Category Archives: Action Movie Reviews
Escape Plan (2013)
Escape Plan (2013)
During the 80s and 90s, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger were action movie kings. However, up until recent years, they had never made a movie together.
I watched Stallone being interviewed by David Letterman the other day, and Stallone revealed that he and Schwarzenegger used to absolutely hate each other. They would always have to one-up each other. Now, I’m thinking, wouldn’t it have been great if at some point when the two actors were enemies, they actually played enemies on screen. People definitely would have paid to see that. I know I would have.
Something must have helped Stallone and Schwarzenegger resolve their differences because Escape Plan is the third movie that they have made together in the last three years, and the fourth one is on the way in 2014.
Escape Plan is about a prison escape artist (Sylvester Stallone) who has made a career breaking out of maximum security prisons all over the US. One day, he gets a job offer that he cannot refuse that lands him in a prison that was built using a book that he had written as a guide to building escape-proof prisons.
The film was directed by Mikael Hafstrom and the rest of the noteworthy cast includes Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Caviezel, Amy Ryan, Vincent D’Onofrio, Vinnie Jones, Matt Gerald, Faran Tahir, Sam Neill, Caitriona Balfe, and 50 Cent.
Earlier this year, Stallone and Schwarzenegger both proved that they can still be action heroes, even in their upper 60s. Stallone did it in Bullet to the Head (2012) and Schwarzenegger did it in The Last Stand (2013). Escape Plan was better than each of those movies. Each actor looked better physically, and they both carried themselves very well. Maybe it was because they were both in the film together and they continued to try to outdo each other again. Whatever it was, it worked.
Escape Plan exceeded my expectations. The movie was a welcome, unpredictable surprise. It had a lot of original ideas mixed with a few classics, for old time sake.
Caviezel and Jones had very fun supporting roles. 50 Cent somehow manages to keep weaseling his way into films, and I swear that he is always trying to ruin them. He was terrible, as usual.
It was delightful to see Sly and Ahnuld cracking skulls in the same movie. If you were ever a fan of their movies in the past, you won’t be able to help but like this movie.
I rate this movie an 8.5 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
Cop Land (1997)
Cop Land (1997)
Cop Land is the first movie that I remember hearing about where an actor or actress severely changed their weight for a part in a film. Sylvester Stallone gained 40 lbs. for his role in the movie. I remember thinking how crazy he was for doing that. 40 lbs. is a lot of weight to gain, and it is a lot more to have to lose again. Now, 16 years later, I realize that it was just Stallone’s awesome dedication to doing what he loves that allowed him to do what was necessary for his role in Cop Land.
The film is about an army of corrupt New York City cops with ties to the mob who buy themselves a chunk of New Jersey. They are virtually untouchable until the sheriff of their little “Cop Land” (Sylvester Stallone) becomes wise to their ways.
The movie was written and directed by James Mangold and the rest of the noteworthy cast includes Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Robert Patrick, Peter Berg, Michael Rapaport, Annabella Sciorra, Janeane Garofalo, Noah Emmerich, Cathy Moriarty, Frank Vincent, John Spencer, Arthur J. Nascarella, Edie Falco, John Ventimiglia, Robert John Burke, Michael Gaston, Bruce Altman, Tony Sirico, Frank Pellegrino, Vincent Laresca, Victor Williams, Paul Calderon, and Malik Yoba.
They brought in all of the big guns to make this film. The cast list is so staggering that I am sure that I left someone out. You couldn’t ask for a better cast in a movie.
Because of the type of movie Cop Land is, and especially because of the cast, you can expect a lot of violence and language, but mostly, powerful performances.
Cop dramas don’t get a whole lot better than this one. Cop Land is one of those movies that gets better every time that I watch it.
It is interesting because a number of actors in the film were cast against type. Guys who usually play bad guys are now playing cops. But, it works out because some of them are corrupt. So, I guess they are just bad guys with a badge.
It is no surprise that the movie has a bit of a Goodfellas (1990) and The Sopranos feel to it, because a number of the cast members were in those shows. A couple of them were also in the film Beautiful Girls (1996).
With so many great actors in the movie, none of them really stood out over another because they were all acting on the same level.
Overall, Cop Land is a unique, underrated cop drama that packs a big bang. Like a fine wine, it gets better with age.
