The Roundup with Jeff Stockton (Season 30 Round 2)

 

While this was not the best round possible, there will hopefully be better rounds going forward this season. Here's The Roundup....

3. Original Superhero Films

While original superhero films are definitely a big risk at the box office, it is encouraging seeing multiple writers having penned some at this point. 

2. Joseph Gordon-Levitt

At one point, it seemed like Joseph Gordon-Levitt would be one of the next A-List stars, but that never really came to be. A successful headlining project like Amnesiac may be something JGL needs to push him to the next level of stardom (especially if Jack Ryder follows through and pens a sequel as the end credits stinger promises).

1. Amnesiac

Superhero stories are generally only as good as the villains, but Amnesiac is definitely lacking in that department. It was still the best film of the round with good action scenes/fight choreography and some strong performances. The film was not flawless though with it featuring weak villains, a sometimes confusing plot (and everybody knows my issues with Ryder's soundtracks, but I won't go into detail here). The stinger threw me for a bit of a loop, admittedly. Some other critics didn't like that extra bit, but I am personally very excited for what it could mean going forward.

3. Box Office

Thanks to the poor box office showing of The Ninth Hour, the round ended up in the red financially. That's never good when two of the three films of a round turn profits, but one is bad enough to push it all into the loss category.

2. The Ninth Hour

After a very intriguing opening scene, The Ninth Hour then struggles for the rest of its running time to do anything with the momentum it gained. The result is a long, slow, preachy tale that is difficult to get through.

1. Slowly Dying

Slowly Dying may be one of the more offensive films from writer Alex Conn - and that's saying something after works like Lovestruck and Graduation Trip. I'll admit that the plot made more sense than a lot of his films, but I simply cannot get on board with any film that promotes anti-semitism through its hero's beliefs. Maybe if a little more balance had been given, it could have worked, but Conn's script showed no signs of balance or nuance. Characters who don't share its protagonist's viewpoints are all portrayed negatively. I don't think this was the intention of Alex Conn (I know he's young), but it stood out to me as an issue with the film and kept from me from enjoying any of the more positive aspects of the story.