Miami Connection
Year: 1987
Genre: Action/Crime
Runtime: 120mins
Rating: Unrated
IMDB Score: 5.5/10 (220 votes)
Director(s): Y.K Kim and Woo-sang PArk
Writer(s): Joseph Diamand (screenplay), Y.K Kim & Woo-sang Park (stroy)
Plot/Synopsis:
A martial arts rock band goes up against a band of motorcycle ninjas who have tightened their grip on Florida’s narcotics trade.
Forethought(s):
80′s martial arts/action cheese with an over the top plot. Sign me up!
Fun Fact/Trivia:
The movie is also know as American Streetfigthers.
Stars of the movie: Y.K Kim,Vincent Hirsch and Joseph Diamand
The Breakdown:
This is hands down one of the greatest bad movies ever to grace film. At the start of the movie I really thought it was Tromas attempt at a none Troma movie with the cheese blood and bad gore. As the film progressed I knew it was just a bad flick,however,it’s one of those so bad it’s good things. There are plenty of logic holes that one could dive through, horrible A.R.D,acting that makes a lot of youtube vids look good and bouts of dialogue that will make you think THE ROOM is Shakespearean.
The worst part about this film isn’t any of the above mentioned issues but rather the lack of narrative progression and multi story-lines that don’t go anywhere. There are about handful of scenes that while are somewhat fun to watch they just should have been cut from the film in order to make it feel more polished. There’s a beach scene that felt out of place (it did have nice looking ladies) that did nothing and I mean NOTHING to progress the story at all. There was a biker scene (it had some of the most unpleasant looking ladies I’ve seen) that did not push the story forward at all and there was something that I’m guessing was sub plot that never really developed, it just felt forced in. There’s more scenes like the ones I just mentioned but I won’t go into those.
The movie opens up with typical looking 80′s drug dealers doing their thing when out of no where ninjas show up and start kicking,punching and slashing the shit out of everyone. Good start to a bad movie! Then the title sequence starts and we’re blessed with a montage of ninjas out of their gis riding some motorcycles whit flashes of the protagonist group who are Tae Kwon Do practitioners doing what Tae Kwon Do practitioners…..ALL WHLIE PLAYING IN THEIR BAND IN A CLUB to a song whose lyrics goes “..escape from Miami,escape with your life.”
Look at them, you can tell they got a lot of tail.
One of the funniest scenes is when some of the protagonists are training and the director or editor chose to use a fair amount of slow-mo. Slow-mo can be used to impart a sense of achievement or a sense of dread when used correctly but in this case it was used in such a way that I felt like I was watching a training vid. It could also be used for a what not to do segment since a lot of the punches and kicks were WAY OFF the mark.
Best line/exchange in the movie:
Tom: [Tom checks out a bunch of chicks at the beach] They don’t make buns like that down at the bakery.
The Verdict:
At this point most of you have said “screw this movie, I’m not wasting my time on it.” and if all you like are blockbuster type of flicks,yeah, don’t waste your time,however,if you like movies that are corny, overacted,picks the wrong times to do slow-mo or some decent action sequences then you should give this movie a chance. It’s one of those flicks that you pop in on a Saturday afternoon with some friends toss back some beer or wine and enjoy the campiness of the film.
I know I highlighted a lot of things that would make it sound like I did not enjoy this movie but it’s quite the contrary. It’s because of all the fuck ups that make the movie enjoyable. It has a charm and innocents to it that you so rarely get. It’s not for everyone but if you’re the type of person who likes the type of stuff that use to get played on Billy Bobbs Drive In Theater then you should give this one a chance.
I give this movie 3 coked up martial artist out of 5.
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…In which the hosts talk about their top5 favorite action movies.