I rate this movie an 8 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
Gravity (2013)
Gravity (2013)
There are countless films and television shows that have taken place in outer space. Often, many of these shows are very similar to each other and lots of them, not all of them, are cheap and awful.
Most science fiction shows take place in outer space at one point or another. As a general rule, I am not a big fan of the science fiction genre. There are certain aspects of science fiction that I love, but for the most part, I cringe when I first hear mention of a science fiction film.
What don’t I like about most science fiction movies? There is usually one aspect of the film that is way too unrealistic. The unrealism spreads like a cancer and attacks the credibility of the rest of the movie. This causes me to lose interest because what I am seeing on screen is too bogus for me to attempt to believe my own eyes. Things are hard to enjoy when they seem completely fake.
Over the years, special effects have been the root cause for me not liking science fiction movies. At first special effects were so cheap that they would make everything look phony. Eventually technology got better and better until finally, filmmakers could make almost anything that was super outrageous look unquestionably real.
So, what changed? Movie makers felt that they had to outdo one another. Special effects became so real that they made everything look like a counterfeit copy of reality. If you know that a hundred dollar bill is a counterfeit, than it is no good. But, if you can’t tell that the hundred dollar bill is a “fugazi”, than you might be able to pass it off as legitimate currency.
Occasionally a science fiction film will boast legitimate special effects and those are the ones that I seek out. It’s best if I stay away from the rest of the “fugazi’s” because they only cause disappointment.
I was a little unsure of Gravity before going to see it because for a change, the trailer did not give away too much. The trailer only showed legitimate special effects.
Gravity is about two astronauts who must fight for their own survival after an unfortunate accident causes them to be stranded in outer space a long way from their ship.
The film was written by Alfonso Cuaron and Jonas Cuaron and directed by Alfonso Cuaron. The noteworthy cast includes Sandra Bullock George Clooney, and Ed Harris.
The trailer tells us that Bullock and Clooney are in for a wild ride on the gravity train. What the trailer does not tell us is that the film is an insane trip.
The trailer only showed legitimate special effects, because there is no other kind of special effects in Gravity. The film has the best special effects that I have ever seen in a movie. It is the most realistic that outer space has ever looked on a screen. Both of those facts are a big deal. On top of that, the extreme intensity and suspense will blow your mind and the phenomenal performance by Bullock makes Gravity an extraordinary journey that doesn’t stop until the credits roll.
Gravity is a must-see. It’s a top notch science fiction movie (because of the outer space aspect) that has Oscar written all over it. It should be nominated for an Academy Award in almost every category and it could win most of them. It is easily one of the best movies of 2013.
I rate this movie a 9 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
Pawn Shop Chronicles (2013)
Pawn Shop Chronicles (2013)
Back in 2006 I was blown away when I watched the film Running Scared (2006). I saw that movie in theatres three different times. It was that good. Paul Walker was the main star and Wayne Kramer directed. Yesterday I watched a preview for Pawn Shop Chronicles and thought it looked like it could be pretty awesome and it has a solid cast. Paul Walker is one of the main stars, but when I found out Kramer directed, that made me want to see it.
Pawn Shop Chronicles follows multiple stories involving drugged-out hillbillies, newlyweds, and an Elvis impersonator as their lives all intertwine because of their transactions made at a pawn shop.
The noteworthy cast includes Paul Walker, Matt Dillon, Brendan Fraser, Kevin Rankin, Vincent D’Onofrio, Elijah Wood, Chi McBride, Thomas Jane, Norman Reedus, Lukas Haas, DJ Qualls, Michael Cudlitz, Ashlee Simpson, and Matt O’Leary.
The movie is a disturbingly dark comedy and weird, white trash, hillbilly adventure.
Kramer continues the trend of super intense filmmaking with unique, quirky, fun characters in a brutally twisted storyline.
Just like Running Scared, the camera work and editing is very unique and fast-paced which helps to make the movie more thrilling.
The movie is very graphic. It was pretty shocking at times. F-bombs, nudity, and disturbing images were all overused.
Within the first ten minutes of the film, I began to wonder what I had gotten myself into. But, then the movie hit its stride and got much better.
Walker plays a way different type of character than he has ever played. It was actually pretty refreshing to see him try something new for a change. It was a stretch for him, but he pulled it off nicely.
