Holidays 2013 Movie Round-up

HUNGER GAMES 2: CATCHING FIRE
SCI-FI/ACTION/THRILLER

PLOT: The next movie in the trilogy books by Suzette Collins.

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) becomes hope for the people and hated by President Snow (Donald Sutherland) and the Capitol so they created games so she can play again but lose this time. The movie is slow pace because they are building up to the ending and when the action comes it is fast and furious!! Talent is involved in this production. It is very well done. Read the books if you can. Can’t wait for Mockingjay.

THE BEST MAN HOLIDAY
ROMANTIC COMEDY/DRAMA

PLOT: A sequel to The Best Man.

It is a continuation of The Best Man about successful, educated black friends and now new problems of becoming older, pregnant, independent and dependent in fifteen years. First of all this is a breath of fresh air with the recent black actors portraying slaves and servants. I say enough of that!! The acting is great and it seems there may be a third film. The movie makes you want to see the first one again!! It has Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Terrance Howard, Nia Long and Reigna Hall. Worth watching!!!

12 YEARS A SLAVE
Historical Drama

PLOT: The true story of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejofor) is a free black man in upstate New York who is kidnapped and becomes a slave.

OMG this is not a pleasant movie. The title of the film tells all. It is very graphic of the torment and treatment of black slaves. All the performances are exceptional but it is above average slave exploitation film. I don’t know why talented black actors would do such a depression, degrading motion picture. It is directed by Steve McQueen who did Shame and I don’t know why he did the film. It is making money and probably receives numerous nominations but the movie is very, very difficult to watch!! You have been warned!!!

BAD GRANDPA
COMEDY

PLOT: Irving Zisman is an old man taking his 8 year grandson to his father.

The people who made the Jack Ass movies now have made this movie. Irving Zisman is played by Johnny Knoxville and the Billy the kid is played by Jackson Nicoll. They go cross country to take him back to his greedy father after her mother goes to jail. This is an outrageous, gross, crude film but it is very funny if you like this kind of movie. It is making money sick as it is!! Watch at your own risk!!


ENDER’S GAME
FANTASY/ACTION/ADVENTURE

PLOT: A brilliant teen must save the world from an alien insect being.

Ender is a smart, determined young man who must prove himself a leader and destroy the aliens before they destroy the earth. The movie is based on the popular novel. You should read the novel before watching the movie for you know Hollywood changes things. The best part of the film for me was the special effects. It was really well done. It is slow in spots but very good when it gets to the battle scenes.

Pirates, Meatballs and Hammers

CAPTAIN PHILIPS
DRAMA/THRILLER

PLOT: Based on a true story about Richard Phillips who was hijacked by Somali pirates in 2009.

The movie is compelling as great actor Tom Hanks shows he is still can play an ordinary guy in extraordinary conditions and make you feel good about it. He is a hero in a realistic way. Barkhad Abdi as Muse one of the pirates is good as a bad guy. This is his film debut. The bad part about the film is that it is not accurate but as a movie it is nerve-wracking in parts. Mr. Hanks will be nominated again for Oscar!!

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2
ANIMATED/FANTASY

PLOT: Further adventures of Flint Lockwood.

I didn’t see the first one but it told what happened. The sequel is very family friendly, very imaginative and high energy. Bill Hader and Anna Farris (both from Saturday Night Live) are good as Flint Lockwood and Sam Sparks. Great for the kids and adults who want to feel like a kid again.

THOR 2: THE DARK WORLD
ACTION/FANTASY

PLOT: Thor has to save Asgard and the women he loves.

This is the sequel to Thor. Chris Hemsworth as Thor is good and Tom Hiddleston is great as Loki. He is not the main villain but the evil dwarf Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) who wants darkness on Asgard and earth. Comic relief is by Kat Denning. She wasn’t that funny to me this time and Stellan Skarsgard as the Selvig. It is an action packed and don’t jump up and leave –STAY AFTER THE CREDITS!!

Parents, Gravity, and Machete Kills

PRISONERS
CRIME DRAMA/THRILLER

PLOT: Two little girls are kidnapped and the parents and the police search for them.

OMG!!! This is not a pleasant experience at the movies!! It stars Hugh Jackman; Maria Bello is one couple and Terrence Howard and Viola Davis another couple who are friends. They have two daughters and find out their daughters are missing. It is an intense, frightening journey what lengths parents will do to save their children. It gets a little melodramatic but good regardless. Jake Gyllehaal is fantastic as Detective Loki (!) a determined but demented cop. Hugh Jackman proves he is just not Wolverine but a talented actor!

