As a huge Jason Statham fan, I was somewhat disappointed by the balance between drama and action in his latest vehicle, SHELTER. It’s slower and darker than most of his body(-slamming) of work. Here he’s a recluse living solo with his dog on a small island off the dreary Scottish coast, with only a small shack and decommissioned lighthouse. His only dealing with other humans is a boat that brings supplies once a week. Jessie (Bodie Rae Breathnach), the girl who delivers them, is supposed to just drop the box and leave without even seeing him. Her one attempt at conversation is curtly rebuffed.
That solitude falls apart when a sudden storm swamps Jessie’s boat, forcing him to rescue the girl and treat her injuries. He really doesn’t want to leave the island, but eventually must to get medical supplies. That’s when he’s picked up by ever-vigilant government agents who monitor the ubiquitous security cameras throughout what’s left of the Empire. He’s on Her/His Majesty’s terrorist watch list, so the heavy-duty pursuit begins. A retired spy network mucky-muck (Bill Nighy) has his own surveillance system (which even monitors the government’s), and his own agenda. We soon learn that Jason isn’t really a terrorist, but has been framed, which is why he’s been in hiding for a decade, or so. Not much of a surprise there. It’s Jason-freakin’-Statham! We already knew there ain’t no way he’s gonna be the bad guy!
So one faction deploys all their assets to arrest him, and one sends meaner minions to kill him. And Jessie, while they’re at it, since she’s seen too much of this top-secret stuff. The rest is a chase with almost enough action to satisfy Jason’s fans. His backstory is that he’s got super-lethal skills akin to his eponymous character in THE BEEKEEPER, allowing him to contend with vastly superior forces, while having to protect Jessie along the way.
Two problems. One is that most of the fights occur in dark settings, obscuring the action. The main reason for any butts plopping down on those theater seats is to watch Jason go all Statham-y on hordes of baddies in vivid detail. Shame on director Roman Waugh for undercutting his most valuable asset. The dude’s helmed enough action flicks to know better. The second is that Jessie’s character is written (also by Waugh) as annoyingly whiny, imposing too much dialog and too many moody silences on what couldda shouldda been a faster-paced adventure, as THE BEEKEEPER and A WORKING MAN were within the last two years. This plays out as if it were written for someone like Liam Neeson, who typically has more quiet, thoughtful stretches between his action scenes.
So, if Stathamians (Stathamites?) lower their adrenaline expectations, they can still find this worth the time. If not, then hope for BEEKEEPER 2: THE RETURN OF THE HIVE, or some other project that better serves The Master.
SHELTER opens in theaters on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026.
In a flip from the recent Summer movie fare, let’s take a break from the serious “award-bait” cinema of the current Fall/Winter works and head to the multiplex for a big, loud, thrill-packed SF flick. And talk about “flips” this new release turns the usual movie marketing trend on its ear. While some films like COMING TO AMERICA and HAPPY GILMORE had sequels that went straight to streaming decades later, this newest franchise entry in a series that begin all the way back in 1987 is in theatres after the previous two went right to Hulu. Yes, from big screen to small (er) screen then back to the big screen (not that the last two weren’t worthy of a wide run at the multiplex). Oh, and it’s not a remake or rehash, but rather a fresh spin as we span the galaxy with PREDATOR: BADLANDS.