For you Reedus fans out there; his role will disappoint you because it is hardly noticeable. I felt like he was way underused.
This is Fraser’s best movie in over a decade. I was happy to see him in a likable role again.
Dillon stole the show, in my opinion. It never seems like he misses a stride. Every once in a while when he finds the right character, he gives a breakout performance that reminds us all that he still has the ability to take over a movie.
For the type of film that this is, it is an exercise in quality filmmaking. It will keep you guessing. It is a funny, messed up, shocking adventure like no other.
I rate this movie an 8 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
Trance (2013)
Trance (2013)
I’ve never been a huge fan of Rosario Dawson, but James McAvoy and Vincent Cassel in a psychological crime thriller involving hypnotism and directed by Danny Boyle sounded like it could have potential.
Simon (James McAvoy) works at an art auction. He has gotten in way over his head with gambling debt that he owes a ruthless criminal named Franck (Vincent Cassel). In order to settle his debt with Franck, Simon agrees to help rob an expensive painting from the art auction. Things go wrong and Simon suffers a head injury which causes him to have amnesia. He cannot remember where he left the painting and therefore cannot pay his debt. Simon turns to hypnotism to try to help him remember and hopefully save his life.
The rest of the noteworthy cast includes Rosario Dawson, Danny Sapani, and Tuppence Middleton.
Trance is one of those movies that as soon as it ends you will want to watch it all over again just to try to figure it all out. It is intentionally a little hard to follow. It is a film that will play mind games with you. Because of the hypnotism aspect of the movie, it is often hard for the viewer to tell right away what is real and what is not. As events unfold on screen, you are slowly able to piece things together, but the movie keeps you guessing.
Each actor does what is necessary for their characters and nothing more. The film is thrilling enough. It felt like something was missing in the movie, but because it was so puzzling, it sort of made up for what it was lacking. Movies are meant to entertain, and this one served its purpose.
There is a bit of violence and gore, lots of nudity, and plenty of language all with a very fitting trance soundtrack.
Overall, if you enjoy movies that are unpredictable and really make you think, then you will probably like Trance.
I rate this movie a 7 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Rent.
If you liked Trance, then you will probably enjoy the following films:
Killing Season (2013)
Killing Season (2013)
John Travolta has not been making as many films as he used to. Ever since his son died in 2009, he has made noticeably fewer movies.
It seems like Travolta has maybe gone off the deep end because his characters have gotten angrier and more intense. His role in Killing Season appeared like it was going to continue this trend. The pairing of Robert De Niro opposite Travolta as another darker character was enough to make me want to see the film. Travolta out for revenge on De Niro on screen is bound to be entertaining.
Killing Season is about a retired war-hardened veteran (Robert De Niro) who is trying to live a quiet life in a remote cabin in the wilderness when a man from his past (John Travolta) comes back to hunt him.
The film was directed by Mark Steven Johnson and the rest of the noteworthy cast includes Milo Ventimiglia and Elizabeth Olin.
The movie touches briefly on the Bosnian war, which I found interesting because I knew nothing about it.
I thought that Travolta pulled off a Serbian accent quite well. Along with his short, dark hair, facial hair, and eyebrows, he was believable as a Serbian. He certainly continued his recent trend of grittier characters and he was a likable bad guy.
De Niro has showed no sign of slowing down even at the age of 70. He ran around in the woods and held his own against the younger Travolta.
The film was a drawn out battle between two aging veterans in the style of The Most Dangerous Game (1932). One man hunted the other while the other man fought to survive.
The movie was a little too predictable at times. However, the quality acting, moderately intense action, and the built up tension throughout the film was enough to make up for where it was lacking, and ultimately made the movie worth watching.
Without spoiling the film, I think that the movie would have benefited from having more time spent hunting. If the chase was a little more spread out, the film might have been less predictable.
The movie is a 2 man show. The bottom line is if you are a fan of De Niro or Travolta, then you will probably enjoy Killing Season.
I rate this movie a 6.5 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Rent.
Kick-Ass 2 (2013)
Kick-Ass 2 (2013)
After being surprised at how much Kick-Ass (2010) actually kicked ass, I was excited to see this sequel.
