ENCANTO and the Magic Playbook

Add Encanto to your collection now on Digital and on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD February 8.

ENCANTO (Digital Review)

2021 / 102 min

FROM WALT DISNEY

Review by Stinky the Destroyer

One reason Disney’s animated films continue to outclass those from most other major studios - especially during the last decade or so - is they know a great concept ain’t enough. Nor are Oscar baiting songs…or state-of-the-art animation. The fact that Encanto has all of those things is beside the point.

Disney knows the same stuff that matters in regular films is equally vital to animation…uniquely-rendered & engaging characters, contextually-believable dialogue and respect for the intelligence of the audience (no matter what age they are). Additionally, many of their recent films have displayed an acute awareness that it’s actually a large world after all. Encanto not-only immerses us in Colombian culture, we get the impression that what we see and hear is pretty authentic…very much like the studio did with Moana.

So who cares if the story itself is right out of the Disney playbook, especially when it’s presented with such charm, wit and reverence for its characters? Teenager Mirabel Madrigal (Stephanie Beatriz) makes a relatable protagonist as the only member of her family not to be blessed with a spiritual “gift,” some kind of unique ability bestowed on the others (represented by magical doors leading to ‘rooms’ where their gifts flourish). The rest of the village regularly depend on the Madrigal family’s various gifts, meaning Mirabel feels inadequate. 

"Party? What party?"

However, the family’s abilities, unity and even the house itself begin to weaken as Mirabel’s search for her own special gift has her opening the long-dormant door of Bruno (John Leguizamo), an uncle whose gift of seeing the future had him disowned by the family. It turns out he still lives within the walls of the house. Meanwhile, the Madrigals' matriarch becomes dismayed at Mirabel’s supposedly destructive influence on the other family members, whom she’s been encouraging to live for themselves, not to someone else’s expectations.

The situations, emotions and conflict are actually much more complex than that, but the gist of the story is familiar, one that Disney has pretty-much mastered. Encanto manages to make it all feel new, with wonderfully-rendered characters, terrific music, subtle moments of poignancy and, of course, brilliant animation. If there’s one fault in the film, it would be the coda, which sort of lessens the impact of the inspirational, heart-tugging resolution. Not a lot, mind you, but enough that we notice that the moment is wholly unnecessary.

Still, Encanto is massively entertaining, easily the best animated film of the 2021. Not taking Pixar’s movies into account, it might be Disney’s best since Zootopia. Despite walking a familiar narrative path, only a cold-blooded cynic wouldn’t enjoy such a journey.

EXTRA KIBBLES

SING ALONG OPTION - With on-screen lyrics.

SONG SELECTION - You can also jump to any of the eight featured songs, with on-screen lyrics.

“FAR FROM THE TREE” - Animated short.

INTRODUCTION TO “FAR FROM THE TREE” - By writer-director Natalie Nourigat.

FAMILIA LO ES TODO - Probably the most interesting of the bonus features, this 3-part doc features some of the creators of the film and members of “Familia,” a cultural trust who share their experiences which in-turn inspired the characters.

DISCOVER COLOMBIA - 2-part documentary.

A JOURNEY THROUGH MUSIC - 3-part documentary about the songs and score.

OUR CASITA - 2-part doc about the creation of the colorful house, which is essentially a supporting character.

FEATURETTES - Let’s Talk About Bruno; Journey to Colombia; outtakes

4 DELETED SCENES - With optional introduction by heads-of-story Jason Hand & Nancy Kruse.

ZEROS AND ONES: Uh...What?

ZEROS AND ONES (Blu-ray Review)

2021 / 86 min

FROM LIONSGATE

Review by Tiger the Terrible😾

A wave of the paw to the copywriter tasked with writing the synopsis for Zeros and Ones. That person definitely earned their paycheck, describing the film as a high-stakes thriller in which Ethan Hawke plays s a soldier racing against time to thwart a terrorist bombing of the Vatican. After watching the film, all I could do was shrug, “Okay…if you say so.”

In a way, I’m not surprised. The film is written and directed by Abel Ferrara, a provocateur not exactly known for his narrative clarity, especially his most recent work. Perhaps that same copywriter - just as perplexed - phoned him up for some assistance, after which he or she also shrugged, “Okay, Abel…if you say so.”

