flowing.  The action is over the top crazy (in a great way)!  The director pulls out all the stops — we get slow-motion entrances, heroes doing the impossible (but we believe it while watching — at least most of the time).  When the action becomes too outrageous, we watch with a smile.

The love story (between Bheem and an English woman) is sweet and innocent. It provides opportunities for humor, an insight to how most of the British view the population.  It also leads to one of my many favorite scenes in RRR (and I can’t believe I’m saying this) — a dance off.  Yep.  A dance off.  But it works!

The heroes are heroic and the villains are despicable. RRR is a movie that wears its heart on its sleeve.  It shamelessly has fun as it presents the story of a legend.  I absolutely loved RRR and it earns my highest rating 5 of 5 stars.

“The Old Guard” (2020) / Z-View

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The Old Guard (2020)

Director:  Gina Prince-Bythewood

Screenplay:   Greg Rucka based on The Old Guard comic series by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez

Starring:  Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Harry Melling.

Tagline: Forever is Harder Than It Looks

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Andy (Theron) leads a team of centuries-old near-immortals who take on missions to improve the world.  When Steven Merrick (Melling), a drug company executive learns of the near-immortals, he puts together a group of mercenaries to capture Andy’s team.  Merrick plans to experiment on the near-immortals to discover their secrets to longevity.

I was expecting more from The Old Guard.  I’m a long time fan of Greg Rucka’s writing (both novels and comics).  For some reason the story/dialogue just didn’t resonate with me.  The action scenes were good.  There’s one horrifying thing that happens to one of the near-immortals that will stay with you.  Other than that The Old Guard played out like a good, but not great action flick.  The Old Guard rates 3 of 5 stars.

“The Unforgivable” (2021) / Z-View

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The Unforgivable (2021)

Director:  Nora Fingscheidt

Screenplay:   Peter Craig, Hillary Seitz, Courtenay Miles based on Unforgiven, a British limited series by Sally Wainwright

Starring:  Sandra Bullock, Viola Davis, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jon Bernthal, Aisling Franciosi, Richard Thomas, Tom Guiry, Emma Nelson and Will Pullen.

Tagline: No one walks free of their past.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Ruth Slater (Bullock) has just been released from prison after serving twenty years for the murder of a sheriff. She has two goals.  The first is to make sure that her younger sister, Katie (Franciosi) is doing alright and the second is to get on with her life.  Neither goal is going to be easy.

After Ruth’s imprisonment, Katie was adopted.  Katie has splotchy memories of a traumatic incident, but no idea of her life before adoption.  Katie’s adoptive parents do not want Ruth to have any contact with Katie.

When Keith (Guiry), one of the sons of the murdered sheriff, sees that Ruth Slater has been released from prison he is enraged.  He blames Ruth for all of the crappy things in his life that began with the murder of his dad.  Keith plans to kill Ruth.

Ruth’s refusal to back down from meeting with Katie, and Keith’s plans to kill Ruth are going to play out in unpredictable ways.

I was impressed with how good The Unforgivable is since it could have easily gone the Lifetime Movie route.  The Unforgivable is a dark story that is well written, well directed featuring an excellent cast.  Kudos to Sandra Bullock for starring in a movie where she doesn’t look like a movie star and is believable as an ex-con.

Viola Davis has a small, but pivotal role.  Vincent D’Onofrio plays an attorney married to Davis’ character.  I loved the interactions between these two amazing actors.

Jon Bernthal is one of my favorite actors.  He has a small role as a potential love interest for Ruth.  Their scene in the diner is heartbreaking… especially later when we learn more.

Richard Thomas is excellent as Katie’s adoptive dad.  It’s good to see Thomas in more roles.

I figured out The Unforgivable early on, and had most of it right.  The ending did surprise me though.  I really liked The Unforgivable so of course it rates 4 of 5 stars.

“The Horn Blows at Midnight” (1945) / Z-View

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The Horn Blows at Midnight (1945)

Director:  Raoul Walsh

Screenplay:  Sam Hellman, James V. Kern based on an idea by Aubrey Wisberg

Starring:  Jack Benny, Alexis Smith, Dolores Moran, John Alexander, Margaret Dumont, Robert Blake and Mike Mazurki

Tagline: Benny’s from Heaven and the laughs are out of this world!!!

