M3GAN
Forget "Bride of Chucky" and "Annabelle." There's a whole new psycho doll in "M3gan."
Allison Williams plays Gemma, a toy designer tasked with raising her niece after tragedy orphans her. She creates a life-like A.I. doll that's programmed to be the girl's best friend, but it goes off the rails and becomes a killer.
This is honestly clever.
When the doll starts singing Sia's "Titanium," as she counsels her friend, you have to laugh, since that's the material she's made of! "M3gan" is a Blumhouse production, the horror film specialists. Williams previously had a role in the Blumhouse film, "Get Out." You can tell she gets the joke. The messaging about our reliance on high-tech is definitely done with the wink of the doll's eye. A perfect pop culture satire, but don't turn your back on M3gan!
(Universal Pictures. Rated PG-13. Running Time 1 hr. 42 mins. In Theaters Only.)
A MAN CALLED OTTO
Let's call this one "Forrest Grump!"
Oscar winner Tom Hanks stars in "A Man Called Otto." It's a remake of a 2015 award-winning Swedish film, "A Man Called Ove." In most cases, I'm really against this. If there's a good foreign film, just see it! Don't Americanize it! (case in point: Kevin Hart in "The Upside.")
But I have to say, this film is as good, maybe even better than the original!
Hanks plays a grumpy widower. It's his way or the highway around his condo community ... and he's trying to kill himself. He has his reasons, involving a tremendous loss, which lends emotional depth to the story. By the way, Hanks' own son, Truman, plays him in flashback. The surprise bright light of this one, though, is Mariana Treviño as Otto's neighbor, Marisol. If anyone can draw him out of his funk, she can, unless she drives him crazy first! Directed by Marc Forster, this one's a heartwarmer.
(Sony Pictures Entertainment. Rated PG-13. Running Time 2 hrs. 6 mins. In Theaters Only.)
THE OLD WAY
Hard to believe, but Oscar winner Nicolas Cage stars has never starred in a Western movie until now. In "The Old Way," he plays a former gunslinger who returns to his former ways to seek vengeance for the death of a loved one.
Besides, running the town mercantile store can get a bit boring! Along on the journey to track down the bad guys is his character's daughter.
The film was produced and directed on a shoestring budget by Brett Donowho, who grew up on a North Texas ranch. That both inspired and informed him on this film. Cage does the best he can with a very basic script. The sparkle comes from his young co-star. You might have previously seen Ryan Kiera Armstrong star alongside Zac Efron in the remake of "The Firestarter," and you'll, no doubt, be seeing a lot more of her.
(Lionsgate. Rated R. Running Time 1 hr. 35 mins. In Theaters Only. Streaming Jan. 13)
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