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Tag: Ric Roman Waugh

  • Movie Review: ‘Shelter’

    Jason Statham in 'Shelter'. Photo: Black Bear Pictures.
    Jason Statham in ‘Shelter’. Photo: Black Bear Pictures.

    Opening in theaters on January 30 is ‘Shelter,’ directed by Ric Roman Waugh and starring Jason Statham, Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Naomi Ackie, Daniel Mays, Bryan Vigier, and Bill Nighy.

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    Related Article: Jason Statham and Director Guy Ritchie to Reunite for ‘Viva La Madness’

    Initial Thoughts

    Jason Statham attends the UK Premiere of ‘Shelter’ at Cineworld Leicester Square on January 20, 2026 in London, England. Photo: StillMoving.Net for Black Bear.
    Jason Statham attends the UK Premiere of ‘Shelter’ at Cineworld Leicester Square on January 20, 2026 in London, England. Photo: StillMoving.Net for Black Bear.

    Jason Statham is the AC/DC of action movies: just as the legendary Australian band has made the same album 17 times, Statham makes more or less the same movie every year and portrays pretty much the same character each time out. Some, like ‘The Beekeeper,’ operate at a slightly higher level than the others – but we can’t quite say that about ‘Shelter.’

    Statham’s latest action thriller, directed by Ric Roman Waugh, doesn’t break the mold in any way but it also doesn’t quite deliver like some of the star’s better vehicles, spinning its tale in humdrum fashion with little surprises and almost none of the self-aware humor that has marked Statham’s best work.

    Story and Direction

    Ric Roman Waugh attends the UK Premiere of ‘Shelter’ at Cineworld Leicester Square on January 20, 2026 in London, England. Photo: StillMoving.Net for Black Bear.
    Ric Roman Waugh attends the UK Premiere of ‘Shelter’ at Cineworld Leicester Square on January 20, 2026 in London, England. Photo: StillMoving.Net for Black Bear.

    Opening in the Outer Hebrides off the coast of Scotland, ‘Shelter’ finds Statham playing – surprise, surprise – Michael Mason, a man looking to escape his past. An ex-Royal Marine, he hides out alone on a small island next to a defunct lighthouse, drinking his days away and accompanied only by his dog. A former colleague of his delivers supplies every week via trawler, delivered to Mason’s doorstep by Jessie (Bodhi Rae Breathnach), the man’s plucky niece who attempts to befriend Mason but is rudely rebuffed.

    All that changes when a storm capsizes the trawler and Mason springs into action to rescue Jessie. Forced to take care of her, he ventures across the channel on his own for supplies – and once at the local village, those omnipresent surveillance cameras pick up his face and send his image to MI6 (British intelligence) – only under a different name. But there are forces within the government itself – not always working together — that have a keen interest in locating Mason, sending strike teams after him and forcing him to not just take them all out like a toddler brushing his toy soldiers off the table, but to protect Jessie as well and try to get her out of the U.K.

    Ric Roman Waugh attends the UK Premiere of ‘Shelter’ at Cineworld Leicester Square on January 20, 2026 in London, England. Photo: StillMoving.Net for Black Bear.
    Ric Roman Waugh attends the UK Premiere of ‘Shelter’ at Cineworld Leicester Square on January 20, 2026 in London, England. Photo: StillMoving.Net for Black Bear.

    All the usual Statham pieces are in place: he’s a gruff man of few words and deadly moves who’s tormented by his past, he has to protect and/or rescue an innocent person, and his enemies have endless resources and supplies of redshirts to hurl at him. Yet what ‘Shelter’ is missing is a few good laughs here and there as well as a certain amount of energy. Director Ric Roman Waugh – who generated suspense and heart with ‘Greenland 2: Migration’ earlier this month – can’t seem to get this film out of first gear. The snarky Statham humor is almost completely absent, and the film’s drab visual esthetic – this is a movie submerged almost entirely in muted grays, browns, and greens – makes it unpleasant and enervating to look at.

