Tag: action

The Happytime Murders Movie Review

August 24, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018) Published by

With this film, director Brian Henson, son of Jim Henson, is definitely leaving his mark. Not unlike the way a dog covers what the last one left behind, it’s as if he wants you to know that these aren’t your father’s Muppets… definitely not his. Some might not care for how he brazenly bastardizes his families legacy but for those of you who saw the Red Band trailer and liked the idea of raunchy puppets cursing at one another, watching porn and having sex, this most likely won’t be an issue. ‘The Happytime Murders’ would have been a really fun short film. Stretching it into a feature was reaching too far but it doesn’t mean you won’t have some laughs; it’s just ego on Henson’s part to believe adults will be so enraptured by foulmouthed puppets to bear with the time it takes to watch all the way through.

 

One could argue that there’s something twisted and devious about Henson using the puppets in this manner when his father, much to the delight of millions of people all over the world, utilized them to educate young children and entertain families but depending on how you look at it, Brian Henson is very much entertaining a specific audience, as well… just not the same one and not in as artful a way. Essentially, many of you won’t appreciate this type of crude humor and that’s okay. This film wasn’t designed for you and it seems Henson is okay with that because it doesn’t make it any less funny to those he created it for.

 

‘The Happytime Murders’ brings together a detective named Edwards (McCarthy) and former detective turned private investigator, Phil Phillips (voice of Bill Barretta) when members of The Happytime Gang (an old puppet television show) are murdered one by one. Phil’s brother Larry, who was ‘police officer Shenanigans’ on the show (which brought up thoughts of ‘Super Troopers’) is one of the victims. Edwards and Phillips were once partners in the department until an incident occurred that caused Phil to be released and excommunicate from the department. The tensions are high between these two but they’re both on the right side of the law and with only one goal in mind, they agree to work together. To bring some mystery in a caper that has little of it, Phil, who we know is a good guy, gets fingered for the killings and it’s up to Edwards, with help from Phil’s secretary Bubbles (Rudolph), to clear his name and find the real killer.

McCarthy is believable in her character to the degree I honestly don’t believe anyone, but she could have pulled this off. It’s time someone gives her a role in something other than a comedy, but she makes Edwards and all her animosity toward her old partner believable and thus more palatable when the jokes wear thin.

 

What I liked very much but think may have been largely missed because of the sexual perversions that you end up surprised with, was the discrimination by humans toward the puppets, who now must live among us. It seems they still ‘sing and dance for the man,’ even though they don’t want to… but how will they be taken seriously when they’re just colored felt and fluff? Even animals attack them on a daily basis, dogs especially, as they’re seen as nothing but a plaything. One of my favorite scenes is of two smalls dogs barking at a puppet while he screams at them that he isn’t a squeaky toy. Pay attention closely because there are several gems like that hidden in the background.

 

It isn’t difficult to shock people using sex, but it is challenging to keep the interest of an audience for over an hour using nothing but dirty jokes. I can’t say this is worth seeing at the theatre unless you’re paying matinee price but for those curious enough to see it, as you may have been with seeing ‘Sausage Party’ and ‘Team America,’ please know what you’re getting into. It’s going to be naughty but just have fun. And be sure to stay during some of the credits to watch a little of how they made this world come to life.

Mile 22 Movie Review

August 17, 2018 (updated August 16, 2018) Published by

If you were expecting that “Mile 22” is some type of sequel to Eminem’s “8 Mile”, well, put that idea out of your head. If you are prepared to “Lose Yourself” in an overly complicated movie full of bloody violence and gory death scenes, then you’re in the right place. At least both of these movies feature an ex-rapper in the starring role. But Mark Wahlburg takes the non-musical approach to a tough CIA special operative out to move a valuable asset from the US Embassy to the airport. But for these 22 miles, he and his team are under fire and under duress. They are part of a super-secret operation that only does the dirtiest of dirty jobs for the government.