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Athanael (Benny), plays third trumpet in the orchestra of a live late night radio show.  During a commercial break, Athanael falls asleep.  And dreams…

Athanael dreams he’s an angel trumpet player in heaven’s orchestra.  He’s given the job to go to Earth and signal it’s destruction by blowing his trumpet at midnight.  A woman who wants to commit suicide and two fallen angels are determined to stop Athanael from blowing his horn.  Will Athanel sound his trumpet and destroy the earth?  Will he fail and become a fallen angel?  Do we really care since this is all a dream?

And that is one of the problems with The Horn Blows at Midnight.  It’s all a dream.  Whatever happens doesn’t matter.

It. Is. A. Dream.

There are some humorous moments when Athanael and several cast members are hanging off a building or when Athanael ends up in and clinging to a gigantic cup of coffee (again high up on a building).

I’m a Jack Benny fan and love his standup comedy and  television show.  Benny joked for years about how bad The Horn Blows at Midnight is.  After seeing it, I realize Benny wasn’t joking..

The Horn Blows at Midnight rates 2 of 5 stars.

RIGHTEOUS by Joe Ide / Z-View

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Righteous by Joe Ide

Hardcover: ‎ 336 pages
Publisher: ‎Mulholland Books

First sentence…

Isaiah was seventeen years old when his older brother, Marcus, was killed in a hit-and-run..

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Isaiah Quintabe, who everyone calls IQ because of his superior intellect, is back.  Ten years have passed since IQ’s brother, Marcus, was killed.  Isaiah gets by taking on “cases the police can’t or won’t touch.”  They don’t pay much, but Isaiah doesn’t need much.

Out of the blue IQ gets a call from Sarita Van.  Sarita was Marcus’ girlfriend back in the day.  IQ and Sarita haven’t spoken in years.  Now she needs IQ’s help.  Sarita’s sister, Janine and her boyfriend Benny, are degenerate gamblers.  Not only are loan sharks closing in, but they’ve done something to get a Chinese crime cartel after them as well.  IQ agrees to go to Vegas to rescue Sarita’s sister and try to work out something with the Chinese cartel.

In IQ’s mind, he’ll save Sarita’s sister, come back the hero and maybe have a life with Sarita.  If only.

Lucky for IQ, his occasional partner (and former gang banger), Dodson agrees to accompany him.  Things are much worse than IQ could imagine.  Soon he finds himself at odds with a loan shark and his seven foot enforcer, the Chinese cartel and Seb, a crime lord who uses a cane made from a human femur and whose intellect rivals IQ’s.   Janine and Benny are on the run and it is up to IQ to find and save them.  He’ll be lucky if he can save himself.  Oh, and now he has information that his brother was targeted to be killed.  It wasn’t a simple hit-and-run!

Joe Ide has another winner.  Righteous rates 5 of 5 stars.

Righteous Hardcover
Righteous Trade Paperback
Righteous Kindle

“Batman” (2022) / Z-View

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Batman (2022)

Director:  Matt Reeves

Screenplay:  Matt Reeves, Peter Craig, based on Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, Colin Farrell, Paul Dano, John Turturro  and Andy Serkis

Tagline:  Unmask The Truth

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

A sadistic, extremely intelligent psycho killer is murdering political figures in Gotham City.  At each murder scene, the killer who has been dubbed The Riddler, leaves a message for Batman (Pattison).  Meanwhile Selena Kyle aka Catwoman (Kravitz) is investigating the disappearance of one of her friends.  When Batman and Selena realize that their investigations overlap, they form an uneasy alliance.  As the Riddler’s body count goes up, it becomes clear that the corruption goes deep… perhaps all the way to the Wayne Foundation and Batman’s father.

The Batman doesn’t feel like a super hero movie.  Instead it plays out more like a mystery or a noir thriller.  That’s a good thing.  Even the music doesn’t scream SUPER HERO.  Let’s break it down…

The Story: I liked the story and was surprised that Bruce Wayne’s dad was shown in a different light.

Batman:  Robert Pattison makes an excellent Batman.  I liked that they played up the “strike fear into the hearts of criminals” aspect.  Criminals would hear Batman’s heavy footsteps coming closer in the dark before they could see him.  This is a more violent Batman but not (usually) excessively so.

Bruce Wayne:  The way they portrayed Bruce Wayne threw me a bit.  A times I thought he looked like a young John Cazale or  Cesare from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Having Bruce Wayne as a recluse does help to explain why he isn’t seen in public more often.

Selina Kyle aka Catwoman:  Zoë Kravitz owns this role.  She’s tiny but believable as a tough woman.  The screen loves her and she stole every scene she was in.

