Fight or Flight

Most films that are of the genre, thriller, are typically fraught with serious drama laced with high tension, but then we have "Fight or Flight" which is anything but.  Another film that is a thriller that has similar elements of humor is that of "Bullet Train" (2022). Otherwise most other thrillers are basically what one would expect. 

Exiled American agent Lucas Reyes (Josh Hartnett) is given one last chance to redeem himself--The assignment is to track down and identify a mysterious, international high-value asset known only as The Ghost (Charithra Chandran) on a flight from Bangkok to San Francisco. Complicating matters, the plane is filled with assassins from around the globe who are assigned to kill them both. The pair must work together in a fight for their lives. At 37,000 feet, the stakes have never been higher. 

Others to round out the cast are Katee Sackhoff as Katherine Brunt, Julian Kostov as Aaron Hunter, Marko Zaror as Cayenne, Danny Astok as Royce, JuJu Chan Szeto as Master Lian, Hughie O'Donnell as Garrett, Jyuddah Jaymes as Agent Kyle Robinson, Willem van der Vegt as Agent Paul Simmons, Sanjeev Kohli as Pilot and Declan Baxter as co-Pilot.

This was uproariously and intensely directed by a virtual newcomer to feature films James Madigan (TV). The way this filmmaker edited from one scene to another in rapid speed, which added to the frenzy of the interior plane shots, simply added to the gripping tension as the film was unfolding. Even though he only has TV as his source of experience, this plethora of TV experience has served him well, and with that, he will receive more work. It was executed well by writers Brooks McLaren ("How It Ends" '18) and D.J. Cotrona. If I were to akin this film to one other of similarity, it would be that of "Bullet Train" in 2022 with Brad Pitt. Even though each film held its own story line, the fact that it was about a mercenary or agent on a form of travel--one on a train; the other on a plane, and each were high-adrenaline while very funny plots, the similarity was evident. I loved "Bullet Train", so I definitely had fun with this. The only issue with this was that closer to the early part of the film, it jumped around a bit, but as it realized its footing, it clearly moved right along. The editing by Ben Mills and photography by Matt Flannery were amazing and assuredly added to the frenetic aspect of the film. 

As with "Bullet Train", if you like pure escapism laced with rather dark humor, this is the film for you. I'm certainly happy to see Josh Hartnett back to making films again, and where he is choosing his projects much more carefully. Not to spoil, but this does end with the possibility of a sequel? Not sure, but you be the judge. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                     Rated: R                                          103mins.

Thunderbolts*

 

Well, as the summer film season is off and running, what a better, if not expected, film to entertain us is that of Marvel's :Thunderbolts". The summer is typically reserved for big-budget, high adrenaline fare or animated flicks. After viewing this, with an already plugged in audience, it should rake in the bucks. 

"Thunderbolts*" assembles an unconventional team of antiheroes--Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), and others. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it's too late?

Others to round out the cast are Lewis Pullman as Bob Reynolds, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr, Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov, Geraldine Viswanathan as Mel, Wendell Pierce as Congressman Gary, Chris Bauer as Holt, Violet McGraw as Young Yelena, Alexa Swinton as Anya and Eric Lange as Houston. 

This was directed with grit and a refreshing amount of humor by Jake Schreier ("Robot & Frank" '12, "Paper Towns" '15, Chance the Rapper's Magnificent Coloring World" '21) plus TV, music videos and shorts. His pacing and staging was spot on and it definitely kept the audience on the edge of their seats. It was similar to that of "Guardians of the Galaxy" in that the humor that was utilized was refreshing and actually worked in this--interesting that both films were about antiheroes which tells me that that can and is an effective element in allowing the humor to work in the story, It was written well by seasoned Eric Pearson ("Thor: Ragnarok" '17, "Godzilla vs. Kong" '21, "Black Widow" '21, "Transformers One" '24) plus TV and videos, and Joanna Calo ((TV), based on a story from Eric Pearson, which is based on the Marvel comics. I found that the issue with this script is that it had a difficult time getting started in that it was exciting in one scene, then it seemed a bit boring thereafter, and then that pattern would happen again. But then, after a short while, the story started to pick up and it became the film it was meant to be. The different aspects of the story started to congeal and I then really enjoyed it. And, of course, the visual effects by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic) and Digital Domain predominantly, were stunning, but one must realize this before entering the theater. Pearson certainly knows his way around a big-budget film and this proves it, and even though Calo only had TV to her credit, it definitely served her well. 

