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Stars: Dominic Purcell, Nick Stahl, Mel Gibson, Kate Bosworth, John Cassini, Erik Valdez, Russell Richardson, Arielle Raycene | Written by Michael Kaycheck, Brooke Nasser | Directed by Michael Oblowitz

Confidential Informant opens with a voiceover telling us what wonderful people cops are, especially those with combat experience. Case in point Tom Moran and Mike Thorton. We get to see them raid a crack operation and then lie to their superior over little things like not having a search warrant. Wonderful people indeed.

While tossing a baseball around with his son Moran collapses in pain. His wife Anna tells him he needs to see a doctor. He’s seen a doctor, three of them in fact, and they all tell him he has stomach cancer and not too long to live. Coincidentally enough another cop, Frank, was talking at the bar about how much money the department pays out to your family if...

A terminally ill cop and his trusted partner hatch a plan to have him killed in the line of duty, thus clearing his debts and financially securing his beloved family. Confidential Informant is a gritty crime drama with a relevant theme. Police officers risk their lives for low pay and meager retirement benefits. The film doesn't craft a compelling narrative to support its cause. Shoddy camera work, murky lighting, and a grating score hinder what could have been impactful. A puzzling climax also makes little sense after a long build up.

Set in 1995 New York City, Narcotics Lieutenant Kevin Hickey (Mel Gibson) opens with a frank statement. Cops work diligently for the public good but aren't treated fairly when their chips are cashed. His voiceover introduces the grizzled Tom Moran (Dominic Purcell) and alcoholic Mike Thorton (Nick Stahl). Both men served as Marines in the Iraq War before joining the force.

On the surface, Lionsgate's Confidential Informant looks like it has all the potential to be the sleeper hit of the summer. Sold as a gritty crime thriller starring Mel Gibson, Dominic Purcell, Nick Stahl, and Kate Bosworth, it has the necessary stars and genre intrigue to be something special. Unfortunately, the film handcuffs itself to its worst habits and never fulfills its promise.

Directed and written by Michael Oblowitz, Michael Kaycheck, and Brooke Nasser, Confidential Informant follows two narcotics detectives Tom Moran (Purcell) and Michael Thornton (Stahl). After Moran receives troubling news about his declining health, he and Thornton -- along with their informant Carlos (Erik Valdez) -- hatch a scheme to ensure Moran's wife, Anna (Bosworth), and son collect benefits and are looked after. It might look like a foolproof plan, but it doesn't go off exactly as they anticipate, and many people are left with questions about what really happened.

Two very different animated features lead the way as the 48th annual Annie Awards nominations were announced today. Disney/Pixar’s Soul and Cartoon Saloon’s Wolfwalkers scored 10 noms apiece ahead of the virtual trophy show on April 16. Read the full list of nominees in 31 categories below.

Wolfwalkers, a “relatively small European movie,” as the filmmakers described it — is rooted in the history of 1650s Ireland, while Soul follows a middle school music teacher’s journey to “the Great Beyond” via “the Great Before.”

Soul will vie for the marquee Best Feature prize at the Annies, going up against another Pixar pic — Onward, which scooped seven noms — along with Netflix’s The Willoughbys and a pair of DreamWorks Animation sequels: The Croods: A New Age and Trolls World Tour. Willoughbys and Croods picked up six noms each today, and Trolls rocked away with four.

Wolfwalkers is up for the Best...

This week on CBS’ NCIS: New Orleans (Tuesday, 9/8c), medical examiner Dr. Loretta Wade unexpectedly finds herself in the thick of things when in the midst of examining the body of a Petty Officer seemingly felled by natural causes , she, lab tech Sebastian Lund and her young charge, Danny, are held hostage in the morgue. Who will rise to the occasion during this standoff? And what “wonderful” discovery comes out of it? TVLine spoke with TV vet Cch Pounder about both New Orleans… and New Orleans.

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Tvline | Tee up this episode for us.

Recently, CBS released the new,official synopsis/spoilers for their upcoming "NCIS: New Orleans" episode 19 of season 1. The episode is entitled, "The Insider," and it turns out that we're going to see some very dramatic and intense stuff go down as Wade,Sebastian and Danny become victims of a vicious hostage takeover that revolves a round a petty officer, and more! In the new, 19th episode press release: Wade, Sebastian And Danny Are Taken Hostage In The Morgue After An Armed Man Demands The Remains Of A Petty Officer. Press release number 2: While conducting an autopsy on a Petty Officer who is believed to have died from natural causes, an armed man will enter the morgue and holds Wade, Sebastian and Danny hostage. Guest stars feature: Russell Richardson (Marcus Martel) Daryl "Chill" Mitchell (Investigative Computer Specialist Patton Plame) Christopher Meyer (Danny Malloy) Philip Anthony-Rodriguez (Navy Captain Michael Dawson) Endre Hules (Dr.

Stars: John Lee Ames, Roark Critchlow, Brett Curtze, Sean Patrick Flanery, Jennifer Jalene, Louise Linton, Jeremy London, J.J. Nolan, Tyler Poelle, Russell Richardson, Kaitlin Riley | Written and Directed by Travis Zariwny

Scavengers follows the crew of the Starship Revelator, who survive in the dark depths of space by keeping out of trouble, until they stumble across the mechanics of ultimate destruction and cross paths with a rival ship, and an old enemy, who also has it in their sights, and they will stop at nothing to master a power that could destroy the universe. The fight for the future is on – a battle against oblivion. To the victor goes untold power; to the vanquished, death, devastation and the cold dark emptiness of space…

The first release from the UK arm of Image Entertainment, Scavengers is also the debut feature for writer/director Travis Zariwny – a name you may not immediately...