As the summer movie season is starting to wane, we still see films that are being crammed into the multiplexes by the droves. And these just aren't any films, they are those films that one would expect to see, considering the time of year. Adrenaline, high-explosive films are the mainstay of the movie season we are in, because the demographic that want these films are out of school, still in some cases, and/or on vacation. There are adrenaline, fast-paced films, then there is "Getaway".
Though he used to race cars for a living, Brent Magna (Ethan Hawke) is now pitted against the clock in the most important race of his life; an unseen criminal (Jon Voight) has kidnapped Brent's wife, Leanne (Rebecca Budig), and to get her back, he must follow the man's instructions to the letter or his wife dies. Brent commandeers the ultimate muscle car, a custom Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snake--and, with a tech savvy young passenger (Selena Gomez), sets out on a high-speed chase to rescue his beloved. Will he pull it off in time? Only time itself will tell. The clock is ticking!
This was directed with an amazing amount of intensity and grit by director Courtney Solomon ("Dungeons & Dragons" 2000, "An American Haunting" '05). He really brought out that underlying intensity from Hawke about a guy whose trying to keep it together, but is ready to explode inside, very well. He also had one believing that Gomez's character was this cocky, obnoxious carjacker that obviously was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was cleverly written by Sean Finegan and Gregg Maxwell Parker in that, like "Speed" '94, this starts immediately cutting to the chase, quite literally. A couple of things weren't fully explained like exactly why was this obviously very wealthy man doing this to this particular guy? But then again, try to figure the mind of a crazy person and you win a prize. Between the amazing stunt driving, cinematography by Yaron Levy ("Inside Irvin" '04, "Dark Crimes" '06, "Marco Polo" '08, "Night of the Demons" '09, "Seconds Apart" '11, "51" '11), and editing by Ryan Dufrene ("Girls Gone Gangsta" '09, "Terror Trap" '10, "Varla Jean and the Mushroomheads" '11), this was incredibly paced which kept the intensity never letting up.
Let's put it this way, if you liked "Speed" with Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock and Dennis Hopper, you should really hop on this one. This is adrenaline packed from minute one til the credits roll up at the end of its 90 minute running time.
Out of 4 Stars: 3 Rated: PG-13 90mins.
As I've mentioned many times before, comedies are my favorite genre, but in recent past, it has been extremely difficult to either find a decent comedy or to come across one that I would ever even give a chance in seeing. The last very good comedy was "The Way Way Back", and thought that would be it until the end of the summer season, until I viewed "In a World...".
An underachieving vocal coach, Carol (Lake Bell) is motivated by her nice, but condescending father, Sam (Fred Melamed), the king of movie-trailer voice overs, to pursue her aspirations of becoming a voiceover star. Amidst pride, sexism and family dysfunction, she sets out to change the voice of a generation.
All involved come to realize that there is a new movie franchise--a quadrilogy, if you will, that is being filmed and needs a voice over actor for the trailer, so between Carol, Sam, and Gustav (Ken Marino), an associate of Sam's, they all end up competing for the big time trailer. Carol is being coached by her co-worker/friend, Louis (Demetri Martin), Sam's being somewhat prompted by his girlfriend, Mimi (Olya Milova) and Gustav is practicing on his own. Which one will ultimately get the coveted position?
Others to round out the cast are Rob Corddry as Moe, Carol's brother-in-law, Michaela Watkins as Dani, Carol's sister, Nick Offerman as Heners, Tig Notaro as Cher as a co-worker of Louis', Alexandra Holden as Jamie, Geena Davis as Katherine Huling, Stephanie Allynne as Nancy, Melissa Disney as Melinda Chisney, Corsica Wilson as Stacy, Eva Longoria as Herself, Jeff Garlin as Himself, and Don LaFontaine as Himself (Archival Footage). LaFontaine was the real-life king of the movie trailers for decades.