James Silva (Mark Wahlberg) is part of this unique operation called ‘Overwatch’, and they have a job to do. They are taking down a Russian safe house, located in a beautiful suburb outside of Washington DC. But in the chaos of the operation a teenage Russian boy gets shot and killed. The operatives walk away with a sack full of hard drives and leave a bunch of dead Russians in the house. They don’t give it another thought. But wheels have been set into motion that will come back to haunt them later. But it is time to break to Two Years Later, and to another country…

Silva and some fellow operatives are later located in a (fictitious) Southeastern Asian country. Alice Kerr (Lauren Cohan) and Samantha Snow (Ronda Rousey) work with Silva to retrieve some stolen nuclear material. The Intel is all wrong, and the source is a local Army officer named Li Noor (Iko Uwais). Silva gets all worked up, because his character is prone to long-winded speeches about how everyone around him is dumb. Li Noor comes to the US Embassy and turns himself in. He wants to make a deal — but only if he is taken to America. He has a hard drive with all the details of the missing MacGuffin materials, but it will self-destruct unless he gives them the password.

The ‘Overwatch’ team kicks into high gear, lead by Bishop (John Malkovich). They have only the best tech and the biggest guns, so these guys will never lose, right? Silva and his team must transport Li Noor from the Embassy to the airport for a pickup and a flight to the States. They have it all planned out, until the plan gets shredded by the local country’s secret police and undercover spies. There is an attempt on Li Noor’s life while he is in the Embassy. So you know once they leave, their convoy of vehicles will be under attack for every minute of the trip. One by one, Silva’s team members are shot and or exploded (or worse). Li Noor is in handcuffs, but eventually Silva relents and gives him the freedom to fight back.

After many minutes of non-stop fighting and explosions and high-caliber rounds being shot, Silva gets Li Noor and Alice to the rendezvous point. All is well at that point. But then there are some deeper secrets that are revealed. There are call backs to the first scene with the Russian safe house and some things that are not quite as straightforward as they seem. The plot gets twisted around like a Bavarian pretzel. And there isn’t any good German beer to go with the pretzel…

“Mile 22” is the fourth collaboration between Mark Wahlberg and director Peter Berg. The other movies were based on a true story, and this is the first that is fictional. But the concept was done before. Think “The Gauntlet”, with Clint Eastwood. And then again see “16 Blocks” with Bruce Willis. The basic plot of somebody needing to get someone else to a particular place is not exactly new. Dressing it up as a secret undercover operation is new, and adding about ten layers of double-cross is somewhat new.

Wahlberg plays a character that is very unlikable, and he commands a tight unit. They are supposed to be the most elite unit. But for this operation, they look like a bunch of buffoons. The movie goes into depth about how special this team is, and how important they are. But what is shown is an orgy of automatic weapons and a whole slew of stupid decisions.

The writing is bi-polar, giving Wahlberg little mini-speeches where his character goes off on vulgar tangents. The overall twist in the plot has way too many holes. The editing and frantic pace gets you feeling very jittery after a while. You never get a clear understanding of the progress to the goal. Have they gone 10 miles, or 15 miles? Who can tell? Plus the actual action of the journey to the airport does not begin until the last third of the movie.

Peter Berg has worked with Mark Wahlberg on other, much better projects. “Lone Survivor”, “Deepwater Horizon” and “Patriot’s Day” are very excellent movies. But now they have teamed up for this one, which you might like, or you might not. With “Mile 22”, your mileage may vary.

The Meg Movie Review

August 10, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018) Published by

‘The Meg’ is as entertaining and campy as any remake based on a huge success is; in that you’ll enjoy seeing it for what it reminds you of but then you’ll be irritated by its lack of living up to the goal you undoubtedly set for it. Here, you’re looking for that other film, I’m obviously speaking of ‘Jaws,’ and what you get is a cheap knockoff. I say that because what bothered me most was Meg, herself. Speilberg did a better job in the ‘70’s of making Jaws something to fear than Turteltaub does here. You never get a true sense of the beast except in what the people have to say. When you do see her, its digital performance isn’t all that beastly, to be honest.

There are elements of indulgence that make ‘The Meg’ the perfect film for your youngsters to view because they need to have something to talk about when they go back to school. They can talk about their first scary movie and they will also learn some things they can take back to science class. There were several younger viewers at our screening, ages around nine and ten, and they were thrilled and excited by the film. This could be because they don’t have anything to compare it to. That being said, it’s not a bad movie, it’s just not a good ‘remake.’ Since it isn’t a remake and you just want to watch a nonsensical action/horror, you could definitely do worse. Jason Statham brings you a believable enough hero to root for and the little treasure, Shuya Sophia Cai, plays a darling character for you to hope is ultimately saved.