Episode 17 Top Five Action Movies
Closing: 1:10:20-1:10:37
We would love feedback so we can make right what was once set wrong. We don’t care if it’s positive or negative feedback, all feedback is good and will help us to improve. We can be reached at TheForumCast@Gmail.com and https://www.facebook.com/BuckOnStuff
Taken 2
Year: 2012
Genre: Action/Crime/Thriller
Runtime: 92mins
Rating: PG-13
IMDB Score: 6.3/10 (69,400+ Votes)
Director(s): Olivier Megaton
Writer(s): Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen
Plot/Synopsis:
In Istanbul, retired CIA operative Bryan Mills and his ex-wife are taken hostage by the father of a kidnapper Mills killed while rescuing his daughter.
Forethought(s):
The first one was damn near perfect of an action movie and I expect no less from this one since it has the writers are back and the director has two fairly good action movies under her belt.
Fun Fact/Trivia:
Istanbul is 2,063 square miles.
Stars of the movie: Liam Neeson,Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace
The Breakdown:
I’m sure you all want to know if I was TAKEN with this movie but you’ll just have to wait and see.
The movie starts off with the family members of the kidnappers from the first movie burying their blood and vowing vengeance upon the one who did the killing which sets the tone for the movie quite well which a lot of films are slow to do. During this time there are some fast flashbacks to refresh your memory if you can’t recall what happened in 2008 (when the first one came out) and that will be a recurring device. Once the vowing is over with, the movie moves on to Bryan,who is played by Neeson, who is just sitting outside the house of his ex-wife waiting for his daughter, who is played by Maggie Grace,so he can teach her how to drive. Remember that she can’t drive because I will talk about that in a few. The daughter isn’t home so he talks with his ex-wife and finds out that his daughter is at her boyfriends place. Bryan is not very happy about that and does a background check on the boyfriend. Keep in mind the background check.
This isn't the plan that I had come together.
A little time passes and he shows up at the exes again but this time finds out that she and her new man are having issues and invites them (the ex and his daughter) to Istanbul for a get away. All this happens in about 20mins time and we still don’t have any action at all. At this point I’m bummed. Some minutes pass and Maggie Grace shows up in a two piece and let me just say she’s got some very nice legs and an ass that you just want to watch like a perpetual wave machine;she was built to be on all fours. O.K back to the movie,so,a few more minutes pass and the new kidnappers are looking for everyone in the family. They catch Bryan and his ex but not the daughter. We finally get some action in the form of a chase scene that ends in a short fist to fist sequence. Almost forgot,this happens around the 26min mark! Why so damn long for the action to start? They were trying to build tension. It worked but the action didn’t feel as well done as the tension building.
Some more time passes and now the daughter who couldn’t drive is now behind the wheel of a cab with a stick and she’s going all Need For Speed on her who be captors. This was a plot-hole that pissed me right the hell off. I can buy that she knows how to ride stick as long as that stick is a dick but we were led to believe that she is a very poor driver even though it’s hinted that she may not have passed her drivers tests (3 of them) intentionally. O.K I can sorta swallow (something that I would love to find out if Grace does) that she’s not as bad as she’s made out to be but I cannot,even for a dollar,buy that she’s knows how to drive stick like a formula 1 racer when she was having a hard time with auto. Don’t get me wrong the car chase was cool and fun to watch but at the same time it irked me because of the above mentioned issue. Almost forgot the
You want to watch my what as if it's a what?
After the car chase Bryan goes on the hunt and while we get some more fights,both with and without guns,it’s just not the type of action you would expect if you’ve seen TAKEN. The final fight sequence is anti-climactic and is just O.K.
The ending is of course happy. The family is at a soda shop (I think) or dinner and in walks the daughters boyfriend who we only saw once before this point and never heard back on the background check that Bryan did. It is because of that that I think he will be the villain in some manner in the third installment of the series.
Best line/exchange in the movie:
None thing really stood out this time around.
The Verdict:
So I wasn’t TAKEN with the movie but I don’t think the movie should be TAKEN to the firing range and shot. I like the direction that was TAKEN with the tension and drama but feel that the movie should have been longer to fit in better suited action scenes and fill in some more gaps. All in all it was a slightly above average action movie. It’s not something anyone should rush out and see but if you happen to come across it on TV give it a go.
I give this movie 3 stick shifts out of 5.