This was surprisingly well written and directed by its star, Lake Bell ("Worst Enemy" (short) '10, "El Tonto" (short) '12). Bell has acted in many films, mostly in romantic comedies as character roles, so when I realized that not only she starred in this film, but also wrote and directed it, I had a certain degree of trepidation in watching this. But, since the premise of this film has a certain personal interest for me, how could I resist? I had, for many years, thought of becoming a voice over actor, and even though I never entered the field, the interest was, and always has been there. Even though there is a certain amount of bias in seeing this film, I still can say that, with a couple of small slow places, this was incredibly well written and directed. The comedy had that subtleness about it which made it even funnier.
Whether you have an interest in the voice over arena or not, a good many people will be able to relate with the different eclectic characters in this, all the while being amused by the dysfunction and the struggles all of them experience in getting those acting jobs.
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: R 93mins.
In recent past, we have seen films that clearly have a totally 'gothic' look to them, but the films are set in present time. This was, in a sense, a new concept when the "Underworld" franchise came into being. And it's interesting in that, because these films are set in present time, could things that happen in those films really happen? As with the case of "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones", which has franchise written all over it, could this film give some filmgoers that feeling of, could this happen being set in 2013?
Set in contemporary New York City, a seemingly ordinary teenager, Clary Fray (Lily Collins), discovers she is the descendant of a line of Shadowhunters, a secret cadre of young half-angel warriors locked in an ancient battle to protect our world from demons. After the disappearance of her mother, Jocelyn (Lena Headey), Clary must join forces with a group of Shadowhunters including Jace (Jamie Campbell Bower), Luke (Aidan Turner), Alec (Kevin Zegers) and Isabelle (Jemima West), and a human, Simon (Robert Sheehan), who introduce her to a dangerous alternate New York called Downworld, filled with demons, warlocks, vampires, werewolves, and other deadly creatures.
Others to round out the cast are Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Valentine, Jared Harris as Hodge, CCH Pounder as Dorothea, Robert Maillet as Blackwell, Kevin Durand as Pangborn, Godfrey Gao as Magnus Bane, Stephen R. Hart as Brother Jeremiah, Chad Connell as Lambert, and Chris Ratz as Eric.
This was directed with intense realism by Harald Zwart ("Commander Hamilton" '98, "One Night at McCool's" '01, "Agent Cody Banks" '03, "Long Flat Balls" (co-dir.) '06, "Long Flat Balls II" '08, "The Pink Panther 2" '09, "The Karate Kid" '10).He shot it with a dark feel, but it wasn't so much that one couldn't see what was going on as with some films of this genre. It was written by Jessica Postigo Paquette based on the novel by Cassandra Clare. This is based on a series of books, and since it's left opened-ended, assuming the box-office is successful, we can no doubt look forward to another installation.
Most of the main stars are not list 'A' actors, but this is undoubtedly geared to that demographic that is really into this kind of premise. So why pay big bucks to those actors when it is unnecessary? Being part of this particular demographic will give you a leg up on getting into this genre, but even if you're not, you still will have an interesting ride with these characters as they Pop, Pow, and Sock these demons and vampires into oblivion.
Out of 4 Stars: 2.5 Rated: PG-13 130mins.
We've all seen political espionage films whether based on a true story or pure fiction, but not too many films which incorporate espionage have a basis of corporate greed and deception attached to them. In the case of "Paranoia", the cat and mouse game that unfolds is pure espionage that is based in money, and that trumps politics any day of the week in the eyes of all in this film.
This high stakes thriller takes us deep behind the scenes of global success to a deadly world of greed and deception. The two most powerful tech billionaires in the world, Jock Goddard and Nicolas Wyatt (Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman) respectively, are bitter rivals with a complicated past who will stop at nothing to destroy one another. A young superstar, one Adam Cassidy (Liam Hemsworth), seduced by unlimited wealth and power falls between them, and suddenly becomes trapped in the middle of the twists and turns of their life-and-death game of corporate espionage. By the time he realizes his life is in danger, he is in far too deep and knows far too much for the two of them to let him walk away.
