The contemporary film follows a former Special Forces unit as they unite to take down a Colombian drug cartel — specifically its ruthless leader, Gabriel Lorea (Reynaldo Gallegos, “Logan”). Their clandestine operation is one of necessity for this band of brothers — who have struggled to adapt to pedestrian life. The group is led by Santiago “Pope” Garcia (Oscar Isaac, “Operation Finale”), now serving as a private military adviser in a cartel sting operation. Circumventing local agencies, Pope recruits former military buddies, Tom “Redfly” Davis (Ben Affleck, “Justice League”), William “Ironhead” Miller (Charlie Hunnam, “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword”), Ben Miller (Garrett Hedlund, “Mudbound”) and Francisco “Catfish” Morales (Pedro Pascal, “If Beale Street Could Talk”).

The team draws on Pope’s meticulous preparation for the job and heads into the jungle, using the intelligence of Yovanna (Adria Arjona “The Belko Experiment”), a young woman who’d been forced into Lorea’s camp and seeks to flee the country. Under Redfly’s guidance, the team scopes out Lorea’s compound and strikes. The bulk of the film follows their multi-leg plan to flee the continent and deposit the drug money into offshore accounts.

Where Boal and Chandor’s dialogue lags — in flat exchanges between the war vets as they grapple with their middling nine-to-five jobs — both the director and Vasyanov make up for it in gritty scenery and a tense raid sequence. To the latter, compelling radio communication, soldierly planning and inner conflict make a “safe house” invasion scene quite memorable. Again, this is not groundbreaking cinematic territory; and while the film stumbles a bit out of the gate, it’s the harrowing escape and survival measures that give the movie its identity, as the ex-soldiers traverse the thick rainforest and 11,000-foot peaks.

In many ways, Triple Frontier steers clear of “Sicario”-like territory, instead venturing closer to a “Lone Survivor”-“Savages” hybrid. Chandor’s guidance seems to bring some nuance to the plot, plus a few of his characters — including Pope, Ironehad and Catfish. Affleck stands tall as the seasoned leader, a struggling Florida real estate agent, but elements of his role and demeanor also seem to clash. Pascal’s character feels too underused, falling beneath Redfly and Pope’s careful watch. Yet the helicopter pilot and all-around tough guy is perhaps the most dynamic of the group.

With a comfortable two-hour runtime, Triple Frontier is visually sprawling but narratively constricted — bound to age-old genre tropes. Despite the shackles, though, Chandor amasses a likable gang poised to bring unsanctioned justice to the lawless depths of South America. Moviegoers can forgive the dialogue lapses and perhaps even anticlimactic beats during the film’s loud exit from the drug den. That’s because the other filmmaking techniques and the believable cast add what we can call the engaging fourth frontier.

The film truly finds itself as the team inadvertently lands in a South American coca field. From that point on — and upward into the Andes — the film makes for top-rate viewing.

So, as an ensemble, the group is one to be reckoned with. At the helm, Chandor amplifies many elements of a familiar genre. Behind the lens, Vasyanov works magic. Altogether, these factors coalesce into a watchable heist thriller. Don’t expect an Oscar-worthy effort here, but for an option on a Friday night Netflix binge, give this one a shot.

Carried by one of the more commanding female leads working today in Viola Davis (“Fences”), the film immediately captures a resonating theme of loss and individual persistence. The drama from its earliest point commits to being an urban crime thriller, set within a politically challenged and crime filled environment of Chicago, by following the events of a group of experienced thieves led by Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson, “The Commuter”) whose most daring attempt at relieving someone of their dirty money ultimately becomes their last as they are caught in the crossfire of bullets fired from the guns of a swarm of police.

Veronica Rawlings (Davis), wife of the leader of this brave group of criminals, finds herself in a compromising position when crime boss and local politician Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry, “Hotel Artemis”) informs her that her husbands deadly misdeed was at the expense of his own dirty money to the tune of $2 million dollars. Manning informs Rawlings that this debt has now fallen onto her, as he politely and uncharacteristically gifts Rawlings a month to return the amount to him before there will be deadly consequences.

