Crisp Criticism - "Hercules", "Sex Tape", "The Purge: Anarchy", "Persecuted"

by

Julien Faddoul

Hercules

1400 years ago, a tormented soul walked the earth that was neither man nor god.

A vehicle for its star that takes a gritty approach to the Hercules legend. It provides intermittent pleasures, but is mostly dull and unattractive.

d – Brett Ratner

w – Ryan Condal, Evan Spiliotopoulos   (Based on the Comic Book by Jack Kirby)

ph – Dante Spinotti

pd – Jean-Vincent Puzos

m – Fernando Valezpuez

ed – Mark Helfrich, Julia Wong

cos – Jany Temime

p – Sarah Aubrey, Beau Flynn, Barry Levine, Brett Ratner

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Ian McShane, John Hurt, Rufus Sewell, Aksel Hennie, Ingrid Bolso Berdal, Reece Ritchie, Joseph Fiennes, Tobias Santelmann, Peter Mullan, Rebecca Ferguson

Sex Tape

A couple who have lost their sexual spark use their iPad to film themselves having sex and soon realize that the video is no longer private.

Infuriating commercial for Apple products disguised as a farcical comedy. Very few funny things actually occur and the two leads seem embarrassed throughout.

d – Jake Kasdan

w – Kate Angelo, Jason Segel, Nicholas Stoller

m – Michael Andrews

ph – Tim Suhrstedt

ed – Steve Edwards, Tara Timpone

pd – Jefferson Sage

cos – Debra McGuire 

p – Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch

Cast: Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Rob Lowe, Ellie Kemper, Rob Corddry, Jolene Blalock, Randall Park, Timothy Brennen, Giselle Eisenberg, Krisztina Koltai, James Wilcox, Nat Faxon, Nancy Lenehan

The Purge: Anarchy

The next chapter in the story of a world that allows 12 hours of anarchy a year.

Boneheaded and wearying sequel that attempts no further effort to entertain outside of the construction of its premise.

wd – James DeMonaco

ph – Jacques Jouffret   

pd – Brad Ricker

m – Nathan Whitehead   

ed – Vince Filippone, Todd E. Miller

cos – Hala Bahmet  

p – Michael Bay, Jason Blum, Andrew Form, Bradley Fuller, Sebastien Lemercier

Cast: Frank Grillo, Michael K. Williams, Carmen Ejogo, Zach Gilford, Kiele Sanchez, Keith Stanfield, Nicholas Gonzalez, Amy Paffrath, Niko Nicotera, Cortney Palm, Zoe Soul, Judith McConnell, Roberta Valderrama, Chad Morgan

Persecuted

A nationally acclaimed evangelist is the last obstacle in the way of sweeping religious reform in the US.

Incredibly insulting and preposterous Christian puffery that believes that all other religions simply exist to destroy the one true faith. Its greatest sin, however, is being boring.

wd – Daniel Lusko

ph – Richard J. Vialet

pd – Mark Alan Duran

m – Chris Ridenhour

ed – Brian Brinkman

cos – Barcie Waite

p – Brian Buckley, James R. Higgins, Daniel Lusko

Cast: James Remar, Bruce Davison, Dean Stockwell, Fred Thompson, Brad Stine, Natalie Grant