GRAVITY
SCI-FI/THRILLER

PLOT: Two astronauts are lost in space!!

I saw the trailer for this movie and thought nothing of it. I knew it was well made but when I saw it, WOW!!! If you see one movie in 3D and one the big screen this is it!! Director Alfonso Cuaron (The Little Princess, Children of Men and Harry Potter The Prisoner of Azkaban) does an amazing job of you the viewer watching the beauty and the horror of space and what can go wrong in a split second! Sandra Bullock does a good job as Ryan Stone but I enjoyed the performance of George Clooney as Matt Kowalski. He sounded like an astronaut who knew his job and was very funny.

MACHETE 2: MACHETE KILLS
ACTION/ADVENTURE

PLOT: Machete is needed by the government to kill an arms dealer.

Machete (Danny Trejo ) is back and now he trying to save the world from Mendez (Demian Bichir, A Better Life) and Voz (Mel Gibson). Man, this is a guilty pleasure movie. It has enough sex and violence for a fine exploitation movie and Machete is more James Bond this time around. I don’t know how director Robert Rodriguez hires talented actors for this film. Watch for Marko Zaror Mendez’s tall and handsome henchman. He could be the next big action star. It is better to enjoy it as a rental, Blu Ray or DVD.

Monsters, Snails and Supernatural Love

RIDDICK 3: RULE THE DARK
FANTASY/ACTION/ADVENTURE

PLOT: Richard B Riddick in another sci-fi adventure.

Riddick (Vin Diesel) is back. Left on an unknown planet he finds
the ruins of an outpost and presses the emergency button to be
saved by bounty hunters but on the planet are killer monsters in
the dark. Story is not really important. It is like a repeat of
Pitch Black. What is important is how bad-ass cool Diesel is!!!
What also amazing are the ratings of Riddick. The first Pitch
Black is rated R, then Chronicles of Riddick rated PG13 now the
 latest one rated R. The last film was big budget but didn't do
 well and I don't know why. This is made for less but you don't
 like this character you shouldn't see the movie.

TURBO
ANIMATION

PLOT: Snail wants to be faster!!

Turbo (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) a garden snail wants to be in the
Indy 500!!! His worried brother Chet (voiced by Paul Giamatti)
always tells him he will never do it. In these fantasy movies he
always does it and we are cheering for him. It is a cute family
film. The story tells us we can do anything if we put our minds
 and hearts to it. It will fare better on video.

MORTAL INSTRUMENTS: CITY OF BONES
SUPERNATURAL/ROMANCE

PLOT: Teenage girl finds out she is a Shadow Hunter.

Based on the novels by Cassandra Clare it is about Clare Fray a
pretty teen played by Lily Collins whose mom has been kidnapped
and finds out she is a Shadow Hunter which kills supernatural
creatures. Since the Twilight movies Hollywood is searching like
mad for another successful franchise like it. Hunger Games is
close. It has a brooding immortal, a smart heroine and a love
triangle. It is okay but it does have promise. They are
grudgingly doing a sequel. The first one did not make the money
they wanted.

TV: Fall or Fail Fantasy Premieres

SLEEPY HOLLOW
DRAMA/FANTASY
MONDAYS AT 9:00 PM
FOX CHANNEL 5

STORY: Ichabod Crane in 2013 to stop the Headless Horsemen.

Tom Mison is not the Ichabod Crane we are used to telling the plot of Sleepy Hollow but a scholar and soldier in 1781 who manages to survive and getting used to modern living. Abbie Mills (Nicole Behaire, American Violet, Shame) is a police lieutenant seeking who or what killed her partner pairing with Crane. It is great a black, female lead! The creators of the show are Alex Kurtzman, Robert Orci (who updated Hawaii 50) and Len Wiseman, the director of Underworld movies. This show has a talent behind it but how does it last a few seasons?

AGENTS OF S.H.I.EL.D
ACTION/FANTASY
TUESDAYS AT 8:00 PM
CHANNEL 7

STORY: The further adventures of the spies of SHIELD.

Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) is alive!! In the premiere episode and he tells you why. If you watched the Avengers you would know why Coulson being alive is important. In this series they find people with mutant powers either to recruit them or save them from being used. It seems to be a good series but will any of the Avengers make cameos?

FANGASM
REALITY SHOW
TUESDAYS NIGHT AT 10:00 PM
SYFY

STORY: Seven geeks live in the same house and work for famous comic book icon Stan Lee.

I don’t like reality shows but I saw this one because it is about movies and comic book nerds so I had to watch the first show. I like the show because the cast seem sincere. They love what they love and not shamed about it. The highlight of the show the gang meeting George Takei (Sulu) and one of them cry afterwards because he was his idol. I do hope it is a success.