While the film follows the group of widows attempting to cover this debt from this point forward which is comprised by Linda (Michelle Rodriguez, “The Fate of the Furious”), Alice (Elizabeth Debicki, “The Cloverfield Paradox”) and later Belle (Cynthia Erivo, “Bad Times at the El Royale”), McQueen and co-writer Gillian Flynn, seem downright obsessed with the corrupt political angle of the story. This politically charged portion of the film takes away from its thriller roots and comes off as half-hearted and even forced at times as we view a battle between Manning and career politician Jack Mulligan (Colin Farrell, “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”), as they both set their sights on political office within the city.

Some may argue this pivot gives Widows a complimentary backdrop of cultural implications; one could also argue that it is at best a side-note to a film which nearly begs for more character depth and progression. Outside of Davis’ performance as Rawlings, one may find it hard to identify or even find some of the films characters relevant to the films ultimate goals. For example the performance of Daniel Kaluuya (“Get Out”) as Jatemme Manning, Jamal’s brother, comes across as unwarranted and embarrassingly cliché. One has to wonder what this spectacular cast could have done with stronger character development.

Fortunately for McQueen, what he lacks in his characters he makes up for in pacing and directing prowess. He makes the audience care about these people not by their traits and decisions, but by how he presents them and their conflicts. His camera movement and fly on the wall style of directing isn’t necessarily innovative, but it gives this film a sense of stylized handling that gives the plot the stakes that the characters do not provide.

By the film’s end, audiences will either find themselves satisfied with the stylistic elements and performative subtleties of the overall production or think of the film as an unoriginal story with unimpressive roles (except Davis’) in an eye-grabbing wrapper. By no stretch of the imagination is this film terrible, but nor is it as good as it could have been. Widows simply leaves much to be desired in regards to its writing and characters which takes away from the detailed directing that McQueen provides.

Jonny (Finn Wittrock, “La La Land”) is the more dazzling one of the two, still stuck in his old criminal ways, his mind consistently hovering over his next money-making scheme. Ruth (Rachel Keller, “Legion” TV series) on the other hand, has tried to move on from her past, loving her job as interim head of admissions at a fancy all-girls school. After years apart, the two run into each other again at the funeral of the man they call Coach, who was an important parental figure in both their lives, more so for Ruth. In an effort to remain a more permanent part of her life, Jonny literally breaks into her home, with the argument that if she didn’t want him to, she would have used better locks and wouldn’t make it quite so accessible for him. Jonny’s behavior here is a bit worrisome, since it gives the impression that if a woman doesn’t want a man in her life, this is because he is not being insistent enough. The saving grace is the mutuality of the love shared, since it becomes clear that Ruth’s decision to stay away from Jonny is not because her feelings are not there, but due to the idea that he is the symbolic representation of a life she is trying to leave behind.

When Write When You Get Work focuses on the love story between the two, this is where it shines. Unfortunately, those moments aren’t many, since the second act involves a heist of sorts, with Nan Noble (Emily Mortimer, “Shutter Island”) coming into the picture. She is the perfect target — isolated (she and her husband aren’t very well-liked) and vulnerable since the lifestyle that she has grown accustomed to might be going away because of her husband’s criminal activities. There are weird, intimate moments between Jonny and Nan, which I think is mainly there to highlight her vulnerability. She is no longer trusting her husband, and chooses to trust a stranger instead, though she has no idea who he is. There is definite commentary on the lives of the rich here, where Jonny being a part of the spaces the rich inhabit is why Nan decides to “invest” in him. There is superficiality to the relationships formed in these spaces, where people aren’t really close or intimate, and can spend time with each other despite not being fond of one another. The community of those not as well-off are painted in contrast, with everyone who spent their childhood together still hanging out and heavily involved in each other’s lives.

This is the realization Ruth comes to at the end, where trying to be better or make a difference does not necessarily mean a denial of the world that you came from. So in the end the rich get their just desserts, and Jonny and Ruth get their happy ending. It feels all too convenient and Robin Hood-esque, almost too fantastical for a movie that has dwelled on the realness of life for the bulk of its duration. Or maybe all we really need is love, and I am far too much of a cynic to appreciate that.

