Category Archives: Action Movie Reviews

End of Watch (2012)


End of Watch (2012)

End of Watch (2012) is the ultimate buddy-cop drama done in the style of Training Day (2001), Harsh Times (2005), and Street Kings (2008).  All of those films share the same type of gritty, blunt, in-your-face intensity and show just how unpleasant rundown areas of Los Angeles can be.  Those movies share similarities in style because they were all written and or directed by David Ayer.

End of Watch buddy cops

In End of Watch Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena are young, up-and-coming brothers in blue patrolling the hellish streets of Los   Angeles, California.  They are pitted together against pure evil.  They take a bite out of crime and crime bites back

A lot of the movie is filmed with smaller handheld cameras which I think helps to make the film seem a little bit more realistic.  If the person is shaky then the camera is shaky.

end of watch car shot

The film takes many of the horrible things that we pretend don’t happen and throws them in our faces so that we cannot deny their existence any longer.  It takes dark subject matter and forces you to have an opinion about it.  When your eyes are opened to the world that exists in the movie, you begin to wonder if there is some truth to that world in the real world.  Does that sort of thing actually happen in real life?  Are people really like that?  The answers to those questions are what make the movie so chilling.

Gyllenhaal and Pena are both tremendous in the movie.  Their characters play off of each other so well that it really makes the film enjoyable to watch.

End of Watch Group

Anna Kendrick and Natalie Martinez both gave great supporting performances.

The language and violence in the film is very potent.  Much of the movie is exceptionally rough and harsh.  There is some humor thrown in to weaken the blow, but End of Watch is a powerful movie to watch.  This type of show is not for everyone.

End of Watch gun in car

I rate this movie an 8.5 on a scale of 1-10.

Buy, rent, or run?  Buy.

The Raid: Redemption (2011)


The Raid Redemption poster

The Raid: Redemption (2011)

The Raid: Redemption is an absolute explosion.  The movie kicks like an energy drink.

the raid redemption kick

I had heard that the movie was really good, but I did not know what it was about before watching it.  The only thing that I did know was that Mike Shinoda of LinkinPark and Joseph Trapanese developed the soundtrack for the movie.  They collaborated with Chino Moreno the lead singer of Deftones (one of my favorite singers and one of my favorite bands) and he contributes his awesome vocals to the first song in the ending credits called “Razors.Out”.  Being the big Chino Moreno fan that I am, I had downloaded the song off of iTunes before I had even heard of The Raid: Redemption.  The song meshes the sound of Linkin Park with Deftones.  I was bummed that they didn’t make a whole album together because it was pretty sweet.

The movie was filmed in Indonesia and the entire thing is subtitled, or you can choose to watch it dubbed over in English.  There is not much to the story, but with this type of action movie that makes no difference at all.  If you are the type of person that does not enjoy watching foreign films because of subtitles or for any other reason, I strongly suggest that you give this film a chance.  You will quickly forget that you are reading subtitles or that the words you hear don’t match the lips on screen.  I cannot think of a movie that has more action throughout than this one.  I was very pleasantly surprised when I watched this movie.  So much so, that I actually watched it twice in the last couple of months.  This film came out of nowhere.  It snuck up on me and punched my mind in the face.

the raid redemption face punch

The film is about a squad of 20 heavily armed cops who raid a 30 floor apartment building that is home to a drug kingpin and his ruthless gang.  The apartment building has security surveillance cameras and the tenants have plenty of firepower of their own.  When the bullets start running out, that is when the real action begins.

the raid redemption gun squad

There are many similarities between this movie and Dredd (2012).  To read my review of Dredd (2012) click on this link.  The biggest difference between the two films is that The Raid: Redemption is a far superior film.

The fighting sequences and action in the film were nothing less than amazing.  There is a little overuse of swearing, but the stress that these people are facing justifies it all.    There are martial arts like I have never seen.  There is blood, guts, violence, guns, weapons, fighting, fighting, and more fighting.  The story is not as solid as it otherwise could be.  They took out all of the stops and made this a full-fledged action movie, so really the story does not matter too much.  On the other hand, if the writing had been a little bit better the movie could have easily been a 10.

the raid redemption knife gun fight

Being that it is a foreign film, the cast and filmmakers will be a bunch of people that you probably have never heard of, but I’m going to list them anyway.

It was written and directed by Gareth Evans.  The main stars of the film are Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, Donny Alamsyah, Yayan Ruhian, Pierre Gruno, Ray Sahetapy, Tegar Satrya, Iang Darmawan, Eka ‘Piranha’ Rahmadia, and Verdi Solaiman.