The Riddler:  The new take on this character is money.  He was smart, frightening and crazy.  The Zodiac Killer on steroids.  Paul Dano deserves an ovation!

The Penguin: Colin Farrell is unrecognizable under the make-up and latex, but his character doesn’t look made-up.  Farrell did a fine job.

Carmine Falcone: John Turturro was amazing.  He had the crime boss / godfather part down pat.  Turturro’s role was one of my favorite parts of the movie.

Alfred:  I like the new direction they took with Alfred.  No longer the old man with amusing quips, this is the Alfred that served as Bruce Wayne’s bodyguard and mentor from childhood to adult.  Andy Serkis nailed the part.

Jim Gordon:  Jeffrey Wright  makes a great Jim Gordon.  Wright is such an under-rated actor, I was glad to see him in The Batman.

The Batmobile:  Batman’s car didn’t look like any of the previous Batmobiles.  It looked like a built up car that could do what needed to be done.  I liked that and the fact it was never referred to as “the Batmobile.”  I also loved the scene where the criminals could hear the monstrous motor revving, before they saw it.  Again playing up the strike fear into the criminals.

The Batcave:  I loved the brief look we got at it.  All of those bats flying around was a great touch.

The Batman exceeded my expectations.  I hope the entire team returns for a sequel.  The Batman earned 4 of 5 stars.

“Black Crab” (2022) / Z-View

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Black Crab (2022)

Director: Adam Berg

Screenplay:  Adam Berg, Pelle Rådström  based on the novel by Jerker Virdborg

Starring:  Noomi Rapace and Jakob Oftebro

Tagline: Hope Burns Brightest in The Cold

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

In a world at war, Caroline Edh (Rapace) is one of six soldiers selected for a secret mission.  The team is to skate across frozen waters where the ice is too thin for vehicles (and often people) to deliver a mysterious package to an island research base.  If Edh survives the mission she has been told she will be reunited with her missing daughter.

Black Crab has an interesting plot and the set-up looks like we’re in for a good (maybe even very good) movie.  I kept thinking, “This film is about to take off.”  We’d get cool scenes like retrieving the backpack from the woman under the ice or all the bodies frozen in the ice, but between the cool scenes were lots of shots of soldiers skating or hiding from a helicopter that could almost find them.  Bah!  The movie’s tagline is Hope Burns Brightest in the Cold.  My hope that the movie would get better was left out in the cold.

Black Crab rates 2 of 5 stars.

“The Predator” (2018) / Z-View

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The Predator (2018)

Director:  Shane Black

Screenplay:  Fred Dekker, Shane Black based on characters created by Jim Thomas, John Thomas

Starring: Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Sterling K. Brown, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen, Jake Busey and Yvonne Strahovski

Tagline:   You’ll never see him coming.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

While on a rescue mission, Quint McKenna (Holbrook) and his team are attacked by a Predator.  Against all odds, McKenna escapes with his life as well as a Predator faceplate and armor.  McKenna is sure no one will believe his story about an alien encounter so he mails the Predator gear to himself.  McKenna’s plan is to get home and collect the package before his estranged wife, Emily ( Strahovski) gets to it.

McKenna’s plan is foiled when he is picked up for debriefing.  Meanwhile at home, McKenna’s son opens the package and accidentally triggers the alien technology.  At his debriefing McKenna tells about his team’s encounter with the Predator. He is then placed in a group of soldiers with mental issues.  Meanwhile in another part of the facility, a sedated Predator is being prepped for examination.  The Predator wakes up, breaks it’s bonds and kills anyone in it’s way as it escapes.

McKenna is telling the other soldiers about his run-in with the Predator and they’re all laughing at the “real” nut among them… until they see the Predator jumping out of a lab window.  McKenna and the crazy soldiers take-over a bus and give chase.  The Predator escapes and McKenna realizes it is after the armor he mailed to himself.  McKenna and the “loonie” soldiers are the kid’s only chance for survival.

Man, I really had high expectations for The Predator.  Shane Black as the director and co-writer of the screenplay!  It had a good cast (Boyd Holbrook, Sterling K. Brown and Thomas Jane to name three).  What could go wrong?

The Predator starts out okay.  But as the movie rolls along it comes off the rails.

