Freeze Frame

KKFI 90.1 FM Kansas City Community Radio
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  • FILM HISTORY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Freeze Frame is a weekly show reviewing the latest movies from Hollywood’s best to independent and arthouse movies.

  1. 5D AGO

    Freeze Frame: "Animal Farm" (PG), "Deep Water" (R), "Swapped" (PG)

    George Orwell's classic totalitarian critique "Animal Farm" gets a dumbed-down animated big screen incarnation. Yes, the pigs take over the farm, but the metaphors don't fly. The all-star voice cast includes Seth Rogan, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin and Woody Harrelson but their efforts are for naught. Screenwriter Nicholas Stoller and director Andy Serkis deserve some credit for trying a new approach, but this so-called modernized version of “Animal Farm” isn't for adults who revere Orwell or for kids who couldn’t care less. Here's one that won't be shown on airlines anytime soon. "Jaws" meets "Airport" in "Deep Water," the story of a loaded passenger flight that crashes into -you guessed it- shark infested waters. Aaron Eckhart and Sir Ben Kingsley are the captains who accidentally serve up a smorgasbord for hungry carnivores along with the typical disaster movie cliches. If the premise sounds familiar, another movie called “No Way Up” came out two years ago with a nearly identical plot. While it’s overly familiar, director Renny Harlin's opus “Deep Water” is impressively filmed. It ain’t deep, but disaster movie fans won’t mind. Producer John Lasseter may no longer be at Pixar, but his creative fingerprints are all over the wildly imaginative Netflix animated fantasy, "Swapped." Michael B. Jordan and Juno Temple provide the voices of a mammal and a bird who magically swap bodies in a fantastical woodland area. Their experiences change their perspectives, proving that differences are good and that working together makes life better for everyone. It's smart and beautifully animated. "Swapped" is a family film in the best sense, providing thoughtful entertainment that can be enjoyed by all age groups.

    2 min

  2. APR 23

    Freeze Frame: "Michael" (PG-13), "Apex" (R), "Desert Warrior" (R), "Fuze" (R)

    If you're looking for an in-depth, warts-and-all biopic about the King of Pop, keep looking. If you want a slick, entertaining reenactment of some great music, then "Michael" is the movie for you. Jaafar Jackson is fine portraying his famous uncle Michael Jackson in this family-sanctioned overview of the first 20 years of Jackson's career. The movie seesaws between Jackson's relationship with his abusive dad, played by Coleman Domingo, and his electric stage performances. Keep your expectations low and the volume on high. From "The Most Dangerous Game" to "The Hunt,” there have been a lot of movies about humans hunting humans. The newest entry in this subgenre is the Netflix thriller, "Apex." Oscar-winner Charlize Theron plays an adventurer on a solo outing in the remote Australian wilderness who becomes the target of a deranged hunter, played by Taron Egerton. Director Baltasar Kormakur puts his stars through the ringer as he stages some impressive action sequences in this cat-and-mouse action flick. While more than competent, "Apex" has a grisly ugliness that can be a bit hard to stomach. “Desert Warrior” is a historical action flick that desperately wants to be “Lawrence of Arabia,” but falls somewhat short. Anthony Mackie plays a bandit who aids a princess caught between warring tribes in 7th century Arabia. It’s well made but uninspired. “Fuze” is a taut, twisty British caper movie. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James and Sam Worthington star in a thriller about thieves who use the discovery of an unexploded WWII-era bomb in London’s Paddington district as a distraction for an elaborate bank heist. “Fuze” won’t light any fires but is a zippy bit of escapism.

    2 min

  3. APR 17

    Freeze Frame: "Lee Cronin's The Mummy" (R), "The Christophers" (R), "Balls Up" (R)

    The grisly body horror flick "Lee Cronin's The Mummy" owes a lot more to "The Exorcist" than Boris Karloff or Brendan Fraser. A little girl goes missing and, eight years later, she's discovered to be alive and possessed by an ancient Egyptian demon. There are some effectively scary moments, but the movie is overlong and over reliant on gruesome makeup effects. Writer/director Lee Cronin had success reviving the “Evil Dead” franchise, but this one should have remained buried. Let's hope it’s a wrap on this version of The Mummy. If you want to see two brilliant actors go toe-to-toe, the sly comedy "The Christophers" is the movie for you. Sir Ian McKellen and Michaela Cole star in the tale of a once famous painter now living as a virtual hermit who makes a little cash doing personalized Cameo videos. The painter’s estranged children hire a woman to pose as his assistant and forge his unfinished paintings so that they can sell them upon his death. James Corden and Jessica Gunning are effectively churlish as the offspring. Director Stephen Soderberg continues to expand his reach with “The Christophers,” a funny, smart and engaging movie. It's good to try to find something positive in even the worst movies, but there's nothing remotely redeeming in the criminally atrocious Amazon Prime comedy, "Balls Up." Mark Wahlberg and Paul Walter Hauser play employees of a condom company who ruin a World Cup soccer game in Brazil and go on the run from angry fans. Not only is it not funny, but it’s also intended to offend. “Balls Up” is certainly successful on that count. Director Peter Farrelly should have his Oscar for "Green Day" revoked.