Others to round out the cast are Amber Heard as Emma Jennings, Lucas Till as Kevin, buddy of Adam's, Embeth Davidtz as Dr. Judith Bolton, Julian McMahon as Miles Meecham, henchman of Wyatt's, Josh Holloway as FBI agent Gamble, Richard Dreyfuss as Frank Cassidy, Adam's dad, Angela Sarafyan as Allison, William Peltz as Morgan, Kevin Kilner as Tom Lungren, Christine Marzano as Nora Summers, Charlie Hofheimer as Richard McAllister, and Mark Moses as Dr. Butson.
Considering a lot of director, Robert Luketic's work is in the genre of comedy, this was surprisingly well paced with just the right amount of grit and intensity. I mean, this is the same guy who directed "Legally Blonde" '01, "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!" '04, "Monster-in-Law" '05, "21" '08, "The Ugly Truth" '09, and "Killers" '10. As you can see, the majority are comedies. It was written by Jason Hall and Barry L. Levy which was based on the novel by Joseph Finder. With the exception of very few slow spots and a couple of confusing places, this was much better than I ever thought it would be. And the frosting on the cake is the nifty twist at the end. Look out!
This was certainly a nail-biter which builds slowly, so be patient, because as it gains momentum, it takes you on an incredible ride where being any of the characters is not a plus.
Out of 4 Stars: 3 Rated: PG-13 106mins.
Going to the movies has really become a bastion of themes whereas it's like going to a history class anymore. The plethora of films about famous or infamous figures in history has run the gambit certainly in the last ten or so years. I've learned more about these people than I have ever learned from the news or even the History Channel. Films about King George, FDR, Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Robinson, The Sapphires singing group, Daniel Lugo and Adrian Doorbal of the Pain & Gain film, General Bonner Fellows, the family that survived the 2004 tsunami in The Impossible, and now it's about Steve Jobs, the innovator in a film appropriately titled "jOBS".
This details the major moments and defining characters that influenced Steve Jobs (Ashton Kutcher) on a daily basis from his dropping out of college in 1971 through his innovative musical creation called the I-Pod in 2001. This shows how he became one of the most revered creative entrepreneuers of the 20th century by plunging into the depths of his character, creating an intense dialogue-driven story that is as much a sweeping epic as it is an immensely personal portrait of Steve Jobs' life. This chronicles Jobs, the Apple co-founder's career from his early years in his parents garage creating something that will change the world with his collaborators including Steve Wozniak (Josh Gad), Daniel (Lukas Haas), Rod (Ron Eldard), Bill Fernandez (Victor Rasuk), Chris (Eddie Hassell) and subsequently Mike (Dermot Mulroney) to his rise as one of the computing industry's most admired innovators. By focusing on the key moments that drove Jobs' success and the conversations that made him such a controversial figure among critics, this presents an intimate portrayal of a driven, passionate, complex man who dedicated his life to revolutionizing the way we use computers. Part of the complexities was the fact that Jobs, being a visionary, lived in a world that clearly was not, and it brought a ton of frustration and even anger which turned out to be his enemy throughout most of his life.
Others to round out the cast are Matthew Modine as John Sculley, J.K. Simmons as Arthur Rock, Lesley Ann Warren as Clara Jobs, Steve's mom, Ahna O'Reilly as Chris-Ann Brennan, Steve's girlfriend, John Getz as Paul Jobs, Steve's dad, Kevin Dunn as Gil Amelio, James Woods as Jack Dudman, Nelson Franklin as Bill Atkinson, Elden Henson as Andy Hertzfeld, and Brad Willian Henke as Paul Terrell.
