New Release Tuesday

Young Ender Wiggin is recruited by the International Military to lead the fight against the Formics, a genocidal alien race which nearly annihilated the human race in a previous invasion.  I have not read this book and this looks really underwhelming to me and Harrison Ford seems just as uninterested in the trailers.  Rental, maybe.

FX and AMC really do have the best shows on TV right now as they give whole season orders to shows and give an audience the chance to discover the show and let it grow.  I caught the pilot for this last year and was really intrigued by the idea of Russian agents infiltrating America as a young married couple, raising a family and then carrying out missions in the Reagan era.  It was a strong premise and I may have to marathon watch this to be caught up with season 2 which starts February 26.

After a collision with a shipping container at sea, a resourceful sailor finds himself, despite all efforts to the contrary, staring his mortality in the face.  Great looking role for Bob Redford and I thought the Oscar was his for the taking for this role.  This looks really good as I like the stories of people on a mission by themselves.

A lawyer finds himself in over his head when he gets involved in drug trafficking.  I am not sure what is wrong with Ridley Scott but his last few outings have not looked very good from the get go.  I don’t think even the cast can save this thing.

Warner Archives brings this re-release of a film that chronicles the life of T S Garp (Robin Williams), and his mother, Jenny (Glenn Close). Whilst Garp sees himself as a "serious" writer, Jenny writes a feminist manifesto at an opportune time, and finds herself as a magnet for all manner of distressed women.  This is a great movie as Robin Williams gets a small taste of drama here for the first time and John Lithgow is absolutely fabulous in this and it was directed by the late, great George Roy Hill (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting).

And the best for last...

With the help of an irreverent young sidekick, a bank robber gets his old gang back together to organize a daring new heist.  Absolutely great buddy bank heist flick.  Clint and Jeff Bridges are great together on the screen.  Also look for George Kennedy, Geoffrey Lewis, Catherine Bach, and Gary Busey!