Run All Night

Actors: Liam Neeson, Joel Kinnaman, Common, Ed Harris, Nick Nolte

Rating: 8 out of 10, Liam Neeson and Ed Harris as aging New York City Irish mobsters – never a bad bet. Their characters grew up as brothers and Neeson served as Harris’ designated assassin. The toll on Neeson’s soul was palatable as he’s become a drunken has been when the movie starts. They both have adult sons who are brought into conflict through a gaping plot hole but that, at least, allows the action to kick into high gear. Neeson sheds his alcoholic haze as soon as his son is threatened and proceeds to go all Brian Mills on legions of overweight Irish thugs while at the same time dodging the police as well as Common as a laser designated assassin sent after them. The action is pretty much non-stop after the catalyzing scene and while that is worthwhile you should see this movie for the scenes between Neeson and Harris. Both actors are in top form and you get a real sense of two old friends who reluctantly allow the mobster “guy code” to fracture their close relationship. This is definitely a “guy flick” as there are no female characters allowed any depth whatsoever. As with any action movie there are times when you have to suspend disbelief, such as how Neeson could be falling down drunk in the late afternoon transforming into the Millsian killing machine by early evening. Good movie with a lot of depth, all of it supplied by Harris and Neeson

MVP: Neeson, who else, as Jimmy Conlon, the father-assassin protecting his son

The Sting

Actors: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw, Charles Durning, Harold Gild, Eileen Brennan

Rating: 9 out of 10, I couldn’t believe this wasn’t part of my film library and added it immediately upon realizing this shortcoming. The DVD is not a good quality but you can't dim the talent on the screen. Newman and Redford made two of the unlikeliest but likable buddies in movie history. Newman was all nuance while Redford was so much more than a pretty face. This is the mother of all con movies with Newman as the grizzled pro and Redford as the up and coming grafter. They decide to exact some revenge on Robert Shaw playing a truly evil Irish gangster who killed one of their friends. So many twists and turns with a fantastic ragtime score and authentic feel for depression era Chicago. One of the best films ever.

MVP: Newman, as Henry Gondorf, the ultimate in con artists

Tomorrowland

Actors: George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Britt Robertson, Raffey Cassidy, Tim McGraw, Kathryn Hahn, Keegan-Michael Key

Rating: 7 out of 10, Tomorrowland immediately tapped into several pillars of my childhood fantasies. I actually attended the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City which is the starting point of this Disney vehicle although I think Clooney had more fun on his ride through It’s a Small World than I did. I wanted so much to love this movie because it did tap into those youthful dreams cultivated each Sunday night watching Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. It just misses though by effectively hiding the message of hope and imagination in an obscure plot. Clooney and the young female lead, Britt Robertson, are very good although they lose each scene they share with Athena (watch out for her in the future). The movie spends too little time in the fantastical Tomorrowland and too much getting the heroes there although it was instructive to learn where Gregory House ended up after his television show ended. The movie briefly soars with a siege at Clooney’s house and a glimpsed commercial but I wanted the whole thing to fly and it didn’t.

MVP: Raffey Cassidy emerges as Athena the conscience of Disney

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Actors: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, James Spader, Samuel L. Jackson

Rating: 9 out of 10, Josh Whedon was back at the helm for this sequel to one of my favorite movies of all time. He continues to do a fantastic job of melding all of the prodigious acting star power and plot lines he’s responsible for. It did lack the memorable gathering sequences of the first movie but the action was predictably non-stop and breathtaking at times. The Avengers must defeat an artificially intelligent uber-robot, voiced by the always droll James Spader, and his army of robots. At the same time a mind witch has all of them contemplating their navels for various reasons. While this did little to move the plot forward it did allow interesting insights into some of the origin stores. Whedon walks a delicate line of trying to do too much but accomplishes it through the talent of the actors and the sweet sometimes, amusing side comments and plot lines. It was everything I hoped for and that’s saying a lot.

MVP: Johansson as Natalia is sexy, dangerous, and complicated, in no particular order

Entourage

Actors: Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, Jeremy Piven

Rating: 7 out of 10, I went in to this with a little restraint because the last couple seasons of the television show were horrible. It’s sad when a favorite shown descends into mediocrity and I was interested to see if the movie could recapture some of the whimsical charm of the first seasons. They did. The boys have all grown up a little, well except for Drama, and Ari was toned down a bit to save his marriage. The plot involves Vinny Chase directing his first movie using Ari’s money. The briefly clad females and most of the original characters are all back swirling in Vinnie Chase’s wake. This was a real cameo-a-palooza where virtually everybody in Hollywood stops by for a few seconds. Ronda Rousey has a bit part because that seems to be almost required nowadays. The best part of the recaptured charm though was the relentless attack on the overwhelming pretention of the movie business which rang so true. It was a nice escape for a couple hours with old friends.

MVP: Dillon as the always underappreciated older brother Johnny Drama

Spy

Actors: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Miranda Hart, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney, Jude Law
Rating: 9 out of 10, Downright hilarious, one of the funniest films I’ve seen in a very long time. McCarthy is tone perfect as an underutilized CIA employee whom the field agents rely on but who never gets her chance to shine. This changes with an unexpected death as she is thrust into the middle of a nuclear weapons crisis. I have not laughed this hard or continuously, while sober, in years. It’s obvious McCarthy adlibbed a number of her lines which are the strength of the hilarity; especially when she and Rose Byrne are playing off each other. The women dominate this flick with Allison Janney stealing some scenes as McCarthy’s boss. Jason Statham is outrageously funny doing a perfect send up of himself as a self-important yet ultimately clueless spy whom McCarthy has to rescue. The dialogue is unremittingly profane which I kind of liked, why can’t women swear like dock workers or male action stars. This film may actually be a game changer because it is a female driven action comedy that works on every level. Go see this, as long as your tolerance of the f-word is high, you won’t be disappointed
MVP:   McCarthy as Susan the wonder spy