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The Dark Knight Rises
Year: 2012
Genre: Action/Crime/Drama
Runtime: 165mins
Rating: PG-13
IMDB Score: 8.7/10 (469,100+ Votes)
Director(s): Christopher Nolan
Writer(s): Jonathan and Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer
Plot/Synopsis:
Eight years on, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms Gotham’s finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy.
Forethought(s):
To long,filled with plot holes and logic issues. I so hope I’m wrong with the logic issues.
Fun Fact/Trivia:
The Joker was never mentioned in the film out of respect for Heath Ledger.
Robin Williams was rumored to play the role of Huge Strange.
Stars of the movie: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway
The Breakdown:
Well there weren’t as many plot holes and issues of logic as I was led to believe, the movie was to long if you ask me,however,it didn’t drag on and that’s a good thing. I just think there was a lot of unneeded build up. Take for example the whole Bane escaping from the prison thing. Unneeded. It was a waste of time. Sure it may have only been a few minutes in total but with those few minutes removed from the film it could have flowed better. I will admit I did like the reveal during the final prison flash back. While on the topic of the reveal,I was so pissed when they let us think Bane was the son of The Demons Head (Ra’s al Ghul),Bane,in the comic is not the son of Ra’s and seeing Nolan has given his own spin on all things Bat in his movies I wholeheartedly thought he was going to make Bane, Ra’s’ son. If he did do that I can tell you right now my review would be nothing more than me bitch at Nolan for fucking with what should not be fucked with.
Let’s keep with Bane for a bit shall we? Good. I liked a lot of what Bane is in the movie but what I don’t like is just how well spoken he is and how he seems to be a Brit. I get that the mask would distort your voice but to point of it sounding like a broken British Speak and Spell? No, that’s just unacceptable. He was born in the fictional island nation of Santa Prisca,which in the comics is Caribbean,so if anything,Bane’s voice should sound,by American standards,a broken Latin Speak and Spell. What I really would have liked is a flash back on how Bane got so well spoken. He was,if Nolan kept it the same as in the comics,born in the prison and they didn’t really have teachers there. Let’s keep with the voices. As always there’s Batmans voice. I hate it. Pure and simple. It’s not scary, it’s not intimidating,it’s a 7 year old kid trying to sound like an adult. It makes me want to not only punch Bale in the throat but Nolan in the head for them thinking that it was a smart choice. It wasn’t. I’m just glad it was used as much in this film as it was in the first two in the seires.
One thing I don’t get is why people are hating on Hataways performance of Catwomen. Perhaps it’s the fact that all the iterations of Catwomen are different and I don’t have a hard preset notion on what Catwomen should be. I must admit though that I did not like when Hataway did the fighting. I know she isn’t known for action and that’s why I’m not gonna be hard on her (if she wanted me to give her my hard-on,I WOULD IN SECOND!) but when she was fighting it just did not look fluid, it was very ridged at times and that is the one thing Catwomen is known for,her fluidity,after all she is a master theft.
So there’s a far amount of dislike above and there more I can get in to but I don’t want this review to be five plus pages so I’ll get on with the good.
On a technical level the movie is damn near flawless. Some of the shots they got were just amazing. The large crowd scenes were some of the coolest to view. The fight scenes are well thought out,yes even the ones where Hataway is fighting. The musical score should really win an Oscar. The Bat bike (don’t know what they call it in the movie) is something I want in real life (so is Hataway),the fact that they made Bane more of a strong guy than a venom user was smart move, tons of good dialogue.
Best line/exchange in the movie:
Alfred:(At Bruce’s grave) I’m so sorry. I failed you. You trusted me and I failed you.
You may be asking yourself why this is my best line and it’s because how spot on this is for Alfred. This,in my book is the most accurate depiction of a Bat family member in the Nolan movies.
The Verdict:
There’s still more I could bitch about and I could go into greater detail of the things I like but I think all those things have been said before and I don’t want to repeat to much. This is by far one of the best live action DC movies out there but that’s not really saying much right now. Even if you weren’t much of a fan of the 2nd one I say watch this. Is the movie itself worth the price of the DVD? Honestly, no, unless you like extras. This is most likely something you’re only going to watch once and you just know this one is going to be on TV a shit ton of times over the years.
