I'll give Mark Wahlberg full credit for taking this on like he did with Steven Hunter's "Shooter" amongst others. With both he's done his things his way and for the purists who don't like it, then don't watch it. I've read every Robert B. Parker book with multiple main characters IE: Jesse Stone, Sunny Randall, Spenser, Brimstone, etc. Wahlberg made it his own and I found it very entertaining. Just don't expect Robert Urich or Avery Brooks. Toss all that out the window and enjoy Mark for all you have come to expect.
Reviews
10 Reviews
Smokey and the Bandit
(1977)
Bubble Gum Then And Now
28 September 2018
Watched it when it came out and it was entertaining but basal and watched it again today and it didn't get any better but I learned something. To me movies in this day and age lack a certain recklessness. They are more manufactured and like clones. Smokey and The Bandit, for all of its shortcomings, was a snapshot in time. It captured the FU against the system, and the reborn innocence just after Vietnam, when everyone wanted a release. And hey, let's face it, who wouldn't want a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am like we saw in the movie. Even if it was an automatic.
I'm a big fan of Burt Reynolds because he was a bad ass, self deprecating and did most of his own stunts, at great personal cost. And he had genuine comedic timing, which is very rare for a guy so attractive. So while this movie could be considered formlulamatic for the period, 40 years later it has stood the test of time. It's Burt. It's the 70's. It's Sally and the Trans Am. And it's part of our heritage, like it or not.
I'm a big fan of Burt Reynolds because he was a bad ass, self deprecating and did most of his own stunts, at great personal cost. And he had genuine comedic timing, which is very rare for a guy so attractive. So while this movie could be considered formlulamatic for the period, 40 years later it has stood the test of time. It's Burt. It's the 70's. It's Sally and the Trans Am. And it's part of our heritage, like it or not.
Subtitles?
19 September 2018
Fascinating dwellings however would have been nice to know what the Japanese architects were actually saying. No voice over or subtitle translations. I'd like to think it was a technical oversight when they prepared the shows for streaming. If the producers did it intentionally they did the viewers a real disservice.
Casino Royale
(2006)
Visceral!
22 December 2006
Visceral. That was the word I kept thinking about when I was watching this movie. In terms of overall feel, it has little to do with the previous films. The mood was more serious and edgy, and ultimately, gut wrenching. No schmaltz, and no cheese on this meaty burger. Like Christian Bale in "Batman Begins", the new actor and the genesis storyline made for a believable experience. Both Bale and Daniel Craig are intelligent, serious and physically impressive. I feel that either one of them could have done the other role, but here we have them; Bale is Batman, Craig is Bond. I am definitely looking forward to the next installments of each from these talented actors.
Awesome!!!!
22 June 2005
This movie was so inspiring! I am a member's daughter - 11 years old - writing this. I read all 3 books and the movie was just as excellent as the books! I went to see this movie with a bunch of my friends and they rated it 9 and 10, too. THIS IS THE BEST MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN! Bridget, Blake Lively, my favorite character, is an awesome actress! I also love Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera and Amer Tamblyn! It was more dramatic then I thought it would be, (in a good way!) but then again, teens are dramatic! There were even older (50-60) year old women that were also seeing the movie, and one of them had even read all the books, too! Watching this movie was a wonderful experience and it taught be that I should ALWAYS be grateful for what I have. Thank you Blake,America, Amer, Alexis and Jenna (and director, author and the rest of the cast:) for inspiring my friends and I by your acting to be more thoughtful, happy and grateful.
A Billion Thanks, Ella S.
A Billion Thanks, Ella S.
The Bodyguard
(1992)
The Ultimate Date Movie!
21 February 2005
It's got stuff for the guys. It's got stuff for the girls. Face it - it's the ultimate date movie! You know - a movie a man and a woman can watch together and really enjoy. Why this movie is coming in at a 5.3 on IMDb is beyond me. It's so much better than that on general appeal alone. Whitney and Kevin were at the height of their careers when they made this movie, and it shows. He's got the gun, the moves, the Samurai sword. She's got the voice, the attitude and the need. It all works perfectly. Hey - it's a story! You want realism open your local paper. And be bored. Pick up this movie, with a bottle of wine and a bowl of popcorn and a special someone and be entertained. I have not seen a movie since this one that does that as well as this one does. You won't be disappointed.
Cellular
(2004)
"It's a day spa you F%ck"!
