Iron Fists, Black Drunks, War for White Chicks

MAN WITH THE IRON FIST

ACTION

                Plot:  In feudal China, many warriors and killers hunt for the gold in Jungle Village.  The story is really not important as hip-hop artist Rza from the Wu-Tang Clan makes his directorial debut as well as stars in the feature.  He loves martial arts movies and it shows.  He is not that successful at it but it is full cheesy clichés found these kinds of movies.  The cast also has Lucy Liu, Russell Crowe (don’t know why he is in this, some say he is a friend of Rza.) and who stands out for me is former wrestler of WWE Dave Bautista as Brass Body!!    He can change his body to  metal and nothing can pierce him. He is a villain and doesn’t say much but he is a character in need of a back story and story of his own.

FLIGHT

DRAMA

                Plot:  Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) is an airline pilot who saves lives by doing a stunt move with the plane but when they investigate they find out he is an addict.  I spoiled the story but you have to see Denzel at his very best!!  It is sympathy for the devil but he plays it beautifully.  All the other cast members are fantastic but Harling Mays (John Goodman) as a drug dealer is amazing!!  He is funny and frightening.  I see two Oscars buzz and nominations for Washington and Goodman.

TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN 2

ROMANCE/ACTION/FANTASY

                Plot:  Bella gives birth to Renesmee and now she is a vampire with  super powers but now she must protect her daughter from the evil Volturi.  The teen phenomenal is finally over!!  It doesn’t stop the twihards but may stop others.  The good stuff is that Kristen Stewart looks very beautiful and she strong and aggressive, there is a lot of action this time.  The bad is some of the special effects and it drags before the violent climax.  It is the best of the series. Honestly, I don’t know why it makes so much money or has a devoted following.  It is Star Wars for white chicks!!

Fall Thrillers ROCK in 2012

ALEX CROSS

CRIME DRAMA THRILLER

   

                Tyler Perry (writer, director of Madea movies) stars as Alex Cross, homicide detective psychologist must find a psycho, lonely assassin named Picasso (Matthew Fox).  If you can believe that Tyler Perry can be Sherlock Holmes for most of the movie and Shaft near the end you will enjoy it.  Give Perry an A for effort for trying to be an actor other than in his movies. Matthew Fox is good as the killer.  Do you know any happy, social assassins?  The movie is not doing well in the theaters but it will do much better on video.  

ARGO

DRAMA/THRILLER

                This movie is based on a real story of six American diplomatic personnel rescued from Iran by Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) by pretending they are making a fantasy film. It makes you wonder how close Hollywood and the CIA really are. Sounds like a comedy and there are very funny moments in it but it is very serious and at times intense!!!  The cast is great including Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), John Goodman and Alan Arkin.  Ben Affleck was born to direct and he does an excellent job.  An Oscar nomination is in his future.  There is not a lot of action but much suspense.  Recommended!

SKYFALL

ACTION/THRILLER

                The movie is the 23^rd Bond movie and it delivers like the others.  Daniel Craig is James Bond for the third time.  The plot is about a vengeful former MI6 agent called Silva played Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men won an Oscar) who wants to get M played Judi Dench.  Judi Dench is great as M, tough with a tender side very rarely shown. Mr. Bardem’s Silva a bad guy and there is a scene where he flirts with Bond!!  He is not an average adversary.

The opening sequence is spectacular!!  The two new Bond women are Naomie Harris as Eve and Berenice Marolohe as Serverine. Craig’s Bond is more like James Bourne than the traditional James Bond, the superhero guy who slaughters the villains and sleeps with the ladies.  When you see the film the title is explained.  It is better than the last movie Quantum of Solace.

Fall Action: You'll Be Taken for a Looper

END OF WATCH

CRIME/DRAMA

                Hollywood has made a gazillion cop buddy movies but this one is very realistic.  Jake Gyllenhaal (Prince of Persia, Source Code) is Brian Taylor and Michael Pena is Mike Zavala are the cops who are partners on the street and act like brothers after work.    Their acting is wonderful.  Their wives  Anna Kendrick (Twilight Saga) and Natalie Martinez (Death Race, TV show Detroit 187) is equally good.  I wish Ms. Martinez could do more work.  The cops’ loyalty is tested when a cartel is after them.  You have seen it all before just not this way.  The trailer is misleading; it is action-packed but not like the trailer.  If you like a lot of action wait for video if you like bromance watch it.

LOOPER

SCI-FI/DRAMA

                This is a good IFC movie.  It is not your typical time-travel action film.  There is good acting by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt.  If you saw the trailer the mob has a way to kill people with time-travel and the hitmen are called loopers.  See this movie ONLY if you want to see something different than popcorn movies.  It is very intelligent, very violent and for action-hounds wait for video or VOD.