I give this movie 4 52s out of 5.
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Devil’s Playground
Year: 2010
Genre: Action/Horror
Runtime: 93mins
Rating: R
IMDB Score: 5.1/10 (2500+ Votes)
Director(s): Mark McQueen
Writer(s): Bart Ruspoli
Plot/Synopsis:
As the world succumbs to a zombie apocalypse, Cole a hardened mercenary, is chasing the one person who can provide a cure.
Forethought(s):
A U.K zombie flick,O.K,this should be somewhat interesting.
Fun Fact/Trivia:
MyAnna Buring was born in Sweden but grew up in the Middle East.
Stars of the movie: MyAnna Buring,Graig Fairbras,Danny Dyer,Lisa McAllister and Jaime Murray
The Breakdown:
This is a zombie movie. I know a lot of you will be bitching and moaning that this is not but that’s only because you don’t know the definition of zombie. There’s a good amount of definitions but the one that really matters is this one: A person who is or appears to be lifeless,apathetic or totally lacking in independent judgment. I’ll give you all that this is not a tried and true zombie flick but it is a Virus Zombie flick. A VZ is a sub-genre in the zombie field where the zombies are made from a virus/cure for something else.
The movie starts off by showing us the test subjects of an experimental drug that makes your balls less hairy or something. As they show the patients they stop on one chick and wouldn’t you know that she plays some kind of major role for stopping the outbreak. As some time passes we find out that the drug has a side effect of turning you into a frailing zombie! 99.99% of people who tested the drug are now zombies with only on thing on their dead minds,FOOD! Who could that .01% who didn’t zombifi be? Yeap,you guessed it,the chick patient who was given the most screen-time during the experimental drug sequence.
After the brains of the experiment figure out that some shit is going down and that only one person is clean,they send their head of security to capture this lady and bring her back so they can find a way to fix the deadness that’s spreading at an alarming rate. Oh and the this security dude is infected with the virus but has six injections that will stop the spread of the virus for about 18 hours. I actually really liked the fact that he was infected and could turn but you knew that he wouldn’t since he had six injections that would last almost a full day. Wish the injections were gone so it gave a sense of danger to the group that he soon joins up with.
So the group that not only the security guy is with but the “cure” as well is composed of your typical zombie fare people:two outsiders who are only thinking of themselves,the cure with her boyfriend and best friend along with her best friend. While this movie didn’t really make you like or dislike anyone in the group it was a nice change of pace to see pretty much everyone knew the other person some how.
It's so vainy.
Normal zombie movie stuff happens,like: running from zombies,getting stabbed in the back by the two that are looking out only for themselves,your loved one(s) making the ultimate sacrifice,a 180 by the hired gun and finally the escape.
What really makes this movie different from the 1000′s of other zombie flicks is that the zombies are more Ragers and less Romeros a.k.a Walkers but take it to the next level by making them free-runners. These are some of the most athletic zombies I’ve ever seen. They’re doing flips,jumping over cars,diving through windows all the while getting shot and beaten with blunt objects. I should mention that the backdrop is London and it’s always nice to see a city that isn’t what you’re use to seeing being used for the setting.
Best line/exchange in the movie:
None.
The Verdict:
The movie is fairly well made but the audio is off and I had to turn my volume way up so do not watch this at night if you live with people or in an apartment building. As for a zombie movie it’s not bad. It has some refreshing takes on things but doesn’t add anything new. If you’re a zombie fan and are looking for something slightly different,I say give this one a try.
I give this movie 3 dead heads out of 5.
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Nazis At The Center Of The Earth
Year: 2012
Genre: Action/Adventure/Horror
Runtime: 89mins
Rating: R
IMDB Score: 3.3/10 (650+ Votes)
Director(s): Joseph J. Lawson
Writer(s): Paul Bales
Plot/Synopsis:
Researchers in Antarctica are abducted by a team of masked storm troopers and dragged deep underground to a hidden continent in the center of the Earth where Nazi survivors perform horrifying patchwork on decaying and regenerating flesh all in hopes to revive the Third Reich.
