Cruel Summer--Salt, Predators

SALT
ACTION/DRAMA/THRILLER

Simply stated story--Evelyn Salt (Angelia Jolie) is a CIA agent married to a good man, and has a dog. She is about to celebrate her anniversary when a defector tells her that she is a Russian spy and she is supposed to kill the Russian president when he comes to New York. The people she trusts don’t trust her in an instant, and she has to prove her innocence and stop the assassination. The action sequences are fantastic!!

Angelina Jolie is amazing. She can take a beating and give one as well. She is a very good actress, but when it comes to action movies--she is the BEST. Producers should pair Ms. Jolie and Michelle Rodriguez (Machete) in a female buddy action movie, because these women can pull it off. Liv Schreiber as her friend and boss Ted Winter gives a good performance. The amazing Chiwetel Ejiofor (2012, Four Brothers) is very good trying to capture Salt at all costs, but knows something is not quite right. I do hope there is a sequel and I hope Ms. Jolie keeps doing action movies.

PREDATORS
ACTION/ADVENTURE/SCI-FI

This film is more of an official sequel to the original, than the film Predator 2 made in 1990. It stars Oscar winner Adrien Brody and in this year, Slice as Royce unwillingly become leaders of a bunch of killers, mercenaries and convicts trapped on an island where they are hunted by-–you guessed it--Predators!!! That is basically the story, but it is very action packed and suspenseful. It is amazing how the aliens know the group’s weaknesses and take them out one by one.

People, it is a ‘body count’ movie, which simply means actors are there to be killed off by the monster or slasher to keep the movie going. The cast is very good--Topher Grace (70’s Show and Spiderman 3), Alice Braga (Repo Men) Laurence Fishburne (CSI, Matrix movies), and Danny Trejo (Machete). I don’t know why it didn’t make money--it was very good. Maybe it took too long to make. Watch it when it comes out on Blu-Ray and DVD.

Expend Your Cash for The Expendables!

THE EXPENDABLES
ACTION

ACTION HOUNDS REJOICE!!!! The Expendables are finally here!!! It has the best all-star action guys you can name!!! A band of mercenaries lead by Barney Ross (!?)(Sylvester Stallone), and his second in command Lee Christmas (Jason Statham) take an assignment by Church (Bruce Willis) to take down a small country in South America and its dictator General Garza (David Zayas)who is really controlled by James Monroe(Eric Roberts).

Plot, dialogue and acting is not the reason to see this movie, it is the action stars of the 80’s 90’s along with wrestling and UFC. Lots of action, lots of kills and lots of big explosions!!! The big three--Schwarzenegger, Willis and Stallone is funny but too brief. The late Brittany Murphy was supposed to be in the movie, but they cut her scenes out. The two females in the movie are Charisma Carpenter (Angel) and Gisele Itie (popular novella actress in Mexico and Brazil).

My only gripe was, I couldn’t see the brutal fights (it was at night) and they needed to be longer!!! This is for guys, girls who love macho men and action and violence, period! Not for kids, not for people who hate violence not for women who like chick flicks. See it in the theaters, see it on Blu-ray and DVD--just see it!!!

Summer 2010 DVD Round Up

DAMAGE
ACTION/DRAMA

I only watched this movie because wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin was in it. He plays John Brickner, an ex-con got out of prison early because the wife of who he killed begged the parole board. She wants him to save her daughter who needs a heart transplant –the insurance bill is costly and Medicaid rejected her so he does underground fighting for a living. It is surprising for a b-movie to have such seriousness for everyone is damage or in debt!! Stone Cold Steve Austin is not the best actor in the world but he’s got a presence!!! He is much laid back compared to his wrestling persona. I can’t wait for the movie ‘Expendables’ to come out later this year-August to be exact. Everyone is very good including Reno (Walter Goggin in the series The Shield and Justified) Frankie (Smallville as Supergirl and updated series V) . They make a very odd loving pair.

PERCY JACKSON &THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTING THIEF
FANTASY/ACTION/ADVENTURE

This movie is based on the books by (Rick Riodan). I didn’t know the book existed so I did not read it but you should read before you see the movie for the novel gives more insight. It is a summer blockbuster that was release in February and now release on DVD. It is very well made. I am surprised. All the special effects movies I thought it was another one. Mythology and modern world collide as Percy Jackson(new comer Logan Lerman) has just found out he is a demigod and his father is Poseidon (Kevin McKidd, Journeyman). Zeus (usual bad guy Sean Bean) wants his lightning bolt back or hell on earth as result.

At a school for demigods only he meets pretty Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) daughter of Athena and his protector and comic relief Grover(Brandon T. Jackson). Percy goes on a quest to save his mother Sally Jackson (Catherine Keener-know for independents movies) from Hades (Steven Coogan). Uma Thurman (Kill Bill) is amazing as Medusa!!! It is delightful and it should have been release in the summer but the studio didn’t think it would do well. The cast old and new are fantastic. Director Chris Columbus who directed the first Harry Potter movies is very good at fantasy movies. He should have done “Clash of the Titans.” They will be comparing the two in the future. If you are into mythology and fantasy movies YES see this movie!!!

BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD
ANIMATION

First, let me say this is not for kids!!! It is very, very violent!!! It is about Batman with a new villain named Red Hood who is taking over crime by killing one crime boss at a time. Batman is not voiced by Kevin Conroy but Bruce Greenwood (seen in Star Trek-2009) all the voice actors are good but Wade Williams and John Di Maggio Black Mask and Joker are outstanding!! Both are power mad, funny criminals. It is not that long but it says quite a lot. You should see when it arrives on Blu-ray and DVD. Warner Brother’s animation movies are getting better with each film.