This was brilliantly directed by Joshua Michael Stern ("Neverwas" '05, "Swing Vote" '08). The intense emotion i.e,- anger, giddiness, fear he was able to emit from Kutcher was simply amazing. This was written by newcomer Matt Whiteley who has no other work to his credit. This is so difficult to believe, because this was so well scripted, it could possibly earn a nomination come Oscar time. If this is his first outing as a writer, I can't wait to see his future work which he will undoubtedly receive. The one who finishes bringing this all together is cinematographer, Russell Carpenter,asc ("Lady in White" '88, "The Perfect Weapon" '91, "The Lawnmower Man" '92, "True Lies" '94, "Money Talks" '97, "Titanic" '97, "The Negotiator" '98, "Shallow Hal" '01, "Monster-in-Law" '05, "Awake" '07, "21" '08, "The Ugly Truth" '09, "A Little Bit of Heaven" '11, "This Means War" '12) and many others. This guy can photograph anything, hence the resume, and he does it with such crispness and his own storytelling he uses with his camera.
Whether one is into computers or not, this is not only a film all should see, but one where it will captivate the audience's attention as you see this man create and innovate something that clearly changed the way we live and think today whether we realize this or not.
Out of 4 Stars: 4 Rated: PG-13 128mins.
As with all biographical films, they are usually written, directed, and acted with such painstaking realism, hence the fact they are based on a true story, that it makes it compelling for most. So everyone involved are extremely careful in conveying this person and the events surrounding this person as accurately as they can. I believe this is why I enjoy watching biopics, and "The Butler" certainly is no exception.
This tells the story of a White House butler who served eight American presidents over three decades. The film chronicles the dramatic changes that swept American society during this time, from the civil rights movement, to Vietnam, to the Watergate scandal and beyond, and how those changes affected this man's life with those he worked with. His co-worker butlers including Carter Wilson (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and James Holloway (Lenny Kravitz) became intertwined with his personal life with his long-suffering wife, Gloria (Oprah Winfrey), troubles with the relationship with his sons, Louis (David Oyelowo) and Charlie (Elijah Kelley, 15-18).,and his and his wife's friendship with their next door neighbor, Howard (Terrence Howard).
Forest Whitaker stars as the butler, Cecil Gaines, with Robin Williams as Dwight D. Eisenhower, John Cusack as Richard Nixon, Alan Rickman as Ronald Reagan, James Marsden as John F. Kennedy, Liev Schreiber as Lyndon B. Johnson, even Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan and others.
Others to round out the cast are Mariah Carey as Hattie Pearl, Clarence Williams III as Maynard, Isaac White as Charlie Gaines-10yrs, Yaya Alafia as Carol Hammie, Minka Kelly as Jacqueline Kennedy, Nelsan Ellis as Martin Luther King Jr., and James DuMont as Sherman Adams.
This was brilliantly directed with such grit, pathos, and poignancy by Lee Daniels ("Shadowboxer" '05, "Precious" '09, "The Paperboy" '12). This is one director that not only is he looking at a nomination come Oscar time, but is a man who is going to direct some great films in our future. This was equally well written by Danny Strong ("Recount" (TV movie) '08, "Game Change" (TV movie) '12) based on an article, "A Butler Well Served by This Election" by Wil Haygood. Lee Daniels definitely had influence with the script, but Strong still created an incredibly cohesive, well delineated script that could also receive notice come Oscar time. As far as Whitaker and Winfrey, they simply shined--they out did themselves.
If you generally like biopics, this is the film for you, but even if you don't, everyone really needs to see this, because where else can one go, receive a great message and be able to revel in the midst of fine directing, writing,and acting all at the same time?
Out of 4 Stars: 4 Rated: PG-13 132mins.
Dysfunction and Woody Allen. It kinda goes together like bread and butter or hot dogs and beans. Woody Allen has basically succeeded on his ability to bring very dysfunctional characters, including himself in many cases, to the screen for the past 46 years, which amazingly boggles the brain. We now have another film about, you guessed it, dysfunctional characters in the form of "Blue Jasmine".
After her marriage to a wealthy businessman, Hal (Alec Baldwin) collapses due to shady deals, New York socialite Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) flees to San Francisco and the modest apartment of her sister, Ginger (Sally Hawkins). Although she's in a fragile emotional state, totally self-absorbed, and lacks job skills, Jasmine still manages to voice her disapproval of Ginger's boyfriend, Chili (Bobby Cannavale). Jasmine begrudgingly takes a job as a receptionist in a dentist office run by Dr. Flicker (Michael Stuhlbarg), while Ginger begins dating Al (Louis C.K.) who's a step up from Chili.