Forethought(s):
This is put out by The Asylum so it has a decent chance at being decent. I’m not really expecting much from this one.
Fun Fact/Trivia:
The Swastika at around the 57minute mark is backwards.
Stars of the movie: Dominique Swain,Jake Busey and Josh Allen.
The Breakdown:
Well, I did not expect to not not hate the Nazis in this movie. How hard is to make vile Nazis? Clearly very hard since this movie did not feature any I could call vile. When I watch anything with Nazis in it I expect cruel/vile/horrendous bags of flesh that when they die a horrid death I cheer and feel warm on the inside. Hell, the lead Nazi in this film,Dr.Mengele, had a charm to him. It was odd. If these Nazis weren’t wearing Swastikas and talking about the Reich then I’m not sure I would have guessed they were Nazis at all. I was very disappointed with not hating the Nazis.
I was also disappointed with the lack of any real horror to the movie. There were some scenes of gore but they were very brief and not what you would expect to see in a movie who’s plot is about patchwork.
Another thing I was disappointed with was the acting. My god, it was beyond bad. I’ve seen better acting on Public Access on a Friday night. Shit, I’ve seen better acting in a made for TV movie on the Sci-Fi channel. Fuck, I’ve seen better acting in a made for TV movie on the SyFy channel. Yes, the movies on SyFy are way more cheap and corny than they were when it was Sci-Fi. Dominique Swain had some shots of her running and I couldn’t tell if she was really trying to run or what. Then there’s her always screaming as if everything she says is important. This bitch has no volume control and it’s a real bugger. Finally, her head looks out of place on her body.
What I did like was the huge robot Hitler and of course the robot Hitler was all CG witch the exception of the head but even at times the head looked like CG.
Best line/exchange in the movie:
There was none.
The Verdict:
It’s messed up when Jake Busey does the best acting in the movie. This is actually not a poorly made movie but it has a lot of flaws. A lot of flaws that could have been flushed out with some more time. It’s not very entertaining and I can not recommend this one. Even hardcore horror fans with have issues with this movie. Stay away from it.
I give this movie 2.5 robots out of 5.
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Jack Brooks:Monster Slayer
Year: 2007
Genre: Action/Comedy/Horror
Runtime: 85mins
Rating: R
IMDB Score: 6.1/10 (3,400+ Votes)
Director(s): Jon Knautz
Writer(s): John Ainslie (screenplay and story),Jon Knautz (screenplay and story), Trevor Matthews (story) and Patrick White (story)
Plot/Synopsis:
Jack Brooks is a young man who struggles with a pestering girlfriend, therapy sessions that resolve nothing and a night class that barely holds his interest. After unleashing an ancient curse, Jack’s Professor undergoes a transformation into something not quite human, and Jack is forced to confront some old demons along with a few new ones
Forethought(s):
Looks like it’s a horror movie in the vain of Shaun of the Dead, Dance of the Dead, and Dale and Tucker vs Evil. If it’s like any of those I should be in for a good time.
Fun Fact/Trivia:
Since the movie was shot 100% in Ottawa,Canada,palm trees were brought in to make the locale look tropical.
Stars of the movie: Robert Englund,Trevor Matthews and Daniel Kash.
The Breakdown:
As a horror movie fan I will buy a movie just on the box art or premise alone;this was on of those movies. I got this one for a mix of the two. The box art has the protagonist of the movie dead center holding some plumbing equipment while two different types of monster are on his sides. And the premise is about an overly angry plumber who finds out that he was born to slay monsters.
Now the above sounds pretty cool for a horror flick that is also a comedy right? Yeah, it does but the movie isn’t as good. As far as production goes it’s made very well but it’s not very entertaining. Some of the reasons why it wasn’t entertaining: 1) It wasn’t funny. I’ve seen eps of Greys Anatomy that were funnier than this movie. 2) It was much more of a drama than a horror or a comedy. 3) Lack of monsters. There were only six monsters (3 types) and two of those creatures were in the beginning of the movie while the other four were near the end and that means there was about fifty minutes of movie where it’s just Jack getting bitched at by is lady,him freaking out of nothing and a lot of not funny set ups that were meant to be funny.
