Movie Reviews

By Lynne Martin

The scariest thing about this movie is definitely the selection of creepy movie posters I’ve seen popping up all over the internet. THE LAST EXORCISM PART II (2013) starring Ashley Bell, Julia Garner, and Spencer Treat Clark was actually a total disappointment from the opening credits right up until the ridiculous ending.

Struggling to rebuild her life after being rescued from a cult in backwoods Louisiana, our main character Nell Sweetzer quickly realizes that she’s the only surviving member of her immediate family. With her personal memory little more than disjointed flashbacks, the young girl once again fights the terrifying events that are becoming more and more common in her everyday life. With an evil force fighting for control of her soul, Nell once again finds herself at the mercy of exorcists.

In the original film THE LAST EXORCISM (2010), the relationship between the Evangelical Reverend Cotton Marcus and Nell Sweetzer was so engaging, we couldn’t help being drawn into the story. Privy to the reverend’s astounding confessions and Nell’s obvious innocence, we hung on for the entire ride. THE LAST EXORCISM PART II has none of the original’s charm. This disappointing sequel throws a few jump-scares (a filmmaker’s ploy to make us jump, even though the movie’s plot isn’t that scary) at us, but it’s ultimately unable to pick up where the original left off

Not only is this one of the worst sequels I have ever seen, its very existence is going to ruin the good name of the original, which was an entertaining horror movie on so many different levels. Forget Nell. Pray there’s no third sequel.

Directed by Ed Gass-Donnelly, PG13, 88 mins, Horror, Thriller, Sequel, * 1 star out of 5.

Jack and The Giant Slayer an enjoyable fantasy

Following the recent trend, yet another children’s fairytale has been developed for the big screen. JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (2013) starring Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci and Ewan McGregor comes with a fairly hefty price tag. With production costs of $190 million and an additional $80 million spent on marketing alone, this movie will also have a long climb ahead of it.

Orphaned as a young boy, we find Jack living an impoverished existence with his uncle, struggling to survive as tenant farmers. Still finding comfort in his childhood stories of monsters and kings, Jack never once imagined that his own destiny would be tied to an ancient war between cloud-dwelling giants and the men who inhabit the land below. Centuries since the two have clashed, Jack must fight for more than just the people of his village or the surrounding kingdom. He fights to protect the beautiful young princess who has inadvertently stolen his heart.

Working towards a PG-13 rating, the director was careful not to include any shots of spilled blood—a difficult task considering the level of violence and massive body count. Definitely not suitable for children under the age of 12, this is for teenage and adult audiences only. My 31-year-old female guest and I both thought the ‘pigs in the blanket’ scene was amusing.

Although many of the opening sequences felt like they borrowed heavily from LORD OF THE RINGS, and the marauding giants reminded me of the mutant freaks from THE HILLS HAVE EYES, you’ll still have no trouble recognizing the original story from your youth. A fast paced film with Ewan McGregor’s wit to keep us company, JACK THE GIANT SLAYER is enjoyable entertainment for fantasy lovers.

Directed by Brian Singer, PG-13, 114 mins, Adventure, Fantasy, **** 4 stars out of 5.

– Lynne Martin is an avid movie collector and a staunch supporter of sexual education. She currently resides in Alberta, Canada with her husband and their large extended family. For a complete list of her reviews and other works, or to leave a comment, please go to: www.lynnemartinbooks.com.

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