Black Servants, White Heroes

THE BUTLER
Historical Drama

PLOT: Cecil Gaines who works in the White House sees major events that affect his life. It is inspired by a true story

The movie is very well done; Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey and David Oyelowo WILL be nominated for Oscars this season. My trouble with the film is that why did the main character have to be a servant!! It could have been about a black family going through decades of change. Hollywood loves to show black people as slaves, servants. Knock it off! Blacks know their history, so try to show them in a better light.

2 GUNS
ACTION/COMEDY

PLOT: A DEA agent and a navy intelligent agent to infiltrate a Mexican cartel with funny and violent results.

It is a typical buddy-cop movie. Denzel Washington is the DEA and Mark Wahlberg is the navy intelligence. So many betrayals it’s hard to keep up. Why is Washington in a movie is beyond me and Wahlberg is so funny. The action is not so bad either but if you can wait until video or cable.

KICK ASS 2
ACTION/COMEDY

PLOT: The further adventures of Kick Ass and Hit Girl.

Alan Taylor Johnson (Kick Ass) is a few years older along with Chole Grace Moretz (Hit Girl) who have to adjust to being normal high school teens instead of real life superheroes. The movie is light for most part and near the end it becomes a serious graphic novel comic book!! It is amazing!! Jim Carrey is in it and you almost don’t recognize him as Colonel Stars and Stripes. The battle between Hit Girl and Mother Russia (Olga Kurkulina) is epic!!!

PERCY JACKSON SEA OF MONSTERS
FANTASY/ACTION

PLOT: Percy Jackson must go on a quest to find the Golden Fleece.

Not as good as the first one but still very entertaining Percy must save his school by using the Golden Fleece. Like I said before it is myth and modern storytelling. The first one should have come out in the summer and this one in the fall. If you can wait for video or VOD wait but it is worth the wait.

Mid-Summer 2013 Scraps and Smurfs

SMURFS 2
ANIMATED/COMEDY

PLOT: The evil but comical Gargamel kidnaps Smurfette to make the formula to make his brand of Smurfs-The Naughties into real Smurfs.

                The story is really not important as the cute, whimsical tale of Poppa Smurf and group and human friends trying to save Smurfette.  It is funny, sweet and it’s a moral tale how important family is.  Not as good as the first but still entertaining.  It didn’t make much money as the first but it is not bad.

FRUITVALE STATION

DRAMA

PLOT:   New Year’s Eve 2008, Oscar Grant III, a 22 year old black man was killed by a white officer.

                The tragic event is told from the morning until the end of his life of Oscar Grant played by Michael B. Jordan (Chronicle).  He is a young man who served time now trying to find work to support his girlfriend Sophia (Melonie Diaz) and his daughter.  He loves his mom too played by Octavia Spencer (The Help) and she loves his son but doesn’t want him in jail.  The film is very sad so beware what you’re getting into.  All the actors are amazing.  What also is amazing is that the film is color-blind to the romance. Oscar is black and Sophia is Latina not emphasized at all which is very good.  Director Ryan Coogler did a good job on his first movie.  I hope he does more films.

           

DESPICABLE ME 2

ANIMATED/COMEDY

PLOT:  Gru an ex-villain is hired to help a secret organization to stop a new super villain.

                This animated film is just hilarious!!!  Gru is trying hard not to be a bad guy and raise his adopted three daughters when he is needed to stop a new super criminal.  The film is funny and his minions are even funnier!!  The only bad thing is the stereotyping of Latinos.  It has made millions and when you see the movie you can see why.

Big Epic Action, Big Credibility Problems

LONE RANGER

ACTION/ADVENTURE

PLOT: A spectacular remake of the classic TV show.

                This is a popcorn movie!!  Big and loud with amazing special effects.  The movie tells the origin of the Lone Ranger.  Armie Hammer is John Reid/Lone Ranger.  He is very good at being bland.  He is a good actor.  He was in The Social Network and J. Edgar Hoover but this flick doesn’t require acting.   The star is Johnny Depp who plays Tonto, the Native American who plays Ranger sidekick.  Depp does his usual weirdness and he is very good most of the time. 

The villain Butch Cavendish played by William Fichtner is very crazed and the writers add something to make him more evil.  What is wrong with the movie?  It is too long and it is told in flashback by Tonto!!!  It was one of the financial flops of the summer and if you watch it you will know why. PLEASE watch it on video or Movie on Demand!!

PACIFIC RIM

ACTION/SCI-FI/FANTASY

PLOT: Monsters from the sea try to destroy mankind and the government creates mega-machines to stop them.