Meg is a Megalodon, a prehistoric shark that’s discovered when scientists, who should know better by now, move beneath what has been thought to be the ocean floor but is really a freezing thermal cloud that houses a new ecosystem and keeps new species safe below. They intend to find these new species by cruising a sub down and busting into this ecosystem. When they actually do this, they never prepare for the worst, of course. They’re happy they made the discovery but that’s short-lived when Meg, bothered by their lights, finds them and isn’t interested in letting them tell the world about her home. Morris, (played badly by Rainn Wilson) an annoying billionaire who is interested only in his profit margin, insists the team do whatever it takes to keep the operation going. Jonas (Statham) enters because one of the team members below is his ex-wife. He comes to the rescue because he has been in the position before and this ends up being a chance to prove himself… not that he needed one. You’ll learn about as the film opens.

There are a lot of incredibly tense scenes in the film, especially after Meg is tagged. When this happens, the action never stops, but it is a bit slow to get started. There’s a lot of humor, as well, which surprised me. One hysterical moment that the entire audience chuckled at was when Jonas tries not to think about the beast as he’s swimming in her waters. To himself, he sings Dora’s ‘Just Keep Swimming’ song from ‘Finding Nemo.’ There are several well-placed jump scares to keep you on the edge of your seat and when you think they’ve done about all they can, they give the audience a little more so don’t think it’s over just cuz Morris thinks it is. If you go to see ‘The Meg,’ please pull for Pippin. She’s the cute little pup who falls in the water during the trailer. I won’t tell you if Meg finds her to be an adequate snack or not, but I was heartbroken by her fear, as I’m sure you will be, too… I hope.

In the mood for some action with Statham? Check out ‘The Meg.’ It’ll be a better view if you can catch it on IMAX but if you’re not a huge Statham fan, you’d probably do well to watch during a matinee or wait and see it at home. It’s too predictable to be mind-blowing but Turteltaub gives you enough with a few characters to keep you interested and amused.  One last note. Just about everything out of the mouth of Morris is weak and tired. This character could have and should have been improved.

The Spy Who Dumped Me Movie Review

August 3, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018) Published by

‘The Spy Who Dumped Me’ is entertaining but highly predictable. It isn’t a terrible movie, hence the reason the rating I gave it didn’t destroy this comedic narrative, but outside of the two leads making you chuckle, there isn’t a lot to be thrilled about. Mila Kunis seems to be top billed, but Kate McKinnon definitely steals the show as Audrey’s (Kunis’) best friend, Morgan, who would do anything to protect her friend… just as McKinnon does anything to make an audience laugh. McKinnon alone is responsible for why the film will have a modestly successful theatrical run because she lives a breathes insanity into unpretentiously deranged characters. She’s a treasure. Which leads me to the story.

Audrey’s recent break up with Drew (Theroux) and her being angry at him, gives license to her bestie, Morgan, to determine the worth of Drew’s things that had been left in Audrey’s apartment. Once defined as worthless, Morgan wants to burn his possessions to rid her friend of this slug once and for all. Drew is warned and, as expected, shows up to stop it. This is when the women learn he’s a secret agent. During all of this, we flip back and forth as to who he’s working for and whether he’s a good guy or not. Suddenly, Audrey and Morgan are being followed, dodging bullets and being shoved into vans. Again, it’s unclear as to whether or not Drew is a good guy, a question we are left to ponder until the very end of the film. They learn who Drew is, around the same time they meet the hunky Sebastian, (Heughan), who Audrey can’t help but drool over. Drew says he’s a spy; Sebastian says he’s intelligence. Who to believe? It isn’t easy so, as Morgan puts it in the film, they’re going to own their intelligence and figure everything out on their own. It’s on to Europe to sort out the mess. They’re told a lot of people will die if a trophy in their possession isn’t at a certain location on time. That won’t happen on their watch.

To make a film an action/comedy, and that’s what ‘The Spy Who Dumped Me’ is billed as you must have fight sequences and car chases and such. You’ll be quite impressed with how well director Susanna Fogel embraced that convention when, after viewing the trailer, it seemed as if the movie originally sold itself as a chick flick of sorts. Leaving the bad digital blood aside, they’re superbly choreographed, well shot and in beautiful locales, all the things needed to please today’s action audience. Another highlight for some may be the addition of Gillian Anderson as the head of the British Secret Service. Though it was great to see her in the role of a boss who pulls no punches, it was hardly a stretch for her. Perhaps she took the part to remind us all that she’s out there to which she does in spades.