Others to round out the cast are, Andrew Dice Clay as Augie, ex-husband of Ginger, Max Casella as Eddie, buddy of Chili's, Alden Ehrenreich as Danny, son of Hal's, Kathy Tong as Raylene, Tammy Blanchard as Jane, Jasmine's friend, Peter Sarsgaard as Dwight, Daniel Jenks as Matthew, Augie's son, Max Rutherford as Johnny, Augie's son, Annie McNamara as Nora, Jasmine's friend, Charlie Tahan as Young Danny, and Martin Cantu as Ginger's boss.
This was cranked out with effortless ease from veteran writer and director Woody Allen ("Take the Money and Run" '69, "Bananas" '71, "Sleeper" '73, "Annie Hall" '77, "Manhattan" '79, "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy" '82, "Broadway Danny Rose" '84, "Hannah and Her Sisters" '86, "Crimes and Misdemeanors" '89, "Manhattan Murder Mystery" '93, "Don't Drink the Water" (TV movie) '94, "Deconstructing Harry" '97, "Sweet and Lowdown" '99, "Small Time Crooks" 2000, "Hollywood Ending" '02, "Melinda and Melinda" '04, "Match Point" '05, "Scoop" '06, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" '08, "Whatever Works" '09, "Midnight in Paris" '11) and many others. Love or leave Allen, he is a consummate writer and director. He cranks out these small films, and has done so for decades, while in the midst of all these high-budgeted, visually packed films that have been favorites for quite some time. Allen produces these modestly budgeted films and basically lets the words he writes speak for themselves, which is something you got to, at least, respect. This film is no different. The nuances he adds to an otherwise common premise has become his trademark. Both he and Blanchett as Jasmine could possibly be up for Oscar nods.
If you're an Allen fan, this is golden Allen, so you will revel, but even if you're not, if you love good writing, directing and acting, this is one of those little gems tucked in the middle of an explosive summer that you will definitely be able to sink your teeth into.
Out of 4 Stars: 4 Rated: PG-13 98mins.
Disney...Pixar...Pixar...Disney-- with "Planes" we get an animated film that looks exactly like a Pixar Studios film, but is an only Disney Pictures film. Disney and Pixar are basically one and the same, but they might as well have put the Pixar logo at the front of the film
considering the similarity.
From above the world of "Cars" comes Disney's "Planes", an action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure featuring Dusty Crophopper (Dane Cook), a plane with dreams of competing as a high-flying aerial racer. But Dusty's not exactly built for racing--he is built for cropdusting, and he is incredibly afraid of heights. So he turns to a seasoned naval aviator, Skipper (Stacy Keach) who helps Dusty qualify to take on the defending champion, Ripslinger (Roger Craig Smith) of the race circuit. Even with the other support from Dottie (Teri Hatcher), Chug (Brad Garrett), Bulldog (John Cleese), El Chupacabra (Carlos Alazraqui), and others, Dusty's courage is put to the ultimate test as he aims to reach heights he never dreamed possible, giving a spellbound world the inspiration to soar.
Others to round out the cast are Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Rochelle, Priyanka Chopra as Ishani, Cedric the Entertainer as Leadbottom, Anthony Edwards as Echo, Val Kilmer as Bravo, Sinbad as Roper, Gabriel Iglesias as Ned/Zed, Brent Musburger as Brent Mustangburger, Danny Mann as Sparky, Oliver Kalkofe as Franz, Colin Cowherd as Colin Cowling, and John Ratzenberger as Harland.
