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!!