  • We get bad joke after bad joke.
  • The Predator gets into a van and kills a soldier in the back.  When the driver asks his partner if he’s okay, the Predator picks up the man’s severed arm which is in a “thumbs up” position and shows it to the driver.
  • There are Predator dogs with dreadlocks… that play fetch.
  • Two of the “loonie” soldiers get impaled across from each other.  Despite mortal injuries and great pain, they shoot each other in the head to end the other’s misery.
  • We learn that the Predators keep coming back to earth because of climate change and they will thrive as we die off.  What?
  • We learn that McKenna’s autistic son is seen as the next stage of human evolution.
  • We see our heroes jump on the surface of a Predator space ship and those who don’t get cut in half by the ship’s force field will have the chance to bring the ship down by jumping into one of it’s turbines?!
  • Oh, and there’s good Predators and bad Predators… and some are really BIG.

What a mess.  The Predator rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Fatty’s Plucky Pup” (1915) / Z-View

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Fatty’s Plucky Pup (1915)

Director:  Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle

Screenplay:

Starring:  Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle

Tagline:  None

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Fatty’s girlfriend is kidnapped and it’s up to Fatty, his dog and the Keystone Cops to save her.  Thank goodness for the dog!

Fatty’s best moments: when he slowly realizes he’s set his bed on fire (and how he deals with it), hanging up his mother’s clean wash, dealing with dog catchers and getting revenge on amusement park con men.  There’s a lot of other stuff in between, but once it comes down to saving his girlfriend, Fatty’s dog becomes the star!

Fatty’s Plucky Pup rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Fatty’s New Role” (1915) / Z-View

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Fatty’s New Role (1915)

Director:  Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle

Screenplay:

Starring:  Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle

Tagline:  None

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Fatty (Arbuckle) is a hobo who gets thrown out of a bar for trying to mooch some hooch.  Some of the regulars at the bar decide to play a joke on the bar’s owner and they convince him that Fatty is a mad bomber who will be back to blow up the bar.  What sounds like a potentially great set-up falls short of greatness.

Fatty’s New Role rates 2 of 5 stars.

“Fatty’s Chance Acquaintance” (1915) / Z-View

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Fatty’s Chance Acquaintance (1915)

Director:  Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle

Screenplay:  Mack Sennet

Starring:  Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle

Tagline:  None

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Fatty (Arbuckle) and his wife meet another couple while walking in the park.  They strike up a conversation not realizing that the man they just met is a thief… until he steals Fatty’s wife’s purse!  Then it is the usual hijinks with the thief on the run from a cop and Fatty using his cane to get at the other woman’s purse.

I’m a Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle fan.  Fatty Chance Acquaintance earns 4 of 5 stars.

“Old” (2021) / Z-View

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Old (2021)

Director:  M. Night Shyamalan

Screenplay:  M. Night Shyamalan based on the graphic novel Sandcastle by Pierre Oscar Levy and Frederik Peeters

Starring:  Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Rufus Sewell, Ken Leung, Aaron Pierre and M. Night Shyamalan

Tagline: It’s only a matter of time.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Guy and Prisca Cappa along with their young children, Maddox and Trenton arrive at a luxurious remote island resort.  The next morning the resort manager invites the Capra family to join a select few on a trip to a secluded part of the beach off limits to the general population.  Joining them are Charles, his young wife, their daughter along with Charles’ elderly mother and  another married couple, Jarin and Patricia Carmichael.

The secluded area is surrounded by high rock formations. They are driven to a path that will take them to the beach.  Once on the beach they are surprised that a famous rapper, “Mid-Size Sedan”, is there.  They are shocked to see his girlfriend lying dead in the sand!  There is no cell service so the group is unable to contact the resort. Anyone trying to walk back to the road suffers painful headaches and loses consciousness.  As the group argues about what to do, they notice that the children are suddenly looking much older.  Somehow the beach is aging everyone one year for every thirty minutes!

As the group struggles with the reality of their situation one of them begins to have psychotic episodes endangering everyone.  Will they figure a way off the beach?  Will anyone survive?  Only time will tell.

Old works because of M. Knight Shyamalan’s talents behind the camera.  The story is interesting, but would probably have worked better as a thirty minute episode of The Twilight Zone.  My nit to pick with Old is that it becomes redundant, and although the characters’ bodies age, they should remain at their original age mentally.  This makes some of what happens gross (and I’m not talking about the brittle bones lady).  I do give credit for the explanation of how the characters were chosen for the secluded beach.

Old isn’t a great film or one of M. Night Shyamalan’s best but still rates 3 of 5 stars.