Hello everybody. We got a nice selection for this weeks update for you guys. That's a bit of the silver lining of getting a concussion at work and being home for a few days. Movies galore. And all for you guys. Well, it's all for me but you guys can enjoy it too. So enjoy the whiplash like variety of things I've watched. There's only one garbage heap in here, so YAY! I'm done now. Read it or not. I got either shit to write. Bye.
The Bank Job (February 22nd, 2015)
Director: Roger Donaldson
Starring: Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows, David Suchet, and Peter De Jersey
Statham is one of the most unique action stars of all time. He may not be the best actor of them all (Stallone), the most iconic (Schwarzenegger), or the most ironically enjoyable (Van Damme). But he is the one who takes the most chances and does movies that aren't typical shoot em ups. The best one is probably Redemption, but this movie here is one of them. Marketed as a Guy Ritchie esque action flick, this is much more in line with 70s Brit crime flicks. Based on a true story, Statham plays a low level criminal who is roped into a plot to rob a bank by an old flame (Burrows). But the plot is much more complex than a simple bank robbery, and all hell breaks loose after. While this isn't a grim dark flick, it's a serious affair. There are consequences. It's also a surprisingly political movie, being based off a true story, it has a real cynical look at the game. It's a breezy fun, with maybe a little too short a run time. It woulda been nice to spend more time with the crew before some of the consequences land, but it still works. Statham is great and the plotting is like a well oiled machine. This is a good little flick and one of the underseen gems in the Statham filmography.
Rating: 8.5/10
Kick-Ass 2 (February 23rd, 2015)
Director: Jeff Wadlow
Starring: Aaron Taylor Johnson, Chloe Moretz, Chris Mintz Plasse, and Jim Carrey
Having now seen all of the movies based of Mark Millar books, it's safe to say that only Matthew Vaughn should spearhead the adaptations. Because of the 4 made, he did 2. And the other 2 are just absolute garbage. Those are Wanted and now this, a sequel to the Matthew Vaughn directed adaptation. Now, the funny thing about all the books is that they are garbage. The first Kick-Ass book is the closest to good, but it suffers from Millars current trend of being over the top, nihilistic and immature with no point. But Vaughn and writing partner Jane Goldman manage to see the strengths in the books, wring out the crap and make something special. But here, you got a director who couldn't make the god awful sequel book work, so we got a pretty bad movie. Like the book, it's a half assed and over the top look at escalation from a "realistic" standpoint. And by realistic, it just means really fucking ugly with no point or weight. This was just a slog to get through. Johnson is still and will probably always be a blank slate, a nothing of a performer. Moretz does what she can, but is given a lot of nothing to do. And Carrey makes the most of what he's given, giving a solid performance. There really isn't much to say. This is a pretty garbage movie and is an affront to the pretty solid original.
Rating: 4/10
Big Hero 6 (February 26th, 2015)
Directors: Chris Williams and Don Hall
Starring: Ryan Potter, Genesis Rodriguez, TJ Miller, and Scott Adsit
Getting it out of the way, this didn't deserve to win Best Animated Feature at the Oscars. And no, it shouldn't have gone to The Lego Movie for all you wonderfully hip adults out there. That honor should have gone to How To Train Your Dragon 2. But the movie is really good, so I'm not upset that it won. It isn't the Birdman for animation. Its a really good, old school movie that fits right into the Disney mold. Young kid suffers a loss in the family and goes on an adventure to learn how to deal with the loss, while gaining a new family that accepts him. Add in a funny inhuman creature, this time being the medic robot named Baymax that becomes the surrogate to the lost relative. The movie is visually fun, set in a San Francisco that was merged with Japan stylings (minus any of the weird sexual depravities, thankfully). The directors stage the movie with a real panache. The flying stuff is great. Not as great as Dragon 2's flying scenes, but great nonetheless. And while not featuring any of the well known Marvel characters, it's use of the ideas and characters gives it a nice world to separate it from other cartoons. The characters are all well written and charmingly performed. It's also nice to see a cartoon (and movie in general) that values intelligence and craftiness over good looks and brawn. It's a thrilling and funny movie that works well for kids and won't bore any adults. It's a nice little superhero movie that isn't too dark for the kiddies.