I really don't think it's going to be a spoiler, but this film will continue (I know, what a shock!), but considering the meaty character development, it should do well also. If you do like that up, close and personal feel, this is presented in an IMAX format as well. Grab the popcorn and enjoy the pure form of escapism. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                        Rated: PG-13                                             127mins.

The Legend of Ochi

When it comes to films that are fantastical, they are typically made with quality and audiences usually love them, considering how entertaining they can be. The genre of fantasy has virtually no limits and this is a filmmaker's dream. So, when "The Legend of Ochi" came along, the premise and how the story was treated intrigued me. 

In a fictional remote village on the island of Carpathia within the Black Sea, a shy farm girl named Yuri (Helena Zengel) is raised by her over-bearing father, Maxim (Willem Dafoe) to fear an elusive animal species known as ochi. But when Yuri discovers a wounded baby ochi has been left behind, she escapes from the clutches of her father on a quest to bring him home. Her quest includes others who attempt to help her such as Dasha (Emily Watson) and Petro (Finn Wolfhard). 

Others to round out the cast are Razvan Stoica as Ivan, Carol Bors as Oleg, Andrei Antoniv Anghel as Vlad, David Andrei Baltatu as Gleb, Eduard Oancea as Pavel, Tomas Otto Ghela as Tudor and Paul Manalatos as The Ochi.

This was directed with pathos with the ability of being heartfelt by a virtual newcomer to feature films, Isaiah Saxon (shorts, music videos and videos). This was stunning in how this film delved into the possible connection of animal and human, although through a challenging process. Saxon's ability to pace and stage his actors were amazing and seemed like he's a real pro. Considering this film was a Sundance Film Festival favorite, it's no wonder that it was pushed to be released in theaters. It was also well executed by Isaiah Saxon (TV, shorts and music videos). Surely his experience in the TV and music video realm has worked for this writer and this film proves it in spades. The only problem I had with this movie was with the sound editing such as near the beginning where Yuri is narrating, it was difficult, at times, to understand all that she was saying due to the fact that the music was a bit overly powerful. And also there were a couple of places that were a bit choppy, but otherwise it was a spot on script. The special effects by John Nolan in the design of the ochi were stunning indeed. 

This is a little bit like a dark, gritty "E.T. The Extra Terrestrial" even though this was not an alien. But since the creature is within the fantasy realm, it had that flavor. Certainly in seeing this, it showed us that we can, with patience and a bit of understanding, co=exist, whether it is a fantastical beast or other human beings, all the while presented in an entertaining way. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                        Rated: PG                                           95mins.

The Accountant 2

Political films have been produced from Hollywood for decades and since there is an incredible fascination with them, they will always be offered. We saw "The Accountant" back in 2016 and it was a gripping, well honed story, so, a mere nine years later, we have "The Accountant 2" to sink our teeth into. 

Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) has a talent for solving complex problems. When an Old acquaintance, Ray King (J.K. Simmons) is murdered, leaving behind a cryptic message to "find the accountant" written on his leg, Wolff is compelled to solve the case. Realizing more extreme measures are necessary, Wolff recruits his estranged and highly lethal brother Braxton (Jon Bernthal), to help in partnership with U.S.Treasury Deputy Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), they uncover a deadly conspiracy, becoming targets of a ruthless network of killers who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried. 

Others to round out the cast are Daniella Pineda as Anais, Alison Wright as Justine (voice of), Robert Morgan as Burke, Allison Robertson as Justine, Grant Harvey as Cobb, Andrew Howard as Batu, Yael Ocasio as Alberto, Lombardo Boyar as Tomas and Michael Tourek as Ike Sudio. 

