Category: Adventure

Olympus Has Fallen

At the writing of this review I am undecided as to whether I like “Olympus Has Fallen” or not. There are a few good elements about the movie, but there are also an equal number of bad elements about the movie and that’s what makes it difficult. The Cast is HUGH and are all excellent actors.
On a nice July day the unthinkable happens, an extreme terrorist and his army invade the air space around the White House. The army is well armed and knows all of our secret weapons and how they operate. President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) and most of his key staff are taken hostage in the White House bunker.
Fortunately for President Asher, one of his former security officers Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) happens to arrive and is able to get inside the White House undetected before everything is shut down.
Banning needs to locate the President’s young son and rescue the President before the extremists unleash their intended plan on the US. The story unfolds from there…

Think “Die Hard” at the White House. This is what “Olympus Has Fallen” will remind you of. Security Officer Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) is John McCain (Bruce Willis).
The difference is “Die Hard” was more interesting while “Olympus Has Fallen” has a bigger cast. The plot is mildly interesting. There is some cool artillery that is used. The movie is very bloody and in your face violent. A bright spot is that Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett and Gerard Butler are excellent.
But, with all of that being said, this has been done before. Only the venue is different. It’s really sad that you have a ton of great actors/actresses and the movie is borderline mediocre. I found my self checking my watch on a couple of different occasions during the movie. If I do that, it’s not a good sign.

Snitch

“Snitch” is based loosely on a true story about a father who tries to save his college-bound son from long-term incarceration in prison for accepting a delivery at his home on behalf of a friend. The delivery turns out to be heroine. The minimum sentence is 10 years. The story unfolds from there…
“Snitch” is not bad! The problem is, at times the movie drags and it takes too long to get to the point, but overall it’s decent. The movie contains strong violence as you would expect from any drug-related scenarios that involve a drug cartel, DEA, District Attorney, local police and any other federal law enforcement agencies.
For you Dwayne Johnson fans, this is not your typical Dwayne Johnson movie. There is hardly any action. In fact you will see a softer more compassionate Dwayne Johnson.
“Snitch” was not on my original “Watch List”, but I decided to give it a look.

A Good Day to Die Hard:The IMAX Experience

I have to say that I was shocked when I found out 9 months ago that another “Die Hard” movie was in the works. In 2007 when “Live Free or Die Hard” opened Bruce Willis indicated that this would be the last installment in the “Die Hard” franchise. So here we are in 2013 and 25 years after the first “Die Hard” we are being enticed by yet another installment.
In this 5th Installment John McCain (Bruce Willis) is going to Russia on vacation, but instead he finds himself fresh off his flight having to try to get his grown son Jack (Jai Courtney) who is a CIA operative out of hot water. McCain isn’t aware that his son is a CIA operative, he thinks Jack is a criminal. Things get real dicey. The story unfolds from there…
There is non-stop action, violence, and mayhem. There is no less than 100 cars that get blown-up or destroyed in this movie, along with some really HUGH helicopters. The stunts that are performed are so preposterous that there is no way a human being could survive any of what you see. The plot is… oh wait there is no plot, at least not one you can sink your teeth into. You are never sure of whom the bad guy or guys are.
The best thing about “A Good Day to Die Hard” is that it shows well in IMAX and you get to see some scenic views of Russia. In fact if you are going to waste your money you should see it in IMAX. You need the full effect.
I am very disappointed. I really liked the 2007 installment “Live Free or Die Hard”. I actually own it on DVD. Out of all 5 installments, the first and fourth were the best. “A Good Day to Die Hard” should have been left on the cutting room floor. These installments do make money for 20th Century Fox, so I am sure we will be treated to a 6th installment in a couple of years.

Bullet to the Head

“Bullet to the Head” is about “Greed, Corruption and Revenge”.

In this action packed testosterone filled flick, Sylvester Stallone plays a professional hit man who teams up with a cop (Kang Sung). They are both trying to avenge the deaths of their respective partners and stamp out a common enemy. The story unfolds from there…
The story is disjointed at best! There is absolutely no on-screen chemistry between Sylvester Stallone and Kang Sung. Jon Seda and Sylvester Stallone make a better on-screen pair. The acting is a bit off also.
There is lots of action and the movie is filled with violence and is very bloody. All of that being said Sylvester Stallone still has it!! Sylvester Stallones’ dialog is laugh out loud funny at times. If you are a Sylvester Stallone fan, you might want to see “Bullet to the Head”.
If you like your movies filled with testosterone and full of action then “Bullet to the Head” is your movie. Otherwise wait for “Bullet to the Head” to come out on DVD or Blueray

Parker

Have you ever heard of a thief who has a code of ethics? “Don’t steal from those who can’t afford it and don’t hurt people who don’t deserve it”. “Parker” (Jason Statham) a professional thief lives by this code. But on his latest heist Parker’s crew double crosses him and steals his loot. The story unfolds from there…
The movie takes you from small town Ohio to West Palm Beach Florida to Chicago. There is lots of action and intrigue. The movie is very violent. Jennifer Lopez and Jason Statham together is a miss-matched pair. They are actually quite funny together.
“Parker” is not a great movie, but it’s definitely worth seeing for the entertainment factor alone.
A “B” movie with “A” list stars.