Not everything was bad,in fact,one thing was done really freaking well. If you said lots of naked bitches you are so far off you should probably just go watch some porn. No,the really well done thing was the the monsters. Not one of them was done with C.G.I. All the actors ware full on prosthetics, some from head to toe. There was one monster who was clearly a huge puppet who looked like a fat,tall and hairless Critter from the movie Critters. The make-up folk really took their time on the monsters and for that they should get some recognition.
At the time I type this it has only been a few days since I’ve seen the movie and it’s already starting to fade from my mind. That’s not a good sign. I do recall the monster scenes very clearly,however,seeing as there were not many monster scenes I can not remember all the dull,boring wasted second act and that’s most likely a good thing.
The Verdict:
The acting was so-so,the entertainment value is not there but the monsters were really well done. It’s not a funny movie nor is it really a horror flick. Unless you like extras I would stay away from buying this movie.
I give this 2.5 slayings out of 5.
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The Avengers
Year: 2012
Genre: Action/Sci-Fi
Runtime: 143mins
Rating: PG-13
IMDB Score: PG-13
Director(s): Joss Whedon
Writer(s): Zak Penn(story),Joss Whedon (story and screenplay), Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (comic book) & Joe Simon and Jack Kirby (Captain America)
Plot/Synopsis:
Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. brings together a team of super humans to form The Avengers to help save the Earth from Loki and his army.
Forethought(s):
A movie based on the Avengers after all the solo movie titles of characters that form the Avengers? YES PLEASE!
Fun Fact/Trivia:
This is the fist Marvel flick to be distributed by Diseny.
Stars of the movie: Robert Downey Jr.,Chris Evans,Mark Ruffalo,Chris Hemsworth,Scarlett Johanasson,Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston
The Breakdown:
I’m hearing a lot of people call this the best comic book movie ever (to date) and as a comic fan I don’t agree and I don’t disagree. I think Batman:Year One which is an animated flick just nudges by this one. I would say that this is the best live action comic book movie to date but I’ve yet to watch The Dark Knight Rises.
Most of my gripes about this movie are minor;one of them is slightly more than minor but not major. One of my gripes is continuity errors and just how early in the movie they show. Here are just a few: Agent Hill is chasing after Hawkeye and Loki,she shoots her windshield and there’s a hole there;she fires out that hole and not only at shoots but hits the windshield of the other vehicle but there aren’t ANY bullet holes at all on that windshield. The other is while Cap was hitting the full size sand bag in the gym. On some wide shots it was tapped up while on others it wasn’t;the same goes for when the bag has close ups. Another gripe of mine is the lack of even the smallest Russian accent for Black Widow. I did find Scarlett Johanasson voice more sexy though. While on the topic of characters I feel that most characterizations were ever 
so slightly off.
Another complaint I have with the movie is the crappy CG when Iron-Man and Thor are flying and fighting;that along with Iron-Man flying outside the Helicarrier is just piss poor in my book for the amount of talent they have at all levels of production. The rest of the CG was just fine.
My biggest issue with this movie is that it didn’t feel like a team movie. It felt like all the characters where just there and said “yeah sure why not.” This may have been implemented on propose and I just don’t get it but I don’t think so. For me,this movie wasn’t about the action and the individual stories but rather the creation of THE EARTHS MIGHTIEST and to me that means the climax of the movie should have the feeling of indivisibility but sadly what we get is a lack of cohesion on a grand scale. Sure they work together but they also feel like they’re working against one another. It almost felt like I was watching a West Coast Avengers movie. What I’m trying to get at is that the movie to me failed as a team flick.
See even my biggest issue with the movie isn’t all that major.
And for my final complaint is that not one of the heroes said they’re battle call “ AVENGERS ASSEMBLE !” I think that just solidifies my stance that this was a not a team movie.