I rate this movie a 9 on a scale of 1-10.

Buy, rent, or run?  Buy.

Click on the link below to check out the teaser trailer to the sequel to The Raid: Redemption, it’s called The Raid 2: Berandal (2014).

If you liked The Raid: Redemption, then you will probably enjoy:

Man of Tai Chi (2013)

Dead Man Down (2013)


Dead Man Down Poster

Dead Man Down (2013)

Dead Man Down is a tale about grief, pain, and especially revenge.  The film is a bit of a puzzle.  I especially enjoy movies that make you think and figure things out for yourself instead of spelling it all out for you.  This story pieces itself together little by little as events unfold and eventually everything becomes clear.  By doing this, the movie keeps your attention because you are focused on what will happen next.

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Colin Farrell plays a man who is blackmailed by his neighbor (Noomi Rapace) after she witnesses him commit murder.  She now wants him to kill for her and get revenge on the man who has wronged her.

The film is directed by Niels Arden Oplev who is most known for directing the original foreign version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009).

Although the movie was filmed in New York, it has a foreign independent movie feel to it.  This is not only because there are a number of foreign actors and actresses in the film, but because the whole movie has an almost exotic feel to it.  Instead of focusing on landmarks to tell the viewers where the story is taking place, this movie almost does the opposite.  You can tell that it takes place in a big city, but the filmmakers decided to film in less obvious parts of the city.  Instead of getting big helicopter views, they give you a view from a rooftop or a balcony.  It seems like the story is intentionally confined to a smaller area.  Maybe this makes it easier for people all around the world to believe that what is happening in the film could actually be happening in their home town.  It is just an interesting aspect of filmmaking that I have never thought of before.

dead man down farrell

I like Colin Farrell but I am always a little leery of his movies because they are usually hit or miss.  Lately he has been choosing his characters a little more wisely (Seven Psychopaths (2012), Total Recall (2012), Horrible Bosses (2011)) and this movie was no exception.  His character is a no-nonsense tough guy and he plays the part well.

dead man down terrence howard

Terrence Howard brings a lot of energy and charisma to the film.  He has a very Denzel Washington-like way of taking over the scenes that he is in and making his presence known.  I think that this is his best role since The Brave One (2007).

After watching her delicate performance in the movie, Noomi Rapace has convinced me that I should check out her Dragon Tattoo Trilogy (2010) that she is most known for.  Her character in Dead Man Down seemed very genuine.

dead man down rapace

Armand Assante has basically a cameo appearance.  I was a little bummed that he wasn’t in more of the movie.

The movie was a little drawn out at times.  Some of the action sequences seemed a little convenient.  The story might be a little hard to follow if you’re not paying attention.  But, overall it was an entertaining and unique film.

I rate this movie a 7.5 out of 10.

Buy, rent, or run?  Rent.

dead man down walking together

Django Unchained (2012)


Django Unchained poster

Django Unchained (2012)

Django Unchained was a bloody masterpiece in film making.  Quentin Tarantino did a fantastic job writing and directing the film.  He even gave himself a fun cameo appearance in the film as he often likes to do in his movies.  He has a tendency to choose the perfect actor for each role in his films.  Somehow Tarantino seems to have the power to obtain the best possible performances out of each and every actor in all of the movies that he makes and Django Unchained was no exception.

'Django Unchained' Rome Photocall

As with most of Tarantino’s films, Django Unchained was a carefully executed and well scripted exercise in goriness and vulgarity.  I think that this excitement and intensity that is shown in previews often will actually turn a person off from seeing the film.  They may think that the film looks too violent or too R-rated.

These days there are so many straight-up violent movies filled with so much unnecessary blood, torture, cussing, and pure evil such as Hostel (2005) and its sequels, or Saw (2004) and its almost yearly sequels.  It seems like the main intention of those films is to see how far they can push the envelope in gruesomeness.  They always have to one-up the previous film of its kind.

When Quentin Tarantino first started making movies it seemed like they were almost strictly for shock value i.e. Reservoir Dogs (1992) or Pulp Fiction (1994).  Don’t get me wrong, both of those films were solid movies in their own right, but they lacked meaning and story.  They did however, have great characters portrayed by superb actors spouting very colorful dialogue.

In recent years Tarantino has perfected his craft.  He has successfully penned films with true meaning and spectacular stories.  His best example of this is Inglourious Basterds (2009) and I believe Django Unchained to be his second best film.  Although his films continue to be extreme, they are no longer strictly for shock value.  They are very edgy, but they will entertain you if you give them a chance.