Rating: 9/10
Munich (February 26th, 2015)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Ciaran Hinds, and Geoffrey Rush
Rating: 10/10
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (February 27th, 2015)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, and Francois Truffaut
For the longest time, I just couldn't get into this movie. I tried and it was painfully boring to me. But after delving into the Spielberg filmography, I had to finish the movie to be a completist. And this time, I actually was able to appreciate what he was doing. It still isn't a perfect movie by any stretch of the imagination. The pacing is way too slow. Deliberate and slow I can handle. But this was, at points, way too much so. But upon this rewatch, I can also see how this is him trying to bring the tone and style of Jaws to an alien movie. A slower paced character piece with a bigger element involved. Where Jaws was about an outside nuisance (the shark) making Brody overcome his fears to protect his family and people he oversees as Police Chief, this is about an outside nuisance shaking Roy Neary free from his stasis and realizing he wants more. Which is all fine and dandy, but the end with Neary going off with aliens and abandoning his family. Leaves a sour taste, despite being fitting and making sense to the story being told. But whats also nice, and almost unfathomable, was Spielberg making the aliens not world conquerors. Back then it was unheard of, especially the same year Alien came out. Even today that's not always the case. And by making a movie about alien contact and not making the Government a shady bunch of scumbags. They're just concerned about what could happen, but are just as ecstatic about it as Neary. And as one of the few movies written by Spielberg, it is a very telling movie. For one, it's like the origin story of the Spielberg father, a man who grows unattached to his children. And it also gives a glimpse into Spielbergs feelings of living in middle America, feeling like an outsider from the rest of the world. And the ending works as his way of taking a world changing leap. It has it's tense moments, as it works like Jaws, but it's almost like a sucker punch. Overall, it's a positive movie with an idealistic view of life outside the planet. While it could have used some tightening in the editing bay, it's an overall good damn flick. It'll always have a lower place in the Spierberg canon to me, but it's a nice follow up to a game changing masterpiece.
Rating: 8/10
Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths (February 28th, 2015)
Directors: Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu
Starring: Mark Harmon, William Baldwin, Chris Noth, and James Woods
Rating: 8/10
Snake Eyes (February 28th, 2015)
Director: Brian DePalma
Starring: Nic Cage, Gary Sinise, Carla Cugino, and John Heard
Rating: 9/10
Top Movies
1. Munich
2. Big Hero 6
3. Snake Eyes
4. The Bank Job
5. Close Encounters Of The Third King
6. Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths
7. Kick-Ass 2
Statham is one of the most unique action stars of all time. He may not be the best actor of them all (Stallone), the most iconic (Schwarzenegger), or the most ironically enjoyable (Van Damme). But he is the one who takes the most chances and does movies that aren't typical shoot em ups. The best one is probably Redemption, but this movie here is one of them. Marketed as a Guy Ritchie esque action flick, this is much more in line with 70s Brit crime flicks. Based on a true story, Statham plays a low level criminal who is roped into a plot to rob a bank by an old flame (Burrows). But the plot is much more complex than a simple bank robbery, and all hell breaks loose after. While this isn't a grim dark flick, it's a serious affair. There are consequences. It's also a surprisingly political movie, being based off a true story, it has a real cynical look at the game. It's a breezy fun, with maybe a little too short a run time. It woulda been nice to spend more time with the crew before some of the consequences land, but it still works. Statham is great and the plotting is like a well oiled machine. This is a good little flick and one of the underseen gems in the Statham filmography.