This was directed by a virtual newcomer to feature films, Klay Hall ("Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure" '09). This guy has a real love for planes which obviously gave him his inspiration to portray these planes as the characters they were meant to be. It was written by Jeffrey M. Howard based on an original story by John Lasseter, Hall, and Howard. Suffice it to say, this was actually much better than the trailer let on--don't always believe the trailers. The recent "Turbo" was a family film as this is, too, and with that demographic fact, both are laden with an obvious "follow your dreams no matter what" message attached. Now, with a world that is so negative, volatile, unsure, and downright nasty, this type of message we certainly don't see enough of, so kudos to the writers. All this and great animation makes for a great family flick.
Even though you see the "Cars" logo at the beginning, and even though Disney should've given part credit to Pixar Studios for this, it was still a great stand up and cheer type film that we see all too little of these days.
Out of 4 Stars: 3 Rated:PG 92mins.
With most films we've experienced in the past where future Earth is ruined, it's usually caused from a nuclear war, pestilence, or even aliens from another planet. However, with "Elysium", the reasoning of Earth's ruin is never fully explained, which, in a sense, makes this film that much more compelling.
In the year 2154 two classes of people exist: the very wealthy who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. Secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster), a government official, will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve the luxurious lifestyle of the citizens of Elysium, including hiring a mercenary killer, Kruger (Sharlto Copley) to shoot down any approaching spacecraft intruding on Elysium's airspace.This doesn't stop the people of Earth from trying to get in, by any means they can, especially when no one on Elysium experience sickness, poverty, or even war.
While Max (Matt Damon) is working in a factory, he inadvertently gets caught in a cell where he is exposed to high radiation levels. With only five days to live, he asks his friend, Julio (Diego Luna) to talk to Spider (Wagner Moura) to see if he can do whatever he can to secure a ticket for Max to Elysium so he can be healed. To obtain his healing, Max agrees to a daunting mission that if successful, will not only save his life, but could bring equality to these polarized worlds.
Others to round out the cast are Alice Braga as Frey, a long time friend of Max, William Fichtner as John Carlyle, who is in cahoots with Delacourt, Brandon Auret as Drake, Josh Blacker as Crowe, Emma Tremblay as Matilda, Frey's daughter, Jose Pablo Cantillo as Sandro, Maxwell Perry Cotton as Young Max, Faran Tahir as President Patel of Elysium, Adrian Holmes as Manuel, Jared Keeso as Rico, Valentina Giron as Young Frey, and Yolanda Abbud L. as Nun.
This was incredibly well delineated by writer and director Neill Blomkamp ("District 9" '09). This guy really knows how to emit extreme emotion from his actors so as to make their characters that much more realistic. This premise does state a commentary in that it is about a hot ticket issue politically right now--immigration problems, and even uses Homeland Security in a negative connotation. A kind of homage Blomkamp used was the fact he used a cylindrical space station as was also used in Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" '68.
With the exception of a couple small inconsistencies, this was an amazing story which keeps you on that proverbial edge of the seat. All this and the IMAX process will leave you in awe of both story and visuals.
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: R 109mins.
There are films that are based on true stories, which we have seen a plethora of, and then there are films that are based on true stories, which are created in such painstakingly realistic tributaries that they just hit one right between the eyes. A couple of films, that come to mind, that fall into this category are Paul Haggis' "Crash" '06, and Paul Greengrass' "United 93". Now, to add to that hopefully growing list is, "Fruitvale Station".
This chronicles the true story of Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan), a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who wakes up on the morning of December 31, 2008 and feels something in the air. Not sure what it is, he takes it as a sign to get a head start on his resolutions: being a better son to his mother, Wanda (Octavia Spencer), whose birthday falls on New Year's Eve, being a better partner to his girlfriend, Sophina (Melonie Diaz), who he hasn't been completely honest with as of late, and being a better father to Tatiana (Ariana Neal), their beautiful four year-old daughter. Crossing paths with friends, family, and strangers, Oscar starts out well, but as the day goes on, he realizes that change is not going to come easy. His resolve takes a tragic turn, however, when BART officers shoot him in cold blood at the Fruitvale subway stop on New Year's Day. Oscar's life and tragic death would shake the Bay Area-- and the entire nation to its very core.