Here’s one bit of “freshness”: this story actually begins on the predator home planet of Yautja Prime where the “runt” (actually just around six Earth feet) of the “hunter clan”, Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) is being “put through his paces” by his tutor big brother Kwei (Mike Homik). The training lessons are cut short by a brutal family tragedy, which traps Dek on Kwei’s spacecraft cruiser. Its onboard navigator whisks him away to the savage, distant planet Genna. Dek had been preparing to travel there in order to “earn his cloak” by defeating a beast that had claimed scores of his kin, the towering killer colossus Kalisk. But first, Dek just has to survive the place, since a new unknown danger seems to lurk around every bend. When it appears that he’ll be a meal for the ferocious forest (the tree limbs are alive and hungry) Dek hears a voice calling to him. It is a human-looking woman who calls herself Thia (Elle Fanning). After he heeds her advice and survives the attack, Dek locates her and is surprised to see she’s missing her lower half. Thia explains that she’s a “synthetic” (much like a robot or android) who was damaged and separated from her “team” that was sent to capture the very same Kalisk for her “makers” at the Weyland-Yutani Corporation (yes, the same company creeps from the ALIEN series). She promises to help him if Dek can return her to her ship, where she hopes to connect with her “twin sister” Tessa. Ah, but it turns out that the Kalisk-damaged WY ship is able to repair Tessa and her army of male “synth” drones. Joined by a fiesty local beast dubbed “Bud”, can Dek and Thia survive against Tessa and her team after they are tasked by “mother” to not only capture the Kalisk for the company, but also “acquire” the lone Yautja predator and his weaponry?
What really keeps us invested in this tale filled with special effects wizardry and action-packed chaos are the two terrific performances at its center. Foremost is Schuster- Koloamatangi who informs us of Dek’s inner-turmoil and profound sadness through his body language, since most of his features are CGI augmented (mainly those “pincer” jaws and mouth, though much is also told with those wide yellow-tinged eyes). Sure, he’s got that warrior swagger down, but somehow this predator commands our empathy as he strives to prove himself and shatter his image as an “outcast”, while now being “the hunted”. Talk about your “family issues”. I’ll be interested in seeing this actor in more roles sans alien enhancements. Adding to his surprising humanity is the pairing with Fanning who almost “steals the show” as the chatty and very,very emotional “artificial” (her eyes state “property of WY Co.”). Thia is very funny, as many of her exchanges with Dek simply drip with snark, be she’s much more than a “sassy bot”. Fanning shows us her compassion for the “runt”, while not hiding her own sadness as she yearns to be with her sister. Let’s hope the fantasy settings don’t distract from Ms. Fanning’s talents, which should garner her many supporting actor nominations.
The guiding force behind this excellent “reboot” trilogy (along with the Hulu exclusives PREY and PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS) is director Dan Trachtenberg, who worked with Patrick Aison on the screenplay based on the original film script from Jim and John Thomas. Despite Fox Studios attempts to revive the franchise in 2010 and 2018, the series seemed to be defunct, even after two dust-ups with the ALIEN, he has proved to be this franchise’s Frankenstein, sparking new interest from older fans while capturing so many newcomers. Every aspect of the production is top-of-the-line, from the look of the different planets (Genna seems like Australia on steroids) to the creative weaponry (love the glowing red tether lines) to the immersive booming audio. (really try to see it on a big screen with a superior sound). Who would think that, since its introduction in the original, we’d be rooting for an offspring of the monster trying to whittle down “Ahhnold” and his merry band of mercenaries in the jungle. It’s a “thrill-ride” that doesn’t forget to engage us with the heroes and villains. Plus, I really enjoyed the “borrowing” from the other Fox franchise, adding to their mythos. Here’s hoping that Trachtenberg and company can continue guiding the series in theatres (though his last two are worthy of a Hulu “trial”) after basking in the edge-of-your-seat triumph that is PREDATOR: BADLANDS.
3.5 Out of 4
PREDATOR: BADLANDS is now playing in theatres everywhere
And what’s a wonderful movie vacation spot for this big four-day (yeah, I’m counting Valentine’s) weekend? Well, if you and the little tykes aren’t “heading South” to join that lil’ bear and the Browns in Peru, then you may want to book a return trip to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) at the multiplex. It has been a while, more than six months since that monumental match-up of DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, which was the only MCU flick of 2024 (we don’t count the Sony Spidey spin-offs). Being a longtime “Marvel buff” (still wear my M.M.M.S. button to the new flicks), folks ask me about my favorite of the “franchises”. Not counting the big “team’ series, the Avengers, I’d say it’s been the exploits of the “star-spangled man with a plan”, and not because he’s my favorite comics hero. The trio of Steve Rogers epics maintains a high level of quality, not missing a step from the first one from director Joe Johnson to the Russo Brothers helming the last two. But now the reigns have been handed over to a new filmmaker and more importantly that shield is now in the gloved hands of a new “sentinnel of liberty” for the fourth installment, CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD.
