Movie Review: ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’

In theaters

“G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, directed by Jon M. Chu, 110 minutes, rated PG-13.

Let’s be honest: “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” is really nothing more than a pregame warm-up to the next “Fast and Furious” movie. Even as that, it fails.

The sequel to “G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra” finds Duke (Channing Tatum) as the head of a thriving Joe program, with Dwayne Johnson’s Roadblock as his best friend for life and second in command. For those who remember the first film, “Retaliation” drops most of the original team and replaces them with an entirely new lineup of Joes, including DJ Cotrona as Flint and Adrianne Palicki as Jaye.

Absent from the sequel, not surprisingly, is Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who wisely stayed far, far away from “Retaliation.”

This time around, things go south for the Joes as they’re set up by shape-shifter and Cobra agent Zartan (Arnold Vosloo), who has taken the form and role of the U.S. president (Jonathan Price), using his power to hunt down the team, killing all but a few.

This world of G.I. Joe has no sense of political process, as the president orders the killing of U.S. military with the claim that they’re now the “bad guys.” There’s no real debate over this, no trial for the Joes, and no upheaval from the people of the United States after their demise. Just a president ordering their deaths and aligning himself with the terrorist organization known as Cobra. It’s all accepted a little too easily, making “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” even less logical than the 2012 “Red Dawn” remake.

But there are a few remaining Joes who survive the attack, and under the leadership of Roadblock, they seek vindication and revenge against the “president” who ordered the strike against them. They also take on the task of saving the world from the Cobra Commander and the mad men who are now running the United States.

There are a number of other subplots being juggled here, complicating a simple story with too many moving parts, none of which is the least bit interesting. The number of characters, both new and old, is a serious problem for the film, because it doesn’t have enough patience or smarts to give any of them a distinguishable identity, save Tatum’s Duke.

The story and everything surrounding it simply serve as an excuse for some clunky PG-13 gun fights and explosions, yielding the body count of an R-rated movie without the blood, messiness or box office hindrance that comes with it. The only exception to the tiresome action is an acrobatic, well-choreographed martial arts fight along the edge of some far-off cliffs, where Snake Eyes (Ray Park) and new addition Jinx (Elodie Yung) fend off some ninja thugs while moving the unconscious body of Storm Shadow (Byung-hun Lee) along an elaborate zip line suspended hundreds of feet in the air. It’s so well made, in fact, that at times you forget it’s primarily computer-generated effects you’re watching.

But one good action scene does not make a movie, and when action’s supposed to be your bread and butter, that doesn’t bode well for a film like “G.I. Joe: Retaliation.”

Grade: D+

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Movie Review: ‘The Host’

In theaters

“The Host,” written by Stephenie Meyer (novel) and Andrew Niccol (screenplay), directed by Niccol, 125 minutes, rated PG-13.

With all of the hoopla surrounding the “Twilight” saga, and the money that came with it, it’s no surprise that Hollywood would want to adapt Stephenie Meyer’s “other” novel, “The Host.” As you might expect, Meyer’s “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” inspired story has all the elements that have made her so popular: Teenagers, a love triangle, and the slightest sense of danger amid a confused romance. Unlike “Twilight,” however, “The Host” is intolerable, made all the worse by knowing that gifted “Gattaca” helmer Andrew Niccol wrote and directed the film.

Unlike most post-apocalyptic films, “The Host” introduces you to a world that is already lost, where almost every human body has been overrun by glowing-eyed alien hosts who have taken it upon themselves to solve all the world’s problems. Is it a dystopian society or Utopian? The film never really explores that question, unfortunately.

We’re quickly introduced to Melanie (the usually dependable Saoirse Ronan), a rebellious Southern girl separated from her family and lover Jared (Max Irons), as she is captured by the invaders and has her body taken hostage by a generations-old alien known as “Wanderer.” Melanie isn’t dead though. Her soul and mind are still alive while her body is under the control of Wanderer. Here we find the film’s biggest flaw – a poorly written, ridiculous voice-over from Melanie that persists throughout the entire film.

Wanderer begins to sympathize with Melanie and her struggle to return to Jared and her brother, Jamie (Chandler Canterbury), and the two, joined in one body, journey into the desert to find a remote camp where Jared and Jamie have been hiding out with a small pack of humans. When the clan finds Wanderer, or Wanda, as she’s come to be known by, she is met with hostility and confusion from her loved ones as she opens her eyes revealing the gleaming blue that they’ve come to fear.

