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COUCH THEATER DVD PREVIEWS By Sam Struckhoff
OF THE WEEK “John Wick” (R) -- This rain-slick action flick has a lot to offer, despite its ultra-tired plot summary: It’s about a retired assassin who goes on a rampage of revenge. There, that’s out of the way. The titular John (Keanu Reeves) is a legendary hit man dealing with the loss of his wife to terminal illness. A blundering mafia prince (Alfie Allen) interrupts John’s healing process by breaking into his home, beating him and killing his puppy -- the puppy given to John by his late wife. John makes several hundred mobsters pay the Ultimate Price for this grave mistake. With more color, more energy and more crunch, it just doesn’t look or feel like the other movies in its genre. It’s directed by a duo of seasoned stuntmen -- David Leitch and Chad Stahlski -- who know how to make exciting and frenetic fight scenes without shaking the camera like a tambourine.
Scene from “Dear White People” him. “Dear White People” (PG13) -- This fresh and fierce satire shows us a make-believe Ivy League campus, where the Age of Obama has convinced some people that racism doesn’t exist anymore, and nothing is off-limits. It doesn’t feel that way to the college’s black students, who see casual racism and ridiculous stereotypes everywhere. The jokes and subject matter can get pretty uncomfortable, but there’s a payoff. It’s the opening shot for young writer/director Justin Simien, making it clear that he’s somebody to watch.
“Dracula: Untold” (PG-13) -- Before he was the Master of Darkness, Dracula (Luke Evans) was a good dad and a nice boss with small fiefdom to run. Things get bloody when a Turkish overlord takes a thousand boys -- including Drac’s son -- for his big ol’ army. Dracula gets so upset that he sells his soul for some superpowers. It’s pretty much “Maleficent” for boys ... an attempt to revamp a storied villain, make him relatable and cap it off with extra CG battles. The result is lukewarm; instead DOG OF THE WEEK of sympathizing with the “The Best of Me” (PG-13) -devil, you end up bored with Amanda and Dawson were
two uncommonly attractive teens in a gold-coated country town made for melodramas. She’s a beautiful belle with a kind spirit; he’s a soulful working-class hunk with a brilliant mind and hurt in his eyes. They split over tragic, contrived reasons, only to be reunited 20 years later. They kiss in the rain. They hold each other in fading sunlight. They have wonderful romantic chemistry wrapped up in cheesy dialog and a frustratingly predictable story. First love has a special place in the human heart, and maybe that’s why we keep getting these Nicholas Sparks movies -- each time hoping we’ll feel that special magic we got the first time with “The Notebook.”