This time around Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) has teamed up with a group fellow wannabe superheroes that he inspired to dress up and fight crime. Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) is out for revenge on Kick-Ass and has gathered a group of so-called super villains to destroy him and everyone he knows.
The movie was written and directed by Jeff Wadlow and the rest of the noteworthy cast includes Chloe Grace Moretz, Morris Chestnut, Jim Carrey, Clark Duke, John Leguizamo, Lindy Booth, Claudia Lee, Donald Faison, and Garrett M. Brown.
I did not like this movie as much as the first one. At times, it was pretty tacky. Ass was kicked and laughs were had, there was a lot of quality action, but it just was not as good as it could have been. It was less believable and more predictable.
With the addition of Jim Carrey, I thought that for sure Kick-Ass 2 would be funnier than Kick-Ass. I was wrong. There were a few more laughs, but not because of Carrey. His role was not big enough to make a difference. Most of the other new characters in the film were not developed enough.
Moretz stole the show in the first movie and she was still probably the best part of this one, but she did not get the opportunity to kick as much ass as she did in the first film.
The film concentrated a little bit too much on the drama that the characters were having at school and at home instead of concentrating on them fighting crime. This made the film a little slower at times and less enjoyable.
Even though I didn’t like a few aspects of the movie, it was still entertaining enough to have fun watching. Almost all sequels are not as good as their predecessors, but maybe I just went into this film with expectations that were too high. The story went a slightly different direction than I anticipated, but I still laughed and had a good time.
I rate this movie a 6.5 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Rent.
Bullet to the Head (2012)
Bullet to the Head (2012)
This is another movie that I skipped seeing in the theatre because I was uncertain that the aging main character could make the movie worth watching.
The senior action movie stars keep making movies and I think that audiences are beginning to question whether or not these old guys are just too old for the parts that they are playing. In this case, Sylvester Stallone is the main character.
Earlier this year Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger were in similar situations respectively; Willis in A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) and Schwarzenegger in The Last Stand (2013) .
I respect my elders, and these guys rule! However, if they keep making action films, I will probably keep waiting until those movies are released on DVD before I watch them. (Bruce Willis is the younger of the mentioned bunch, but can still be questionable.) There are always exceptions, but right off the bat, their old age is not working in their favor.
Stallone has had the right idea by bringing all of the old geezers together for his Expendables movies, but in this day and age, if there is one old headliner then it better be in the right movie.
All 3 movies mentioned lost a lot of money:
The Last Stand (2013) lost 18 million dollars.
A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) lost 25 million dollars.
Bullet to the Head (2012) lost 46 million dollars.
Bullet to the Head is about a ruthless hit man (Sylvester Stallone) who goes on a rampage tracking down the men responsible for the murder of his partner in crime. He is a one-man wrecking ball out for revenge. Along the way, he teams up with a cop who happens to be tracking the same people.
The film was directed by Walter Hill and the rest of the noteworthy cast includes Sung Kang, Jason Momoa, Christian Slater, Jon Seda, Sarah Shahi, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Holt McCallany, and Brian Van Holt.
Like the title suggests, Bullet to the Head brutally gets to the point early on and the graphic violence continues throughout.
The film is fast-paced and loaded with tons of great and for the most part, believable action.
The movie very much deserves the R-rating as there is a lot of language, nudity, and very realistic blood and guts. There are in fact, many people that end up taking a bullet to the head and or the rest of their body.
As with most action movies, not all of the characters get fully developed, but the action and witty dialogue make up for what is missing.
The film accomplished what it set out to do and that was to be explosive.
Even at his age, Stallone carries himself well in perhaps his most gruesome role yet. He is a stone cold, no nonsense, sarcastically funny killer. It’s almost like he flipped a switch and became somebody else. The rest of the cast is likable, but Stallone takes over and makes it a one-man show.
Compared to The Last Stand and A Good Day to Die Hard, in my opinion, Bullet to the Head is the better film. Ironically it lost a lot more money than the other movies and it was probably the most underrated of the bunch. Stallone also gave a better performance than Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
If you enjoy rooting for the bad guy, then this film is for you.
I rate this movie an 8 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent or run? Buy.
