"The Shallows"

"What was once in the deep is now in the shallows."  

Nancy Adams (Blake Lively, "The Age of Adaline," "Green Lantern," "The Town") bailed from medical school after her mom died of cancer.  She's now in the secluded beach in Mexico for some surf, sun and alone time.  Her late mom used to spend time there. 

Nancy is not alone, however.  A shark literally stalks and hunts her down day and night, while she's lying on a rock outcrop (which gets flooded during high tide), wounded from the shark's initial bite and stung by fire corals.  Her training comes in handy when she has to perform an emergency treatment on herself.  The shark continues to pursue Nancy as she swims for her life from a whale carcass to the rock and to a metal buoy.  The shore, merely 200 yards away, is out of reach. 

Like any other solo survival story, Lively has to carry the movie by herself.  The gorgeous aerial and underwater shots help, as well as the appropriate makeup for sunburn, cuts and bruises. But in this minimalist tale, you'll have to be convinced of her panic, pain, terror, desperation and grit while injured, bloodied, cold, hungry and dehydrated.  Lively does it swimmingly. 

Realizing that no one is going to rescue her, Nancy charts her course for survival to outwit the scary shark and the result is gloriously bonkers. 

Shark attack.  Girl power.  "The Shallows" is a thrilling survival ride. 

http://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-reviews-the-shallows-and-everest/

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/theshallowsdvd

Blu-ray: http://tinyurl.com/theshallowsbluray

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"Now You See Me 2"

A heist mixed with tech and magic.  What's not to like?

“Now You See Me” was a spellbinding, sleeper hit in the summer of 2013.  The sequel attempts to replicate the magic.

It’s been a year since the Four Horsemen pulled off the miraculous, Robin Hood deed that catapulted them into celebrity status among the general public, and at the same time, made them criminals in the eyes of the law.  They come out of hiding to hijack a party and expose a shady tech wizard during a technology show.  The joke is on them, however, when they are trapped and blackmailed by another tech magnate, Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliff, “Harry Potter” series).

The Four Horsemen are card-reader Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg, “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” "The Social Network"), hypnotist Meritt McKenney (Woody Harrelson, "The Hunger Games" series) and lock-picker Jack Wilder (Dave Franco).  Escape artist Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher) left the team, replaced by Lula May (Lizzy Caplan).  She raucously fits into the team of magician misfits.  Other returning characters are corporate magnate Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine, “The Dark Knight” series), magician debunker Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman, “RED,” "Bruce Almighty") and FBI detective Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo, “The Avengers” series).  Watch for a fifth Horseman, a familiar face, to emerge.

The Horsemen are forced to steal a chip, which can be seamlessly attached into a playing card.  The chip would allow Walter to manipulate the market and infiltrate people’s privacy.  The sleek sequence, where they skillfully manage to grab the gizmo from a secured facility, is captivating, involving delicate sleight of hands, extremely intricate card tricks, and elaborate collaboration among the four players.

The movie follows a formula of each Horseman individually sets the stage for the big reveal.  It’s satisfying to see the cold-blooded bad guys are richly tricked, realize they have been played for fools, and are exposed to the world.  The authorities, well, they're one step behind again.  The overarching story ties to an elite secret society and a personal connection.

Some of the flashy and tricky acts are probable, while straining suspension of disbelief.  They are explained with quick cuts of behind-the-scenes. Others, not so much; they are absolutely impossible feats that simply can’t be explicated.

If you could overlook the preposterous story, plot holes or unnecessary subplots, you’ll find “Now You See Me 2” a visually dazzling and entertaining razzle dazzle.

http://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-review-now-you-see-me-2/

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/nowyouseem2dvd

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Upcoming Movies: October 2016

[Originally posted on 9/30/16]

October 7
"The Birth of a Nation" (http://www.foxsearchlight.com/thebirthofanation/) - A literate slave and preacher in the antebellum South orchestrates an uprising.

"The Girl on The Train" (http://www.thegirlonthetrainmovie.com/) - A divorcee becomes entangled in a missing persons investigation that promises to send shockwaves throughout her life.

October 14
"The Accountant" (http://www.accountantmovie.com/) - A forensic accountant un-cooks the books for illicit clients.

"Underworld: Blood Wars" - Vampire death dealer, Selene (Kate Beckinsale) fights to end the eternal war between the Lycan clan and the Vampire faction that betrayed her.

October 21
"Jack Reacher: Never Go Back" (http://www.jackreachermovie.com/) - Jack Reacher must uncover the truth behind a major government conspiracy in order to clear his name. On the run as a fugitive from the law, Reacher uncovers a potential secret from his past that could change his life forever.

October 28
"Inferno" (http://www.infernothemovie.com) - When Robert Langdon wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia, he teams up with Dr. Sienna Brooks, and together they must race across Europe against the clock to foil a deadly global plot.

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Upcoming Movies: September 2016

[Originally posted on 8/28/16]

September 2
"The Light Between Oceans" - A lighthouse keeper and his wife living off the coast of Western Australia raise a baby they rescue from an adrift rowboat.

"Morgan" (http://www.foxmovies.com/movies/morgan) - A corporate risk-management consultant must decide whether or not to terminate an artificially created humanoid being.

September 9
"Sully" (http://www.sully-movie.com/) - The story of Chesley Sullenberger, who became a hero in January 2009 after gliding his plane along the water in the Hudson River, saving all of the airplane flights 155 crew and passengers.

September 16
"Bridget Jones' Baby" (http://www.bridgetjonesmovie.com/) - The continuing adventures of British publishing executive Bridget Jones as she enters her 40s.

"Snowden" (https://snowdenfilm.com/) - NSA employee Edward Snowden leaks thousands of classified documents to the press.

September 23
"The Magnificent Seven" - Seven gun men in the old west gradually come together to help a poor village against savage thieves.

"Storks" (http://www.storksmovie.com/) - Storks have moved on from delivering babies to packages. But when an order for a baby appears, the best delivery stork must scramble to fix the error by delivering the baby.

September 30 
"Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" (http://www.foxmovies.com/movies/miss-peregrines-home-for-peculiar-children) - When a boy discovers clues to a mystery that spans different worlds and times, he finds Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. But the mystery and danger deepen as he gets to know the residents and learns about their special powers.

"Deep Water Horizon" (http://www.deepwaterhorizon.movie/) - A story set on the offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, which exploded in April 2010 and created the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

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