Movie Stakeout Reviews 18/07/20-24/07/20

All the latest Movieland investigations from detectives Dick Japowski and Joey Arizona.

The Arizona Case Files
The Adventures of the American Rabbit (1986)
A young rabbit discovers he's destined to be a star-spangled superhero, and quickly gets caught up with a jackal biker gang running a protect racket.
This was an often rented movie as a young detective, it's not fast-paced or action packed, but it is pretty wholesome. There's also a lot to be said for nostalgia.
Rewatch: 2.5 Doughnuts

Dick Japowski on your Case
Sweetheart (2019)
This one came in hot from Stakeout's own sweetheart, Mr Trist, and what a doozy it was!..
A girl is washed up on a tropical paradise but instead of Bounty's and Lilt she instead finds fear and mental anguish!
As is usual, the less you know before going in the better, but this is a Blumhouse production so that's good currency!
It gave me my daily required dose of chills.
First watch: 4 Doughnuts

The Arizona Game Files
Ratchet & Clank (2016)
A talented but over enthusiastic mechanic dreams of becoming a space ranger, and when a robot falls from the sky warning of impending doom he might just get his chance.
It's unclear quite why Ratchet & Clank fails to hit the sweet spot, a kid friendly adventure based on a humorous gaming franchise, co-directed by the man behind TMNT (2007), with a voice cast that includes John Goodman, Sylvester Stallone, Rosario Dawson, and Paul Giamatti. Proof that even if you have the right ingredients it's all about the mix.
Rewatch: 2 Doughnuts

The Arizona Case Files
Annabelle (2014)
Sixties set snooze fest about a possessed doll, blah blah...yawn, jump scare.
There is one cool shot though, where the heroine of the piece hears a noise which wakes her temporarily, as she goes back to sleep we see through her window into the neighbour's house, and promptly see them murdered from afar. You're welcome, I just gifted you 109 minutes, use it wisely.
First watch: 1 Doughnut

Japowski's Game, Boy!
Arcade (1993)
A group of teens visualise their virtual hell (as do the viewer) when they get sucked into the latest virtual reality arcade game called, Arcade.
I'm late waking up this morning having stayed up to suffer the early nineties depiction of a virtual landscape which involved big shapes coming at you! "Virtually" everything about this is bad, and the fact that I did rent this back in the day and didn't warn my future self, meaning I've seen this twice in my Lifetime just upsets me!
Don't waste your quarter on this one.
Rewatch. 0.5 out of 5 bits

Have you witnessed any of the movies we've investigated? What's your verdict? Let us know in the comments below.