Zeros and Ones is a baffling, impenetrable slab of ambiguity that doesn’t play even remotely like the synopsis and cover suggest. Again, some of this is to be expected from an Abel Ferrara film, as is the usual quota of religious imagery. But plot? Forget about it. With Hawke as the central character - he also plays his imprisoned revolutionary brother - several shady characters pop in and out of a series of tenuously-tied vignettes which provide precious little exposition. We learn almost nothing about these people…sometimes not even their names.

Someone needs a Twinkie.

While equally perplexing, at least Ferrara’s last film, Siberia, was visually interesting and featured another compellingly batshit performance by his longtime muse, Willem Dafoe. However, Zeros and Ones is further undone by a cinema verite style that I suppose is intended to create immediacy, but instead comes across as slapdash, not helped by intentional graininess and a picture so murky that it’s sometimes difficult to see what’s even happening. 

As for Hawke…he directly addresses the audience with a video selfie before and after the story. It’s the only time he’s interesting, but good luck trying to figure out what the hell he’s talking about. In the end, when he explains that his video message is actually part of the movie, I couldn’t help but suspect the guy was high AF.

However, Zeros and Ones is the first film I’ve seen to acknowledge the ongoing global pandemic. As far as I could ascertain, it’s not related to the story - though you could say that about half the movie - but most characters are masked-up and Hawke is frequently seen sanitizing his hands. Nice to see Ferrara demonstrating responsible COVID protocol. Now how about demonstrating a little narrative coherence? No one should have to rely on a plot synopsis for a hint of what we’re watching.

KITTEN KRUSTIES: The Worst Stuff We Reviewed in 2021

While we enjoyed reviewing a slew of Blu-Rays, DVDs and movies in 2021, they haven’t all been picks of the litter. Time to take a look back at the worst of them. Our list consists strictly of titles which were sent to us for review purposes.

BLEH...THE WORST: As much as we love movies, there are times when reviewing them feels like an actual job. The following titles deserve to be buried in the litter box:

10. ANOTHER 48 HRS - The original 48 HRS is a classic, but not only is this contrived sequel almost never funny, it seldom even tries to be. Nolte slips comfortably back into his role, but Murphy seems to have forgotten - or considering what was paid this time, didn’t care - what made Reggie so endearing in the first place. A rare clunker in the otherwise impressive Paramount Presents series.

9. TOM & JERRY - They skateboard, fist-bump, operate drones and a variety of other things “today’s kids” might think are cool. In other words, this ain’t your daddy’s Tom & Jerry. Instead, the brand is a vessel for a parade of noisy mayhem, characters with “attitude” and, of course, a prerequisite poop joke so funny they included it twice.

8. THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR: MEET THE BLACKS 2 - The House Next Door: Meet the Blacks 2 is interminable and offensively stupid, wasting its talented cast with a non-stop barrage of screaming, f-bombs and the type of sex jokes that make 13-year-old boys high-five each other. The entire cast certainly give their all, but the humor is embarrassingly juvenile. 

7. SHOPLIFTERS OF THE WORLD - Part love letter to The Smiths & those who loved them, part f**k-you to anyone who didn’t, Shoplifters of the World is almost condescending in tone, which is ironic considering the plot isn’t too far removed from the dumbbell comedy, Airheads. Only instead of likably ham-headed headbangers, we have a bunch of self-absorbed young adults reeling from the break-up of their favorite band. The film mostly preaches to the converted. Everyone else might find it kind of pretentious.

6. COSMOBALL - Cosmoball is a Russian sci-fi film that’s obviously aimed at those wowed by shiny things. There’s nary a moment when something colorful isn’t zipping or bursting across the screen. Such hyperactive eye candy might be enough to amuse your cat for a while, but the rest of us would appreciate some kind of comprehensible story. 

5. HABIT - An abject failure on all counts, this is a blatantly calculated attempt at Tarantino-esque hipness while neglecting to provide a single reason we should give a damn about any of these characters and the situation they've gotten themselves into. Habit has obvious cult aspirations, but ultimately feels so desperate and tone-deaf that some viewers might experience a little second-hand embarrassment for everyone involved. 