    2 min

  4. APR 10

    Freeze Frame: "Hamlet" (R), "Outcome" (R), "Thrash" (R)

    The latest cinematic treatment of Shakespeare's "Hamlet' tries an interesting new angle, placing the action among the Southeast Asian community of contemporary London. Riz Ahmed gives a strong performance in the title role, and fine turns are provided by Morfydd Clark as Ophelia, Timothy Spall as Polonius and Art Malik as Claudius. But some of the power of The Bard's poetry is lost when rushed or mumbled to give it a more edgy feel. This "Hamlet" is a respectable mixed bag. Keanu Reeves stars in a caustic Hollywood sendup, the Apple TV satire, "Outcome." Reeves plays Reef Hawk, a movie star who is being blackmailed by strangers with an incriminating video tape. His best friends played by Cameron Diaz and Matt Bomer, offer moral support but no answers. Reef turns to his crisis lawyer, played by Jonah Hill who also wrote and directed this black comedy, who instructs him to apologize to everyone he may have offended over the years. While it's sometimes very funny and hits some deserving showbiz targets, it paints a bleak picture that's frankly uncomfortable to watch. "Outcome" is like George Clooney’s recent flick "Jay Kelly," but with a meaner edge. Does the Netflix thriller "Thrash" qualify for "So bad, it's good?" status? Even though this “’Jaws’ meets ‘Hurricane’” mashup has many laughable moments, the answer is decidedly, "No." Phoebe Dynevor and Djimon Hounsou star in the tale of a storm surge that pushes ravenous sharks far inland. The man-eaters terrorize the residents of a storm drenched coastal community. "Thrash" is no "Sharknado." It’s better than that camp classic, but not as funny. “Thrash” just bites.

    2 min

  5. APR 3

    Freeze Frame: "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" (PG), "The Drama" (R), "A Great Awakening" (PG-13)

    In 2023, the animated comedy "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" took in over a billion dollars at the box office and became the biggest video game adaptation ever. Naturally, a sequel has arrived. "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" offers more of the same. Same players, same game inspired goofiness and the same strengths and weaknesses. Once again, the intrepid Italian plumbers are called upon to save Princess Peach from Bowser and his son Bowser, Jr. The visuals are duly impressive, but the plot of “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” may evaporate from your memory faster than a Mario power-up. The scenario of "The Drama" is designed to make you squirm. On that count, it's very successful. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson play a couple who learn very uncomfortable truths about each other on the cusp of their wedding. Writer/director Kristoffer Borgli examines some very intriguing themes and the players are fine, including Alana Haim in a pivotal supporting role. But there may be moments while watching the excruciating movie “The Drama” that you'll want to scream, "Hey, people, get some counseling!" The well produced faith-based historical drama "A Great Awakening" tells the story of the Calvinist preacher George Whitefield, his friendship with Benjamin Franklin and his effect on the American Revolution that occurred in tandem with an evangelical revival. Jonathan Blair as Whitefield and John Paul Sneed as Franklin give earnest performances in this impassioned biopic. While it glosses over some of controversial aspects of Whitefield's life and his debatable positions, it's a thoughtful, well-acted and sometimes moving account aimed at a receptive Christian audience.

