Month: August 2014

The Expendables 3: An IMAX Experience

The Testosterone filled franchise is back!! “It’s Old Dogs, Young Dogs and New Tricks”; in this third installment.

In this installment Barney (Stallone) and the team come face to face with an enemy, Conrad Stonebanks (Gibson) they thought was long since dead. Years ago Conrad and Barney co-founded The Expendables, but some bad blood caused them to separate and Barney was forced to kill Conrad several years ago, or so he thought.

Stonebanks (Gibson) has eluded death and resurfaced and is making it his mission to get rid of “The Expendables” for good, but Barney (Stallone) has other ideas. The story unfolds from there…

The movie starts great and has a strong ending, but the middle is just a muddle of senior moments. I have to say that there are a few good comedic moments, some interesting cinematography, some eye opening stunts and questionable special effects.

I find this installment to be better than the previous one. There is lots of non-stop action and some intrigue. There are a few new faces and the on-screen chemistry is interesting. There is a new female member to the team and she is pretty cool!!

I believe that when Sylvester Stallone signed up to do this franchise there were only going to be 3, but the door appears to be open for a 4th.

Maybe if there is a 4th installment it will continue to get better.
If you are a fan of “The Expendables” franchise, this installment should not be missed.

This is a 3 Star Movie

A Most Wanted Man

Earlier this year when it was announced that Academy Award winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman had died, I thought it was a terrible joke. His death is another in a long line of famous people gone too soon…

In one of his last performances, Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Gunter Bachmann a counterterrorist expert based in Hamburg Germany who operates as a rogue agent independently of the GSG-9.

A half-Chechen, half Russian named Issa Karpov (Grigoriy Dobrygin), brutally tortured immigrant shows up in Hamburg’s Islamic community claiming his father’s ill-gotten fortune, both the US and German Security agencies take notice and start an all out investigation and surveillance. There is an immediate need to establish this most wanted man’s true identity. Is he an extremist or oppressed victim?

The phrase “Oh what a web we weave when trying to deceive” rings very true in “A Most Wanted Man”.

This is a Spy Suspense Thriller about surveillance, plain and simple!!
The movie has a slow churn to it that doesn’t come together until the last 20 minutes, but you will want to know what happens. There are a few surprises with twists and turns. You have to be patient!

I have seen Philip Seymour Hoffman look better. His dialog is minimal, but his presence and authority in the film speaks volumes.

“A Most Wanted Man” is based on the John Le Carre’s 2008 Spy Novel.
If you are a Philip Seymour Hoffman fan and you like Spy Thriller’s, “A Most Wanted Man” should not be missed.

This is a 4 Star Movie

The Hundred-Foot Journey

A family of cooks from India is forced to flee their home land after tragedy strikes them. They make their way to England. They then travel to France to a small town where they find a place to live and eventually open a restaurant. What they don’t know is that the French Village they set up shop in is very close net, quaint and the best restaurant in town is owned and run by Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren). Everyone eats at Le Saule Pleureur.

The India natives purchase the property across the road (100 feet) from Le Saule Pleureur and Madame Mallory’s home. They turn the property into a restaurant known as Maison Mumbai. Once Madame Mallory gets wind of this she protests vehemently. The story unfolds from there…

“The Hundred-Foot Journey” is a very heart-warming, entertaining story. It’s based on the best-selling novel by Richard C. Morais. There is a few times where the story lags a bit, but the movie definitely has many finer points.

There are some wonderful views of the French Countryside. While “The Hundred-Foot Journey” wasn’t advertised very much, it’s definitely worth the ticket.

As a foot note: Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey produced this movie.

This is a 3 1/2 Star Movie