4. BREAKING NEWS IN YUBA COUNTY - In capable hands, this could have been another Fargo. Instead, Breaking News in Yuba County squanders a good cast and premise because there’s no point where we feel like we’re watching real people. These characters simply exist to behave badly, spout outrageous dialogue and occasionally kill each other. The plot might hold interest for a while, but all attempts at black comedy and satire fall flat. 

3. THE SPORE - Despite a decent, albeit familiar, premise, this is nothing but a series of tenuously tied vignettes featuring various dull characters’ encounters with a deadly infection. We learn absolutely nothing about them. Not only that, the entire film largely depends on their utter stupidity, making slasher movie teenagers look like Einstein. One vignette ends, then another begins, and-so-on until the credits roll, with no style, suspense or substance to be found.

2. CRAZY SAMURAI: 400 VS 1 - The big gimmick of this title-tells-all film is a 77 minute action sequence presented in one continuous take. Not only is character development non-existent, there’s little in the way of creative choreography or virtuosic swordplay...just guys lining up to be slashed, chopped or run-through before hobbling out-of-frame. There’s no further “plot” beyond this, nor does the film come to any sort of resolution. 

1. ROOM 9 - Most of Room 9 is shot and edited like the opening title sequence of Seven. Shaky video, jagged cuts and intentionally distorted images may have been cutting-edge 25 years ago. But here, it’s a parlor trick to mask a murky narrative, lethargic pacing, amateurish performances and an overall inability to frame an interesting shot. Even with seriously tempered expectations, Room 9 is a vapid excuse for a horror film.

Be sure to check out THE BEST STUFF WE REVIEWED IN 2021

Kitty kudos (and maybe a few apologies!) to the various studios, PR groups and distributors who've provided Free Kittens Movie Guide with the opportunity to feature their products and share our fickle opinions: Paramount Pictures, Disney, Universal Pictures, 20th Century Studios, Warner Bros, Warner Archive, Criterion Collection, RLJ Entertainment, Severin Films, Blue Underground, 88 Films, Cohen Media Group, Dark Sky Films, Cult Epics, Well Go USA, Lionsgate, VCI Entertainment, Arrow Films, MPI, MVD Entertainment, Oscilloscope Labs, Flicker Alley, The Film Detective, HBO, MPRM, ddPR, Click Communications, KWPR, Foundry Communications.

KITTEN KATNIP: The Best Stuff We Reviewed in 2021

We reviewed a slew of Blu-Rays, DVDs and movies in 2021. Time to take a look back at the best of them. While we have seen more movies than the Surgeon General recommends, our lists consist strictly of titles which were sent to us for review purposes.

Kitty kudos to the various studios, PR groups and distributors who've provided Free Kittens Movie Guide with the opportunity to feature their products and share our fickle opinions: Paramount Pictures, Disney, Universal Pictures, 20th Century Studios, Warner Bros, Warner Archive, Criterion Collection, RLJ Entertainment, Severin Films, Blue Underground, 88 Films, Cohen Media Group, Dark Sky Films, Cult Epics, Well Go USA, Lionsgate, VCI Entertainment, Arrow Films, MPI, MVD Entertainment, Oscilloscope Labs, Flicker Alley, The Film Detective, HBO, MPRM, ddPR, Click Communications, KWPR, Foundry Communications 

PURR-R-R...THE BEST: We reviewed some good stuff this year, but the following titles were better than taunting a mouse to death:

10. THE BEAST MUST DIE (Flicker Alley) - Not to be confused with the 1974 British horror film, The Beast Must Die is a crackling Argentinian crime thriller just waiting to be re-discovered by film noir fans. A great story, sharp direction and an antagonist we love to hate make this a must see. 

9. THE DAY OF THE BEAST 4K (Severin Films) - Fast-moving, ferociously-violent and often hilarious, 1995’s The Day of the Beast ain’t for everybody, but it’s easy to see why it has a fervent cult following. Severin Films put together a great home video release that fans will surely get a kick out of. In addition to a decent transfer, the disc is loaded with interesting bonus features, the best being a feature-length documentary. 

8. THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN (Criterion) - It’s about time the film got a decent home video release. The Incredible Shrinking Man has been available on DVD for years, usually squeezed onto a disc with other nostalgic B-movies from the same era. But not only is it being served-up on Blu-ray for the first time with a wonderful 4K restoration, Criterion has thrown-in a big batch of new & vintage bonus features which nicely sum-up the film’s production, influence and legacy. From a historical perspective, this is an essential title for any collection and still a hell of a lot of fun.

7. JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (Warner Bros) - Alternately eye-opening, enlightening and infuriating, Judas and the Black Messiah is also massively entertaining. Not only does it shine a light on an important African-American revolutionary - and reminds us that not much has changed since then - the film features vivid, engaging characters, authentic dialogue & production design and a killer soundtrack (both the score and H.E.R.’s Oscar winning song, “Fight for You”). Easily one of the year’s best.

6. ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES (Warner Archive) - Crime films don’t get much better than this. Director Michael Curtiz deftly juggles a compelling story, dynamic characters, hard-hitting action and an unforgettable climax, making Angels with Dirty Faces an undisputed classic. With an outstanding Blu-ray transfer and some great vintage bonus features, it’s a must-own for any self-respecting film fan.

5. DUNE 4K (Arrow) - Regardless of one’s opinion of Dune - flawed masterpiece, delirious debacle or something in between - this (nearly) comprehensive set not-only makes the film worth re-examining (again!), the stories surrounding its tumultuous production are just as fascinating. Like a few previous Arrow boxed sets showcasing questionable classics, you don’t necessarily have to love the film to love the product.

4. COHERENCE (Oscilloscope Laboratories) - Coherence is one of the more intriguing sci-fi mindbenders I’ve seen in a long time. Swapping-out spectacle & special effects for convincing characters & challenging ideas, this wonderful obscurity - originally produced in 2014 for $50,000 - deserves to find a wider audience.

3. RAGING FIRE (Well Go USA) - Almost epic in scope, Raging Fire may not always be believable, but it’s a constantly entertaining crime thriller with a great story. Doing the preliminary legwork to fully flesh-out its characters - on both sides of the badge - certainly pays off, since we’re far more invested in them when the bullets begin to fly. Donnie Yen has seldom been better, digging into a role that showcases both his physical and dramatic skills. This is the best action movie of the year. 

2. IN THE HEIGHTS (Warner Bros) - It looks like most of us missed out on seeing In the Heights as it was meant to be experienced, but here’s hoping it finds the audience it never enjoyed in theaters. Even from the comfort of our living rooms, modern movie musicals don’t get much more entertaining than this. Energetic, funny, sometimes wonderfully bittersweet and occasionally jaw-dropping, it’s a film with many highs and very few lows.

1. GANGS OF LONDON, SEASON ONE (RLJE) - Gangs of London may have been developed for TV, but the 10 episodes comprising Season One unfold like pure cinema; the entire season plays like an epic, nine-hour gangster film. Conceptually similar to The Raid 2, series creator Gareth Evans makes the most of the expanded platform series television provides, which includes an exponentially bigger body count.

Honorable Mention: CREEPSHOW, SEASON 2 (RLJE), MIDDLE-EARTH ULTIMATE COLLECTORS EDITION (Warner Bros), UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: ICONS OF HORROR 4K (Universal), NASHVILLE (Paramount), MAJOR DUNDEE (Arrow), SNOWPIERCER, SEASON ONE (Warner Bros), DEAD & BURIED 4K (Blue Underground), THE COURT JESTER (Paramount), THE MORTUARY COLLECTION (RLJE), GRIZZLY (Severin Films), GODZILLA VS. KONG (Warner Bros), THE SUICIDE SQUAD (Warner Bros), JSA: JOINT SECURITY AREA (Arrow)

Be sure to check out THE WORST STUFF WE REVIEWED IN 2021

ANTLERS: The Title Doesn't Tell All

Add Antlers to your collection now on Digital and on Blu-ray and DVD January 4.

ANTLERS (Digital Review)

2021 / 99 min

FROM SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Depending on who you ask, Antlers is great title for a horror film or an extremely stupid one.

On one hand, it suggests another crazy killer critter flick in the grand tradition of Tentacles, Slugs, Black Sheep and Night of the Lepus…typically innocuous animals which develop a voracious taste for human flesh. For certain horror fans, such movies are irresistible. 

Conversely, such a title will undoubtedly prompt some to dismiss the film sight unseen. And who can blame them? I think even the most hardcore fan of carnivorous creature features (such as yours truly) must concede that a majority of them are terrible, especially those with the most straightforward titles.