I liked the film, but I didn’t love it. Having said that, you should see it at a matinee because what works is worth seeing. McKinnon. Anderson. Strong characters and complete insanity. It will work for you as a laid-back, informal summer spy thriller during your easygoing, passive summer weekend.

The Meg Advance Movie Screening

August 1, 2018 (updated August 1, 2018) Published by

Movie Screening Summary

Jason Statham (“Spy,” “Furious 7,” “The Expendables” films) and award-winning Chinese actress Li Bingbing (“Transformers: Age of Extinction,” “Forbidden Kingdom,” “The Message”) star in the science fiction action thriller “The Meg,” directed by Jon Turteltaub (the “National Treasure” movies, “Last Vegas”).

In the film, a deep-sea submersible—part of an international undersea observation program—has been attacked by a massive creature, previously thought to be extinct, and now lies disabled at the bottom of the deepest trench in the Pacific…with its crew trapped inside. With time running out, expert deep sea rescue diver Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) is recruited by a visionary Chinese oceanographer (Winston Chao), against the wishes of his daughter Suyin (Li Bingbing), to save the crew—and the ocean itself—from this unstoppable threat: a pre-historic 75-foot-long shark known as the Megalodon. What no one could have imagined is that, years before, Taylor had encountered this same terrifying creature. Now, teamed with Suyin, he must confront his fears and risk his own life to save everyone trapped below…bringing him face to face once more with the greatest and largest predator of all time.

Rounding out the international main cast of “The Meg” are Rainn Wilson (TV’s “The Office,” “Super”), Ruby Rose (“xXx: Return of Xander Cage,” TV’s “Orange is the New Black”), Winston Chao (“Skiptrace,” “Kabali”), Page Kennedy (TV’s “Rush Hour”), Jessica McNamee (“The Vow,” TV’s “Sirens”), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (“The BFG,” TV’s “The Missing”), Robert Taylor (“Focus,” TV’s “Longmire”), New Zealander Cliff Curtis (“The Dark Horse,” “Risen,” TV’s “Fear the Walking Dead”), Sophia Shuya Cai (“Somewhere Only We Know”), and Masi Oka (TV’s “Hawaii Five-0,” “Heroes”).

Turteltaub directed the film from a screenplay by Dean Georgaris and Jon Hoeber & Erich Hoeber, based on the New York Times best-selling novel by Steve Alten. Lorenzo di Bonaventura (the “Transformers” films), Belle Avery (“Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead”) and Colin Wilson (“Suicide Squad,” “Avatar”) produced the film, with Gerald R. Molen, Randy Greenberg, Wayne Wei Jiang, and Barrie Osborne serving as executive producers.

Turteltaub’s behind-the-scenes team included Oscar-nominated director of photography Tom Stern (“Changeling,” “Sully,” “American Sniper,” “The Hunger Games”), Oscar-winning production designer Grant Major (“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” “X-Men- Apocalypse”), editor Steven Kemper (“Salt,” “Mission: Impossible II,” “Face/Off”) and costume designer Amanda Neale (“Truth,” “Pete’s Dragon,” “What We Do in the Shadows”).

Filming on “The Meg” was accomplished on location in China and New Zealand.

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Phoenix, Arizona

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Movie Screening Date: Monday, August 6th
Location: Harkins Arizona Mills
Movie Screening Time: 7:00pm
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Tucson, Arizona

 

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Location: Century El Con
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Las Vegas, Nevada

 

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Albuquerque, New Mexico

 

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Movie Screening Date: Monday, August 6th
Location: Regal Winrock
Movie Screening Time: 7:00pm
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Mission: Impossible Fallout Movie Review

July 27, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018) Published by

Mission: Impossible – Fallout” takes a lesson from the fictional rock band Spinal Tap, and the movie action gets ‘put up to 11’. That means the movie is a non-stop E-Ticket thrill ride for nearly the entire run time (over 2 hours). Yes, it does stop occasionally to explain this situation or go over the disastrous outcome if that other thing happens. The main focus is on the action sequences and fight sequences. All of the over-the-top action, piling even more and more onto the plot that will threaten to make it burst with adrenaline. There in the center of it all is Tom Cruise, making stuntmen everywhere proud…

“Mission: Impossible – Fallout” takes a couple of character from prior movies and also bring them into the action. But the main Impossible Mission Force is back together as in the past. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is the leader, and he also needs the talents of Benji (Simon Pegg) and Luther (Ving Rhames). There is stolen Russian plutonium and Hunt blows a chance to buy it off the black market. He instead chooses to save the lives of his team members. IMF is called into action, as directed by the new IMF secretary Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin). But current CIA chief Sloane (Angela Bassett) will not allow IMF to operate on its own. She embeds a CIA asset named August Walker (Henry Cavill), and he is there to terminate the operation (and Hunt) if things go south.

