Early Fall 2010 Wrap-up

WALLSTREET 2: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS
DRAMA

The best villain in the 80’s was businessman Gordon Gekko, played Michael Douglas who won an Oscar. He is back playing Gordon, only broke. He writes a book titled “Is Greed Good?” and finds out that his only daughter Winnie (Carey Mulligan) is dating a trader Jake (Shia LaBeouf--NOT my favorite actor). There is also another villain named Bretton Jones (Josh Brolin), a fund manager. There is a lot of double dealing, love and revenge in this movie, yet I couldn’t get into it like the first one. The two bad guys Douglas and Brolin are great being ruthless, cunning and charming. The trailer was better than the movie to me. Wait until Blu-Ray and DVD.

THE TOWN
CRIME DRAMA

Bank job movies can be very typical, but this movie is NOT. It stars Ben Affleck as Doug MacRay, who was once a good hockey player, but when you are raised by robbers you eventually turn for the worst. He robs banks for a living and doesn’t want to do that last bank job, but villain Fergus (Pete Postlethwaite of Clash of The Titans) forces him to do it. In one of the robberies Claire (played by Rebecca Hall) may have seen the tattoo of friend Jem played great by Jeremy Renner (Hurt Locker) and can ID them. He romances her and then wants to leave with her.

Jon Hamm (Mad Men) is very good as Adam Frawley, a FBI agent determined to bring the criminals down!!! All the performances are good including Blake Lively (Gossip Girl) as Krista. It did great box office and if you watch you can see why. Action and acting--very rare. If you enjoy good acting go to the movies (while it's still there)--if not, video.

RED
ACTION/COMEDY

First of all, you have to believe A LOT in this movie, but that's because it is a summer movie placed in the fall. RED means Retired Extremely Dangerous, and Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) is receiving Social Security but not fulfillment. He meets a girl Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds) who works at Social Security and is bored as hell, and wants Frank’s exciting life. The group, which included Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich (who is just fantastic as the 'Mad Murdock' of the group), and Helen Mirren. The action is very good and so is the dry humor. The cast seems to enjoy themselves in the craziest situations. It is much fun. You have to see it for the cast, who are over forty and fabulous.

The Afterlife Goes 3D

RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE
ACTION/HORROR/SCI-FI

I am only basing my review on the film--not the video game, since MoviePhat doesn’t do video games. I really enjoyed Resident Evil 2: Apocalypse, but the latest addition I didn't like too much. The action sequences are fantastic!!! Milla Jovovich as Alice is a take charge, kick-butt babe. She is the best thing about the series. The villain who can’t die Shawn Roberts (Edge of Darkness) as Albert Wesker is excellent, and Boris Kodjoe, the handsome black guy in the upcoming TV show Undercovers is good as former basketball player, now leader of the survivors in Los Angeles.

The RE4 plot is simply, Alice is searching for survivors and trying to find the ‘promised land’ called Arcadia in Alaska. I just couldn’t get into it, and that is surprising. The 3D doesn’t help or hurt the franchise. If you love the movie series--watch it, but if you don’t want to pay extra for 3D, wait for Blu-ray or DVD. I hear there will be a Resident Evil 5!!!