20 January 2005
Come on, admit it - it you've seen it you love William H Macy in this movie! If you have not seen it yet, and are a Macy fan - see it! Not your usual quirky Macy - OK maybe just a little - but more like bold Macy in "Air Force One". I actually watched it because of Jason Statham, who was great to see as usual, but I could have definitely done without the American "accent". He should stick with the Cockney, which fits him like butter on bread. Kim Basinger was quite good too - best I've seen her in since "L.A. Confidential". So all those accolades was for my generation. Now for the next - Chris Evans was a pleasant surprise, and I look for more from him. Much more fun to watch than Cohen's "Phone Booth", which was still fine but of course, relatively stagnant, despite Kiefer Sutherland. So if you like action, and if you want suspense, you will be sure to connect with "Cellular".
Spartan
(2004)
The Mind of Mamet
25 June 2004
!!!THERE BE SPOLERS HERE!!!
"Spartan" is the kind of film that is not a crowd pleaser, and the fact it was not a blockbuster proves it. However, that does not mean that it was not a good film, as I believe indeed it was. If you expected a Hummer H2 to burst through a wall with a machine gun firing you would be let down with this film. If you expected less action and tense drama with lean dialog for a more intelligent experience you must have had fun - at least I know I was very pleased!
Not that the movie did not have it's faults - it did. I know I am way too much into production value and continuity but what I kept noticing was sloppy little things like Val Kilmer racking that shotgun and there was no sound for it, his .45 with either way too many rounds in the magazine, or not nearly enough. Derek Luke having smoke come out of the barrel of his weapon before he even shot it. Rock steady aim from a sniper on a boat on the ocean? Don't try that one at home folks! And what was with the portrayal of the Secret Service as a splintered organization? If there is any government organization that mostly has it's act together it is those folks.
But in this movie they are loaded with rogue or in-league agents who are so prevalent that Val Kilmer's character Scott can't even come back to the U.S.
Really now. And sorry, but I can't help of anything but Al Bundy whenever I see Ed O'Neill. I know I need to get over that but I can't help myself!
People who shoot films generally know what they are shooting since making each foot of film costs a lot of money, but I could not help but think there was a lot of this movie that wound up on the cutting room floor as there was not enough character exploration for too many of the roles or too many chopped up sequences. Too bad the deleted/shortened scenes did not make it onto the DVD. That would have been fun. A Director's cut version would be welcome.
OK - that's all negative I know but I had to vent! The story kept moving and the dialog was excellent as expected. Mamet has this way of taking a story that could seem ludicrous and make it work. His economy of words and action that keep you immersed in the plot proves his wonderful storytelling skill. The movie never really slowed and it was over before I expected it to be. The only suggestion I have is that David Mamet employs a better continuity crew the next time he directs. The errors do a disservice to his talents.
Oh yeah, I know Scott and the reacquired Laura Newton talked about the King of Sparta briefly, but I think the title comes from the fact that only Scott really was the rescue crew (don't want to be his partner lest you be nixed!) and a one man team is a lean, or "spartan" team. So is the action and dialog - to great effect!
8/10
Jones - "Do you wanna gossip or do you wanna shoot somebody?"
"Spartan" is the kind of film that is not a crowd pleaser, and the fact it was not a blockbuster proves it. However, that does not mean that it was not a good film, as I believe indeed it was. If you expected a Hummer H2 to burst through a wall with a machine gun firing you would be let down with this film. If you expected less action and tense drama with lean dialog for a more intelligent experience you must have had fun - at least I know I was very pleased!
Not that the movie did not have it's faults - it did. I know I am way too much into production value and continuity but what I kept noticing was sloppy little things like Val Kilmer racking that shotgun and there was no sound for it, his .45 with either way too many rounds in the magazine, or not nearly enough. Derek Luke having smoke come out of the barrel of his weapon before he even shot it. Rock steady aim from a sniper on a boat on the ocean? Don't try that one at home folks! And what was with the portrayal of the Secret Service as a splintered organization? If there is any government organization that mostly has it's act together it is those folks.
But in this movie they are loaded with rogue or in-league agents who are so prevalent that Val Kilmer's character Scott can't even come back to the U.S.
Really now. And sorry, but I can't help of anything but Al Bundy whenever I see Ed O'Neill. I know I need to get over that but I can't help myself!
People who shoot films generally know what they are shooting since making each foot of film costs a lot of money, but I could not help but think there was a lot of this movie that wound up on the cutting room floor as there was not enough character exploration for too many of the roles or too many chopped up sequences. Too bad the deleted/shortened scenes did not make it onto the DVD. That would have been fun. A Director's cut version would be welcome.
OK - that's all negative I know but I had to vent! The story kept moving and the dialog was excellent as expected. Mamet has this way of taking a story that could seem ludicrous and make it work. His economy of words and action that keep you immersed in the plot proves his wonderful storytelling skill. The movie never really slowed and it was over before I expected it to be. The only suggestion I have is that David Mamet employs a better continuity crew the next time he directs. The errors do a disservice to his talents.
