Film Clips: December 12, 2024

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Blue Christmas

(MVD Visual Blu-ray)

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol keeps recycling through pop culture. Witness Blue Christmas (2024), set in a jazzy impression of mobbed-up Chicago on Christmas Eve 1942. It’s a noir spoof starring a cynical PI, Richard Stone, who bribed his way past the draft board and peddles black market turkeys for the holiday feast. He’s visited by the shackled ghost of his dead partner, Jake Marley, followed by a procession of specters. There are no Humphrey Bogarts or Mary Astors in this cast; the mood is light—a holiday punch with a pinch of rum. (David Luhrssen)

Kraven the Hunter

(In Theaters Dec. 13)

With Marvel Comics spreading its wealth around to competing studios, Sony acquired the rights to the “Spider-Man Universe,” aka “The SSU.” This includes “Venom” and “Morbius,” anti-heroes who exhibit a combination of good and evil traits. Kraven (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) fits nicely.

He’s the estranged son of ruthless crime lord Nikolai Kravinoff (Russell Crowe). Kraven’s upbringing has given him the capacity to become the ultimate hunter. He specializes in hunting people and plans to hunt Spider-Man. This chapter claims to be Kraven’s origin story. Sony released the film’s first eight minutes as a trailer. It’s a solid action-packed sequence that displays Kraven’s formidable talents. For those tiring of superpowers, Kraven hasn’t any. Instead, he possesses an affinity to kill using any handy implement as a weapon. His command of mixed martial arts and Parkour are top notch.

J. C. Chandor directs the R-rated feature with a vision that yields exciting, coherent action. Budgeted at $130 million, the film also stars Ariana DeBose as Kraven’s love interest and Fred Hechinger as Kraven’s estranged half brother; a master of disguise. Christopher Abbott portrays a formidable assassin, and just to remind us Marvel hasn’t forgotten its superpowers, Alessandro Nivola plays a Russian mercenary who transforms into a human-rhino hybrid. (Lisa Miller)

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

(In Theaters Dec. 13)

Hand-drawn anime defines this prequel to “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Directed by Kenji Kamiyama and clocking in at 130 minutes, it lacks the spell-binding power of Peter Jackson’s films. Miranda Otto returns to narrate what will be a war for dominion over Rohan. Here, those lands are ruled by Helm Hammerhand (voice of Brian Cox), a great horse-master king. He’s partial to daughter Héra (entoned by Gaia Wise), despite having two capable sons. She’s incredibly brave and is a gifted horsewoman who’s the friend of a giant eagle.

All is well until a rival demands that Héra marry his son Wulf (Luke Pasqualino). Héra refuses to comply with what her father perceives to be a bid to ascend his throne. Angry and humiliated, Wulf leads a battle to take Rohan by force. Visually striking, this adventure is drawn from one of J.R.R. Tokien’s appendices and focuses on Héra’s heroic efforts to protect their kingdom. Alas, she joins an all-too predictable PC formula, even if this saga is meant to bridge the gap between Jackson’s “Rings” trilogy and his forthcoming The Hunt for Gollum.