Kept on a tight, but protective leash by her uncle Jeb (William Hurt), Melanie and Wanda struggle to co-exist. While Melanie is in love with Jared, Wanda develops feelings for one of the group’s farmers, Ian (Jake Abel, the best thing about the film). With a seeker (Diane Kruger) hot on the trail of the insubordinate Melanie and hellbent on her demise, the livelihood of this small group of humans is put in jeopardy by merely having Melanie/Wanda take refuge with them.

Before I tear “The Host” apart, I have to say, despite the unoriginal premise, there are a lot of really great ideas here that, unfortunately, get pushed aside. The duality of Melanie and Wanda living in the same body should have helped the film transcend its derivative story, but instead it’s dumbed down with one of the worst, most unconvincing voice-overs I’ve ever heard. The question of whether Earth’s new occupiers are actually good or bad for the planet goes unnoticed by Niccol and company. And, of course, the lovey-dovey dialogue between Melanie and Jared, and Wanda and Ian, rivals the most insufferable moments from any of the “Twilight” films.

In addition to several missed opportunities, there’s not a lot of motion in “The Host,” which seems content with just having characters in a setting without any real purpose or direction. For a two hour film about an alien invasion, not a lot happens. It makes the movie feel about 20 minutes longer than it actually is.

So here’s my problem. Andrew Niccol is an incredibly talented filmmaker. Saoirse Ronan is one of the brightest young actresses working today. How, then, is “The Host” so terrible? It’s not just a bad movie, but a movie that gets on your nerves. You would think that with Niccol behind the camera and Ronan in front of it, that they would produce something that is at least worth watching. Sadly, that’s not the case here. Not even close.

Grade: F

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Movie Review: ‘Stoker’

In theaters

“Stoker,” written by Wentworth Miller and Erin Cressida Wilson (contributing writer), directed by Chan-wook Park, 99 minutes, rated R.

There are a lot of foreign filmmakers who struggle with the language barrier when attempting to break into American cinema. For example, even some of the modern greats such as Jean-Pierre Jeunet have Hollywood duds like “Alien Resurrection,” pulled in by the lure of the blockbuster studio machines, heedlessly taking on projects doomed to fail for one reason or another.

However, based on his English language debut “Stoker,” Chan-wook Park, who found international success with his 2003 Korean film “Oldboy,” seems to be one of the exceptions.

“Stoker” is the story of India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska), a straight-A introvert who is a natural-born hunter, known for going on expeditions with her wealthy father (Dermot Mulroney). Their relationship is special, and when he dies in a car accident on India’s 18th birthday, she goes deep into mourning while her alcoholic mother, Evelyn (Nicole Kidman), sleeps past noon, oblivious and unaffected, trivializing the matter by trying to cheer her daughter up with ice cream and shopping trips.

More troubling, with the absence of India’s father comes the arrival of her mysterious uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode), a world traveler unfamiliar to India and her mother. While Evelyn welcomes the younger model of her deceased husband with open arms, India keeps a watchful eye on him, as it becomes clear Charlie has a secret. What, exactly, is his secret, and why is Charlie so fascinated by his niece?

That core mystery is part of what makes “Stoker” so effective as a psychological thriller, but its underlying gothic horror atmosphere and family dysfunction make it something more. There’s a striking resemblance between Norman Bates and Uncle Charlie, who, played by the exceptional Goode, is a more suave incarnation of Hitchcock’s disturbed creation.

Mia Wasikowska is subdued in her leading role as India, letting the character’s demons come to light naturally, rather than forcefully, while Nicole Kidman proves yet again why she is still considered one of the top actresses working today. Not since “Rabbit Hole” has she been this good.

Although “Stoker’s” reveal isn’t quite as strong as it was in “Oldboy,” the script from “Prison Break” star Wentworth Miller and Erin Cressida Wilson plays to Park’s strengths. It’s a bloody, cerebral and discomforting film where the ultimate consequences are, for the most part, out of the characters’ hands. In many ways, “Stoker” is like a Greek tragedy. There’s nothing you can do but watch it all unfold.