    There are a few good fights (even if Waugh has some trouble tracking them) and Statham and Breathnach share a few moments of warmth and humanity. But the script offers little in the way of reveals or sudden twists (the film curiously feels like there should be a few more), we see the bad guys coming from a mile away (literally in some scenes) and while we end up rooting for our man as usual, it’s all half-hearted at best.

    Cast and Performances

    (L to R) Bill Nighy and Jason Statham in 'Shelter'. Photo: Black Bear Pictures.
    (L to R) Bill Nighy and Jason Statham in ‘Shelter’. Photo: Black Bear Pictures.

    There’s little to say about Jason Statham’s performance here that we haven’t said before. Even his most middling films benefit from his sturdy presence, and he handles the action scenes with his usual aplomb. There’s even a character arc of sorts this time out. But he’s better when he gently pokes fun at himself or the material, and ‘Shelter’ is too self-serious to let him really light up the screen.

    As for the rest of the cast, Bodhi Rae Breathnach shows some grit and confidence as Jessie, but the rest of the cast is merely functional. Naomi Ackie is wasted in a mostly expository role, while Bill Nighy and Arthur Booth go through their pre-ordained motions the best they can. Sadly, French stunt performer Bryan Vigier gets a raw deal as the appropriately named Workman, a killing machine clandestinely sent after Mason who turns out to be the blandest assassin we’ve seen onscreen in a while.

    Final Thoughts

    (L to R) Naomi Ackie in 'Shelter'. Photo: Black Bear Pictures.
    (L to R) Naomi Ackie in ‘Shelter’. Photo: Black Bear Pictures.

    No one expects great art out of Jason Statham; he’s a brand unto himself whose fans know what they’re getting and, for the most part, get it in satisfying fashion. He’s always watchable and is one of our few remaining action heroes who looks like he knows what he’s doing.

    But ‘Shelter’ never fully comes alive narratively or visually – even David Buckley’s synth-heavy score sounds lethargic – and is not as entertaining as the star’s best efforts. But hey, even AC/DC made a few mediocre albums, right?

    ‘Shelter’ receives a score of 55 out of 100.

    Jason Statham attends the UK Premiere of ‘Shelter’ at Cineworld Leicester Square on January 20, 2026 in London, England. Photo: StillMoving.Net for Black Bear.
    Jason Statham attends the UK Premiere of ‘Shelter’ at Cineworld Leicester Square on January 20, 2026 in London, England. Photo: StillMoving.Net for Black Bear.

    What is the plot of ‘Shelter’?

    On a remote coastal island, a reclusive man (Jason Statham) rescues a young girl (Bodhi Rae Breathnach) from a deadly storm, drawing them both into danger. Forced out of isolation, he must confront his turbulent past while protecting her, sending them on a tense journey of survival and redemption.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Shelter’?

    • Jason Statham as Michael Mason
    • Bodhi Rae Breathnach as Jessie
    • Bill Nighy as Steven Manafort
    • Naomi Ackie as Roberta Frost
    • Daniel Mays as Arthur Booth
    • Bryan Vigier as James Workman
    'Shelter' opens in theaters on January 30th.
    ‘Shelter’ opens in theaters on January 30th.

    List of Jason Statham Movies

    Buy Tickets: ‘Shelter’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Jason Statham Movies on Amazon

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  • Movie Review: ‘Greenland 2: Migration’

    (L to R) Gerard Butler as John Garrity, Morena Baccarin as Allison Garrity, and Roman Griffin Davis as Nathan Garrity in 'Greenland 2: Migration'. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
    (L to R) Gerard Butler as John Garrity, Morena Baccarin as Allison Garrity, and Roman Griffin Davis as Nathan Garrity in ‘Greenland 2: Migration’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

    Opening in theaters on January 9 is ‘Greenland 2: Migration,’ directed by Ric Roman Waugh and starring Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, Roman Griffin Davis, Amber Rose Revah, William Abadie, Trond Fausa Aurvag, Sophie Thompson, Nelia Da Costa, and Tommie Earl Jenkins.