                The plot is all you need to know about this movie.  It is AMAZING film.  If you don’t like monsters or machines stop reading this right now but if you do this movie is for you!!  I didn’t list the actors in the film because they are not important but you just can’t make a movie with killer giant creatures versus killer robots.  Guillermo del Toro the director loves monster movies and he got it right!! It is big, loud and epic!!  Too bad he didn’t do Godzilla 2014.  See it on the big screen, see it in 3D but above all SEE IT!!!  The summer movie I have been waiting for!!!

WHITE HOUSE DOWN

ACTION/DRAMA/THRILLER

PLOT:  Another movie about terrorist taking the president prisoner.

                This film could be easily called Die Hard in the White House.  Channing Tatum (GI Joe, Magic Mike) is Cale who badly wants to be a Secret Service agent to impress his distant daughter then by incredible events proves he is the perfect for the job.  People will be debating which is the better picture this movie or Olympus Has Fallen.  Both have their strengths and weaknesses.  At least WHD is funnier and has Jamie Foxx as the president.

Retreads, Reloads & Knockoffs

FDR:  AMERICAN BADASS-2012

ACTION/COMEDY

PLOT:  A different spin on Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

                This outrageous, obscene flick came out last year.  I found out about it by accident but I am glad I did!!  FDR is a horny, foul-mouth hero/president.  Story is not important but the crazy comedy is!!  Barry Bostwick is great as FDR but I don’t know why he wanted to star in the low-budget B-movie mess.  Kevin Sorbo (Hercules himself is in and one of the producers!!) as pot-head Abraham Lincoln.  It is a trashy gem for all who are into bad cinema!!!

12 ROUNDS 2: RELOADED

ACTION/DRAMA

PLOT: EMT gets caught in a deadly game.

                Randy Orton is Nick Malloy just an ordinary EMT who saves the wrong guy and he has to play sick games with a hi-tech artist.  It is sequel in name only.  No one in the original movie is in it.  Wrestler Randy Orton is no actor but he reacts like a real person in the insane situations.  It is better than I thought it would be.

ATLANTIC RIM aka Attack From Beneath

SCI-FI/ACTION

PLOT: Giant monsters come from the sea and government makes giant robots to attack them.

               

                This is a rip-off of the summer blockbuster movie Pacific Rim.  The original title is this but they had to change it.  It is a better special effects movie from Asylum who makes films for Syfy.  A Syfy regular David Chokachi (Baywatch), Jackie Moore and rapper Anthony ‘Treach’ Criss and the soldiers who get in the mecha machines to fight off the monsters. Graham Greene from Defiance is funny as a no-nonsense admiral who delivers silly lines with a straight face is.  It is great fun if you don’t take it seriously.

               

Of Zod and Zombies

MAN OF STEEL

ACTION/ADVENTURE/FANTASY

PLOT:  A reimaging of Superman.

If you don’t know Superman’s origin you shouldn’t be reading this.  It is the most action-packed version I have ever seen.  Director Zack Snyder who did Watchmen knows what the fans want and he does a great job.  Henry Cavill does a good job of being Superman but it is Michael Shannon who plays the evil General Zod and his equally evil assistant Antje Traue as Faora-Ul who steal the show.  If you like Superman you will see this regardless any reviews but it is good popcorn movie.

THE PURGE 

SCI-FI/THRILLER

PLOT:   For one night everything illegal even murder is legal.

                In the future employment is down, crime is down but the price is 12 hours every year you can commit a crime without jail time.  The premise is better than the movie.  It stars Ethan Hawke as James Sandin (Sinister) and Lena Headey (300 and Game of Thrones) as his wife Mary.  They have two annoying teens and the family goes on lockdown that night but a homeless black guy (Edwin Hodge) begs and one of the teens invites him in with deadly consequences. 

There are two good reasons to see this movie –one, we are all barbaric when extremely pushed and two Rhys Wakefield as Polite Stranger who scares you. MAJOR SPOILER the black man LIVES!!!  The film shocked Hollywood insiders for it was low budget-all the carnage happened in the house and made money.  Rumor there might be a sequel.

WORLD WAR Z

ACTION/HORROR

PLOT:  One man tries to stop virus that turns people into zombies.

                Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) works for the United Nation as a crime investigator to find out where the virus started and how to stop it before ALL humans into zombies.  The film is based on a book by Max Brooks.  Always read the book because movies condense and change the novel.  The zombies are not slow, attracted to sound and don’t sound human. Some action sequences are frightening and kinetic.  I don’t know why Mr. Pitt would make a movie like this but he is believable as Lane scared yet determined to find the cure.  Daniella Kertesz is interesting as Segen as a tough female soldier.