The story’s prologue takes place only a few months ago, during the last days of the presidential campaign of former General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford). Fast forward to now as new President Ross, who had hunted down “masked vigilantes”, sends one of those “heroes” out to join a Special Forces squad down in Mexico to rescue some hostages held by the terror group the Serpent Society, and retrieve a mysterious cylinder AKA “the package”. And who’s leading the charge but the new Captain America Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) aided by his new Falcon, Air Force ace Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez). The mission is successful although head Serpent Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito) escapes without revealing the name of the “buyer” for the “Package’ who had arranged the meet-up spot in a Mexican church. Sam catches up with Joaquin, who sustained some damage from the battle. He may need some more training, so the duo heads to Baltimore to meet up with Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), a Korean War vet who was wrongly incarcerated and experimented on with a new Super Soldier formula. Sam invites Isaiah to join them in DC for a big international summit held by Ross. But as he begins his speech concerning the harvesting of a lifeless gigantic alien creature in the Indian Ocean, dubbed the Celestial Island Initiative, Isaiah, in a trance-like state, whips out a gun and fires on the Prez as several other agents, also ‘zoned-out”, blast away. After a brief chase the now lucid Isaiah has no recollection of his attack. Is he one of several mind-controlled “sleeper agents”? Does this connect to the Serpents and their “buyer”? And just what are those pills that Ross secretly gulps down in times of stress? Is there a fiendish mastermind pulling the strings somewhere in the shadows? This may be the ultimate test to prove that Sam is truly worthy of that Vibranium red-white-and-blue shield…
Well, Mackie is certainly worthy of the lead title role in this new chapter in Cap’s big-screen saga. He brings a swaggering confidence and energy in the many action sequences, especially in the big hostage rescue early in the first act. But as things calm down a bit Mackie shows us Sam’s vulnerability, struggling with bouts of self-doubt and feeling the burden of his new very public role (and being a role model). He never loses that easygoing aura of coolness, tossing off some great asides. And then there’s his “boss of bosses” screen icon Ford who dives right into the role first played by the late great William Hurt. Happily, we get a flashback of him in full military regalia complete with a bushy mustache. His version of Ross is different as he tries to change from a braying “brass-buster” to a statesman who is learning to trust those “enhanced heroes” now that he’s in the Oval Office. But Ford shows us his weariness and inner sadness due to his estrangement from his adored daughter Betty. Ramirez is an endearing wise guy so eager to prove himself by soaring into the fray, Torres. At the opposite extreme is the worn-down but not out, cynical Isaiah given dignity and gravitas by Lumbly. Esposito is a silky smooth criminal as the sneering “master of mayhem” Sidewinder. An interesting new screen addition to the MCU is the intense and compelling Shira Haas as Ruth, the petite powerhouse that’s in charge of protecting Ross. Oh, and there’s the return of an actor from the earlier days of the MCU . Tim Blake Nelson is back (from 2008’s THE INCREDIBLE HULK) as the brilliant but sinister Samuel Sterns, though he’s not the only familiar face (hey, I’m no spoiler).
That new name on the director’s chair belongs to Julius Onah, who last gave us the smart thriller LUCE back in 2019. He’s adapted well to the MCU, giving a sizzling snap to the frenetic battles, putting us in the thick of the chaos while conveying the bone-crunching panic and the need for rapid strategies (Sam has to deal with any surprises in the blink of an eye). Plus he supplies an added layer of suspense even in some dialogue-heavy exchange in those dark meeting rooms and offices (and a bunker). Later Onah expands his scope as the conflict heads to the very open high seas with Sam and Joaquin in full TOP GUN mode. And Onah is to be commended for bringing the story in at just two hours sparing us the frequent super-hero cinematic ‘bloat”, though five or six minutes could have been trimmed. That editing might have helped with the big villain reveal since the makeup choices and motivations feel a bit forced despite the team of five screenwriters. Still, I wasn’t expecting the “deep dives” as they retrieved elements of that second MCU flick in 2008 while taking its “McGuffin” from the lambasted ETERNALS. Much of that will be forgiven as a comics fan favorite, the very savage rampaging Red Hulk roars into action to provide a ferocious finale fight (since Bruce Banner’s Hulk is now tamed, it’s great to see that destructive snarling giant again in a different hue). Despite its missteps, this is probably the best of the post-ENDGAME pre-D&W (aside from the Sony Spideys) MCU offering, though not as strong and steady as the Steve Rogers trilogy, so Marvel-maniacs should get a great action rush with Mackie as Sam Wilson in CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD.