The Last Stand (2013)
The Last Stand (2013)
Arnold Schwarzenegger is back, again. He must have gone a little heavy on the spray tan and make-up because his face looks like a tanned piece of aged leather, but he’s back. I held off seeing this movie in the theatre because I was not sure if Ahnuld could pull this one off.
The Last Stand is about a drug lord that escapes from protective custody and heads for the Mexican border. The only thing standing in his way of freedom is small town Sheriff Ray Owen (Schwarzenegger) and his band of misfit deputies.
The film is directed by Kim Jee-Woon and the rest of the noteworthy cast includes Forest Whitaker, Johnny Knoxville, Luis Guzman, Peter Stormare, Eduardo Noriega, Jaimie Alexander, Zach Gilford, and Harry Dean Stanton, and Genesis Rodriguez.
The film does not have a lot of character development, but there is a bit of stupid comedy and tons of action. The special effects are actually quite good and they help to make the film enjoyable. There are endless car chases, bullets are flying, people and things are exploding, blood is spattering, and fans of 90s action movies are applauding.
Schwarzenegger, Knoxville, Guzman, and Stormare all make this action movie more of a comedy not to take too seriously.
Whitaker seems to be the only person in the film taking his part seriously and it fits his character like a glove.
Overall, the film was better than I expected it to be. It’s a bit predictable at times, but for the type of movie that it is, that is to be expected. It certainly seemed like they had fun making it. Even though Schwarzenegger looked a little goofy, he pulled his character off quite well and it was fun to see him acting again.
I rate this movie a 7 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Rent.
If you liked The Last Stand, then you will probably enjoy:
The Wolverine (2013)
The Wolverine (2013)
Recently I watched X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) for the first time and this made me more enthusiastic about seeing The Wolverine. Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine has won my vote for best X-Men character.
In The Wolverine, Wolverine (Jackman) is summoned to Japan by an aging, old friend whom he saved during the war. The old man has become very rich and powerful and he wants to repay Wolverine for saving his life so long ago. However, he may have ulterior motives. When he reaches Japan, Wolverine becomes caught up in a war between his old friend’s empire and the Yakuza. Wolverine becomes weakened and for the first time faces mortality.
The film was directed by James Mangold and the rest of the noteworthy cast includes Hal Yamanouchi, Ken Yamamura, Rila Fukushima, Tao Okamoto, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Hiroyuki Sanada, Brian Tee, Will Yun Lee, and Famke Janssen.
Some of what I especially liked about X-Men Origins: Wolverine is also what I liked about The Wolverine. The film was concentrated mostly on the life of just one X-Men character and therefore it was more enjoyable. You are able to feel more for Wolverine because you get to see his whole story. There is much more character development than the first 4 X-Men films and this allows the viewer to become more attached to the characters and the problems that they face. Also, not every single character in the movie was a mutant and that made the ones that were mutants more unique and therefore more likable.
In comparison to X-Men Origins: Wolverine, I felt that The Wolverine was a slight step down. It was a little bit longer than it needed to be and it lacked the star power. The supporting cast does do a quality job, but there is not another actor in the film that can compete with Jackman. X-Men Origins: Wolverine had Liev Schreiber and Danny Huston. The bad guys in The Wolverine were not bad enough. They did not have as much of a screen presence. Jackman dealing with his own mortality was almost more intense than the enemies that he faced. Don’t get me wrong. The film was still very fun to watch, but bigger stars could have helped make it more powerful like X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Hugh Jackman kept reminding me of a young Clint Eastwood at times throughout the film. He was a fierce cold-blooded loaner ready to do whatever he felt was right and not caring who got in his way. Jackman is 2 inches shorter than Eastwood, who is 6’4’’, but maybe it was Jackman’s haircut, facial hair, and attitude that was reminiscent of a middle-aged Eastwood. The slight resemblance contributed in making Wolverine a helluva bad-ass to be reckoned with.
In my opinion, The Wolverine is the second best X-Men movie to date. X-Men and action movie fans alike should approve of the quality of the film. The special effects are sharp, the action is extreme, the characters are entertaining, and the movie as a whole is a blast.
I rate this movie an 8 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
Click on the link below to see a picture and read about the time when my wife and I and some friends got into a fight with Wolverine and Iron Man.
We Got Into a Fight with Wolverine and Iron Man
If you liked The Wolverine, then you should certainly enjoy X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009).
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