Grade: A-

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Movie Review: ‘Spring Breakers’

In theaters

“Spring Breakers,” written and directed by Harmony Korine, 94 minutes, rated R.

“Spring Breakers,” from writer-director Harmony Korine, is the cinematic response to the moronic war cry of a generation: YOLO (you only live once, for those not in the know). In the wrong hands, this is the motto that inspires youths to, frankly, act stupid, and Korine examines an extreme form of the phrase with his latest film.

Four friends (Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine), are tired of their boring lives in their boring town, attending college courses in between getting high pretty much all the time.

What is the solution to get these girls out of their rut? Spring break in Florida, of course, where they can do drugs and get drunk with hundreds of others in a new, slightly more exotic yet dirty locale. So desperate are these girls for their spring break, that the three bad girls, Candy (Hudgens), Brit (Benson) and Cotti (Korine), rob a restaurant late one night so that they can actually afford to go on the trip.

On spring break, these girls “find themselves” while partying nonstop in their distorted idea of paradise, where the Natural Light flows like wine, and the women are objectified just like in the music videos and MTV Spring Break specials that kids grow up watching. The four friends become enamored, and want to live in this world forever.

The law catches up with the girls while they’re doing drugs in a random hotel room, and they’re carted off to prison, only to be bailed out by Alien (James Franco). A career criminal and self-proclaimed YouTube rapping sensation, Alien takes the girls under his wing and teaches them all about his thug lifestyle and how he’s made it big. It’s kind of like a mock episode of “MTV Cribs,” as Alien shows off his “Scarface” DVD (which he watches on repeat), nunchucks, tanning oil and grills, mesmerizing Brit, Candy, and Cotti into joining his gang.

Parody is front and center here, not in the way of a Wayans Brothers spoof, as some might assume, but more like Michael Haneke’s “Funny Games,” forcing us to take a long, hard look at the culture we’ve been complicit in creating. Harmony Korine has a strong, independent voice and vision that really comes through here, and is sure to spark debate among movie-goers.

There’s another side to “Spring Breakers,” though, that is very funny, as the film alters its tone significantly with the introduction of Alien. The final third of the movie goes off the wall in the best way, with some of the most strangely comical moments I’ve seen in years.

Hudgens, Benson, and particularly Gomez, who plays Faith, the character with the most redeemable qualities, earn respect for pursuing something that is so risque and controversial, and also for doing it so well. James Franco, however, is on an entirely different level, delivering his most bizarre role to date, in a career that could be best described as performance art. It’s nothing short of brilliant.

“Spring Breakers,” with its sensitive subject matter and hard-R rating, will certainly push buttons with some audiences. Others just simply won’t understand it. But for me, “Spring Breakers” is a pop culture masterpiece that truly gets it.

Grade: A

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Movie Review: ‘The Incredible Burt Wonderstone’

In theaters

“The Incredible Burt Wonderstone,” written by Jonathan M. Goldstein (screenplay), John Francis Daley (screenplay), Chad Kultgen (story) and Tyler Mitchell (story), directed by Dan Scardino, 100 minutes, rated PG-13.

“The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” is a comedy stuck in the past, living in an age where you could throw a couple of stars together with a gimmicky premise and a few surefire gags, and you’d have yourself a goldmine. Unfortunately for this film, that formula doesn’t really fly anymore.

Luckily for “Burt Wonderstone,” Steve Buscemi dances in it.

The film stars Steve Carell as the title character Burt Wonderstone, who has grown up with dreams of becoming a magician alongside his best friend, Anton, played by Buscemi. They make it big in Las Vegas, but after years and years of the same routine, their act becomes stale, their friendship deteriorates, and their audience looks elsewhere for entertainment, leaving both without work.

The new magician in town, Steve Gray (Jim Carrey, miscast), is a street performer who’s a weak parody of Criss Angel. He’s less of an illusionist and more into performing stupid stunts such as sleeping on a bed of hot coals or holding his urine for a world record. Trust me, it’s as unfunny as it sounds.

When the hotelier and former employer of Burt and Anton (James Gandolfini) hosts a competition to find his next big act, the duo have to reunite for a performance that will outdo Steve Gray’s onstage shenanigans. It’s a dated underdog premise that most studios left behind more than a decade ago. Yet, here we are again.

