The Bye Bye Man PG-13
After three college students encounter an evil spirit, they learn it’s called “The Bye Bye Man,” but it’s too late when they discover that saying his name is a death warrant. Wearing the Grim Reaper’s black cloak, the Bye Bye Man is able to alter reality, creating delusions that cause his victims to kill themselves…or others. Can these young people circumvent the spirit’s mind control? “Don’t say it, don’t think it...” is the film’s catchphrase. If the film is as silly as it looks, moviegoers will add “...don’t see it.”
Monster Trucks PG
Tripp Coley (Lucas Till) is a teenager living in a small town, scavenging parts for the old truck he’s rebuilding from a junkyard. While working on his vehicle, Tripp discovers a large subterranean creature has taken up residence in its engine. Able and willing to power Tripp’s truck in return for the gasoline he loves to consume, the creature, which Tripp names “Creech,” needs to escape the story’s villain (Rob Lowe), intent upon capturing the creature at any cost. Past Paramount president, Adam Goodman, conceived this film with his 4-year-old son. It’s best Goodman now works for China’s Le Vision Pictures and won’t be presiding over this clunker.
Sleepless R
Corrupt cop Vincent Downs (Jamie Foxx) is accused of stealing a drug lord’s cocaine. To get his drugs back, the gangster kidnaps Vincent’s son. The action plays out in Las Vegas where Vincent must elude a tough internal affairs cop (Michelle Monaghan), rescue his son and bring the mobster to justice. This remake is based on the 2011 European thriller, Sleepless Night (Nuit Blanche), which received a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. A comparable score is unlikely here, although Foxx knows his way around the action genre. Meanwhile, the Indian movie industry released its own remake in 2015.