Kick-Ass 2 (February 23rd, 2015)
Director: Jeff Wadlow
Starring: Aaron Taylor Johnson, Chloe Moretz, Chris Mintz Plasse, and Jim Carrey
Having now seen all of the movies based of Mark Millar books, it's safe to say that only Matthew Vaughn should spearhead the adaptations. Because of the 4 made, he did 2. And the other 2 are just absolute garbage. Those are Wanted and now this, a sequel to the Matthew Vaughn directed adaptation. Now, the funny thing about all the books is that they are garbage. The first Kick-Ass book is the closest to good, but it suffers from Millars current trend of being over the top, nihilistic and immature with no point. But Vaughn and writing partner Jane Goldman manage to see the strengths in the books, wring out the crap and make something special. But here, you got a director who couldn't make the god awful sequel book work, so we got a pretty bad movie. Like the book, it's a half assed and over the top look at escalation from a "realistic" standpoint. And by realistic, it just means really fucking ugly with no point or weight. This was just a slog to get through. Johnson is still and will probably always be a blank slate, a nothing of a performer. Moretz does what she can, but is given a lot of nothing to do. And Carrey makes the most of what he's given, giving a solid performance. There really isn't much to say. This is a pretty garbage movie and is an affront to the pretty solid original.
Big Hero 6 (February 26th, 2015)
Directors: Chris Williams and Don Hall
Starring: Ryan Potter, Genesis Rodriguez, TJ Miller, and Scott Adsit
Getting it out of the way, this didn't deserve to win Best Animated Feature at the Oscars. And no, it shouldn't have gone to The Lego Movie for all you wonderfully hip adults out there. That honor should have gone to How To Train Your Dragon 2. But the movie is really good, so I'm not upset that it won. It isn't the Birdman for animation. Its a really good, old school movie that fits right into the Disney mold. Young kid suffers a loss in the family and goes on an adventure to learn how to deal with the loss, while gaining a new family that accepts him. Add in a funny inhuman creature, this time being the medic robot named Baymax that becomes the surrogate to the lost relative. The movie is visually fun, set in a San Francisco that was merged with Japan stylings (minus any of the weird sexual depravities, thankfully). The directors stage the movie with a real panache. The flying stuff is great. Not as great as Dragon 2's flying scenes, but great nonetheless. And while not featuring any of the well known Marvel characters, it's use of the ideas and characters gives it a nice world to separate it from other cartoons. The characters are all well written and charmingly performed. It's also nice to see a cartoon (and movie in general) that values intelligence and craftiness over good looks and brawn. It's a thrilling and funny movie that works well for kids and won't bore any adults. It's a nice little superhero movie that isn't too dark for the kiddies.
Munich (February 26th, 2015)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Ciaran Hinds, and Geoffrey Rush
This is one of Spielbergs lesser known movies, mainly due to the lack of box office success. There was also a bit of a controversy surrounding the movie, with some claiming it to be anti semitic. Which is gold, because it’s from the guy who made Schindler’s List. But hey, fuck that because it doesn’t make Israel seem like the cleanest and most noble place. But despite it’s almost forgotten reputation and lack of adventurous moments, this is one of the best things he’s ever made. By far, it’s the most morally ambiguous movie he’s ever made. When 11 Israeli Olympic team members are killed in a hostage situation by a Palestinian group, Israel puts together a black ops sqaud to kill 11 men involved in the attack. But by putting us in the shoes of the team leader (Bana), we don’t get all the information. We are in his shoes, so nothing is clear. Are these names actually involved? What’s the proof? Will killing them even make a difference? What does killing men in cold blood do to a soul, despite a righteous belief? Can you kill an enemy easily after having a real conversation with them? This is a powerful film that doesn’t pull punches. It’s brutal and unflinching, managing to damn nor praise either side. It takes a swipe at the very idea of war and the circuitous nature of revenge. The whole thing is about ambiguity, never answering a good deal of questions. It’s a movie that’s another answer from Spielberg that he’s too sentimental and childish a director. It’s a god damn minor miracle it even got made and is as good as it is. Another masterpiece by the beard, this one should be seen by all.