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    Related Article: Hayley Atwell and Gerard Butler to Star in New Thriller ‘Empire City’

    Initial Thoughts

    Gerard Butler as John Garrity in 'Greenland 2: Migration'. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
    Gerard Butler as John Garrity in ‘Greenland 2: Migration’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

    It’s hard to say what’s weirder: that a movie with the word ‘Greenland’ in the title is coming out right now during the current geopolitical crisis, that the movie is a sequel to a surprise COVID-era hit, or that the film it’s following is one of Gerard Butler’s better efforts.

    Nevertheless, ‘Greenland 2: Migration’ is here, and we can tell you that it’s a worthy successor to the original Ric Roman Waugh-directed action disaster movie. Gerard Butler is back, of course, with his now-perfected balance of gruff hyper-competence and jarring vulnerability, and the film is the kind of fast-moving, no-nonsense afternoon-filler that Roland Emmerich wishes he could make.

    Story and Direction

    (L to R) Gerard Butler as John Garrity, Morena Baccarin as Allison Garrity, Amber Rose Revah as Dr. Casey Amina, and Roman Griffin Davis as Nathan Garrity in 'Greenland 2: Migration'. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
    (L to R) Gerard Butler as John Garrity, Morena Baccarin as Allison Garrity, Amber Rose Revah as Dr. Casey Amina, and Roman Griffin Davis as Nathan Garrity in ‘Greenland 2: Migration’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

    2020’s ‘Greenland’ was a tense, surprisingly emotional actioner in which Butler’s John Garrity, a structural engineer, is selected along with his family for emergency sheltering when it’s learned that a comet will pancake into the Earth in two days. The clan must make their way to an underground bunker in the title country, but even though they survive, the impact of Clarke — as the comet is dubbed — wipes out most of human civilization.

    ‘Greenland 2: Migration’ picks up five years later and jiggers the continuity a little: while the first film ended on a sad but cautiously hopeful note, ‘Migration’ finds the community in the bunker running out of food and resources while pieces of Clarke still fall from the sky, causing earthquakes, lava flows, bad air, and radioactive storms. There are rumors that the original impact crater in the south of France has become not just habitable, but is flourishing (due to some wonky, hand-waving science), although reports of war between the remnants of Europe and Asia make clear information hard to come by.

    When one of those storms takes out the bunker for good, the Garritys decide to make their way to France and see if the stories about the Clarke crater are true. They and a small band of steadily dwindling survivors make their way in a boat across the Atlantic to a submerged Liverpool, and from there it’s onto London and beyond by whatever means possible. Along the way, the Garritys encounter both the best and worst of humanity on their presumed road to salvation, while we also discover that John is hiding a secret of his own.

    (L to R) Gerard Butler as John Garrity and Roman Griffin Davis as Nathan Garrity in 'Greenland 2: Migration'. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
    (L to R) Gerard Butler as John Garrity and Roman Griffin Davis as Nathan Garrity in ‘Greenland 2: Migration’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

    As with the original ‘Greenland,’ Waugh judiciously uses visual effects (some, like the submerged streets of Liverpool or a bent-over Eiffel Tower, are striking; others look a little too Volume-y) but keeps the focus on his human characters, which is what makes both movies work despite their familiar disaster movie beats. All the people in ‘Migration’ are recognizably human and doing what they think they must to survive, wrong or right. And it’s the very ordinary nature of John, his wife Allison (Morena Baccarin), and their now-teen son Nathan (Roman Griffin Davis, aging up from the first film’s Roger Dale Floyd) that keeps us engrossed in their story and fate, even as implausible as some of it seems.