Eddie (Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”) and Paul (Ben Schwartz, “The Intervention”) are on parole and working in New York. While they go about their stagnant lives, Katherine (Phoebe Fox, “Eye in the Sky”) offers a large sum of money to steal a package while it is in transit in London. Traveling to England, they pull together a motley crew of thieves and manage to steal the package, but a serious goof causes complications when accepting payment. These complications reveal Katherine’s actual employer (Peter Polycarpou, “Cleanskin”), and due to his unwillingness to pay for the completed job, they are now after the thieves’ lives. While pursued by several wacky mob enforcers and backed into a corner, the gang tries to set up one more job to get back and make good.

Every solitary moment of this film oozes with influence from the likes of Guy Ritchie, Danny Boyle, Shane Black, and Quentin Tarantino. Though that is not a criticism in and of itself (nor is it something I can obviously prove), the major issue is that significant elements throughout Blue Iguana feel like they were completely carbon-copied from “Snatch,” “Trainspotting,” “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” and “Jackie Brown,” without making many of those borrowed aspects fit this story. As a result, the conflicting narrative styles present in Hajaig’s feature are so extreme that when the film shifts gears, segues are near-nonexistent, and dynamic character arcs are absent entirely. It’ll jump from a over-the-top slapstick bit, to a running food gag, then to blood gushing violence, all in the same scene. True, the distance in the extremes very well could have been intentional, given the loony premise, characters and the constant self-referential attitude, so that’s debatable. However, it just didn’t seem to work for me in this instance.

While the aforementioned running themes and tropes conflict and batter each other about, that isn’t to say that this film is without serious merit. Ian Howes’ gliding cinematography manages to give even the most lackluster drama a vibrant visual experience, which blends together almost seamlessly with Hajaig and Pierre Haberer’s bombastic editing. Though, it should be said that their editorial flourish feels a little too close at times to Jonathan Amos and Paul Machliss’ cut for “Baby Driver,” as there were many times throughout where the background music dictated every aspect of the scene. This all buttresses the performances, of which Schwartz, Fox, Polycarpou, and Peter Ferdinando (“King Arthur: Legend of the Sword”) are the biggest standouts. Most disappointing is Rockwell, who gives such a subdued performance as compared to even minor characters, that it feels as if he isn’t trying at all. Again, this could have been intentional, considering how much more down-to-earth the character is in general, but it never impresses as a definitive decision.

There are many hilarious aspects at work here, and there is enough creativity and technical know-how awash throughout the film to keep audiences pinned to their seats. However, though there are moments of impressive polish that brim with snappy dialogue and technical innovation, enough to garnering several small laughing fits, Blue Iguana remains a relatively okay comedic experience that lack the uniqueness and bite of the films it seeks to emulate.

There is no doubt co-writer/director Gary Ross’ (“The Hunger Games”) glossy reboot is stylish and slick with its star-studded main female cast boasting three Academy Award-winning actresses (Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side,” Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine,” and Anne Hathaway, “Les Misérables”) and a recycled foundation of an imagined heist story stretching back to the heyday of Frank Sinatra in the early 1960s to George Clooney in the early 2000s. Rounding out his X-chromosome charged, comedy crime vehicle, Ross enlists TV darling Mindy Kaling, acclaimed actress Sarah Paulson, singing sensations Rihanna and Awkwafina, and Oscar nominee, Helena Bonham Carter to lend a manicured hand.

Bullock stars as Debbie Ocean, the ex-con sister of the allegedly late Danny Ocean (George Clooney’s character from “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Ocean’s Twelve” and “Ocean’s Thirteen”). In the aftermath of her incarceration, Debbie decides to get back into the swindling racket for a grand payoff. The payoff in question: Stealing an elusive $150 million Cartier necklace and, as an added bonus, exacting revenge on her double-crossing, duplicitous ex-lover Claude Becker (Richard Armitage, “Alice Through the Looking Glass”).

Once Debbie reunites with her well-dressed and kooky partner-in-crime Lou (Blanchett), the assembling of the crew is a drawn-out affair that methodically parades a who’s who of her cunning comrades. Nine Ball (Rihanna, “Battleship”) is the team’s handy computer hacker. Tammy (Paulson, “The Post”) acts as a stolen goods expert when not toiling as a suburban wife and mother. Amita (Kaling, “The Night Before”) is the resident jewelry maker of the group. Rose Weil (Bonham Carter, “The King’s Speech”) is the fashion designer on stand-by. Constance (Awkwafina, “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising”) is a skateboarding artist versed in trickery. Finally, spoiled actress Daphne Kluger (Hathaway) is utilized as the key source in making the switch of the aforementioned jewelry from the Met Gala.

