Reel Critics: Con thriller finds sharp ‘Focus’

Will Smith gets his Hollywood mojo back as a silky-smooth con man in “Focus.” The plot’s double-cross deception plays out like a 21st century version of “The Sting.”

The original had gambling on horse races at the center of the fraud. The modern scam features con games set up for the Super Bowl and international Grand Prix racing.

The R rating allows “Focus” to have sexier scenes than the PG-rated “Sting” could ever attempt. Stunning Australian actress Margot Robbie played a very hot babe in “The Wolf of Wall Street.” She continues the sensual tradition here. The chemistry between her and Smith provides the hot sizzle underneath the smoky deceits on screen.

The rest of the plot covers familiar caper-movie territory. Mystery, danger, romance and humor all get their share of screenplay time. Finely tuned production values at exotic locations add to the flamboyant spirit of the piece. It may be pure cinematic fluff, but at least it’s high-grade fluff.

—John Depko

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Let this one rest in peace

“The Lazarus Effect” is ostensibly a scary thriller about four medical researchers, two of whom (Olivia Wilde and Mark Duplass) are engaged, secretly working on a serum to bring the dead back to life.

They manage to revive a dog, but the poor creature doesn’t seem quite right. Well, duh. Even if the characters had never seen any Stephen King movies (“Pet Sematery,” “Cujo,” “Carrie,” “The Shining”), the screenwriters obviously did.

When another experiment goes horribly awry, they naturally feel compelled to try it again on a human, who is brought back to life only to ask “Did I just die?” Yes, dear, but there’s a downside: now the dog doesn’t like you.

“Lazarus” is lame and derivative and pretty much flatlines halfway through. Do not resuscitate and make a sequel.

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Brightness in the ‘Shadows’

If you want a horror movie to make you laugh on purpose, do check out “What We Do in the Shadows.”

Writers, directors and stars Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi (“Flight of the Conchords”) play centuries-old vampire roomies (along with Jonathan Brugh and Ben Fransham) coping in modern-day New Zealand.

Cleverly shot mockumentary-style (the vampires agreed not to eat the crew), the film offers lots of giggles as they bicker over chores (“Vampires don’t do dishes!”), agonize over wardrobe choices and get ready for a night on the town sans mirrors.

It’s a brilliant take on the dreadfully boring, mega-FX vampire movies we’ve seen. Although there’s quite a bit of bloodletting, there’s sweetness and naïveté to these characters (seeing themselves for the first time via selfies) that gives more delights than frights.

—Susanne Perez

JOHN DEPKO is a retired senior investigator for the Orange County public defender’s office. He lives in Costa Mesa and works as a licensed private investigator. SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant for a company in Irvine.