Others to round out the cast are Kevin Durand as Officer Caruso, Chad Michael Murray as Officer Ingram, Ahna O'reilly as Katie, Keenan Coogler as Cato, Trestin George as Brandon, Joey Oglesby as Cale, Michael James as Carlos, Marjorie Shears as Grandma Bonnie, and Destiny Ekwueme as Chantay.
This was directed and written with such painstakingly hard core realism by Ryan Coogler. Considering this is Coogler's first outing in the feature film realm, I really can't wait for his next project. As with the other aforementioned films, this film hits its audience right at its core. I usually do not pull the racial card, given a certain situation, but this was clearly racially motivated. A white guy hauls off and hits a black man. That guy runs, and two white officers basically end up plugging the black man, and the white guy who started the whole thing gets away scott free. Draw your own conclusions, but what else could it have been? Coogler gives us quite the expose of our system failing us as a people, and the fact that our system needs to be revamped.
This has Oscar nominations written all over it--possible best actor for Jordan and possible best supporting actress for Spencer. These two actors absolutely shined as son and mother. If you do go to see this, as I believe most people should for the incredible message, be warned that it is not an easy sit; a tough watch. But the fact it has such a great message for all, and it is so well written, directed and acted, these aspects will allow you to still go see it, because you know it would be the right thing to do.
Out of 4 Stars: 4 Rated: R 85mins.
Because this is the summer film season, it is typical to see large budgeted movies with 'A' list actors to attract that younger demographic. Well, Hollywood has give us that in spades with "2 Guns" where we have been thrown high-adrenaline, explosiveness, an action packed premise with two top stars. Whoo hoo!
For the past year, DEA agent Bobby Trench (Denzel Washington) and U.S. Navy intelligence officer Marcus 'Stig' Stigman (Mark Wahlberg) have been working undercover as members of a narcotics syndicate. The twist: Neither man knows that the other is an undercover agent. When their attempt to infiltrate a Mexican drug cartel lead up by Papi Greco (Edward James Olmos) and recover millions go haywire, the men are disavowed by their supervisors including Quince (James Marsden) and Jessup (Robert John Burke), and throwing in a CIA agent, Earl (Bill Paxton) trying to find the millions and will kill to get it. Trench and Stigman must go on the run lest they wind up in jail or in a grave.
Others to round out the cast are Paula Patton as Deb, a fellow DEA agent, Fred Willard as Admiral Tuwey, Greg Sproles as Chief Lucas, Patrick Fischler as Dr. Ken, Derek Solorsano as Ferret Nose Julio, and Edgar Arreola, Kyle Russell Clements, Christopher Matthew Cook, and Tim Bell as Rudy, Teemo, Thick, and Lean respectively (Papi's henchmen).
This was effectively directed with just the right amount of grit and intensity by Baltasar Kormakur ("101 Reykjavik" 2000, "The Sea" '02, "A Little Trip to Heaven" '05, "Jar City" '06, "Inhale" '10, "Contraband" '12, "The Deep" '12). This guy knows how to get his actors to be as real as they can, given that they tend to play over-the-top characters. This was written by Blake Masters based on the Boom! Studios graphic novels by Steven Grant. What really made this story work was the chemistry between Washington and Wahlberg. Their consistent banter back and forth was inviting to a premise that was good, but could use polishing.These guys look as though they had a ball acting in this film.
If you're a fan of these two actors, you'll revel with this, but even if you're not, I think that the banter was so well written with a ton of wit, you'll be laughing all the while that these guys are looking for a way out of their predicament.
Out of 4 Stars: 3 Rated: R 109mins.
As the summer movie season is starting to wane, we still see films that are being crammed into the multiplexes by the droves. And these just aren't any films, they are those films that one would expect to see, considering the time of year. Adrenaline, high-explosive films are the mainstay of the movie season we are in, because the demographic that want these films are out of school, still in some cases, and/or on vacation. There are adrenaline, fast-paced films, then there is "Getaway".