Brilliant and Baffling Summer Blockbusters

TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE
SUPERNATURAL/ ROMANCE/DRAMA

The Twilight series is brilliant and baffling. Based on the novels by Stephenie Meyer’s young, white tweens go gaga over the movie!! It is a female 'tween' Star Wars!! I am basing my review on the movie alone. You should read the novels ( to compare) but I heard they are terrible but I doubt that. The other two movies in short were too slooow!!! It is the continuing story of Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) in love with vampire boyfriend Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and Jacob Black, (Taylor Lautner) who can change into a wolf.

Things gets ugly for Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard) makes ‘newborns,’ ruthless vampires who wants revenge on Edward for killing her lover James and wants to kill Bella. The two unearthly males have some of the best romantic and bickering dialogue ever in the entire series!! Screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg who writes for Dexter finally wrote some interesting dialogue!!! It is well written soap opera. Director David Slade (‘30 Days into Night’) got some very good action in the movie, and that’s why guys are going as well!!

Kristen Stewart is a pretty girl but she can be so bland. Robert Pattinson, I don’t see the attraction at all!!! Taylor Lautner is great when he is topless!!! The rest of the cast is good, but who stands out is Rosalie Hale (Niki Reed) they give her a back-story as she tells Bella why she shouldn’t ‘turn’. In short, this is the best of the series. Should you see it? You don’t have to be a fan for this one--it does drag but not a lot!!

THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE
FANTASY/ADVENTURE/ACTION

This movie is based on a segment of Disney’s classic Fantasia!!! The writers took that segment and made a movie. The film is about a wizard Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage) finding another wizard Dave Stutler(Jay Baruchel) to destroy the evil witch Morgana (Alice Krige from Borg Queen from Star Trek)but she has an evil assistant Maxim Hovarth (Alfred Molina, Dr. Ock from Spiderman 2). Are you with me so far? Sounds complicated? It is not, it is really fun and dumb at the same time.

Jay Baruchel has had some year. He was in ‘She’s Out Of My League’ ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ and now this. He is very funny but he is sooo NASAL!!! Nicolas Cage is very good as the mentor and Alfred Molina is GREAT as Maxim. He is witty, angry, arrogant, power mad--good traits of a bad guy!! It is not doing well at the box office, so maybe a lot of people think it shouldn’t have been made!!! It is a good summer movie if you have nothing to do--if not, go DVD or Blu-ray.

INCEPTION
SCIENCE FICTION/ACTION

Let me just say before you see this movie please DO two things: 1-Read as much as you can about the movie and 2-BE ALERT!!! The movie is about dreaming and sleeping and if you’re tired YOU will fall asleep!!! The movie is not bad or boring if you use your brain. You will not understand this movie on the first viewing. Great for the lucky ones that do. The movie is action-packed and thought-provoking. In short--not a typical summer blockbuster. Christopher Nolan, the director of Batman, knows how to keep your attention with action sequences but also keep the intelligence high. All the actors Leonard DiCaprio, underrated Joseph Gordon-Levitt Ellen Page and all the rest of the cast are brilliant. Should you see it in the theaters? Yes, those who are movie lovers and want to see something different, but others should wait to see on Blu-ray and DVD so you can see it repeatedly, in order to 'get it.'

Knights, Days, Toys and Hex

KNIGHT AND DAY
ACTION/COMEDY/ ROMANCE

Superstar Tom Cruise stars as a super agent Roy Miller, who has to slip a very important device through the airport, and pretty June Havens (Cameron Diaz) is the mule. The movie is very exciting and Cruise and Diaz are the reason you should see the movie. Cruise seems to have a great time saving Diaz. She seems to have a great time even screaming!! The villain Peter Sarsgaard is okay but they could have a better bad guy. The action is VERY GOOD. It’s a shame it is not doing well in the US, but I think it will do well overseas.


TOY STORY 3
ANIMATED

Suspense, romance and drama it is all in this movie!!! Pixar makes the greatest animated studio there is!! The story: Andy is going to college and by accident his toys are given to Sunnyside Daycare. The evil Lotso is cute cuddy bear with a dark side and in charge. Woody and Buzz Lightyear and the other toys must escape!! It is the best movie of 2010 so far!! It should be nominated not only for BEST animation but for BEST PICTURE because that’s how good it is!! It is as terrific as “Up”. This franchise gets better with each film. It is truly amazing how an animated series can be this good. It is for children and children at heart!! SEE IT ON THE BIG SCREEN!!!


JONAH HEX
WESTERN/ACTION/FANTASY

This flick is good in a B-movie way. It is based on a DC comic book of the same name, but read the comic because the origin has changed. Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin) is a Confederate soldier and dislikes the horrors some troops do to other men. He kills the son of Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich), so Turnbull is out for revenge---and gets it by killing Hex’s wife, son, and burns one side of Hex's face. Hex becomes a mean bounty hunter who can talk to the dead (don’t ask me why). He thinks that Turnbull is dead, but he is not so, he still goes to get his revenge.

It sounds real good until you see the movie. Josh Brolin is a very good actor and he is good in this movie. Malkovich’s Turnbull is an okay villain, and Megan Fox as Lilah Black a hooker who wants a better life. She is not in the movie very much and she isn’t nude but she poses sexy in a corset. The good thing is DC is trying to branch out with their movie superheroes besides Superman and Batman. Actually, there are only three words for this movie: BluRay or DVD.