After Earth's Great Epic Gatsby

THE GREAT GATSBY

ROMANCE/DRAMA

PLOT:  A remake of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel.

                The novel has been around but they made a movie in 1974 starring Robert Redford and now this one with Leo DiCaprio.  Gatsby is a mysterious guy and he is in love with a married woman.  I never read the book but it’s more to it than that.  Director Baz Luhurmann has made the most visually beautiful film I have ever seen.  It is well acted and well made but it is slow.  Females made this movie a hit because of his love for the married woman.  I would recommend it for couples and romantics.

AFTER EARTH

SCI-FI/DRAMA/ACTION

PLOT:  A father and son crash land on future savage earth.

                This movie is better than most M Night Shyamalan films and the story is from Will Smith.  Many fans and critics think it was a vanity project but how many people in Hollywood would give a young black actor a starring role in a futuristic drama?  Another thing many folks are upset about is Will Smith as Cypher Raige, a no-nonsense general.  He is very, very serious in this role and many people are not used to that.  It also has every cliché in the book as young Jaden Smith must save him and his father.  Wait until video, it will do better.

EPIC

ANIMATION/FANTASY

PLOT:  Teenaged girl gets trapped in a secret world in the forest where she has to save it.

                Every 3D animation is the same-great special effects and top named stars that lend their voices such as Beyonce, Colin Farrell Josh Hutcherson  Christopher Waltz and Steven Tyler(yes that one from Areosmith) but it has to have heart and humor which it does thanks to Azia Ansari as a wise cracking slug!!  Young girl has to live with her father who believes there is a world of little creatures.  She finds it out and she has to protect and save it.   I didn’t want to see it but it is great for kids and for grown up who want to be kids again.

Action Flicks RULE, Fast and Furiously

PEEPLES

Romantic Comedy

Plot:  Average guy wants to marry a pretty privilege daughter.

                Craig Robinson (Wade Walker) is in love with beautiful Grace Peeples (Kerry Washington) and wants to marry her and to do that he needs her father’s approval.  The father is Virgil Peeples (David Alan Grier).  It is the black version of Meet the Parents.  It is not as funny with all the stars in the film but it is not bad. 

The good stuff is they show black people upscale.  In movies they show blacks folks either super rich or super poor. A good father figure, a judge who works his way up.  The bad like I said not as funny with the cast such as S Epatha Merkerson, Melvin Van Peebles and Diahann Carroll.  You know they have stereotypes and spoiler- happy ending.  It is a good entertainment if you are tired of superheroes.

FAST AND FURIOUS 6

Action/Thriller

Plot:  Agent Luke Hobbs needs Dominic and his team to take down and terrorist and save his girlfriend.

                Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) enlists Dominic (Vin Diesel) and his team to stop a terrorist and save his ex-girlfriend Letty (Michelle Rodriguez).  Plot is really not the strong point of this film but the action is!!  If you seen all the movies before this one you know what to expect, hot cars, hot girls and hot men tough as hell!!  Vin Diesel is not a great actor but he is so cool!!! This is a POPCORN movie !!  Also stay for the credits, a special guest shows up!!

  

STAR TREK:  INTO DARKNESS

SCI-FI/ACTION/ADVENTURE

Plot: The further adventures of the new Enterprise and its crew.

                This is a good movie but confusing too for you need to know classic Star Trek and the reboot Star Trek and they are trying to please both audiences.  The villain in the film is named John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) but that is not who he really is.  The actor is just creepy.  He does a good job as being bad and the rest of the cast is excellent.  If you are not a fan of the franchise it is good and if you are a fan you may object to some things.  It is worth a look.

Summer 2013 Launches With Iron

IRON MAN 3

ACTION/ADVENTURE/FANTASY

PLOT:  Tony Stark has problems after saving New York in the Avengers.

                The summer movies are final here and it starts out with IM3!!!  Tony (Robert Downey Jr.) has anxiety attacks after New York.  He ignores his girlfriend and CEO of his company Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and all he does is invent things.  He wants revenge when his friend Happy (Jon Favreau) is indirectly hurt by the Mandarin and threatens him with terrible results.  A fellow scientist also wants revenge.  I liked the movie but I can see why many comic book fans do not.  HINT:  Find out the origin of The Mandarin and you too will find out why. Also stay after the credits!!

OBLIVION

SCI-FI/DRAMA

PLOT:  In 2077 Jack (Tom Cruise) is a drone repairman assigned to Earth and finds out everything he was told is not true.