Django Unchained is about a freed slave (Jamie Foxx) who teams up with a bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) to try to reunite with his wife and free her from slavery.

Django Unchained

Christoph Waltz delivers an unquestionable Oscar worthy performance in Django Unchained.  The funny thing about that is that I thought his performance in Inglourious Basterds was also without a doubt, valuable enough to receive an Oscar.  Waltz did in fact; win back to back Best Supporting Actor Oscars for both Tarantino films.  At the rate that he is going, I would not be surprised if Christoph Waltz wins another Oscar in a Tarantino movie in the future.

inglourious basterds waltz oscar

django unchained waltz oscar

In Django Unchained Waltz stole the show.  Jamie Foxx did a wonderful job as Django, but his performance was overshadowed by Waltz.  Leonardo DiCaprio would have won a Best Supporting Oscar for his role in the film if Christoph Waltz wasn’t in it.  If Dicaprio had given the same supporting performance in a different movie in any other year besides 2009 or 2012 he would have won the Oscar.  Arguably the only performance better than that of Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained was that of Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds.

django unchained dicaprio bloody

There were so many excellent actors in this film, that if I tried to list them all, I would certainly miss a few.  A few more certainly worth mentioning were Samuel L. Jackson, Don Johnson and James Remar.  James Remar (probably most known as Dexter’s adopted father in the television series Dexter.) actually played two different characters in the movie, but nobody seemed to notice.  I caught it right away though and I thought that it was a little weird.

django unchained jackson

Django Unchained is a new-age Spaghetti Western of epic proportions with heart and soul, splattered with lots of blood and violence throughout.  It definitely deserves an R-rating, but it also definitely deserves a watch.  I have wanted to see the movie for a long time and I almost went to it about a dozen times in the last couple of months.  I’m glad that I finally saw the film.

I rate this movie a 10 on a scale of 1-10.

Buy, rent, or run?  Buy.

Django Unchained

Dredd (2012)


Dredd cover

Dredd (2012)

Clever, yet cheesy and intriguing artistic special effects give Dredd a late 1980s or early 90s feel. This is fitting and obviously intentional because Dredd (2012) is sort of a remake of Judge Dredd (1995). The distant future in Dredd (2012) feels similar to what filmmakers in the 80s and 90s thought the distant future would be like. So, in a sense, the movie takes you back in time but to their future.

The entire film seems to be a satire on the action movie era during the time when Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Bruce Willis ruled the genre. No acting skills are necessary, only gratuitous amounts of bloody, gory violence, corny one-liners, and an endless supply of bullets. Of course, the main characters are severely outnumbered and always appear to be bulletproof, while countless numbers of bad guys get obliterated. It is absolutely a popcorn movie.

dredd bullets

It was mildly humorous, but quite entertaining throughout to watch a movie that mocked it’s out genre. It’s almost as if the creators wanted to prove that they could do a better job at 80s and 90s filmmaking than the actual filmmakers of the 80s and 90s. Adding a little twist to that concept, the movie went back and forth between cheap special effects and present day awesome special effects.

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The cheap technology was used during most of the very gruesome scenes and as a result, those scenes were easier for the viewer to watch because the overuse of blood and gore would make the scene look pretty fake. There was the occasional scene that looked awfully realistic and it would sort of sneak up on you.

The main character (Judge Dredd) was played by Karl Urban, but it didn’t really matter because he wore a mask the entire movie and you never saw his face. Anybody could have been under that mask. Urban did supply his character with a high-quality tough guy voice, to his credit. Have you ever heard of the guy though? Me neither. He is a character actor whom I would recognize, but has never been important enough to remember.

dredd 3d screening 190912

I think that Dredd is worth watching as long as you know what you are getting yourself into. Don’t expect much and you might be pleasantly surprised. It’s not great, but it is enjoyable.

I rate this movie a 6.5 on a scale of 1-10.

Buy, rent, or run?  Rent.

dredd judges

Jack Reacher (2012)


jack reacher cover

Jack Reacher (2012)

This was a highly anticipated movie for me to see.  I was excited to see it about a year ago when I first heard it was being filmed.  This was all mainly because in the last year and a half or so, I read all 17 Jack Reacher novels written by Lee Child.  I absolutely loved the books.  What a wonderful series!  I read through those stories like a fat kid eats a candy bar.  I just could not get enough.