This was directed effortlessly by Gavin O'Connor (" Comfortably Numb" '95, "Tumbleweeds" '99, "Murphy's Dozen" (TV movie) '11, "Miracle" '04, "Pride and Glory" '08, "Warrior" '11, "Cinnamon Girl" (TV movie) '13, "Only Human" (TV movie) '14, "The Prince" (TV movie) '15, "Jane Got a Gun" '15, "The Accountant" '16, "The Way Back" '20) plus TV and a short. It was brilliant to use the same director as with the original so the similar feel of the two films will be evident. O'Connor did such an exemplary job of "The Accountant" that helming the sequel gave an effortless appeal. He was able to pull off these two brothers as though they were like the quintessential 'odd couple'--Affleck being the controlling autistic savant that is amazingly intelligent and Benthal pulling off the role of someone that's a loose cannon, totally over the top, very dramatic that it became humorous and added a light sibling rivalry to this. If you like his brand of directing, his "Fast" is in pre-production. It was equally well written by Bill DuBuque ("The Judge" '14, "A Family Man" '16, "The Accountant" '16) plus TV, based on characters created by Bill DuBuque. Since the original ended up being the surprise hit of the summer of 2016, a sequel by the same writer was an obvious next step. What's surprising is that it took nine years to finally produce the follow up. And with this outing, this new film is every bit as well directed and written and acted as its predecessor. The only issues I felt with this was that I felt that it had a couple of very small places of disjointedness and confusion, but otherwise, the screenplay soared. Again, Affleck's role as the mathematical, practically autistic savant accountant was stunning and he could possibly see a nod come Oscar time. If you appreciate this writing DuBuque's "The Six Billion Dollar Man" is in pre-production. 

This was so entertaining that if the makers of this film decided to make a "The Accountant 3", it would be welcomed. Of course, like with other films, it is dependent of how much money is raked in the box office. I'm usually not into sequels, but with this, I'm willing to make the exception.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                       Rated: R                                         133m.

The Ballad of Wallis Island

As we are about to enter the summer film season, we are typically offered smaller, indie films that often times don't fair well economically because of all the huge, CGI driven films that are bigger than life. So, we are offered a small film called "The Ballad of Wallis Island" that is quirky as it is entertaining.

This film follows Charles Heath (Tim Key), an eccentric lottery winner who lives alone on a remote island and dreams of getting his favorite musicians, Herb McGwyer / Nell Mortimer (Tim Basden and Carey Mulligan) respectively, back together. His fantasy turns into reality when the bandmates, who were former lovers, accept his invitation to play a private show at his home on Wallis Island. Old tensions resurface as Charles tries desperately to salvage his dream gig. 

Others to round out the cast are Sian Clifford as Amanda, Akemnji Ndifornyen as Michael, Steve Marsh as Peter, Luka Downie as Marcus, Kerrie Thomason as Marie and Arron Long as Tour Guide. 

This was directed with dry wit and quirkiness by James Griffiths ("Royal Wedding" (TV movie) '10, "Cuban Fury" '14, "Charity Case" (TV movie) '16, "Delilah" (TV movie) '20) plus TV and a short. Even though this director only has one other feature film to his credit, his list of TV movies and other TV has certainly served him well. His staging and pacing is spot on as is ability to encourage his actors to strive to 'find' their characters with conviction. It was equally written with heart and humor by Tom Basden ("Brave Young Men" (TV movie) '09, "Very Few Fish" (TV movie) '13, "Plebs: Soldiers of Rome" (TV movie) '22) plus TV and a short, and Tim Key (TV and shorts). Neither writer has any feature film work when it comes to writing, however, they have enough TV movies and other TV and shorts between them to make up the difference. Certainly since these writers were the two main stars in this movie, it definitely caused this to be more powerful than otherwise. If this is their first feature film, I would like to see what they could do with writing another feature film, since this was well thought out and was moving and forced these individuals to dig deep in coming to realize their past in order to obtain a happier present. The only issue with this was that there were a couple of areas that were slightly disjointed, but otherwise was amazing. The acting by all three of the lead stars, and even the supporting cast was effective and endearing

If you're into small, independent films, this is the film for you. This was well written, directed and acted with compassion, passion and style all the while bringing humor in the form of dry wit and was amazingly entertaining. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                           Rated: PG-13                                        99mins.

The King of Kings

At this time of year two things occur: the summer film season is ramping up and it is the time for the Easter season. And with "The King of Kings" being released, it's an animated film which is typically a favorite form of film during the summer, and, it being an Easter film, it falls into theaters during this time as well. For movie companies, it's the best of both worlds. 

A father, in this case is Charles Dickens (Kenneth Branagh), tells his son, Walter (Roman Griffin Davis) the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus (Oscar Isaac), witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice on the cross. "The King of Kings" invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love and redemption through the eyes of a child. 