Fortunately, Steve Buscemi dances in the movie.

Carell takes on a new role with the first 30 minutes of “Burt Wonderstone,” playing against his usual midlife crisis type, and stepping into the role of a womanizing narcissist. However, after his fallout with Anton, he reverts back to the same down-on-his-luck Steve Carell we see in every single movie.

There are a couple of decent laughs here, and an amusing cameo from David Copperfield. There’s also some depth in its supporting cast, with Alan Arkin, Olivia Wilde and Gandolfini, who all fit their roles nicely. Jay Mohr even makes an appearance. But it’s just not enough to keep this premise afloat.

There is one thing, though, that really makes “Burt Wonderstone” worth seeing. Have I mentioned Steve Buscemi dances in it?

Grade: C

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Movie Review: ‘Lore’

In theaters

“Lore,” written by Cate Shortland (screenplay), Robin Mukherjee (screenplay) and Rachel Seiffert (novel), directed by Shortland, 109 minutes, not rated.

Australian filmmaker Cate Shortland revisits some of the themes explored in her 2004 feature debut “Somersault” with her latest film “Lore,” a coming-of-age story set in post-Nazi Germany.

Lore (Saskia Rosendahl) is the eldest daughter of an SS Officer (Hans-Jochen Wagner) and Nazi accomplice (Ursina Lardi) in May 1945. As the Nazi party falls, Lore’s parents face imprisonment for their crimes, leaving Lore and her four siblings orphaned and outcast in a fractured country no longer under German rule. With their only refuge being their grandmother’s house, Lore leads her brothers and sister on a dangerous trek through the German countryside, on foot and unarmed.

As their journey becomes increasingly desperate, Lore and her siblings reluctantly befriend a Jewish refugee named Thomas (Kai Malina), who has the papers necessary to pass American, English and French checkpoints. As fate would have it, Lore’s only hope becomes a man whom she was raised to hate, the experience of which becomes the first of many eye-openers for the previously closed-minded teen.

What Lore gains from this journey is a sense of truth and independence, freeing herself from the bonds of lies that have obstructed her sensibility, and those that continue to come at her. What little innocence was left at the beginning of her travels is lost along the way, and her trust in her family and country is replaced with guilt.

Rosendahl delivers a powerhouse debut performance that is emotionally and physically challenging, and crucial to the film’s success. Not to be outdone, Malina is haunting as the enigmatic Thomas, whose true character slowly comes to light throughout the film. Both actors handle their roles with a degree of reservation that compliments Shortland’s simplistic style of filmmaking.

Shortland’s “Lore” is beautifully shot with a minimalist’s eye, portraying a WWII-era Germany that is torn apart by war and misguidance, while also capturing a contradicting tranquility deep within the country’s forests. Although sometimes heavy-handed, Shortland and writer Robin Mukherjee’s screenplay is full of rich subtext, adding layers to an otherwise basic story.

Grade: B

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Movie Review: ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’

In theaters

“Oz the Great and Powerful,” written by Mitchell Kapner (screenplay), David Lindsay-Abaire (screenplay), L. Frank Baum (novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”), directed by Sam Raimi, 130 minutes, rated PG.

High expectations are the biggest burden for filmmakers wishing to travel back to Oz. Victor Fleming’s 1939 classic “The Wizard of Oz” is held in such high regard in American cinema and culture that it will always remain the definitive interpretation of the world created by L. Frank Baum.

With that in mind, director Sam Raimi takes a swing at recapturing that magic with “Oz the Great and Powerful,” a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz.” The film stars James Franco as Oz, a lowly traveling illusionist who cons his way through life seeking greatness, not goodness. In his search for fame and riches, Oz has put love and friendship in his rear-view, letting the love of his life, Annie (Michelle Williams), slip away from him.

Making enemies from taking advantage of those around him, Oz finds himself on the run in a hot air balloon after a show, only to be sucked up by a tornado and into the land of Oz. Here, he meets Theodora (Mila Kunis), who believes Oz is a wizard sent to fulfill a prophecy and become the king of Oz. The idea of taking the throne and the endless wealth that comes with it appeals to the opportunistic magician, but there’s one major bump in his yellow brick road: To fulfill the prophecy, he must kill the Wicked Witch.