Being the Reacher fan that I am, I was very skeptical when I first heard that Tom Cruise was going to play the part of Jack Reacher in the movie.  I think that Cruise is one of the best actors of our time.  But physically, Tom Cruise is 5’7’’ and 170lbs. while Jack Reacher is 6’5’’ and depending on the book, anywhere from 210-250lbs.  In other words, Cruise is 10 inches shorter and 80lbs. lighter than the character that he plays.

An unemployed Lee Child was at the grocery store with his wife and he would help reach groceries that were on the top shelf.  His wife joked that he could get a job as a Reacher at the store. That is where Jack Reacher gets his name.

Tom Cruise could not reach the top shelf and therefore he could never get a job as a Reacher.  For all we know, he probably can’t reach the middle shelf.  This being said, Cruise is going to play the role of Reacher.  How is that going to work?

It worked.  It was an enormous reach, but Cruise pulled it off.  Somehow the camera added 80lbs and 10 inches.  He did it.  He was Reacher.  He was not actually any bigger, but he was a walking, talking, ass-kicking, Jack Reacher.

jack reacher cocking gun

Jack Reacher was a smart, fun, action adventure that was a worthy screen depiction of a very solid novel called One ShotOne Shot is the 9th novel in the Reacher series.  It is not necessary to read the books in order and therefore not necessary to film the movies in order.

one shot jack reacher

I think that the filmmakers could film the Reacher series James Bond style.  Get a new actor to play Jack Reacher and a new director every few movies.  That gives you 17 and counting quality stories to work from.  They should do it.  I would watch them all.  That would keep the characters fresh and the stories already speak for themselves.  My favorite Reacher novel is Persuader.  I hope they turn that one into a movie.

It was a treat to see 81-year-old Robert Duvall in the film.  He’s still got it.

cruise duvall reacher

Lee Child also has a cameo in the movie.  Without spoiling the story, just look for a guy who hands something to Tom Cruise.  If the other books get turned into movies, it would be cool if Child went all Alfred Hitchcock and had a cameo in every movie.

I wondered why the movie was named Jack Reacher and not One Shot like the novel that it is based off of.  My only conclusion is that more people are familiar with Jack Reacher than One Shot and therefore would likely be more interested in seeing the movie.  Jack Reacher’s reputation is enough to fill the seats, but the title One Shot is not.  With that being said, One Shot is not the best novel in the Reacher series.  There are multiple Reacher books that are better than that one.  In other words, there should be plenty of awesome Reacher movies to come.  At least, I hope so.

I rate this movie an 9 out of 10.

Buy, rent, or run?  Buy.

lee child and his books

Fire with Fire (2012)


fire with fire

Fire with Fire (2012)

The whole movie was a little too convenient and pretty predictable.  Watching this movie is almost like doing a puzzle where the pieces are numbered and you know exactly where each piece goes.  The filmmakers took the guess work out of the film and therefore they took the fun with it.

It was all too formulaic.  When you know what is going to happen next because it is so obvious, what is the point of watching anymore?  You already know the story.  There is no point.  I felt like basically everything in the entire movie had already been done before in so many other movies.

I had low expectations about the movie before I watched it, but I was hoping that it would surprise me.  It didn’t.  Not one bit.

Josh Duhamel plays the main character in the movie.  The guy is not capable of carrying a film on his own.  He is not believable enough and just not a talented enough to lead a movie by himself.

Bruce Willis would have done a better job as the main character.  At least he would have been able to make the obvious outcome of every scene a little more interesting with his trademark Bruce Willis tough guy charm.  Unfortunately he chose instead to take on a supporting role.  It felt like the guy just showed up to collect a paycheck.  They gave him one good scene in the whole movie and the rest of the time he was just there.

I found it funny that 50 Cent was on the cover of the movie because he was only on screen for about a minute.

Vincent D’Onofrio hardly entertained as a bad guy.  Vinnie Jones was a far superior and more believable tough guy (as he always is), but he gets disposed of way to early in the film and much too easily.  Would you believe that Josh Duhamel would not have much trouble taking out Vinnie Jones, but would struggle against Vincent D’Onofrio?  I don’t think so.

vinnie punchwillis dnofrio fire

Rosario Dawson was Rosario Dawson.  Good enough to be an actress, but just barely.  Not a memorable performance.  I forgot about it already.

Do not waste your time watching this movie.  Definitely do not waste your money.

I rate this movie a 3 out of 10.

Buy, rent, or run?  Run.