Actor Tom Cruise is getting older and takes more interesting projects that may or not be profitable.  The special effects and the music by M83 are amazing but it is not all about action but has action in it.  If you really like sci-fi and the actor go see this movie on the big screen.  It is a sci-fi fix until Star Trek 2: Into Darkness.

OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN

ACTION/THRILLER

PLOT:  Die Hard in the White House

                Mike Banning (Gerard Butler 300) is a disgraced bodyguard and he is the sole survivor who can save the President Benjamin Asher and his son.  It is got a lot of action and humor and the villain is a Korean terrorist, Kang (Rick Yune).  I am happy that Mr. Butler is doing action again.  He is better as an action star than a romantic lead.   Director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) is a good director especially with action films as well.  Good movie if you like the story.

42

HISTORY/DRAMA

PLOT:  Jackie Robinson, the first black baseball player in major league.

                Newcomer Chadwick Boseman is amazing as Jackie Robinson and equally good is Harrison Ford (yes that one who plays Indiana Jones) as Branch Rickey to integrate baseball.  All the actors are good Nichole Behaire (American Violet) as Robinson’s understanding and devoted  wife, Christopher Meloni (Law and Order: Special Victims Unit) as Leo Durocher and Alan Tudyk ( Wash in Firefly) as the racist Ben Chapman.  It is a great movie but you have seen it before but it is very inspiring.

     

           

Early 2013 DVDs for Action Hounds

DEATHRACE 3: INFERNO 2012

ACTION/DRAMA

PLOT:  Frankenstein is still alive and still racing!!

Convicted cop killer Carl Lucas (Luke Goss) who is Frankenstein who is one race away from freedom has to deal with a new boss Niles York (Dougray Scott, Mission Impossible 2) and Death race is now in South Africa for he wants it to go global.  Story is not the strong point but the driving cars and action is!! It is very good and I believe there will be a fourth.   Luke Goss is a very talented actor so I don’t know why he is doing B-movies.  Maybe he likes them.  Action hounds rejoice!!!

THE PACKAGE-2012

ACTION/DRAMA

PLOT:  Enforcer has to deliver something very important to a rival crime lord.

Ex-wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin is Tommy who is married and wants a better life for him and wife.  He also works for the mob so when his boss tells him to take a mysterious  item to another crime boss he must agree but he is attacked by people he didn’t expect.  I like Steve Austin so any movie he is in is good even when it isn’t.  His co-star is Dolph Lundgren.  The fight scene between the two could have lasted much longer.  If you can wait, wait if not buy it.

THE MARINE 3: HOMEFRONT

ACTION/DRAMA

PLOT:  Military man comes home and one of his sisters sees a murder.

Wrestler Mike ‘The Miz’ Mizanin is the latest Marine in the straight-to-video series.  It is a good B-action film.  If you like high body count you will like it.  The Miz doesn’t bring anything new to the genre but it is still a fun ride.

INTERVIEW WITH A HITMAN

CRIME DRAMA

The only reason I saw this video because it has my favorite underrated actor Luke Goss.  It is a good movie about a bad assassin and it gives background of why he is cold blooded.  The music is eerie and it does have action but not a lot.  It is well made for a straight-to-video release.  It is like an IFC film with kills so be warned.

IRON MAN:  RISE OF TECHNOVORE

ANIMATED

I love Iron Man regardless if it is animated or live action!!  This movie is about a mysterious young man who develops advance technology out doing Tony Stark and he has to save the world from him.  The best thing beside Iron Man is that they have the Punisher as a guest star by the voice of Norman Reedus (Walking Dead, Darryl Dixon).  How I wish they would do an animated series of Punisher!!  It would be violent but so good!!

Action and Retaliation in Spring 2013

 

DEAD MAN DOWN

CRIME DRAMA

PLOT: Man wants revenge that killed his wife and child.

Colin Farrell is Victor who is moody for he wants death to a crime boss who killed his family and he meets Beatrice (Noomi Rapace) a scarred women who wants vengeance of her own.  The trailer is better than the movie.  The acting is good especially Farrell and Rapace and when there is action it is very good.  It is not a typical Hollywood action drama so it didn’t do well at the box office but when it comes out on video it will do better.

THE CALL

SUSPENSE THRILLER

PLOT:  A 911 operator tries to save a young girl’s life.

Halle Berry is a 911 operator and one of the thing they are not suppose to do is get emotional attached to the person in need.  She does as she tries to save a young woman from a killer of young girls.  It is a tense ride until the far-fetch finish but it is very good.  Oscar winner Ms. Berry is believable as the concerned operator.  Abigail Breslin is great as the frightened young woman.  Morris Chestnut is good as Berry’s handsome cop boyfriend and for the wrestler world David Otunga is pretty good as Chestnut’s partner but has very little to do.