    Even with the occasionally dodgy visuals and episodic script, the director consistently turns up the tension with his action set pieces, including a scary walk across a rope bridge and sudden bursts of violence from marauders, and the pace rarely flags, with the film even delivering a surprisingly moving conclusion. ‘Migration,’ like the 2020 original, knows exactly what kind of film it is, but aims a little higher nonetheless.

    Cast and Performances

    (L to R) Morena Baccarin as Allison Garrity, Gerard Butler as John Garrity and Roman Griffin Davis as Nathan Garrity in 'Greenland 2: Migration'. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
    (L to R) Morena Baccarin as Allison Garrity, Gerard Butler as John Garrity and Roman Griffin Davis as Nathan Garrity in ‘Greenland 2: Migration’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

    There isn’t a ton of character development here, but this is Gerard Butler doing what he does best, playing a beefy, working-class kind of guy who’s good at everything but not so tough that he doesn’t get scared or hurt. He’s in his element here as Garrity, and if you’re already a fan you’ll find his solid performance as comfortable as an old shoe.

    The always appealing Morena Baccarin (‘Deadpool & Wolverine’) does fine work here as the dutiful and resourceful Allison, while no one else really sticks around long enough to make much of an impression, save Sophie Thompson as a kindly friend they catch a break with in London and William Abadie as a Frenchman who comes to their aid at a critical moment.

    Final Thoughts

    Gerard Butler as John Garrity in 'Greenland 2: Migration'. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
    Gerard Butler as John Garrity in ‘Greenland 2: Migration’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

    What makes the ‘Greenland’ movies work are the fact that they’re centered on a single, relatable family, and that we see how humanity can both rise and fall without resorting to horror movie extremes (not that there’s anything wrong with those). No one’s going to mistake this for high cinema, but ‘Migration’ keeps its core elements in place while expanding its scope.

    At a time when it feels like 2026 is kicking off with the world on fire (and not even a comet to get the flames going), the heartfelt sensibility of this film and its predecessor will take your mind off real world problems for a couple of hours. Not bad for a movie about the end of human civilization.

    ‘Greenland 2: Migration’ receives a score of 77 out of 100.

    A scene from 'Greenland 2: Migration'. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
    A scene from ‘Greenland 2: Migration’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.

    What is the plot of ‘Greenland 2: Migration’?

    Ten years after the Clarke interstellar comet destroyed most of Earth, the Garrity family must leave the safety of the Greenland bunker and embark on a perilous journey across the wasteland of Europe to find a new home.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Greenland 2: Migration’?

    • Gerard Butler as John Garrity
    • Morena Baccarin as Allison Garrity
    • Roman Griffin Davis as Nathan Garrity
    • Amber Rose Revah as Dr. Casey Amina
    • William Abadie as Denis Laurent
    • Nelia Da Costa as Camille Laurent
    • Susan Eljack as Julia Laurent
    • Sophie Thompson as Mackenzie Matthews
    • Trond Fausa Aurvag as Adam Shaw
    • Tommie Earl Jenkins as General Sharpe
    'Greenland 2: Migration' opens in theaters on January 9th.
    ‘Greenland 2: Migration’ opens in theaters on January 9th.

    List of Gerard Butler Action Movies:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Greenland 2: Migration’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Gerard Butler Movies on Amazon

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  • Sylvester Stallone Back for ‘Cliffhanger’ Sequel

    Sylvester Stallone in 'Cliffhanger.'
    Sylvester Stallone in ‘Cliffhanger.’

    Producer Neal Moritz has been looking to do something with 1993 action thriller ‘Cliffhanger’ for years now. He announced way back in 2009 that he was looking to reboot the concept (enthused by the success of J.J. Abrams’ first ‘Star Trek’ movie.

    It has gone through different variations since then including the original plan to swap Sylvester Stallone’s sole hero for several younger climbers tackling peaks around the world, and a mysterious development from writer Joe Gazzam. Nothing, however, has come to fruition.