So as soon as things could go wrong, they do… Hunt and Walker do a High Altitude (HALO) jump into a party held in Paris by White Widow (Vanessa Kirby). She is a black market operative who can obtain the missing plutonium – at a price. Hunt assumes the identity of a rogue operator who is part of a new terrorist group. White Widow buys the cover story that Hunt is the right guy. But the price is steep. Hunt and Walker must capture a police-held ex-British spy named Solomon Lane (Sean Harris). But there is another person interested in finding – and killing – Lane. That is Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) who is a British MI-6 agent who went deep undercover into Lane’s group. She must eliminate Lane to prove her worth.

Hunt and his crew get Lane, and are almost killed by Ilsa. But there are deep moles and turncoats and double-crosses around every corner. Ethan Hunt finds that he can trust almost no one. They team travel to London, where they will exchange Lane for the black market plutonium. But the twists come hot and heavy, and soon they are left empty-handed. Hunt and his team, along with Ilsa, travel to where Solomon Lane might be going next – Kashmir. They trace him to a volunteer temporary hospital. Hunt finds out that Lane specifically chose this location – Hunt’s ex-wife Julia (Michelle Monaghan) is there. They find that two of the nuclear cores have been constructed into bombs. There is a very complex way to defuse these two bombs, but only once the countdown has started. So will the team be able to find the bombs, and get them de-armed – before — FALLOUT?

Each Mission: Impossible has been a wild ride that relies a lot more on thrills than on a simple cohesive plot. But it always works out better than way. The more outrageous the premise, the more dire the outcome – it makes the M:I team come together and beat the odds. Odds that are Impossible, naturally. But always leading this pack is Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt. His steely-eyed focus on an over-the-top goal makes everything more interesting.

Cruise has partnered with Christopher McQuarrie who has now become the only director to helm two M:I movies. Plus McQuarrie as this film’s only writer takes the story-line into treacherous places with treacherous people undermining Hunt’s Mission. But with many capable actors joining them (many going back for quite a few movies) – the results are spectacular.  Sure, the overall details may not make perfect sense, but they propel the action forward, usually at breakneck speed.

Or perhaps it moves at break-ankle speed, referring back to the stunt that Cruise did over the London rooftops, where is landing was a little too rough. He suffered a few broken ones there, but he would not give up and – like this movie – there is nothing that will stop a Great Action Sequence!

Hunter Killer – Trailer

July 26, 2018 Published by

‘HUNTER KILLER’

Deep under the Arctic Ocean, American submarine Captain Joe Glass (Gerard Butler, Olympus Has Fallen, 300) is on the hunt for a U.S. sub in distress when he discovers a secret Russian coup is in the offing, threatening to dismantle the world order. Captain Glass must now assemble an elite group of Navy SEALs to rescue the kidnapped Russian president and sneak through enemy waters to stop WWIII.

Also starring OscarŽ winner Gary Oldman (Best Actor, Darkest Hour, 2017), Common (John Wick: Chapter 2), Linda Cardellini (Avengers: Age of Ultron) and Toby Stephens (Die Another Day), HUNTER KILLER is a high-stakes thriller that unfolds both on land and at sea. Only in theaters nationwide by Summit Premiere on October 26th, 2018.

Directed by Donovan Marsh and written by Arne L. Schmidt and Jamie Moss, HUNTER KILLER is based on the book Firing Point written by retired naval officer George Wallace and author Don Keith. The production of HUNTER KILLER was also fully supported by the United States Navy.

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In Theaters October 26

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The Equalizer 2 Movie Review

July 20, 2018 (updated July 18, 2018) Published by

“The Equalizer 2” is special, if only because it is the first sequel that Denzel Washington has ever wanted to do (“The Sequel-izer”?). In 2014 “The Equalizer” took the old TV series and gave it a make-over with Denzel playing Robert McCall. This time around Denzel brings along the same director and the same writer as with the first installment. They have come up with another dose of action and revenge – with Robert McCall always looking out for the little guy. He brings justice to an unjust world, one kick-ass sequence at a time. With this movie, the second time around is not frantic as the first, but it ends up with a wild finish.

Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) goes about his business and tries to mind his own business. He even has become a part-time Lyft driver so he could connect with everyday people. But with his many years of Special Forces training and even more years in a special operations unit in the CIA, there are ‘very particular set of skills’ that McCall can use to “equal the scales of justice”. That happens at the start, when he travels to Turkey to get back a kidnapped little girl. McCall lives in a simple manner, and has some friends in the Boston neighborhood where he is located. He befriends Miles (Ashton Sanders), who is a young black man with some artistic skills – but he also has a toxic attitude.

McCall has some other friends who live in Washington DC. Susan Plummer (Melissa Leo) is a retired CIA manager who headed up McCall’s old unit. She and her husband Brian Plummer (Bill Pullman) are close to McCall, and they knew his wife before she passed away. Susan is called to research an odd murder-suicide that happened in Brussels. The man and wife happened to also be deep-cover agents for the CIA. She goes to see if there was any connection. She goes with agent Dave York (Pedro Pascal), and was also part of the special ops team and had partnered with McCall years ago. But there is an incident in Brussels and Susan is killed. The police think it was a couple of meth users, but McCall thinks it was much more than that.

The scenes flip back and forth between Boston and Washington DC and Brussels. But McCall keeps busy with his Lyft driving, while still doing forensic analysis on Susan’s phone and computer. He helps an elderly man to find a long-lost sister. He helps a young woman who had been brutalized by a group of high-dollar, low-class men. And everywhere he goes, he can leave a trail of blood and bodies. He also helps his young friend Miles, and convinces him to stay out of a violent street gang. Miles slowly learns that McCall has the ability to turn on some street gang level violence just on his own.

While the weather gets worse and worse in Boston, McCall figures out that his old teammate, Dave York, might be playing now on a different team. There is a lot of bad blood between them, when McCall knows who it was ultimately behind Susan’s murder. York has a group of henchmen who can make life difficult for McCall. They all follow McCall to his old home on the Cape Cod coast. But somebody forgot to turn off the hurricane that is making landfall near the town. McCall must face off with the evildoers in a driving wind and in drenching rain. But when he is able to use any item at his disposal to put up a defense against the bad guys, he has an advantage. But when they also have an ace-in-the-hole (or is that a Miles-in-the-trunk?) – the fighting gets pretty berserk.

Denzel Washington is (again) excellent playing Robert McCall. He has a steely-eyed gaze that could cause any wrong-doer to think twice and join the side of the angels. But his close-contact fighting skills can leave an opponent on the ground gasping. Denzel must enjoy this role, because he looks worn into place yet very nimble. Working again with director Antoine Fuqua brings a good level of karma to the whole production, and the result is very watchable. Pedro Pascal is also really good as a slick operative who is adept at playing both sides. Ashton Sanders does a decent job at not being entirely overshadowed by Denzel. Everyone else is mostly extended cameos in the movie.

 

Aside from the first half, which flips locations quite often, the pacing is steady. It picks up a lot in the second half, and final third is just a brilliant fast-paced cat-and-mouse fight sequence. The entire purpose behind all the murders is a little murky, and there a few scenes that go on a smidge too long. Maybe a more cohesive story line, and a few more days of editing could have turned this into a more forceful movie. Right now it is way above average, and a great deal of that goes to the presence of Denzel. His shoulders are wide enough to carry many obstacles.

 

“The Equalizer 2” is not a movie I ever expected to see made. But because of the care that Denzel Washington puts into the character of Robert McCall, this is a franchise that might be able to continue on with more movies and more high praise. All things being Equal…

SKYSCRAPER Movie Review

July 13, 2018 (updated November 16, 2018) Published by

Somehow someone settled on the title ‘Skyscraper’ for this new action film starring Dwayne Johnson. After watching, I think a better title may have been ‘101 Ways to Best Use Duct Tape.’ At no time ever has an action film had its star running around trying to be the hero with almost nothing at his disposal except for this ‘strong, cloth-backed, waterproof, pressure sensitive, adhesive, miracle-working cure-all. But writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber does and it sorta works believe it or not. Maybe an even better title would be ‘101 Uses for Duct Tape-Towering Inferno Dies Hard.’ I might sound as if I’m being a little harsh with the comparisons to earlier films, ‘The Towering Inferno’ with Paul Newman and ‘Die Hard’ with Bruce Willis but I assure you if you’ve seen them, you’ll do the same. ‘Skyscraper’ is that predictable. I did enjoy the excitement and taking the journey but as almost anyone who has seen a big budget action thriller will say, the script was hardly original.