Whether helped or hampered by the title, Antlers is not about a deadly deer or murderous moose. In fact, the concept is inspired by the Algonquin myth of Wendigo, a vengeful evil spirit. It’s also a relentlessly bleak film that includes such themes as child neglect & abandonment, the economy, sexual abuse and the environment.

That’s not to say there isn’t a nasty beast. When it finally shows itself, Wendigo is depicted as an unholy cross between an underfed stag and the xenomorph from Alien. With one victim’s torn-off face slapped over its own - which, of course, sickeningly slips off at an opportune moment - the monster is a gruesome creation. Though sparingly used, it looks & moves more-or-less convincingly.

Guess who just sat on antlers.

But first, the narrative lays the groundwork for a story which extends beyond eviscerated bodies. Much of the focus is on two characters. One is Julia Meadows (Keri Russell), a troubled elementary school teacher who returns to her hometown to live with brother Paul (Jesse Plemons) following the death of their abusive father. The other is Lucas (Jeremy T. Thomas), a shy, impoverished boy whose meth-addicted dad becomes Wendigo's unwitting host.

Personal experience has Julia suspecting Lucas is a victim of similar abuse. However, a home visit reveals something far worse, which the boy himself is hiding. Though his father - and little brother - are getting progressively “sicker,” Lucas takes to feeding them while keeping both locked inside a room for everyone else’s safety. But Dad eventually morphs into a monster, resulting in the deaths of people perceived to be a threat to Lucas. As the town sheriff, Paul naturally doesn’t believe it, even after his Native-American predecessor, Warren (Graham Greene), informs them of the Wendigo legend. 

Though pretty gory at times, Antlers has more on its plate than mere visceral thrills…perhaps a pleasant surprise for those who enjoy slow-burning horror with a bit of substance, definitely a let-down for would-be thrillseekers. In either case, this is an unexpectedly somber film, its grim tone exacerbated by the gloomy setting and suitably melancholic performances (especially young Thomas, outstanding in an inherently difficult role).

Somewhat predictably, Antlers draws to a downbeat, ominous conclusion. But considering the overall air of despair prevalent throughout the story, any kind of hunky-dory resolution would probably ring false. More ambitious than the title might suggest, it's a grim but mostly worthwhile journey, though one trip will likely be enough for most viewers.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - “The Evil Within” (featuring director Scott Cooper); “An Exploration of Modern Horror” (featuring producer Guillermo del Toro); “Artifact and Totems”; “Gods Walk Among Us” (how the monster was created, using digital and practical effects); “Cry of the Wendigo” (the real life mythic origins of the Wendigo); “Metamorphosis” (features actor Scott Haze’s enthusiasm and dedication to evolving into the Wendigo); “Comic Con @ Home” (the best of the bonus features, this is a Zoom interview featuring Scoot Cooper and Guillermo del Toro, hosted by Steve Weintraub).

Movie Night with Dave & Stinky: THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (1972)

THE GARDENER: Bronzi Carries the Torch...and a Shovel

THE GARDENER (DVD Review)

2021 / 89 min

FROM LIONSGATE

Review by Tiger the Terrible😼

Hungarian born Robert Bronzi is one of those actors who gets by on his looks alone. That look just happens to be the legendary Charles Bronson. The resemblance is almost uncanny, and Bronzi has made a decent living doing the kind of B pictures ol’ Chuck was cranking-out during the latter half of his career. Nice work if you can get it.

That’s not to say Bronzi himself can’t act. In The Gardener, little else is required of him beyond smashing faces and snapping limbs with a perpetual stone face, but when he is required to speak, there’s a laid-back earnestness to his delivery that’s sorta charming. While it goes without saying an Oscar will never sit on Bronzi’s shelf, at least he can carry a low-wattage action flick on his shoulders without embarrassing himself.

And make no mistake, Bronzi’s the whole show as Peter, the titular character who works for an upper class family. In time-honored action movie tradition, Peter wasn’t always a gardener. He used to be a soldier and possesses skills beyond simply pruning the hedges, which are called into play when a team of home invaders break into the house in search of computer files owned by self-absorbed husband-father Stephen (Richard Kovacs). 

How real gardeners take care of gophers.