Motivated by money, Oz accepts the challenge, journeying through the strange land a la Dorothy, meeting a kind winged monkey decked out in a bellhop’s uniform named Finley (annoyingly voiced by Zach Braff) and a fragile but fierce China doll (Joey King) whose race was slaughtered by the wicked witch’s army of flying baboons. Not only are these sidekicks far less memorable than The Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion, but they also pander, digging for laughs and sympathy and coming up short on both.

“Oz the Great and Powerful” is at its best in the first 15 minutes, before Oz is swept away from Kansas. Here, the material is distinctly Sam Raimi, with signature slapstick and character traits that are reminiscent of his previous work. It helps that Franco understands Raimi’s vision, and is one of the few actors confident enough in his own goofy-yet-smooth personality to pull this off.

Although Raimi’s Oz is full of vibrant visual effects that are mesmerizing in 3-D, the story becomes progressively boring once Oz breaks the threshold of his new world, and is sandbagged further after the reveal of the Wicked Witch’s identity. Michelle Williams returns to provide some much needed relief as Glinda the Good Witch, but her old soul and brilliance is countered by the terribly miscast Mila Kunis, who’s usually a pleasure to watch, but really doesn’t fit her role here.

That’s the problem with “Oz the Great and Powerful.” For everything it does right, it does something else wrong. Although nothing could ever replace “The Wizard of Oz,” I believe there is room for a film to elaborate on Fleming’s classic, or explore more of Baum’s work. “Oz the Great and Powerful” really does neither. Instead, it’s just a disappointment.

Grade: C

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Movie Review: ‘Dorfman in Love’ (Maine Jewish Film Festival)

At the Maine Jewish Film Festival

“Dorfman in Love,” written by Wendy Kout, directed by Brad Leong, 92 minutes, rated R.

The 2013 Maine Jewish Film Festival kicks off Saturday in Portland with “Dorfman in Love,” a film written by Wendy Kout, best known for her work on TV’s “Anything But Love” and “Mork & Mindy.”

Set in Los Angeles, “Dorfman in Love” follows the misadventures of its title character, Deb Dorfman (Sara Rue), a single twentysomething who caters to the men in her life because, well, they need her. Her brother and boss, Daniel (Jonathan Chase), calls her his “rock,” as he passes all of his busy work onto her; her father and recent widower, Burt, (Elliott Gould) has taken up residence with his daughter; and her longtime friend and crush, Jay (Johann Urb), takes full advantage of Deb’s feelings for him, asking her to cat sit and clean his disastrous loft while he’s away on assignment for a week.

Deb, of course, agrees to all of it, neglecting her own happiness to help these three men who would be hopeless without her. All of that changes, however, when she meets Cookie (Haaz Sleiman), a handsome artist who happens to be her next-door neighbor for the week. There’s an undeniable spark between the two of them, and as much as Dorfman is convinced she’s in love with Jay, she can’t deny her chemistry with Cookie.

Cookie helps open up Dorfman’s mind, as she begins to tap into her creativity and find her voice that’s been dormant for so long.

For a feature-length film, “Dorfman in Love” feels a lot like a sitcom in its structure and payoff, which isn’t surprising considering Kout’s background. It’s a breezy romantic comedy that leans heavily on its cast of characters to carry the material with their little quirks or foibles. Although it is lite fare, “Dorfman” has a brain, and is invested in the development of its off-beat heroine as she navigates her crazy, crazy world.

“Dorfman in Love” will open the Maine Jewish Film Festival at 8 p.m., Saturday, March 9, at the Nickelodeon in Portland, followed by a Q&A with Wendy Kout. The film will also screen at 7 p.m. Sunday, March 17, at the Bangor Opera House. For more information on the Maine Jewish Film Festival and a complete schedule, visit mjff.org.

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Movie Review: ’21 and Over’

In Theaters

“21 and Over,” written and directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, 93 minutes, rated R.

The writing duo of Jon Lucas and Scott Moore has become notorious for their unfunny comedies with tired premises such as “Four Christmases,” “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,” “The Hangover,” “The Change-Up,” and the list could go on. Needless to say, the pair’s latest effort and directorial debut, “21 and Over,” fits in nicely with their previous efforts.