Oh yeah, I know Scott and the reacquired Laura Newton talked about the King of Sparta briefly, but I think the title comes from the fact that only Scott really was the rescue crew (don't want to be his partner lest you be nixed!) and a one man team is a lean, or "spartan" team. So is the action and dialog - to great effect!
8/10
Jones - "Do you wanna gossip or do you wanna shoot somebody?"
Black Rain
(1989)
The Riddler Rules
10 June 2004
This is a great film. This is the film that drew me to really appreciate "The Riddler" Ridley Scott. At the time in my life when I first saw it I was visiting Japan and New York City often, and I felt that the director and the Director of Photography got the feel of the two locations spot on. This is also my favorite Michael Douglas film, as this was the perfect role for the kind of visceral energy he could portray when he was younger (which he used to comical mastery in "Romancing The Stone"). The Japanese culture is extremely complicated and just about as foreign to Americans as you can get, and I really felt that alienation from Douglas' character Conklin, and yet true to his character he cut through the BS to get what he wanted no matter the cost. Like Conklin said, "If you pull it, you better use it.", and boy did The Riddler ever make a fine on with this film.
Get Carter
(2000)
Nicely crafted action flick
24 June 2003
Warning: Spoilers
Spoilers contained here:
Setting the expectation is almost everything. I did not expect much in terms of good crafting when I first saw this film, and I was pleasantly surprised. The acting is truly enjoyable. Sly does well as the normally strong silent type who slips out some emotion. Rachael Leigh Cook does a great job with her character. Alan Cumming as usual is fun to watch. This could almost be billed as a comeback for Mickey Rourke. Michael Caine's role was lacking I felt - too bad his character was not built up more to substantiate his casting, other than the fact he was in the original. John C, McGinley just about stole the film. He's a riot to watch in a role like this one. It would have been nice to see Rhona Mitra as Audrey instead of Geraldine. There were some deleted scenes that would have added a bit more depth to the film, and I would have really enjoyed more Les Fletcher, even if it was only on the phone - amusing Tom Sizemore voice-overs. I normally dislike the kind of music used in the movie but the work by Tyler Bates and Jellybean Benitez won me over and I got the soundtrack and the score and still did not get everything used in the movie.
So these are all good elements, shot well with creative cinematography and clever editing (nice use of flash-frames). But why did the movie not do well? It's pretty obvious - the plot holes are worse than Brumby's back at the end of the movie. But for me scenes with Sly and McGinley like the ones in the beginning of the film and the hotel elevator are great. Rachael Leigh Cook shows her ability by making you want to forget her at the beginning of the film and by the end you can feel for her character. Sly does what he does best and is menacing but looking good all the while, and shows some emotional range that was hard to pull off with the character he was playing but he does it nicely. There are more as well, and the sum of the good scenes is a greater total than the issues.
So if you can get over the shortcomings, and you like action flicks, I think you will really enjoy this movie. I know I did.
Setting the expectation is almost everything. I did not expect much in terms of good crafting when I first saw this film, and I was pleasantly surprised. The acting is truly enjoyable. Sly does well as the normally strong silent type who slips out some emotion. Rachael Leigh Cook does a great job with her character. Alan Cumming as usual is fun to watch. This could almost be billed as a comeback for Mickey Rourke. Michael Caine's role was lacking I felt - too bad his character was not built up more to substantiate his casting, other than the fact he was in the original. John C, McGinley just about stole the film. He's a riot to watch in a role like this one. It would have been nice to see Rhona Mitra as Audrey instead of Geraldine. There were some deleted scenes that would have added a bit more depth to the film, and I would have really enjoyed more Les Fletcher, even if it was only on the phone - amusing Tom Sizemore voice-overs. I normally dislike the kind of music used in the movie but the work by Tyler Bates and Jellybean Benitez won me over and I got the soundtrack and the score and still did not get everything used in the movie.
So these are all good elements, shot well with creative cinematography and clever editing (nice use of flash-frames). But why did the movie not do well? It's pretty obvious - the plot holes are worse than Brumby's back at the end of the movie. But for me scenes with Sly and McGinley like the ones in the beginning of the film and the hotel elevator are great. Rachael Leigh Cook shows her ability by making you want to forget her at the beginning of the film and by the end you can feel for her character. Sly does what he does best and is menacing but looking good all the while, and shows some emotional range that was hard to pull off with the character he was playing but he does it nicely. There are more as well, and the sum of the good scenes is a greater total than the issues.
So if you can get over the shortcomings, and you like action flicks, I think you will really enjoy this movie. I know I did.
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