GI JOE: RETALIATION

ACTION/ADVENTURE

PLOT: Sequel to GI Joe: Rise of Cobra.

If you didn’t like the first GI Joe you won’t like this one.  It is a popcorn movie, a cartoon made into live action!! Many people and fans are hating on this movie but not me.  I enjoyed in very much.  Maybe because Duke (Channing Tatum) dies and Roadblock (Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson) is the new leader.  I found him annoying as a wrestler and a good screen presence as an actor!!  Don’t see it in 3D unless you want to pay more it’s just as good in 2D.  Action hounds rejoice, a summer blockbuster came in March!!

A Good Day for Great and Powerful Snitches

A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD

ACTION

  

PLOT:  John McClane is back but this time he is in Russia.

Bruce Willis returns for the fifth outing of the Die Hard franchise.  Now a senior cop goes to Russia to help his son but nothing is what it seems.  This is the shortest Die Hard movie and not the best it has action and humor to help it along.  The villain not good, a few strange potholes but if you like these kinds of movies you will like this.  It is not doing well in the states but it is raking in the bucks overseas so don’t be surprised if there is a Die Hard 6.

OZ:  THE GREAT AND POWERFUL

FANTASY

PLOT:  Prequel to the Wizard of Oz

I went to see this movie because the critics didn’t like it!! It is better than what they say but nothing is good as the original. Actor James Franco is Oz a magician, con man and loves the ladies.  He wants to be more than what he is and gets his chance when he is transported to the beautiful Land of Oz  The people there believe he is their savior and he acts it only to get the gold.  He flirts with Theodora (Mila Kunis) which is a bad idea and because of his actions she turns to the wicked witch of the West.

Kunis is very good but not as good as Margaret Hamilton in the Wizard of Oz. The other sister Evanora (Rachel Weisz) the wicked witch of the east is okay.  Michelle Williams as the good witch Glinda has more lines and is okay too.  Doubters should not see this movie or wait for cable.  You will want to see the Wizard of Oz again once you do see this movie. 

  

SNITCH

CRIME DRAMA

PLOT: A father goes undercover for the DEA to free his son from prison

This is not an action movie!!  The trailer is very misleading.  Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson plays a hardworking man who is willing to trap a major player of a cartel to save his son from prison. The film is series stuff for it is based on a true story and Johnson is REALLY acting.  It is very intense and very good.  You want to see The Rock in an action wait until GI Joe 2: Retaliation and Fast and Furious 6.

2013 Mid-Winter Round-up: From Silver to Silly

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK--2012

ROMANTIC COMEDY DRAMA

  

PLOT:  Two mentally unstable people fall in love.

Pat (Bradley Cooper, The A Team) is bipolar and is finally getting out of institution.  With the help of his friend he meets recovering sex addict Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence Hunger Games). They fuss, fight like a romantic comedy but this movie is so different it should get an award for originality.  His parents are Robert DeNiro and he is very good and Jacki Weaver.  The big surprise is Chris Tucker (Rush Hour films) is good as Pat’s friend in the institution.  He is not loud but very subtle.  It is good and strange like IFC films so if you can deal with that please watch.

LAST STAND--2013

ACTION

PLOT:  Sheriff has to stop a drug lord from crossing the Mexican border.

Ray Owens (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is back in action and the only reason you should see it because of Arnold and the body count.  It is an expensive B-movie but it is good. The villain is okay but he could have been better.  It didn’t do well in theaters but it will explode on video. Action hounds must go!!!

PARKER--2013

ACTION

PLOT:  Parker is a thief and he has to get revenge on the gang that tried to kill him.

If it is January or February, Jason Statham has a movie.  He really plays the same character all the time-ready to kick a lot of butt.  You know there will be action and he has two pretty women with him and one is Jennifer Lopez.  She plays a down on her luck real estate agent who helps him.  She is very attractive and funny too but she deserves much better and I hope she gets it. The shocking thing about this B-movie is it is directed by Taylor Hackford, the man who directed Ray, the movie about Ray Charles. In spots it is vile and violent –action hounds take a look.

HANSEL AND GRETEL:  WITCH HUNTERS--2013

HORROR/ACTION/FANTASY

PLOT:  Beloved fairy tale has a new twist to it.

You know the story but now after burning one witch they make it a business of killing witches. Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye, Avengers) and Gemma Arterton (Prince of Persia) are Hansel and Gretel.  They don’t speak noble English they speak like in modern times and it is very funny.  Famke Janssen is Muriel queen of the evil witches, and is very good at being very bad.  It should have been on video, but it is good enough for theatres if you like that sort of film.