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (February 27th, 2015)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, and Francois Truffaut
For the longest time, I just couldn't get into this movie. I tried and it was painfully boring to me. But after delving into the Spielberg filmography, I had to finish the movie to be a completist. And this time, I actually was able to appreciate what he was doing. It still isn't a perfect movie by any stretch of the imagination. The pacing is way too slow. Deliberate and slow I can handle. But this was, at points, way too much so. But upon this rewatch, I can also see how this is him trying to bring the tone and style of Jaws to an alien movie. A slower paced character piece with a bigger element involved. Where Jaws was about an outside nuisance (the shark) making Brody overcome his fears to protect his family and people he oversees as Police Chief, this is about an outside nuisance shaking Roy Neary free from his stasis and realizing he wants more. Which is all fine and dandy, but the end with Neary going off with aliens and abandoning his family. Leaves a sour taste, despite being fitting and making sense to the story being told. But whats also nice, and almost unfathomable, was Spielberg making the aliens not world conquerors. Back then it was unheard of, especially the same year Alien came out. Even today that's not always the case. And by making a movie about alien contact and not making the Government a shady bunch of scumbags. They're just concerned about what could happen, but are just as ecstatic about it as Neary. And as one of the few movies written by Spielberg, it is a very telling movie. For one, it's like the origin story of the Spielberg father, a man who grows unattached to his children. And it also gives a glimpse into Spielbergs feelings of living in middle America, feeling like an outsider from the rest of the world. And the ending works as his way of taking a world changing leap. It has it's tense moments, as it works like Jaws, but it's almost like a sucker punch. Overall, it's a positive movie with an idealistic view of life outside the planet. While it could have used some tightening in the editing bay, it's an overall good damn flick. It'll always have a lower place in the Spierberg canon to me, but it's a nice follow up to a game changing masterpiece.
Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths (February 28th, 2015)
Directors: Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu
Starring: Mark Harmon, William Baldwin, Chris Noth, and James Woods
It took a while, but I’ve found the new low in the DC animated canon. But being a DC animated film, it’s still a good time. This time out, we have a movie dealing the multiverse and the Crime Syndicate. The Syndicate is the evil versions of the JL, occupying another dimensions Earth. We see in the beginning that that worlds Lex Luthor is a good guy, battling the Syndicate. But in a last ditch effort, Lex sends himself to the Earth of the JL. After convincing them to help, they all go off to fight. Except Batman that is. What follows is a movie very heavy on action. Which is all well and good, but doesn’t really get into the characters heads. Martian Manhunter gets a half assed attempt at an arc, but it’s not well executed. But the worst thing is that the voice cast isn’t that good. It’s the worst cast wrangled up in DC lore so far. The only one who works out is James Woods, actually trying to play a character. But the rest seem out of place. But despite a quick runtime and a lack of story with a slightly miscast crew, it has it’s entertainment. Mainly of the explosive variety. But there’s some good character interactions here, making it a fun and quick run.
Snake Eyes (February 28th, 2015)
Director: Brian DePalma
Starring: Nic Cage, Gary Sinise, Carla Cugino, and John Heard
It’s a damn shame that DePalma has fallen apart in recent years, because this guy really knew how to put a god damn scene together man. The visual flair he showed for decades was stunning. It almost seemed like he was showing off most of the time. And while this movie may not be the best thing he ever did, but this is a solid entry from a guy late in his career. Starring Nic Cage managing to act and make the moments of Cage-ness work within the character. What we got here story wise is a fairly typical convoluted conspiracy plot with backstabbings galore. But with the panache that DePalma brings elevates this completely. It’s fun and gorgeous to watch. There isn’t much depth to the flick here. But it is a very morally grey movie. Cage isn’t a straight up hero. He’s a corrupt cop wrapped up in this plot and decides to do the right thing. But what’s really refreshing is that it blows up in his face. His corruption is his downfall. It’s nice to see the anti hero get his comeuppance even though he does the right thing. So while it is no Blow Out, Scarface or Carlito’s Way, this is some damn fine pulp entertainment.
Top Movies
1. Munich
2. Big Hero 6
3. Snake Eyes
4. The Bank Job
5. Close Encounters Of The Third King
6. Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths
7. Kick-Ass 2
- Tom Lorenzo
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