Now for the things I did like about the movie….pretty much everything else and that’s no lie. I loved the screen time that was giving to each character. I enjoyed the hell out the way some of the scenes were shot. One of my favorite shots in this movie is where Loki walks up to the glass where he is caged and you see the reflection of him as he looks at Black Widow. That shot is just great. I liked that Scarlett Johanasson showed range in this movie and it was for a character that is known for having little emotion. I abso-fucking-lutely loved the scene during the credits. That baddie they reveal is one of my two favorite Marvel villains and knowing that he’s going to be in the second gave me a nerdgasm. The action in the movie was good but I wish there was a sense of danger. The over all look of the heroes and villains were nice. The costumes were pulled from all areas of Marvel comicdom and it worked well. The acting felt a little dull but still good and that’s not because anyone preformed poorly but because there were so many good actors in the movie and so many of them were in scenes with each other that no one could truly shine.
Best line/exchange in the movie:
Yeah, I can’t pick just one. Everyone had at least one line that was great.
The Verdict:
This is a movie that both comic fans and none comic fans can enjoy. It has drama,it has action,it’s sci-fi/fantasy that isn’t in your face and it doesn’t feel like a movie that is as long as the run time states. All my complaints aren’t major and that can’t be said often.
I give this movie 4.5 Avengers out of 5.
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Setup
Year: 2011
Genre: Action/Crime/Drama
Runtime: 85mins
Rating: R
IMDB Score: 4.3/10 (11,700+ Votes)
Director(s): Mike Behrman
Writer(s): Mike Behrman and Mike Gunther
Plot/Synopsis:
A group of friends become involved in a potentially deadly diamond heist.
Forethought(s):
Another movie with 50 Cent in it….I’m not expecting a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination and I’m sure we still won’t be able to tell what 50 is feeling since he doesn’t emote very well.
Fun Fact/Trivia:
Bruce Willis’s Bacon number is 2.
Stars of the movie: 50 Cent, Bruce Willis and Ryan Phillippe
The Breakdown:
One of the worst cat and mouse heist movies I’ve seen.
50 is the lead and by far and away the weakest actor in the flick and that’s saying something seeing as Jenna Dewan-Tatum is in the flick;chick does nothing but over act and look hot as hell. I would fuck her three ways from Sunday in the dead of Winter in the middle of the Arctic. If that wasn’t enough Randy Couture of U.F.C fame also has a role in this movie and while I love watching him fight and do action scenes he’s not much of an actor;I still feel that he was better than 50 just because of the short amount of time he was in the movie. Look at some of the members of the cast and tell me if you think 50 should have been the star of this movie over them:Bruce Willis,Ryan Phillippe,James Remar and Jay Karnes. I don’t think I would hate on 50 as an actor if he would learn how to show more than just happy. Even even he’s playing mad and sad it still seems he’s happy.
I really want to know why there were shots in the movie that looked like they were taken with a hand held or fish eye lens just for less than two seconds of screen time. It looked ugly and felt way out of place. Very amateurish. If that wasn’t odd enough there was one shot where 50 was walking through a bus station and all of a sudden the “I’m so alone effect happens”. This is where a person/object is being shown moving at a slow pace while everyone else around the person/object is just passing them by at a much faster rate. And again this effect only lasted for a few seconds. Not really enough time for the viewers to pick up on it unless you’ve seen it many times before. Then there was another effect that was just so out of place but the meaning was good. Imagine a face looking at you and slowly turning to the left and right but you still see the face dead center as if he hadn’t moved at all. For sci-fi fans think of a person out of phase with time. This effect is use to show that the character doesn’t now where to go/is being pull in to many directions/out of sych with time. The effect felt out of place because the strings that were laid out to show that the character is having issues with who he is/what he is doing was never explained well enough. I think if you’ve seen enough movies you would get but I really think it will just go over most peoples head since the writing never explains m
uch.
The movie wasn’t all bad;with the exception of the above bitching about cam work it was shot pretty well. The acting on Willis’s part was well done and while I didn’t like the character type of Phillippe he did do a decent job with it. I think he tired maybe just a little to much.