Oscar Contenders in 2013

BEAST OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

DRAMA/FANTASY

               

PLOT:  Young black girl has to deal with harsh realities by imagination.

Hushpuppy (Quvenzhane Wallis) is six years old who lost her mom and her father Wink (Dwight Henry) is trying to make her tough before he dies while escaping before the levees break.  WARNING:  Before you see this film this is an INDEPENTANT films it is not like what you would expect from a mainstream movie.  That being said it is a wild ride reality and fantasy combined.  To tell you the truth I can’t explain the plot but the young Ms Wallis is fantastic!!  She is tough, tender.  She has to be an adult in tragic situations.  I wasn’t going to see the movie until the black actress was nominated for an Oscar.  I like weird but this one baffled me.  If you want to see it wait and watch it when it comes to IFC or Sundance.

LIFE OF PI

ADVENTURE/FANTASY/DRAMA

PLOT:  A young man begins an epic journey alone on a boat with a Bengal tiger.

The story is not as simple as I stated.  The story is really not the movie’s strong point but the stunning visual effects.  It is a feast to the eyes.   Based on the novel by Yann Martel director Ang Lee(Hulk-2003 and Brokeback Mountain) brings an un-filmable movie to life!!   The actors are mostly India and they are fantastic!! If you can see it on the big screen for it was shown in 3D like Avatar 3D to see the depth and beauty of this amazing feature.

LES MISERABLES

MUSICAL/DRAMA

PLOT:  Based on the novel by Victor Hugo turned into a hit musical and now the film adaption.

Oh boy this is a tragic story so they release it on Christmas Day. Hugh Jackman plays Jean Valjean who is sent to jail for stealing a loaf of bread. He has done his time but Javert (Russell Crowe) still chases him because once a thief always a thief.  Jean also helps a dying prostitute Faintine( Anne Hathaway) and takes care of  her daughter, Cosette (Amanda Seyfried).  The performances by the leads are outstanding and director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) is epic!!  There is no dialogue only singing and that is great on Broadway and on the big screen if you like that.  I don’t really like it at all.

Wango Django--Winter Action Unchained

DJANGO UNCHAINED

WESTERN/DRAMA/ACTION

PLOT:  Django, a former slave becomes a bounty hunter to find his wife.

                When you mix blaxploitation and a spaghetti western you get this movie.  You can love or loathe this film because it is entertaining but inaccurate.  The good: it is very violent as well as funny.  There is a love story.  Jamie Foxx is great as Django and a black hero.  Samuel L. Jackson is the meanest Uncle Tom I have ever seen. Christoph Waltz, a dentist turned bounty is a good German!!

The bad: well, it is about slavery and the white folks as well as the black folks use the N word a lot but at least  when the white people who say it  they don’t last long. Director Quentin Tarantino could never make a family film in his life shows slavery as it is brutal and unpleasant.  The movie is long: 2:45 minutes--he stretches it out likes it’s epic.  It may bring blaxploitation back!!  Black audiences are going to see especially women because of the love story.

JACK REACHER

DRAMA/ACTION/MYSTERY

PLOT:  An expert sniper kills five people then asks for Jack Reacher and he has to investigate to clear his name.

             It is interesting movie with Tom Cruise in the starring role. But if you have read the book by Lee Child he doesn’t look like Cruise at all--he is supposed to be tall (6’5’) and strong, but that doesn’t stop Cruise from being a bad-ass.  I think he wants to do roles that stretch his abilities which are a good thing.  The trailer is better than the movie from an action standpoint, unless you like a complex plot (then you will like it).  Otherwise, action hounds will like it in spots, but not really.

ZERO DARK THIRTY

DRAMA

PLOT:  CIA operatives hunt for Osama Bin Linden

                The title of the movie means 30 minutes after midnight and darkness and secrecy.  It begins with news reports about 9/11 and then the search for the most hated man in the world.  Maya, (Jessica Chastain) a CIA agent who takes over from Dan (Jason Clarke) who is tired of torturing people to get information.  His performance is good-at least he shows that the horrible things he does to suspects is truly getting to him.  The pacing is slooow, so this isn’t action-packed at all. 

I believe director Kathryn Bigelow (Hurt Locker) wanted to show how long it takes to find Osama. Ms. Chastain performance is good.  She is smart and caring but she would do anything including torture to find the terrorist.  It is not doing well at the box-office at all.  It is a downer, it is long and I believe the public doesn’t want to see anything about war right now.