Others to round out the cast are Pierce Brosnan as Pontius Pilate, Uma Thurman as Catherine Dickens, wife of Charles, Mark Hamill as King Herod, Forest Whitaker as Peter, Ben Kingsley and High Priest Caiaphas, Jim Cummings as James the Greater/Pharisee Hillel, Dee Bradley Baker as Willa the Cat and Fred Tatasciore as Pharisee Eleazar. 

This film was compassionately directed by Seong-ho Jang (visual effects). Even though this filmmaker has no feature film experience--certainly none in the direction realm, he absolutely pulled this off. With his passion and sensitive handling of the subject matter, he took this story and produced a movie that all could envision and could take something from it. It was also well written by Seong-ho Jang (visual effects) as well. Additional writing was actually commissioned by Rob Edwards ("Treasure Planet" '02, "The Princess and the Frog" '09, "Captain America: Brave New World" '25, "Sneaks" '25) plus TV, a short and a video game and Jamie Thomason. Now, was this writing as talented as it was because of Jang's work or because of the two individuals who provided the additional writing? Not sure, however the resume of that of Edwards would conclude in most peoples' hearts that Edwards had a huge influence. But either way, the culmination of writers certainly brought us a powerful script. It actually followed the sequences in the bible extremely well which tells me that there were Christians involved in this, and it would need to happen, otherwise the story very likely would become convoluted. 

Certainly if you're a Christian, this will be very easy to follow along with the story, but even if you're not, it is a film that will speak volumes to one's heart. It is a film for all to see, but even though it's seen through the eyes of a child, kids will gravitate to this, after all, it is the greatest story ever told. 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                          Rated: PG                                            104mins.

The Amateur

Hollywood and espionage films have been about as common, for many decades, as John Wayne and westerns. We've seen many through the years, i.e. "All the President's Men", "The Day of the Jackal", "Three Days of the Condor", "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy", "Body of Lies", the James Bond franchise and others, and now we have yet another one where it centers around someone that's not even a spy.

Charlie Heller (Rami Malek) is a brilliant, but deeply introverted decoder for the CIA working out of a basement office at headquarters in Langley whose life is turned upside down when his wife, Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan) is killed in a London terrorist attack, When his supervisors, Chief Moore (Holt McCallany) and Caleb (Danny Sapani) refuse to take action, he takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible.  Along with a trusted decoding source, Inquiline (Caitriona Balfe) and on again, off again Agent Henderson (Laurence Fishburne), and his intelligence, this intelligence serves as the ultimate weapon for eluding his pursuers and achieving his revenge. 

Others to round out the cast are Jon Bernthal as The Bear, Nick Mills as Finn, Jullianne Nicholson as Director O'Brien, Adrian Martinez as Carlos, Evan Milton as Slater, Tiffany Gray as Esther and Kate Sumpter as Anchor. 

This was brilliantly directed with grit and intensity by James Hawes ("The Earth in Balance" (TV movie) '90, "A Line in the Sand"(TV movie) '04, "The Lift" (TV movie) '07,  "The 39 Steps" (TV movie) '08, "Enid" (TV movie) '09, "Pulse" (TV movie) '10, "The Challenger Disaster" (TV movie) '13, "One Life" '23). This filmmaker's staging and pacing of this film was incredibly tight considering the movie was shot in many different countries where keeping the project all together can deem daunting. It was easy to follow along with each scene and Malek's presence is amazingly captivating and this is incredible directing, even though Malek is a consummate actor. It was well executed by writers Ken Nolan ("Black Hawk Down" '01, "Dawn" (TV movie) '16, Transformers: The Last Knight" '17, "Only the Brave" '17) plus TV and a short, and Gary Spinelli ("Stash House" '12, "American Made" '17) plus TV, based on the novel by Robert Littrell. As aforementioned, considering this was shot in many countries, this was held together very well. It was tight, concise and definitely kept one's attention. The only issue with this is that there were a few areas of slowness in the script, and maybe an area of a bit of choppiness in the middle of the story, but otherwise, it simply excelled. 

Certainly if you like espionage films, you'll revel with this, but the captivating aspect of this is clearly that of Malek. He is quite the chameleon when it comes to acting--he will play any role as long as it's challenging and gripping. This is the sign of a true artist. It's a great way to escape into this two hour running time. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                    Rated: PG-13                                            123mins.