3 out of 4
CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD opens in theatres everywhere on Friday, February 14, 2025
Cecilia Han stars as the worried mother in the Donnie Yen rescue thriller POLAR RESCUE. Courtesy of Well Go USA
I’ve been a big Donnie Yen fan for years. This martial artist/actor has been a mainstay of Chinese action movies – comedic and dramatic – for decades. For Western audiences, he may be best known for his appearances in several films about China’s legendary real-life hero Ip Man. Besides Yen’s fighting skills, he invariably projects the calm integrity of a Gary Cooper. His latest high-profile role on our screens was the blind, yet super-lethal, and highly-principled assassin co-star in JOHN WICK 4.
Donnie is now over 60. So, like Jackie Chan, his time as a credible action hero may be waning. Preparing for the next phase of his career is the only reason I can imagine for his producing and starring in this rather uninspired family drama, POLAR RESCUE (a/k/a COME BACK HOME).
In POLAR RESCUE, Donnie Yen plays a dad on vacation with his wife and two young kids in the snow-covered mountains. Their bratty son petulantly insists they go to a lake with a “monster” he wants to see. Despite the weather being so bad that the main road to it is closed, dad dutifully tries another route. At a rest stop, the boy wanders off and winds up lost in the sparsely populated region during this harsh winter. Most of the running time covers the search.
Every trope is pulled out of the proverbial hat, from remorse to panic to anger to suspicions, plus media frenzy and various clashes among the principals to prolong the suspense of whether, and in what condition, they’ll find the little jerk… uh, I mean, the missing lad. Yen is sufficiently convincing as a father who variably feels guilty, frustrated and zealously determined to find the boy. Cecilia Han, who has won a handful of awards, is limited to typically marginal poses for a worried mother, alternating between hand-wringing and anger, apart from a few flashbacks to happier times.
The cinematography is excellent, with particularly fine set designs and enhancements of the exterior locations. The problem is the script. Characters and story arcs are too familiar for anyone who’s seen even a few such adventures to feel the desired level of tension. In the brief time before he disappears, the kid was so annoying that I found myself thinking the family might be much happier without him – almost a non-comic RANSOM OF RED CHIEF analog. In that classic tale, the kidnapped boy was such a pain in the ass that the guys who snatched him wound up paying the parents to take him back! That was certainly not the writers’ intent here but they still elicited that reaction in this viewer’s emotional mix.
Yen’s career will surely resume its accustomed quality, regardless of genre. This one unfortunately won’t make his highlight reel.
POLAR RESCUE, in Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles, debuts on Blu-ray and on digital from Well Go USA on Tuesday, Mar. 26.
A scene from the Korean thriller DR. CHEON AND THE LOST TALISMAN. Courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment
The subtitled Korean export, DR. CHEON AND LOST TALLISMAN, is an action fantasy that’s long on special effects and short on character development. Dr. Cheon (Gang Dong-Won) is descended from a line of shamans, but uses his roots and secular education (hence the doctor, though not the medical kind) to provide fake exorcisms. For a fee, of course. His sidekick in the grift, Beom-choen (Huh Joon-ho), handles the tech simulations of supernatural activity to convince the suckers they’re actually getting the benefits of an occult remedy. Things change radically when a young woman, Yoo-gyeong, (Esom), hires them for their first real demonic possession – her kid sister. Some things happen that aren’t part of their act, opening new possibilities for their vocation.