One final bitch:the gun fight near the end of the movie is hands down the worst in the history of big budget films. Here’s just one reason why:three people are standing maybe six feet a part from each other and two of them are shooting at one guy but miss many times….oh and the guy is just standing still!
Best line/exchange in the movie:
Sonny: An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.
The Verdict:
Dull with some poor casting choices along with a weak script makes this movie not very entertaining at all. Watch only if you have nothing else to view.
I give this movie 2.5 shots to the chest out of 5.
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Safe
Year: 2012
Genre: Action/Crime/Thriller
Runtime: 94mins
Rating: R
IMDB Score: 6.4/10 (18,400+ Votes)
Director(s): Boaz Yakin
Writer(s): Boaz Yakin
Plot/Synopsis:
Mei, a young girl whose memory holds a priceless numerical code, finds herself pursued by the Triads, the Russian mob, and corrupt NYC cops. Coming to her aid is an ex-cage fighter whose life was destroyed by the gangsters on Mei’s trail.
Forethought(s):
Jason Stathem and action movies go together like sex and sloppiness so I have no doubt this movie will be good.
Fun Fact/Trivia:
The scenes shot at the mayors house was shot less than a month before the movie’s release.
Stars of the movie: Jason Stathem,Catherine Chan and Chris Sarandon
The Breakdown:
What a delightful surprise this movie was. I knew I was going to like it if not for nothing else other than just the action in it but it actually had substance.
The main character played by Stathem is or was more than he seems and as the movie progresses we find this out little by little but at a nice pace which really helps with making a connection to the character. Just as you you start to think that you know just who all the characters are the writer tosses in a few more and leaks bits and chucks of info on those characters so you will stick around. For example the lead was a ( ) then became a ( ) to do ( ) and then a twist it thrown in and it’s that he’s a ( ). You all thought I was going to tell you he was a porn star…oops. Don’t worry he wasn’t a porn star. At one point in the movie he was going to kill himself but saw something happen and he just couldn’t do it anymore. It’s never really explained why he didn’t and I think that was so we the viewers could come up with our own reasoning. Writers should take note that not everything has to be spelled out for us.
Now, I mentioned that the story was paced quite well and guess what, so was the action. There were no long drawn out fights and there weren’t fight’s every five minutes. What we got was a lot of story with action as a side dish but the kind of a side dish that could be it’s own meal. We got all kinds of action in this movie,like: fist to fist,gun,car chase and bombs. It think that’s all four major action groups. What’s really cool about the car chase scene in this movie was that the hunted/hunter were running in the wrong direction,meaning into oncoming traffic. I know it’s not rare but it is uncommon and fun to see it.
The acting was good. It wasn’t stellar by any means but there wasn’t one bad performance and that includes the little girl who is the co-star of the movie. I tend to hate kid actors because they can’t really act but this one could and if she stays in this field I really think she could become great. Three actors of note in this movie are:Robert John Burke who played Robocop in Robocop 3 and does a lot of work as the asshole type. James Hong who really shouldn’t need any interdiction and if he does;then you need to watch more movies! And finally Reggie Lee who you might know form Persons Unknown,a mystery/sci-fi-ish show on NBC a few seasons ago,No Ordinary Family and currently on Grimm. He’s also been in a lot of movie and other TV shows over the years. Burke plays a dirty cop and does a good job at it. Hong plays a Triad boss and really if you ask “Was he good at it?” I will find you and slap you, and finally Lee who plays a Triad officer. He’s a good actor but he needs to work on his accents,luckily,it’s not so bad it distracts you from the film.
Best line/exchange in the movie:
Luke: I knew if I went far enough up the mayors ass I would find you,Alex.
The Verdict:
This movie is a must watch for any action movie fan or any Stathem fan. It’s not perfect but for an action flick it’s damn near being so. The pluses are it has a real story,the fights are shot well and it has some good actors in it. The negatives are some of the fight scenes end before they seem to really start,a few too many characters whose stories aren’t flushed out and some of the music just seemed out of place.
I give this movie 4.5 fists to the face out of 5.
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