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Review by Daniel Lima  For forty years, Donnie Yen has been one of the brightest action movie stars, shining in period wuxia martial arts epics and especially in hard boiled contemporary crime thrillers. In recent years, he has parlayed that into making Hong Kong action films the likes of which rarely see the light of day post-handover. Though his latest directorial effort The Prosecutor does feel limited by the constraints imposed by mainland China, it is still an effective thriller that boasts all the impressive action you’d hope for. Yen plays a police officer who, frustrated by seeing his work stymied by ineffective prosecutors, decides to become one himself. His very first case involves a young man coerced into taking part of a drug smuggling ring, and as he strives to punish the true culprits, he finds himself up against powerful forces willing to exploit every loophole and blind spot in the glorious criminal justice system of the People’s Republic of China. Will these institutions prove themselves capable of withstanding these subversive elements? Can our heroic representative of CCP authority make right what went wrong? Might he get into a lot of big, intricate gunfights and brawls in order to do it? Let’s get it out of the way: the Hong Kong film industry is now the Chinese film industry, and that means paying lip service to the values that the Chinese Communist Party want reflected in the media they produce. That means the heroes must lack any flaws beyond “works too hard”, and the villains lack any redeeming qualities… or interesting qualities. Admitting that the courts are fallible can only go so far, with blame being laid not at the institution’s basic structure, but on nefarious, evil individuals outside of it. And people who use drugs? Utter filth, of course (sexual harassment accusations seem okay however, considering Bey Logan is credited as a post-production supervisor). Perhaps toeing the party line would be less aggravating if they were promoting land reform; here, it’s almost indistinguishable from mainstream Western copaganda like Law & Order.  There are plenty of action movies with disagreeable politics that at least express those in such a dynamic, snappy way that even the scenes without any fighting are engaging. The Prosecutor is not one of them. The film drags throughout its two-hour runtime, filling most of it with exposition and practically none with either character work or procedural detail. The case itself is hardly riveting in its own right, but actually caring about the people involved or getting into the details of how the modern Hong Kong legal system works might liven things up. The cast is decent, particularly the industry vets like Kent Cheng and Lau Kong, but they have little to work with in a story that moves like molasses. Unfortunately, this is one of those action movies where you’re only here for the fights.
Fortunately, the Donnie Yen Action Team is at this point a well-oiled machine; I don’t know that Kenji Tanagaki and Takahito Ôuchi could deliver a bad set piece if they wanted to. Donnie and his crew pioneered the use of mixed martial arts in action choreography decades ago with Flash Point, and the fights here switch between striking and grappling with characteristic fluidity. Each one feels wholly distinct in both setting and challenge: a high-octane police raid, a rooftop club standoff with dozens of foes, a showdown in the close confines of a metro train. Each scene tells a story of its own, incorporating the environment and a changing landscape to keep things from getting stale. While this may lack for the more fanciful flavor of Tanagaki’s work on Twilight of the Warriors or the Rurouni Kenshin films, there is a polish and scale to the action that grants the fisticuffs a weight that evades smaller productions. With that said, does this rank among the best of Yen’s oeuvre? Hardly. Time comes for us all, and a life spent undergoing tremendous amounts of physical punishment for the sake of our entertainment means Donnie isn’t quite as capable as he once was. Hard to begrudge him going a bit easier in his 60’s, and the choreography and camera work go a long way in making a legible, exciting action scene that allows his stunt and (what seems to be) digital doubles to take some of the burden. Even so, the use of far-off drone and crane shots, POV oners, off-camera beatdowns, and other ways to visually obscure the action — however artfully done — does create a degree of remove, a break in continuity and flow that creates a ceiling for how enjoyable the fighting is. That, and the fact there’s only four proper action scenes in the entire movie. In spite of all the obvious flaws of The Prosecutor, however, it still offers something that has become exceedingly rare: a big-budget martial arts action thriller made by a team that knows how to deliver solid martial arts action. This would hardly be the first of those that asks the audience to bear through some tedious, shallow drama, and given the alternative, I hope that this is not the last. The fact remains that even in it emaciated state, no one makes an action movie like Hong Kong. The Prosecutor arrives in theaters January 10. Rating: 3.5/5