TAKEN 2

ACTION/DRAMA 

                Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson, The Grey,Taken ) in Istanbul is targeted to be kidnapped  along with his family by a vengeful father (Rade Serbedzija X-Men First Class )who killed his son in the first movie.   There is a lot of action if you like movies likes this but –spoiler a realistic ending to it.  It is a star film for talented Neeson and he plays it well, funny, straight and of course, man of action.  Not as good as Taken but it has its moments.  See it if you like Liam Neeson and action, if not wait until video.

A Spark of Dreddful Evil

SPARKLE

MUSCIAL DRAMA

                This is a remake of 1976 movie.  It takes place in the sixties with singer Jordin Sparks as Sparkle a beautiful gifted songwriter and singer if she would get over stage fright.  Her acting is okay. She has two sisters Sister (played very well by Carmen Ejogo) and Dolores (Tika Sumpter) she is great and she is dark skinned and usually writers make them so ghetto but she was very smart and sensible.  I hope to see these actresses in more movies. 

Their mom Emma (played by the late, great Whitney Houston) doesn’t want them to sing for she tried unsuccessfully. She sings one song. Sister hooks up with the wrong man Satin, a stand -up comic (Mike Epps, Friday, The Hangover) I didn’t like his character but he may be portraying Richard Pryor in an upcoming movie.  It is a good movie if you like singing but if you can wait for video do so.

RESIDENT EVIL:  RETRIBUTION

ACTION/SCI-FI

                The fifth of the series stars Milla Jovoich as Alice who has to save the world again.  Plot really not important because they are not following the plot of the video game.  The ONLY reason you should see it to see the action and there is a lot of it!!  The women for the most part kicking all the ass and they are Michelle Rodriguez and Sienna Guillory.  It is worth seeming on video.

DREDD-3D

ACTION/SCI-FI

                I was one of the ten people who enjoyed the 1995 movie Judge Dredd starring Sly Stallone.  Now the film is rebooted and it is very violent and very good.  Karl Urban (Star Trek 2009) is Dredd Clint Eastwood talking, never takes his helmet off and kills for he is judge, jury and executioner!!  The villain is Madeline Madrigal or short Ma-Ma (Lena Headey Game of Thrones 300) is a gangster who owns Mega City and pushes a drug “Slo-Mo” and he has to bring her down.  She is malicious!!  It didn’t make money and I don’t know why it is so good.  It will fare better on video.

Summer-Fall 2012 DVD/Video Review

LOCKOUT

ACTION/SCI-FI

               

                When you mix Die Hard and Escape from New York you get this good movie that was in the theaters for a hot minute. Set in the future  is about Snow (Guy Pearce The King’s Speech) a wise -cracking government agent is framed and his only way to clear himself is to bust in a maximum security prison to save the President daughter Emilie (Maggie Grace, Taken). It is very funny, very violent thriller.  It will do much better on video.

PUNISHER: DIRTY LAUNDRY

CRIME DRAMA ACTION

(YouTube)

                I usually don’t review a ten minute movie but I looove the Punisher so much Thomas Jane made a short film that is on YouTube.  It was first shown at this year’s Comic Con.  It is about Punisher who now lives in a van and he decides to do laundry.  He sees hookers assaulted and a kid harass to sell drugs.  He tries not to get involved but when he does badass is the only way to describe it.  For fans of Punisher it is so good yet you just want more.  One thing I didn’t like was all the bad guys were black.

THE RAID: REDEMPTION

CRIME DRAMA ACTION

                This film was in theaters with not much fanfare but this flick is action packed!!!  Director Gareth Evans is AMAZING!!!  The story is about an Asian SWAT team trapped in a building to arrest a ruthless mobster protected by his killers and thugs.  Plot is not important but mayhem is and each floor it gets more and more dangerous.  The standout performance is not the hero Rama (Iko Uwais) but Mad Dog( Yayan Ruhian) is martial arts skills are outstanding!!!  He is Tony Jaa’s (Ong- Bar) equal!!  It is dubbed and the English subtitles are terrible but you not watching for that.  PLEASE RENT, BUY THIS VIDEO!!!

THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS PART 1

ANIMATION

                Wow!!! This animation is amazing and VERY, VERY violent.  It is based on Frank Miller’s graphic comic.  Batman voiced by the original Robocop Peter Weller is 55 and retired until mutant criminals get him out of retirement.  It is not a long movie but it packs a lot in.  DVD is not for children but good for teens and adults.

MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS

FANTASY/ ACTION

                The film that broke box office records is finally on Blu Ray and DVD.  If you love the superheroes it is a must to have!!  On the DVD they have a short movie about the movie and on Blu-ray they have a gag-reel.  You will enjoy it!!