Timeline

Actors:  Paul Walker, Gerard Butler, Anna Friel, Frances O’Conner,

Rating: 8 out of 10, well done if hurried a bit, seemed like they felt rushed to get everything in, with a solid cast except Walker, who is just totally out of his league in this cast.  Interesting concept about time travel and what happens if you stay back there.  They made some changes from the book which in this case works better.  Butler is underused but dominates.

MVP:  Friel as the feisty yet resourceful Lady Clair

Tombstone

Actors: Kurt Russell, Michael Bien, Val Kilmer, Bill Paxton, Sam Elliott, Powers Booth, Dana Delany

Rating: 9 out of 10, superb cowboy action movie with hellacious cast – everybody in it is good.  This came out around the same time as the Costner film, Wyatt Earp, which was supposed to be the A team effort but I like this one better.  Sam Elliott in a cowboy movie – doesn’t get any better than that and the relationship with Doc Holliday and Wyatt is much more poignant here.

MVP:  Russell is at his action best as Wyatt Earp in a very strong cast

Total Recall

Actors:  Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronny Cox, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Rachel Ticonin

Rating: 9 out of 10, great sci fi action with Arnie at his peak.  This movie just keeps the viewer rocketing along trying to keep up with the story.  Stone, when she was still hot, and not taking herself so seriously is very good in this as are Ironside and Cox as the villains. 

MVP:  Ironside is great as the diabolical villain Richter

Toys

Actors:  Robin Williams, Robin Wright, Joan Cusack, LL Cool J, Michael Gambon

Rating: 6 out of 10, tries to be too cute at times but this is an enjoyable farce with a very memoreable music score.  LL Cool J is again impressive in a role playing against his usual type.  I don’t really get the anti-military rhetoric which is a little too over the top.  Cusack is the best thing about this movie.

MVP:  Cusack is quirkily cute as the robotic sister Alsatia

Transformers

Actors:  Meghan Fox, Shia Lebouf, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Anthony Anderson, John Torturro, John Voight, Bernie Mac

Rating: 7 out of 10, awesome special effects, Fox is hot, and the action is almost non-stop.  Michael Bay at his best/worst.  It is really hard to figure out who the bad robots are versus the good ones when they are fighting each other.  Lebouf shows promise as a young actor and the always great Torturro in a psycho role.

MVP:  Josh Duhamel as the intrepid special forces officer

Transformers 2 - Revenge of the Fallen

Rating: 9 out of 10, relentless action and easier to tell the bad guys from the good.  Much better movie than the first although the Fox – Lebouf match is still hard to believe in a movie where you’re asked to believe in transformers as well.  Film strikes a good balance between humor and action.

MVP:  Torturro is funny as hell as the disgraced CIA agent

The Transporter

Actors:  Jason Statham, Shu Qui, Francois Bereland

Rating: 8 out of 10, silly action sequences but still very exciting movie with sympathetic characters.  Statham clearly establishes himself as an action star and overcomes the silly (French) fight sequences.  Bereland is perfect as the smarter than you think police officer.  You can definitely feel the Besson touch.

MVP:  Statham in his break out role as Frank the transporter