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Review by Adam Donato  Hollywood has a poor history of how it treats women, especially as they get older. Pamela Anderson has gone from the star of Baywatch and Playboy magazine to animal rights activist and award nominee. The Last Showgirl is a tale about an aged dancer who is struggling with her long standing show cancelling and her estranged daughter reentering her life. A role that Pamela almost didn’t have because her agent immediately threw out the script. Luckily, the script got back to Pamela who took the role and subsequently fired her agent. This story gives her a unique opportunity to express herself and say something about a problem in Hollywood that many struggle with. Many probably wrote Pamela Anderson off as a talentless bimbo, but hopefully those people check out her performance here. Anderson is fantastic and the extent that she goes to show her vulnerability is admirable. The role is one that’s both tragic and likable. She’s so proactive as she tries to move forward and make things right. Her performance feels like the opposite of what Demi Moore was able to accomplish in The Substance. Now those are two entirely different movies that are trying to accomplish different things, but they both explore similar themes. While that film explores the subject at large, The Last Showgirl tells a more personal story that’s easier to sympathize with. All of these feelings are on the shoulders of Pamela’s performance as she is well deserving of all the acclaim she’s received.  The supporting cast is stellar all around. One of the biggest complaints of the film would be that it’s not longer to allow time to further flesh out some of these supporting characters. Dave Bautista and Jamie Lee Curtis in particular are nominee worthy. Curtis completely transforms here and it’s clear she was passionate about the project because she signed on the moment she found out Pamela Anderson was leading. Bautista is the most prestigious example of a professional wrestler turned actor. It’s excellent casting as both Curtis and Bautista can certainly draw from experience when it comes to performers who have been chewed up by the system when they pass their physical prime, but have succeeded despite it. Brenda Song and Kiernan Shipka also stand out in their supporting roles as fellow dancers.
It’s a good problem that The Last Showgirl leaves you wanting something more. The film is a very crushing representation of how our society uses women up and spots them out. Anderson’s honest portrayal of this character is deeply affecting and powerful. She’s well deserved of her opportunity to be back in the spotlight. The Last Showgirl will be in theaters on January 10. Rating: 4/5 WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL -- Another Classic Adventure for the Iconic Animated Duo1/2/2025 Review by Camden Ferrell  Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl marks the return of the iconic animated duo in their second feature film ever. Almost 20 years after their last feature, these two lovable characters are back with director Nick Park at the helm once again, this time joined by co-director Merlin Crossingham. Even if this movie can’t live up to the heights of its previous entries, this is still a fun and classic adventure that audiences everywhere are going to love. As with most of their adventures, this movie follows Wallace as he creates an intelligent robotic garden gnome with capabilities to assist with a myriad of household tasks. However, things go awry when an old villain finds a way to use this technology for their own nefarious purposes. The narrative structure is classic for this duo, and it sees them fulfilling their respective niches as characters and makes for a simple and fun adventure. This is the first installment not to be written by Park even though he is credited for the story. Mark Burton’s script stands as one of the best of his career in animation, and it retains a lot of the signature Wallace & Gromit charm that makes their endeavors so endearing. It has great comedy, great action, and great heart which is nothing short of what’s expected of this franchise.  Despite voicing Wallace for the last decade and change, this is the first major installment to feature Ben Whitehead as the titular inventor. He does an amazing job carrying on the legacy of Peter Sallis who helped shape the character with his talented voice work.
One would be remiss if they didn’t commend the dying art of stop-motion animation on display, and as always, this franchise does a phenomenal job with its animation. It’s full of undeniable personality that elevates this film to be a brilliant piece of animated storytelling that will hopefully last for years to come. While there’s so much to love about this movie, I will concede that the one thing that feels odd about this entry is that it feels the slightest bit like a product of its time. One of the core features I love about this franchise is how timeless its stories feel, but I’m not sure if it’s the state of technology we currently live in, but I have hard time believing this will be as timeless as its predecessors. However, this is a minor gripe in a movie that does so much right. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is a glorious feature-length return for two animated icons. It may not be mind-blowing or world-ending, it delivers reliable enjoyment and jubilee as expected. It’s a heartfelt and hilarious journey that reminds us of how valuable the medium of stop-motion animation is, and one can only hope we get more of these characters sooner rather than later. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is streaming on Netflix January 3. Rating: 4/5 |