    Now, though, it looks like it could finally be on, as Sylvester Stallone is back to star, with ‘Hunters’ Mark Bianculli cracking the script and ‘Angel has Fallen’s Ric Roman Waugh in the director’s chair (or climbing harness?)

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    What was the story of the original ‘Cliffhanger’?

    Renny Harlin’s original movie proved that the ‘Die Hard’ formula needn’t necessarily be restricted to claustrophobic indoor settings, plonking mountain-rescue boy Stallone on the side of a snowy peak. Sly’s Gabe Walker was reluctantly trying to foil John Lithgow’s plan to recover $100m stolen from the US treasury and deposited in the Rockies after a mid-air transfer went somewhat awry. There were deaths by gun, gravity, drowning and stalactite. And it wasn’t all snow: there were caves too.

    Janine Turner and Sylvester Stallone in 'Cliffhanger.'
    (L to R) Janine Turner and Sylvester Stallone in ‘Cliffhanger.’

    Related Article: Sylvester Stallone Talks New Superhero Movie ‘Samaritan’

    Where will we find Gabe Walker this time?

    No one is saying what the actual plot of the new movie will be, save for Sly’s return. You just know, though, that the stakes (and probably the mountains) will be higher, and, we’d guess, there will be more on Walker’s team.

    But can it live up to the original’s iconic scene of Gabe letting someone slip through his fingers. Climbing’s a dangerous sport, so you’ve got to figure there’ll be a body count.

    Waugh said this about working on the new movie:

    “Growing up with the biggest action films of the 80s and 90s, working on many of them myself, ‘Cliffhanger’ was by far one of my favorite spectacles. To be at the helm of the next chapter, scaling the Italian Alps with the legend himself, Sylvester Stallone, is a dream come true. It’s going to be a great challenge and blast taking this franchise to new heights, a responsibility I don’t take lightly.”

    Moritz was also enthusiastic:

    “I’ll never forget the thrill I felt watching Sylvester Stallone in ‘Cliffhanger’. I am incredibly excited to be working with him and Ric Waugh to continue the story of Gabe Walker and introduce this iconic story to a new generation of filmgoers around the world.”

    Sly will produce this one and casting is now under way to find the actors to fill the roles around the leading man.

    Janine Turner and Sylvester Stallone in 'Cliffhanger.'
    (L to R) Janine Turner and Sylvester Stallone in ‘Cliffhanger.’

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Cliffhanger:’

    Buy Sylvester Stallone Movies On Amazon

  • Fear Does Crazy Things to Nikolaj Coster-Waldau of Game of Thrones in Shot Caller

    Nikolaj Coster-Waldau from Shot Caller
    Nikolaj Coster-Waldau from Shot Caller

    It may seem like a long, long way from the fantasy world of Westeros in “Game of Thrones” to the harsh realism of “Shot Caller,” but Nikolaj Coster-Waldau says a radical change in circumstances for anybody can happen in the blink of an eye.

    Coster-Waldau, best known as Jamie Lannister in the HBO hit, was drawn to the gritty drama “Shot Caller” by the tantalizing question of: What if a fatal DUI lands a good family man behind bars?

    “I thought it was a great script and a great story. I love those kinds of movies,” he tells Made in Hollywood reporter Patrick Stinson. “If I was in his shoes, what would I do?”

    In the case of “Shot Caller,” successful businessman Jacob Harlon – convicted of manslaughter in an accident that kills his friend – falls in with a gang, gets even longer time, ditches his family to protect them, and finds himself chased by the cops after he gets out.

    “When he gets in there, the first thing he sees is that another rookie inmate is raped,” Coster-Waldau explains. “That will put the fear in you. That’s the whole thing: this whole constant fear. You’re living in fear, and fear will make you do crazy things.”

    Director Ric Roman Waugh says anybody could relate to this man’s plight. “We all are guilty of bending the rules,” he says. “It could have been about having a couple of glasses of wine. It could have been texting and driving. It could have been about not paying attention, period. We take things for granted. How fast our lives could change.”

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