    2 min

  6. MAR 27

    Freeze Frame: "A Magnificent Life" (PG-13), "Andre is an Idiot" (R), "Mike and Nick and Nick and Alice" (R)

    The story of acclaimed French writer and filmmaker Marcel Pagnol is depicted through animation in the unconventional biopic, "A Magnificent Life." Directed by Sylvain Chomet of “The Triplets of Bellville” fame, it’s a colorful overview of Pagnol’s life, from his childhood through his adult years focusing on his artistic and commercial successes…and failures. While mildly interesting, “A Magnificent Life” lacks the passion of any of Pagnol's classic movies. The extremely raw and edgy R-rated documentary "Andre is an Idiot" was the audience winner at this year's Sundance Film Festival. It's easy to see why. A free-spirited iconoclast named André Ricciardi decides to make a documentary of his battle with terminal colon cancer. He and his family and friends handle it with a lot of raw humor...and a bit of denial. “Andre is an Idiot” is cleverly made and surprisingly touching given how utterly irreverent and profane it is. The Hulu time-travel action comedy "Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice" fails to live up to the promise of its intriguing premise. Vince Vaughn plays Nick, a mob enforcer who inadvertently hitches a ride in a time machine and winds up trying to save his wife Eiza Gonzales and fellow mobster James Marsden from being killed...by an earlier version of himself. The timeline gets twisted into knots and the bloody violence and crude humor quickly gets tiresome. The talented cast members try hard, but they are essentially wasted. If you wind up watching “Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice,” you may wish you could go back in time and skip it.

    2 min

  7. MAR 20

    Freeze Frame: "Project Hail Mary" (PG-13), "Tow" (R), "The Pout-Pout Fish" (PG), "Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man" (R)

    You can have all the great special effects and cute aliens you can muster, but without the charisma and star power of Ryan Gosling, the sci-fi opus "Project Hail Mary" would drift aimlessly into space. Gosling plays a science teacher who reluctantly becomes an astronaut and attempts to save our sun from a bizarre destructive force. While in deep space, he encounters an unlikely ally. While it's overlong and repetitive, "Project Hail Mary" is still an engaging crowd pleaser. Rose Byrne stars in the comic drama "Tow," the true story of a homeless woman trying to rebuild her life. Things took a hellish turn when the vehicle she was sleeping in was towed and she endured a long and excruciating legal fight to reclaim it. While it deals with serious issues, "Tow" takes a lighter tone with its treatment of David vs. Goliath social themes. There are family films and then there are movies for the kids only. "The Pout-Pout Fish" falls into the latter category. It's a harmless animated tale based on the picture books by Deborah Diesen about a depressed fish who discovers his cheery side after an adventure with a cute sea dragon. Toddlers may smile. Parents may snooze. "Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man" is a Netflix feature film that’s a continuation of the popular series. Cillian Murphy is back as Tommy Shelby, the gang leader suffering from spiritual despair, who is forced out of retirement to reclaim his place as head of his gypsy crime family and save Britain from a Nazi threat. It's a good thing that those criminals are so darn patriotic. Terrific performers and solid British production values elevate this WWII era melodrama.

    2 min

  8. MAR 13

    Freeze Frame: "Reminders of Him" (PG-13), "Undertone" (R), "War Machine" (R)

    "Cohorts," the loyal followers of bestselling author Colleen Hoover, have been anxiously awaiting the cinematic adaptation of her latest novel, "Reminders of Him." They likely won't be disappointed. Maika Monroe gives a strong performance as a young woman recently released from prison after serving time for involuntary manslaughter. She returns to her hometown in hopes of meeting her daughter who was taken from her at birth and begins a romantic relationship with bar owner Tariq Withers. “Reminders of Him” is as predictable, calculated and manipulative as you might expect, but the committed cast is solid. Bring the Kleenex. The horror entry "Undertone" is billed as "The Scariest Movie You'll Ever Hear." That's because the gimmick is its unique audio approach. Nina Kiri plays one of the hosts of a podcast about the paranormal. She begins losing her grip on reality when listening to ghastly audio mysteriously sent to her co-host. "Undertone" is the very definition of "slow burn"...but in this case it's too slow. Granted, “Undertone” builds to a creep-inducing climax but takes too long to get there. Take an Army training drama and throw in invading Transformer-style robots from outer space, and you have the new Netflix action thriller, "War Machine." Alan Ritchson from TV's "Reacher" plays an Army Staff Sergeant training for an elite Army Ranger regiment. During a training exercise, an alien machine begins killing off the recruits. The whole thing is pretty silly and there's a lot of R-rated carnage. Still, there may be just enough action and mayhem in "War Machine" to appeal to your inner 13-year-old.

    2 min
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Ratings & Reviews

3.3
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Freeze Frame is a weekly show reviewing the latest movies from Hollywood’s best to independent and arthouse movies.

Information

  • Creator
    KKFI 90.1 FM Kansas City Community Radio
  • Years Active
    2013 - 2026
  • Episodes
    303
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © KKFI 90.1 FM Kansas City Community Radio
  • Show Website
    Freeze Frame