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Here is a list of 13 other Bruce Willis movies that are better than this one:

  1. Die Hard 1 (1988), 2 (1990), 3 (1995), and 4 (2007)      (we will count those as 1)
  2. Pulp Fiction (1994)
  3. Twelve Monkeys (1995)
  4. The Sixth Sense (1999)
  5. The Whole Nine Yards (2000)
  6. Unbreakable (2000)
  7. Bandits (2001)
  8. Hart’s War (2002)
  9. Tears of the Sun (2003)
  10. SinCity      (2005)
  11. Surrogates (2009)
  12. Red (2010)
  13. Looper (2012)

willis red

Let’s face it, Vincent D’Onofrio has not been in 13 movies that were better than this one, but here are a few:

  1. Sinister (2012)
  2. The Newton      Boys (1998)
  3. Men in Black (1997)
  4. Ed Wood (1994)
  5. JFK (1991)
  6. Full Metal Jacket (1987)

donofrio men in black

The same goes for Rosario Dawson, but here is her list:

  1. Kids (1995)
  2. He Got Game (1998)
  3. Men in Black II (2002)
  4. 25th Hour (2002)
  5. Sin City      (2005)
  6. Clerks II (2006)
  7. Death Proof (2007)
  8. Eagle Eye (2008)
  9. Seven Pounds (2008)

dawson sin city

Josh Duhamel has not made any good movies.  He is probably most known for the Transformer movies.

This list belongs to Vinnie Jones:

  1. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
  2. Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000)
  3. Snatch (2000)
  4. Swordfish (2001)

lock stock vinnie

50 Cent.  Really?  Okay he was alright in Righteous Kill (2008).

Gangster Squad (2013)


gangster squad cover

Gangster Squad (2013)

With a huge squad of big name actors, Gangster Squad definitely had enough firepower and got the job done right. Although with such a high caliber cast, one would have to try very hard to not make a good film. With Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, Giovanni Ribisi, Nick Nolte, Emma Stone, Robert Patrick, Michael Pena, Anthony Mackie, who could go wrong? The supporting cast is an endless number of recognizable awesome character actors and I couldn’t name them all if I tried. Every other scene I recognized another face. I kept saying; Wow he’s in this too? Or, I like that guy. What else have I seen him in?

gangster squad group

This could just be perhaps, Josh Brolin’s best performance. He was excellent! His role fit him like a glove.

Ryan Gosling was his usual suave and slick self. Once again he was paired with Emma Stone as they were in Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011). They were a great couple again, but her character in my opinion, did not get much of a chance to develop. She was the big love interest, but she really was not in much of the movie.

Gangster Squad is Sean Penn’s best movie since Mystic River (2003). He has quite honestly been pretty disappointing on and off the screen in the last decade. This is a solid comeback movie for him. His character far exceeded my expectations.

Speaking of comeback movies, Nick Nolte surprised us all with a major comeback and Oscar worthy performance in the movie Warrior (2011). Even though his role in Gangster Squad was pretty minor, he reminded us that he can still act.

Giovanni Ribisi never ceases to disappoint and he continued that tradition once again.

Robert Patrick’s film career peaked when he played the T-1000 robot in the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). He has been in many movies and TV shows in the last 22 years since then, but none of his roles have ever lived up to T2. He gives a good supporting role in Gangster Squad.

terminator 2

Michael Pena and Anthony Mackie have both been up and comers for a while. The two of them were both fun additions to the film.

The filmmakers did a remarkable job recreating Hollywood in the 1940s. Everything about the movie seemed real and believable. The clothing, the cars, the buildings and surrounding landscapes, and even the way people talked and acted were all works of art in themselves.

Gangster Squad is one of the best movies that I have seen in the last year. I was only a little disappointed that Emma Stone did not get much of a chance to develop her character. Even the much lesser known Mireille Enos, who was Josh Brolin’s wife in the film, seemed to have a bigger role than Emma Stone. If the film was a little longer and had developed its female characters a little more, I think that it would have been even better. The film was pretty amazing though, and if you have not done so already, you should check it out!

I rate this movie an 8.5 out of 10.

Buy, rent, or run?  Buy.

emma stone gangster

Skyfall (2012)


Skyfall (2012)

'Skyfall' Jaguar Xj Portfolio V6 D

‘Skyfall’ Jaguar Xj Portfolio V6 D (Photo credit: kenjonbro)

Skyfall is the best movie in the theatre right now. If you are a James Bond fan and have not seen this film, then I suggest you get out there and do so immediately. It is my second favorite Bond film behind Casino Royale (2006). Daniel Craig is not quite as cold blooded in Skyfall as he is in Casino Royale, and the film as a whole is not quite at dark or quite as intense as Casino Royale, but it is a very close second.