This time around, Lucas and Moore take a crack at college life, reuniting friends Miller (Miles Teller), Casey (Skyler Astin) and Jeff Chang (Justin Chon) on the night of Jeff’s 21st birthday. Unfortunately for the trio, Jeff puts the kibosh on the excessive drinking and partying that is a rite of passage for most freshly minted 21-year-olds, so that he can be ready for his medical school interview the next day.

Miller, a pushy underachiever who suffers from a severe case of verbal diarrhea, convinces Jeff to go out for just one drink. One drink leads to another, however, and before the friends know it, Jeff Chang is trashed, passed out being carried on the shoulders of Miller and straight-laced Casey, who can’t remember Jeff Chang’s address. Lost, and quickly running out of time, the two conscious friends futilely try to get Jeff Chang home at a reasonable hour, so that he can take his med school interview the next morning, and all three can avoid the wrath of Jeff’s father (Francois Chau), whom the boys regard as the scariest man alive.

The whole thing is a like a college-aged “Hangover” that borrows heavily from “Weekend at Bernie’s,” as Jeff Chang gets these sporadic moments of energy, running away or drunkenly dancing naked on top of cars, just to further complicate the situation. It’s a flimsy plot device to go with a story that serves as nothing more than an excuse to make a party movie. It’s too bad the friends’ wild night isn’t all that entertaining.

I’ll give credit to Lucas and Moore, in that they capture the dialogue of this generation, creating conversations between Casey and Miller that are true-to-life. Unlike a lot of movies that take place in college or high school, the script doesn’t sound like an imitation. Though, it would help if the characters were funnier. Teller makes his best effort as Miller, but his everyday charm wears off about five minutes into the film, and he speaks so much that, after a while, you actually begin to tune him out.

“21 and Over” is all the things you’d expect it to be: Immature, stupid and lazy. Sadly, it might appeal to some people in its target demographic, but outside of that, there’s not a lot going on here.

Grade: D+

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Movie Review: ‘Dark Skies’

In Theaters

“Dark Skies,” written and directed by Scott Stewart, 97 minutes, rated PG-13.

Writer-director Scott Stewart (“Legion,” “Priest”), who is known more for his work in visual effects than directing, doesn’t understand how to make a good horror movie. His latest film, “Dark Skies,” goes through all the horror movie motions, but pays no attention to the details.

The family in jeopardy here are the Barretts, a dysfunctional family full of lifeless clichés. You have the jobless father, Daniel, (Josh Hamilton); the overstressed mother, Lacy (Keri Russell); a rebellious son in his early teens, Jesse (Dakota Goyo); and Sam, the youngest son who has nightmares and needs therapy (Kadan Rockett). Of course, Sam’s nightmares of tall, lanky figures visiting him at night aren’t nightmares at all, they’re real. Now, let the inexplicable events commence.

It starts with an unknown creature rummaging through the family’s refrigerator when the backdoor was left open. Probably just an animal, right? The antics escalate, however, to setting off the security system, having hundreds of birds fly right into all sides of their house, and eventually, possession of each family member’s body.

When mother Lacy has had enough, she does some research on a Google knock-off site to find that her family is in fact being visited by aliens. Despite already suffering from time loss and a bloody nose that projectiles all over his shirt, it takes a couple of arguments for Daniel to finally get on board with this theory.

Eventually, the two agree to get some advice from a conspiracy theorist and alien expert in the city, played by J.K. Simmons, who likely took all of two or three days to film this. Bad news: The Barretts are being visited by aliens known as “the Grays,” who toy with their victims before abducting one family member. But, the Grays can be fought off if the family can come together and defend themselves.

Closely following the “Insidious” formula, which wasn’t at all original itself, “Dark Skies” understands the concept of delivering jumps, but never leaves a lasting scare. Although it develops a somewhat eerie atmosphere, the film fails miserably in trying to unsettle its audience.

The Grays, themselves, aren’t the least bit scary. They’re just shadowy, nondescript figures shaped kind of like former NBA star Dikembe Mutombo. Where more effective horror movies are full of imagery that is unshakeable, “Dark Skies” is just boring and uninspired.

Ultimately, “Dark Skies” is just another forgettable formulaic horror movie, with a hint of science fiction.

Grade: D-

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