Gradually we learn bits and pieces of their backstories, while the staged ritual they expected turns out to be a movie-long death struggle against the demon what kilt Cheon’s grandfather and brother, and his almost endless supply of minions. The huckster is suddenly forced to live up to his heritage. It’s mostly played for drama, with occasional bits of comic relief – mostly from the sidekick, who was pretty clueless about their rituals during the scamming phase, and truly out to sea when things get real.
The cast competently plays the standard roles assigned to them. The story plays out predictably, with more suspense in how they get to the finish line than whether they will. As is often the case with mystical fantasies, it’s never quite consistent or clear as to the extent of anyone’s powers. Even so, the action sequences are greatly enhanced with F/X lights shapes and sounds. Kudos to the CGI crew for jazzing it up for our visual and audio senses. If you don’t try too hard to understand what occurs, you can just enjoy the spectacle of it and the attractiveness of the two leads.
DR. CHEON AND THE LOST TALISMAN, in Korean with English subtitles, debuts on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD on Tuesday, Feb. 27.
VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS is writer/director Luc Besson’s latest sci-fi action/adventure film, starring Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne as a team of special agents wisecracking and flirting their way through danger as they race to unravel the puzzle of what or who is threatening to destroy the interstellar city of Alpha. The film also stars Clive Owen, Ethan Hawk and singer Rihanna.
VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS is spectacular visually, with one fabulous, colorful, fantastical vision after another, and the film completely delivers on that level.
The 3D action/adventure film is based on a French sci-fi graphic novel series, “Valerian and Laureline,” or just “Valerian.” The long-running comic series, which started in the late ’60s, has influenced a number of films, including French-born Luc Besson’s FIFTH ELEMENT. The comic is popular in Europe and published internationally, but it is less known in the U.S., so it does not get the boost of Marvel films here.
Major Valerian (Dane DeHaan, CURE FOR WELLNESS, CHRONICLE) and Sergeant Laureline (Cara Delevingne, SUICIDE SQUAD) are a team of special agents in the service of human intergalactic security force in the far future. Their boss, the Minister of Defense (award-winning composer Herbie Hancock), sends the team to retrieve a rarity being sold on the black market under the cover of a tourist attraction, a virtual-reality bazaar called Big Market. Immediately after, the pair are suddenly sent to meet with Commander Arun Filitt (Clive Owen, CHILDREN OF MEN) to deal with an evolving threat to the intergalactic city of Alpha, known as “the city of a thousand planets.” A mysterious “dead” area, which sensors cannot penetrate and from which no one returns alive, is growing in Alpha, and Valerian and Laureline are there to solve the mystery and stop the threat to the peaceful city.
Although Valerian is the ranking officer, the two really do work as a team, more like equals, in carrying out their assignments, where they seem somewhere between secret agents and cops. Valerian is the lead operative on the ground while Laureline tracks the operation, supplies a constant stream of intel, provides back-up and runs supporting operations. On assignment, Valerian and Laureline work flawlessly as a team. On a personal level, the two have a flirtatious relationship, with Valerian trying to put the moves on Laureline while she brushes him off with a series of biting quips.
The film is a good but not great sci-fi action movie, one that offers a little adventure fun, a bit of romance, and a lot of visual delight. While the sci-fi adventure film is a banquet of eye-candy, it does not succeed as well on story or character development. Fans of Dane DeHaan are likely to enjoy it but some viewers may feel they get too much Valerian and not enough Alpha, the city mentioned in the title.
Some viewers may have seen the movie’s utterly cool sci-fi trailer, set to the Beatles’ song “Because,” which gives a taste of the film’s beauty and where the song’s line “it blows my mind” is a particularly perfect match for the color-drenched fantasy images. Disappointingly, that classic song is not heard in the movie itself. The movie does open with David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” over a montage of a history of humans in space, and we also get Bob Marley and the Wailer’s “Jammin’,” but much of the Alexandre Desplat soundtrack is otherwise unremarkable. However, the mind-blowing, gorgeous visuals from the trailer are all there, and more. In fact, the eye-candy is much of the appeal of the film.
While VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS is a banquet of eye-candy, it falls short on the story and character development. Film-goers expecting another LUCY, Luc Besson’s exhilarating sci-fi starring Scarlett Johansson will be disappointed. This new film is more like the director’s FIFTH ELEMENT, a film also inspired by this comic book series, although more loosely. Another difference viewers might note is that this film seems more aimed at a younger audience. It is more a young teen movie than adult to teen fare.
The characters Valerian and Laureline have a kind of millennial feel to them, interacting with casual coolness and a bit of irony, and DeHaan and Delevingne make the most of that. Surprisingly, although we spend a lot of time with Valerian and Laureline, we learn less about who they are than you might think. Instead, the focus is on the romantic tension. The action is good but the plot seems rather standard, and mixes bits of STAR WARS’ Han and Leia vibe with a James Bond-like adventure and touches of AVATAR and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY.
We learn little about Alpha, the “city of a thousand planets,” much less than expected, although we get a nice visual tour and a little verbal overview. At times, the film feels a bit like an extended version of the canteen sequence in STAR WARS. As fun as that is, it does not offer much plot, mostly atmosphere. You get to meet exotic life-forms and get teasers about intriguing cultures but not enough to satisfy curiosity. Even for the Avatar-like people who play a central role in the plot, we get only the barest glimpse of their culture, mostly that they are peaceful and in harmony with nature.
On the other hand, the film has the benefit of not being ponderously serious all the time, although it by no means reaches GUARDIANS’ level for comic fun. One wished the quips traded between Valerian and Laureline were a bit funnier but Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne give it a go and do generate a bit of chemistry. The dialog is not the best and often the film does not give them much to work with.
The best supporting performances come from Ethan Hawk and, surprisingly, Rihanna, in the singer’s first movie role. Hawk makes the most of his very brief appearance as a carnival barker-like pimp, Jolly The Pimp, a character that is comic and memorable. Rihanna plays Bubble, a sexy, shape-shifting creature called a Glamopod who works for Jolly, and helps Valerian in his effort to rescue Laureline (Laureline and Valerian take turns rescuing each other). Rihanna shines in a wonderful scene where she shape-shifts through a steamy performance that is part circus, part stripper and part Liza Minnelli in CABARET, but she also generates a touching sympathy as the enslaved character trying to escape.
Most disappointing is Clive Owen as the Alpha’s commander. The part seems like it should offer some room to work with, but Owen seems to be sleepwalking through the role, apart from shouting in one scene. It is a strange performance from the actor who was so good in CHILDREN OF MEN and other roles. Other parts are played well but without special note by Kris Wu and Rutger Hauer, and John Goodman and Elizabeth Debicki lend voices to a couple of characters.
Fans of Dane DeHaan should enjoy the movie. At 31, American actor Dane DeHaan already has an impressive film resume, including roles in the Beat generation drama KILL YOUR DARLINGS, the Depression-era moonshiner drama LAWLESS, the sci-fi CHRONICLE, the Cianfrance-directed THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES, and as Harry Osborn in THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2. DeHaan starred earlier this year in the atmospheric eerie horror film A CURE FOR WELLNESS. DeHaan headlines this truly international film directed by Frenchman Luc Besson and co-starring with Brits Cara Delevingne and Clive Owen and Barbados-born singer Rihanna.
The fantasy worlds and creatures rendered in astoundingly beautiful visual effects are worth the ticket price alone, dazzling in 3D and an immersive, imaginative delight. Despite its absolutely gorgeous visual world, VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS delivers less sci-fi wonder than it promises. Ranked among this summer’s special effects-laden fantasy offerings, this film is way better than Tom Cruise’s THE MUMMY but not up to GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 2. Still, while this sci-fi comic universe does not have that Marvel comic familiarity to help boost it in the U.S., the source material’s international popularity suggests potential, should director Luc Besson want to give it another go with a sequel.