Granted that Ocean’s 8 has its moments of exuberance in terms of its glitzy aura of exotic settings, eye-popping costumes and outfits, impish adventurous shenanigans and cameos laced with veteran performers such as film series’ crossover Elliott Gould (he returns as Reuben Tishkoff). Plus, the stunt casting of a mixture of A-lister actresses, singers and comediennes in this flashy spectacle is a welcomed novelty to a certain extent. However, Ross’ exploration into the “Ocean” universe, particularly with heavy hitters such as Bullock featured at the helm, should have been more engaging and penetrating. Reasonably, the film is atmospheric in its lighthearted wit and tension, but we never get a distinctive feeling of suspense or charm that wildly differentiates from the male-dominated Steven Soderbergh-directed films other than the angle that these pretty mischievous misfits are out to perfect a hustle against New York’s most famous.

Bullock’s Ocean and her on-screen cohorts collectively seem to have a bouncy blast, but the summertime showcase does not offer much in the way of originality. Sure, Ocean’s 8 has an instant gratification of cheekiness that is somewhat enjoyable in the moment. Too bad co-writers Ross and Olivia Milch can only muster up a spotty heist blockbuster that can’t creatively match the shine of the diamond necklace Debbie Ocean and her sticky finger associates want to abscond so strategically.

The basic story is that of a bank heist in a small town in Connecticut. Nicolas Cage (“Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance”) plays the this-close-to-retirement cop partnered with a good guy who’s married to Cage’s character’s daughter, who’s just discovered she’s pregnant. Cage and partner MacAvoy (Dwayne Cameron, “Nice Package”) spot an SUV parked in a handicapped spot, and when they approach the illegally parked vehicle, all heck breaks loose. Adding to the chaos is the fact that the duo have been saddled with a ride-along named Kenny (Michael Rainey Jr., “Barbershop: The Next Cut”), who’s there only because he socked some bully at school.

Oh, and the bank robbers? Just the typical ex-special-ops soldiers with grudges, out to right a wrong with extreme prejudice. We learn this in the first scene, which provides the most interesting action in the movie, as the unit’s former commander or lawyer or something, who has just snagged millions of dollars electronically, is nabbed by said unit, whom said commander left for dead somewhere when things got hot. That whole scene sets up the heist and yet is infinitely more interesting than the heist itself.

The motivation for the robbers is nice information, but it’s ultimately not necessary information for the viewer to have. The tagline for 211 is that it’s a cross between “End of Watch” and “Black Hawk Down.” So obviously the robbery is the focus here. Four heavily armed banditos with a plan storm into this small-town bank, where their lawyer/commander/whoever stashed some of the funds he apparently owed them. Their plan: Take hostages, take money, shoot guns, and then leave. I mean, that’s about it. It’s not a complex plan, and I applaud them for keeping it simple, but it didn’t seem like they had a clear exit strategy (kind of like the US involvement in the Middle East, am I right?).

Back to Cage. So of course it’s his last days before semi-forced retirement. And of course his partner is married to his (Cage’s) daughter (Sophie Skelton, “Day of the Dead: Bloodline”). And of course the daughter is pregnant. Those contrivances don’t mean Cage is going to just delivered a half-assed performance! No, he’s going to full ass this one. I saw a lot of cheesy movies just like this in the 1980s. The acting in those movies, while not very good, would still outpace the acting here. This isn’t just mailing it in, this is shipping it via a container boat across the Pacific. There’s even the spectacle of a hyper, stressed Cage screaming that his “son is dead,” even though in the movie he doesn’t have a son. I mean, he has a son in law, but he wasn’t dead. Or maybe he was referring, obliquely, to his unborn grandson? Also not dead, but maybe if . . . Oh, never mind. I’m twisting myself into knots trying to find logic in a parallel universe where logic never even visits.

211 is a pretty abysmal film. Even the action scenes are pretty tame and uncreative. The acting veers from wooden to unhinged. It’s so bad that it’s no fun to watch at all, even as an instructive guide on how to make a crappy movie.