Instead of a police officer from New York running around inside a building in L.A. trying to stop German bad guys from making a profitable getaway in a giant high rise where his wife is held hostage, we have Scandinavian bad guys doing almost the same thing. However, our hero is Will Sawyer (Johnson), an ex-FBI agent who is also from America but this time the building is in Hong Kong. There are other similarities, but you get the picture. ‘The Towering Inferno’ references are obvious without my having to mention them, I’m sure. Oh, I have to mention that the end of ‘Rocky’ is in there, too, but you’ll catch that without my having to point it out to you.

After tragedy strikes in his past, Will becomes an independent security consultant working from home. He’s delighted to get a chance to work in the largest building in the world ‘The Pearl’ in Hong Kong, through an old friend who gets him the job. His job is to make sure the building is 100% secure and ready to be insured so that the giant residential section can now be opened to the public. This building is immense, beautiful and boasts all the possible amenities a high-tech building could have and all the updates. The units will sell quickly. Its eccentric builder and owner loves his building so much that he lives in the penthouse. Until his task is done, Will, with family in tow, are the only people presently staying in the building until his job is completed.

Neve Campbell plays his wife, Sarah, who’s ex-military. She is both mentally and physically strong. You’ll like her, particularly toward the end of the film where she gets to land a good swift kick to an irritatingly absurd character; but their children are not at all realistic. They are way too calm in the ‘heat of the moment’ so to speak. If I’m a little kid and I’m faced with burning to death or falling to my death, I’m not going to be calmly, statically asking mommy if I was going to die. I’d be screaming bloody murder!! Maybe you don’t want to go too realistic with it but c’mon! A little emotion would have been nice to sell SOME panic in SOMEONE!

Villains take over the building and, wanting something from the owner, set it on fire. They will get what they want this way, right? Seeing the chaos at The Pearl and getting set up as the guy who started it, Will must get in to save his family. Not a challenge for Johnson! Nah. He scurries up a construction crane, a blood pressure raising scene, by the way, and gets himself inside. Every movie he makes is live streamed to the public and is being watched by a crowd who has gathered below. Based on what they see, they’ve deemed him someone innocent of charges being thrown about on the news and worthy of getting through this whole mess he’s in, so they cheer his every successful move; each of which is mostly predictable had it not been for one thing… that duct tape! I’d fill you in more but would prefer you discover what he’s doing with it on your own. It’s better this way. Trust me.

‘Skyscraper’ is Dwayne Johnson in an action flick. Awesome! The poster is good and the trailer is good so, we’re all going to go see it. No matter what you hear, despite your best judgment, Rotten Tomatoes rating aside, you’re gonna go see it because… why not? It has everything an action film needs. Great CG and visual effect, strong characters that you want to see do well, provocative, albeit somewhat weak, story (despite its glaring references to other pictures) and most importantly, the suspension of disbelief. You’ll lose yourself in the film for a little while and isn’t that the whole reason to go see a movie like this? It’s nothing new but you’ll have fun. Go so seeing this one on the big screen this weekend. It’s the way to go with this type of movie.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout | New Featurette Available Now!

July 10, 2018 (updated July 10, 2018) Published by

Experience Mission: Impossible – Fallout in theatres, RealD 3D and IMAX on July 27, 2018

 

SYNOPSIS

The best intentions often come back to haunt you. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT finds Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team (Alec Baldwin, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames) along with some familiar allies (Rebecca Ferguson, Michelle Monaghan) in a race against time after a mission gone wrong.  Henry Cavill, Angela Bassett, and Vanessa Kirby also join the dynamic cast with filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie returning to the helm.

 WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY

Christopher McQuarrie

PRODUCED BY

Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, Jake Myers, J.J. Abrams

STARRING

Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris, Angela Bassett, Vanessa Kirby,

Michelle Monaghan, Alec Baldwin, Wes Bentley, Frederick Schmidt

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