Daniel Craig on a yacht in Venice during a bre...

Daniel Craig on a yacht in Venice during a break in filming Casino Royale. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you are looking for a superb action flick that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then this is the movie for you. It is well acted, well directed, and well filmed. The movie is almost 2 ½ hours long, but it felt like it was half that long because it keeps your attention the whole time. Time flies when you’re having fun.

Javier Bardem’s villain is one that you will love to hate. I think that I will hate it when Daniel Craig is no longer Bond. In my opinion, Daniel Craig is the best James Bond. Lucky for me, he has signed on for Bond 24 and Bond 25.

Skyfall seems a little bit more realistic than most other bonds. The action scenes don’t seem as far out as most other Bond films. The gadgets are fewer and also more realistic. It’s these things that I think make the movie more believable and James Bond more human.

Casino Royale was responsible for changing the whole dynamic of the Bond film and making Bond more real. Quantum of Solace (2008) seemed to have elements of that, but there was something missing. Skyfall has resurrected the Casino Royale mentality with a vengeance.

I rate this movie a 8.5 on a scale of 1-10.

Buy, rent, or run?  Buy.

Cover of "Quantum of Solace"

Cover of Quantum of Solace

Stolen (2012)


Stolen (2012)

(Nicolas Cage) stars as Will Montgomery, a bank robber who gets left behind by his partner Vincent (Josh Lucas) and the rest of their crew after successfully stealing 10 million dollars from a bank. Before being arrested, Will dumps the money and therefore only goes to jail for 8 years.

Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When Will gets out of prison, Vincent wants his share of the 10 million dollars and will do anything to get it, including kidnapping and threatening to kill Will’s teenage daughter. Vincent gives Will 12 hours to get him the money or his daughter dies.

It was a pleasure to see Josh Lucas playing a bad guy. He has always been an underrated actor in my opinion. He did a wonderful job being creepy.

Although the storyline is not much different than your standard kidnapping or bank robbery, Nicolas Cage and Josh Lucas bring a certain level of prestige to the film with a couple of unique plot surprises along the way.

There is enough action and chases interspersed throughout the movie to keep you intrigued and wanting to know what will happen next.

Cover of "National Treasure (Widescreen E...

Cover of National Treasure (Widescreen Edition)

Nicolas Cage has been involved in creating a lot of trash in the more recent years. For a while it was one poor excuse for a movie after another. This is unfortunate because he is one of my favorite actors. But I guess that is what happens when you dig yourself way into debt and are forced to take any and all roles offered to you just to break even and keep your head above water. I have always wondered how someone as talented as Cage, with as much fame and fortune, and as many awesome performances in so many excellent movies (for example: Lord of War, The Weather Man, National Treasure, Matchstick Men, The Family Man, Gone in 60 Seconds, Face/Off, Con Air, The Rock, Leaving Las Vegas, Kiss of Death) could just flush it all down the toilet.

Cover of "The Weather Man (Widescreen Edi...

Cover of The Weather Man (Widescreen Edition)

I won’t pretend to know what caused the downturn of this movie Icon. I heard that he had owed millions of dollars in back taxes to the IRS and I’m sure that was a big motivator to accept any garbage role that came his way.

It became about quantity rather than quality (for example: The Wicker Man, Ghost Rider, The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans, Astro Boy, Kick-Ass, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Season of the Witch, Drive Angry, and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance); anything to make money to pay his debts. According to imdb.com Cage is involved in 12 more movies that are expected to release in the next couple of years.

Within the pile of rubble that is Cage’s last 7 years of film making, you will find a few glimmers of hope. These are just a few reminders that Nicolas Cage can still make good movies, they are few and far between, but he still has the ability (for example: Next, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Bangkok Dangerous, Knowing, Seeking Justice, Trespass, and Stolen). Arguably none of the movies on that list were fantastic, but they were still solid movies in their own right, and all worth seeing. The only big hit on that list was National Treasure: Book of Secrets and that is because it was the sequel to a much better movie.

Cover of "The Family Man"

Cover of The Family Man

Here’s to hoping Cage can get his life together so that he can start making greatness again. Stolen is just another example of hope that better is still to come for Nicolas Cage.I give

Stolen a 7 rating on a scale of 1-10.

Buy, rent, or run?  Rent.