Big Trouble in Little China

Actors:  Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, James Hong

Rating:  8 out of 10, I could not believe this beloved old movie was not part of my library – something that was recently rectified.  Re-watching it I was reminded how much fun it was, especially Russell channeling his inner John Wayne to play the bombastic, deeply flawed hero. This is John Carpenter at his best giving us too many unbelievable concepts to process while poking loving fun at the B-movie genre.  This film definitely belongs in the category of guilty pleasure but what a true pleasure it remains and Kim Cattrall was smoking hot before Sex in the City wrung all the joy out of her.     

MVP:   Russel as the blow hard, very imperfect hero Jack Burton

The November Man

Actors:  Pierce Brosnan, Luke Bracey, Olga Kurylenko, Wuill Patton, Bill Smitrovich

Rating:  8 out of 10, Brosnan has made an interesting late career out of playing retired spies after getting booted from his 007 gig. He’s back again as an ex-CIA operative who gets pulled back into the business where he has to confront old friends and a lethal protégé he trained. The movie had a lot of well-choreographed action as Brosnan kills his way from Moscow to Belgrade while romancing a couple of Russian beauties along the way. I did have some problems with the editing which jumped around a little too much. Red herrings are fine but only in moderation. The plot couldn’t decide what the real story was:  the confrontation or the underlying mission to discredit the Russian politician or rescue the damsel(s) in distress. When a movie tries to be everything to everybody it will fail due to its two hour life span.  All that being said the action and Brosnan lift this flick into the eminently watchable level; just suspend your disbelief upon entering.

MVP:  Brosnan gamely holding onto his 007 skills in the title role

The Equalizer

Actors:  Denzel Washington, Chloë Grace Moretz, Marton Csokas, David Harbour, Bill Pullman,  Melissa Leo

Rating:  8 out of 10, I was interested to see how they would transform Denzel Washington into a smartly dressed English ex-spy a la the 1980s TV show.  Since it is Washington he more than made this part his own.  He plays an insomniac ex-spy leading a mundane life working at a Boston area Home Depot like store.  In one of his late night sojourns at a local diner he befriends a young Russian hooker who eventually requires his assistance.  The first part of the movie is almost too slow but by the end you realize it was needed to set up the second half action.  Washington is perfect for this part as a lethal killing machine who starts mowing down the evil doers with a deadpan expression which eloquently states – “how could you be this stupid?”  Washington captures the humanity behind the violence which makes his character very compelling.  The climatic confrontation may cause you some nervous discomfort the next time you visit a Home Depot, so prepare yourself; great flick.  Seeing it a second time I can’t believe this didn’t make the top ten for the year.

MVP:  Washington, of course, as the very dangerous Robert McCall

Brick Mansions

Actors:  Paul Walker, David Belle, RZA, Catalina Dennis, Ayisha Issa

Rating:  7 out of 10, I think this movie would have gone directly to DVD instead of the theaters if not for Walker's death. It’s a Luc Besson (whom I love) product so there was a lot of action as well as French speaking actors trying unsuccessfully to hide their accents as Detroit politicians. Since this was set in the future maybe the Québécois migrated south to fill the vacuum that is Detroit since the Americans gave up on it. The nasty bits of Detroit are surrounded by a huge wall and the action involves Walker as a driven cop assisted by a parkour dude trying to take down RZA (who seems to be channeling Elmer Fudd with a pronounced lisp) who stumbled upon a neutron bomb (because those are just lying around). The plot is more than silly and boasts a fairly high unintentional comedy level but is rescued by David Belle. The movie is worth seeing just to see this guy bouncing all over the urban landscape with incredible parkour moves. It’s always a stretch for Walker to play a tough guy as it is here but Belle is mesmerizing to watch. It was like Cirque de Soleil on amphetamines cross bred with martial arts. It was also Besson so the action just rocked while not making a lot of sense, I loved it
MVP:  Belle, of course, as the nimble Lino

Sex Tape

Actors:  Jason Segel, Cameron Diaz, Rob Corddry, Ellie Kemper, Rob Lowe.

Rating:  7 out of 10, This was a follow up to Bad Teacher using the same pairing of leads – Segel and Diaz.  They’re a married couple trying to rediscover their horny ways lost with the arrival of parenthood.  They choose to do that by videoing their connubial interactions.  Unfortunately the device they used is automatically synched with a number of other devices in the hands of friends, neighbors, and the mailman; hilarity ensues.  The movie was funny at times, as long as you could suspend your disbelief that Segel could ever score with Diaz.  Diaz has a real talent for comedy and she carries the movie, along with her fully toned backside.  The movie loses its way near the finish line as they try to get too cute and heartfelt instead of sticking with the outrageous gags.  This is also the first movie I’ve seen him in that Rob Corddry doesn’t dominate as a supporting character; leads me to assume a weak writing team.  It was still a lot of laughs if a little uncomfortable at times.  

MVP:  Diaz and her backside

Under the Skin

Actors:  Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy McWilliams, Joe Szula, Kryštof Hádek, Paul Brannigan, Adam Pearson

Rating:  9 out of 10, Well if you’re going to make a film about an alien disguised as a human who lures other humans to their death by exposing skin you could do worse than Scarlett Johannsson.  They had me a Scarlett, although they went to great lengths not to over sensationalize the nudity, to make it almost clinically creepy.  That in itself is worthy of wonder but the stark, almost relentless Scottish background aids in the overall feeling of dread as do the aliens devoid of human feeling.  This film was much better with a second viewing, a really interesting if almost inhumanly blunt movie.   

MVP:  Johansson of course as the confused alien – was there anyone else even in the movie.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Actors:  Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit-McPhee.

Rating:  9 out of 10, I’ve seen all the ape movies dating back to Charlton Heston’s initial effort and this is one of the best.  The use of CGI is almost mesmerizing.  All the other ape movies before the latest two had humans walking around in silly ape costumes, one step up from the old 3 Stooges gorilla.  The apes in this were all authentically simian and capable of incredible character.  Old friend Caesar has established an ape utopia in the woods north of San Francisco while the rest of the world was destroyed by a simian flu epidemic.  The straggling remainders of humanity are eking out existence in the ruins of San Francisco when the two cultures collide; hilarity and warfare ensue.  It was startling to see one of my favorite cities reduced to ruin but everything about the movie seemed authentic.  You can’t help but suspend disbelief that the apes are computer generated.  They alone are worth seeing the movie for.

MVP:  Clarke continues his roll of heartfelt characters as Malcolm, friend of Ceasar