What's on them doesn’t really matter to the plot. What does matter at this point is a nagging question: If these thugs manage to break-in and find the files within just a few minutes without being detected, why don’t they just leave? Why do they take the family hostage after they already got what they came for? It’s just one example of the overall narrative laziness prevalent throughout the film. Virtually every scenario is simply set-up to showcase Bronzi in action, whether it makes actual sense or not.

As such, the movie kind-of works. Though the bad guys are walking cliches - either psychotic, stupid or severely overconfident - Peter violently dispatches them with all the tools at his disposal (including a lawnmower). There’s nothing particularly dynamic or inventive about the action scenes, but they’re fun nevertheless, mainly because The Gardener plays very much like an '80s-era Bronson flick. Seeing his doppelganger carry the torch is the next best thing…and oddly comforting.

EXTRA KIBBLES

MAKING THE GARDENER - 20-minute featurette

2 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By directors Scott Jeffrey & Rebecca J. Matthews, actors Nicola Wright, Jake Wathins & Sarah T. Cohen; 2) By co-writer/exec producer Jeff Miller and actor Robert Bronzi.

BLOOPER REEL

DELETED SCENE 

TRAILER

THE LAST DUEL: Ridley's Rashomon

THE LAST DUEL (Digital Review)

2021 / 152 min

FROM 20TH CENTURY STUDIOS

Review by Tiger the Terrible😸

The Last Duel is now available on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD.

Though his viral venom might be a tad misdirected - but not entirely inaccurate - one can understand why Ridley Scott was kind of a grumpy bear over the lackluster box office performance of The Last Duel. Not only is it one of his more interesting recent films, the visual aesthetics are best appreciated in a theater.

Based on a book chronicling what was apparently the last sanctioned duel in medieval France, the film opens just as that fight to the death is beginning, a match between Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) and Jacques le Gris (Adam Driver). Then the story flashes back to the events leading up to it. Jean and Jacque were once fellow knights and close friends, eventually becoming bitter enemies through a variety of circumstances. Despite his selfless loyalty to the king, Jean is essentially broke. With only his family name to offer, he marries Marguerite (Jodie Comer), mostly for the dowry of land from her father. 

However, the most valuable piece of land was already given to Count Pierre (Ben Affleck) to settle a debt. Pierre, in turn, gifted it to Jacques, who has since become the count’s squire, tax collector and most-trusted advisor. He’s also revealed to be a ruthless, self-serving womanizer. Worst yet, he becomes obsessed with Marguerite, and while Jean is away, Jacques forces his way into their house and rapes her. After she informs Jean what happened, he goes to the king and requests a duel to the death, which is ultimately granted.

Just horsing around.

This story is presented - as individual chapters - from three different points of view, Jean’s, Jacques’ and Marguerite’s. Going the Rashomon route is always a tricky task because one runs the risk of redundancy, but the film does a commendable job rendering all three POVs unique, each providing plot details that are either not included in the others, or the character’s recollection of events differs significantly. For example, the rape is depicted twice. To Jacques, it is a mutual moment of unbridled passion, while in Marguerite’s chapter, it’s violent and horrifying. Additionally, our perception of Jean changes throughout the film…from a tragic victim of circumstance, to a foolhardy rube, to a cold-blooded, unsympathetic husband whose reaction to Marguerite’s rape, in some ways, makes him worse than Jacques.

Speaking of which, The Last Duel is often deliberately incendiary. Despite the period setting, its themes are timely and none-too-subtle. If the viewer isn’t at-least a little enraged over the indignities and treatment suffered by Marguerite - and women, in general - they either haven’t been paying attention or their apathy knows no bounds. However, the narrative sometimes takes longer than necessary to get to the point. Despite handsome production design, impeccable attention to period detail and effective performances (though Damon sometimes seems out of his element), each chapter could’ve been shorn of 10-or-so minutes to reign in the running time. At two-and-a-half hours, a story this bleak can be exhausting. 

Still, even though some of its visual impact is diminished on smaller screens, The Last Duel is Ridley Scott's best film since The Martian. The climactic duel is a visceral, bloody tour de force, followed by a denouement that manages to be both satisfying and intentionally infuriating. It isn’t always a “fun” film, but it’s certainly worthwhile.

EXTRA KIBBLES

THE MAKING OF THE LAST DUEL - A lengthy and revealing behind-the-scenes documentary.