Zero Dark Thirty

Finally!! “Zero Dark Thirty” opened in wide-release. I have known about this movie for over 7 months. It opened in limited release (NY & LA) in December 2012.

The movie needs no introduction. It’s about the events that led up to Osama Bin Laden’s ultimate demise. The movie is intense, chilling, brutal and mind boggling. There is no sugar-coating here. The actions and events are as real as it gets. The movie shows excellent timelines and is very well executed. Jessica Chastain is superb!! Two hours and thirty seven minutes go by quickly.

My only complaint is I wish the ending had been a few minutes longer.

Bravo to Director Kathryn Bigelow for giving us the real deal. The movie was worth the wait, hype and all of the Oscar nominations it received. If it does not win any Oscars I will be angry.

If you have a weak stomach, do not go see “Zero Dark Thirty”.

If you like Action, Suspense and Thrills this is YOUR movie.

Django Unchained

In the “Deep South” 2 years before the Civil War, Django (Jamie Foxx) is a slave with a brutal history. Along comes German born bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz who purchases Django and then frees him. Dr. King Schultz teaches Django how to be a “Bounty Hunter” because he needs Django to lead him to the Brittle Brothers; Django’s former slave owners who happen to be Dr. Schultz’s Bounty. They travel cross country to nab wanted murderers “Dead or Alive”. All the while Django is honing his skills because he wants to get revenge on who ever has his wife Broomhilda.
Django tells Dr. Schultz about his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) who he lost to the slave trade long ago. They find out that Broomhilda is currently living on a very rich slave owner’s plantation. Dr. Schultz devises a plan to purchase her and free her. The story unfolds from there…
Well paced Story, but at times will make you angry. The movie is very intense, brutal and contains lots of action.
“Django Unchained” will keep you on the edge of your seat. Additionally the movie is very bloody and contains a lot of foul language. “Django Unchained” is probably the most “Brutal” movie that I have ever seen from Director Quentin Tarantino, but is worth the price of admission.

Jack Reacher

In a Pennsylvania city on a quiet day, 5 random people are shot dead. The would-be sniper is quickly apprehended and only utters one name during his interrogation, “Jack Reacher”. Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) is an enigmatic ex-Army Investigator who is very good at what he does. As Jack teams up with the would-be Sniper’s defense attorney (Rosamund Pike). As Jack starts to lay the foundation and put the pieces together it smells and looks like someone was framed and corruption involving a big-time construction company with a lot to lose. The story unfolds from there…
Tom Cruise plays a very good tough guy and will remind you of a younger Clint Eastwood in his “Hey Days”.
The movie is brisk with plenty of action, suspense and intrigue. It’s one of those “You think you have it Figured Out” type of movies, but you will find out you are wrong. Tom Cruise looks good, he definitely worked out in preparation for this movie.
“Jack Reacher” is worth the price of admission.

Killing Them Softly

Have you ever gone to an amusement park, gotten on a ride and then wished you could get off the ride after is started, but once it was going it didn’t seem so bad. This is how “Killing Them Softly” seemed to me. During the first 35 minutes I wanted to leave the theater, but something made me stay and I am sort of glad I did.
“Killing Them Softly” is about a high stakes poker game involving 16 people who are robbed by some amateur thugs. Unfortunately the thugs rob the wrong people. One of the poker players calls in a cool, calm killer-for-hire (Brad Pitt) to take care of all who were involved with planning and executing the robbery. The story unfolds from there.
“Killing Them Softly” is brutal, intense and dark. There is nothing “Soft” about the movie. “Killing Them Softly”; appears to have been shot on a small budget, but has some really nice special effects and camera angles.

Skyfall

Sean Connery will always be James Bond to me. He set the standard for all other Bond impersonators who came after him. Although in this latest installment of the Bond Franchise, Daniel Craig runs a very close second to Sean Connery. The James Bond you see in “Skyfall” is “Shaken not Stirred”. He has such a cool facade you wonder if anything gets to him.
In this installment of the Bond Franchise, James Bond and M (Judi Dench) find themselves the targets of a sadistic killer who will stop at nothing to get to “M”. Additionally James Bond’s current assignment goes terribly wrong and all of the real identities of the undercover agents for Her Majesty’s Service have been compromised. Bond must stop the person from leaking all of the identities before the agents are harmed and keep “M” safe. The story unfolds from there…
Lots of action and violence, the movie at times is intense, dark and sensual. Although there are some slow parts, the movie will easily hold your attention. New faces appear for “Money Penny” and “Q”.
“Skyfall” is probably Daniel Craig’s best work as 007. Definitely worth the ticket if you are a James Bond fan.