Category: Thriller

Black Bag

Black Bag

Movie Reviews will be coming in HOT over the next 2 Weekends!!

This is the first of potentially 4 Movie Reviews that I will post before March 31st.

“Black Bag” is a gripping Spy Drama about Legendary Intelligence Agents George Woodhouse and his beloved wife Kathryn. When she is suspected of betraying the nation, George faces the ultimate test Loyalty to his country or Loyalty to his marriage. The Story unfolds from there… 

“Black Bag” is definitely “GRIPPING” It does live up to the hype. Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett play very well together.

This is a Steven Soderbergh Production. He is an AWESOME Director and his movies are usually very intriguing, “Black Bag” is all of that. The suspense and mystery in the movie build to a fevered pitch that leads to a very interesting ending. If I provide any more details I would be giving it away.

If I have a complaint, it would be that the movie running time was a bit too short.

Run, don’t walk to see “Black Bag”.

This is a 5 Star Movie!!

CONCLAVE

CONCLAVE

CONCLAVE follows one of the most ancient rituals of the world, selecting a new Pope.

The reigning Pope has just died. What follows are time honored steps to selecting a new Pope, but during this current season a trail of secrets that are left in the dead Pope’s wake comes to light and if exposed could do great harm to the Catholic Church and the process of selecting a new Pope. The story unfolds from there….

CONCLAVE is Dramatic, Suspenseful and Riveting. Ralph Fiennes is absolutely awesome in his role. 

CONCLAVE is one of the best movies not receiving a lot of hype. The 2 Hour Running Time goes by really fast.

The reason I went to see CONCLAVE is because of the stars, Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci and Isabella Rossellini. I love them and they are awesome actors. They did not disappoint.

The movie is loosely based on the Best-Selling Novel of the same name by Robert Harris.

“CONCLAVE” is worth a look.

This is a 5 Star Movie!!

1992

1992

It’s April 29, 1992 in Los Angeles, CA. During this time in history, Los Angeles faced a lot of racial and political issues. Those issues are the backdrop for “1992”.

Mercer (Tyrese Gibson) is desperately trying to rebuild his life and his relationship with his son amidst the turbulent 1992 LA uprising following the Rodney King verdict. Across town, another father and son (Ray Liotta and Scott Eastwood) put their own strained relationship to the test as they plot a dangerous heist to steal catalytic converters, which contain valuable platinum, from the factory where Mercer works. As tensions rise in Los Angeles and chaos erupts, both families reach their boiling points when they collide in this tension filled crime-drama. The story unfolds from there…

The execution of this movie starts off well enough, but soon falls off the rails as there are several small stories that are not completed or explained. There is Political Tension / Uprising that is continuous while a major robbery is plotted and attempted. Too much goes unexplained and you are left to wonder the “What, “How” and “Why”.

The Political Uprising that occurred in Los Angeles in 1992 was a very terrible time for that city. To see it depicted in a movie is really eye opening, disturbing and sad.

On a positive note, Snoop Dogg was the Executive Producer, so in some ways what was depicted was to make a point. There was nothing “Sugar-Coated”. 

“1992” is one of Ray Liotta’s final movies. If you are a Ray Liotta fan, check out “1992”.

This is a 3 Star Movie!!

Equalizer 3 in AMC Dolby

Equalizer 3 in AMC Dolby

Mr. Denzel Washington is BACK!! Reprising his role as Robert McCall in Equalizer 3.

Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) has struggled since giving up his life as a government assassin, He has struggled to reconcile the horrific things he’s done in the past and finds a strange solace in serving justice on behalf of the oppressed. Finding himself surprisingly at home in Southern Italy, he discovers his new friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall knows what he has to do: become his friends’ protector by taking on the mafia. The story unfolds from there…

McCall is back with a vengeance!! The movie is violent, bloody and bone crushingly gory, but that’s what makes the story and the movie intriguing and entertaining. You don’t know exactly what’s coming next. Robert McCall possesses a calm that was never seen in any of the previous installments. He is still guarded and that makes the character even more intriguing.

This installment is messy, but it is one of the best in the franchise. 

You don’t want to miss Denzel Washington as Robert McCall.

This is a 4 Star Movie!!

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 in IMAX

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 in IMAX

If you have not seen any of the previous Mission Impossible installments, you are doing yourself a dis-service. This is one of those franchises where all of the installments are good!!

Ethan Hunt and the IMF Team are back. They embark on what turns out to be their most dangerous mission yet. The mission is to track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission — not even the lives of those he cares about most. The story unfolds from there…

Hands down this is one of the best installments in the franchise. The story is intriguing, suspenseful and edge-of-your-seat entertaining. The action is awesome and the cinematography at times is breath-taking. The execution of the movie is great and that’s what makes it so awesome. The running time of 2 hours and 43 minutes went by too fast and it didn’t seem long enough. The IMAX aspects are awesome. You will feel like you are part of all of the action in the movie.

I can’t wait for Part 2. I might see Part 1 again.

Your Mission if you choose to accept is to see “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1”.

This is a 5 Star Movie!!

Bullet Train in AMC Dolby

Bullet Train in AMC Dolby

Brad Pitt is “Ladybug” an assassin who after a few derailments of assignments is determined to complete all of his assignments peacefully no matter what. As fate would have it, Ladybug’s latest assignment puts him in the path of some dangerous adversaries from around the globe. All of them have a connection although their objectives are different. All of this is taking place on the world’s fastest high-speed train. The story unfolds from there…

I had high hopes for this movie being that Brad Pitt and Sandra Bullock are both starring in it and one of the Producers is Antoine Fuqua. The movie is a high-speed chase through Japan…But alas…The story runs off the rails, you are not sure who is actually a bad guy or who can be trusted and there does not seem to be a destination/ending which leaves the train to just continuously speed on never ending tracks ultimately to derail. This movie could turn into a Franchise…Imagine “Bullet Train 2”. If this happens, I certainly hope the next installment is better than the first.

“Bullet Train” is only open in Theaters.

This is a 2 Star Movie!!

Death on the Nile

Death on the Nile

Set in the 19th Century…Image you and the love of your life are on your idyllic honeymoon. You are on a glamorous steamer floating on the Nile River. The scenic views and epic landscape are breath-taking but then tragedy strikes and suddenly your wonderful honeymoon is cut short…

This is the premise of “Death on the Nile”.

The movie is well acted. There are tons of suspense and intrigue. There are a lot of impeccably dressed travelers. The usual jealousy and envy take center stage. The Cinematography is on point.

“Death on the Nile” is a complex “Who done it”. It’s definitely worth a look.

This is a 3 Star Movie!!

No Time to Die in Real 3D

No Time to Die in Real 3D

Wow!! Finally… “No Time to Die”. This installment finds James Bond attempting to live a normal life in Jamaica. He is no longer with the agency and is enjoying a peaceful life. 

James’s peaceful life is short lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA contacts him needing his help. The mission is to find a Scientist who has been kidnapped. The mission ends up being far more dangerous than expected. The trail leads Bond to a mysterious villain who is armed with a dangerous new weapon. The story unfolds from there…

I will miss Daniel Craig as James Bond. He is cool as a cucumber in this installment. He dispatches bad guys with style and grace.

This installment leaves nothing out. The movie has tons of action, suspense, intrigue and a few special effects. The cinematography is on point. The story is rich with a back and a front. The 3D aspects were very good.

While “Skyfall” and “Casino Royale” are two of the very best Bond installments from Dan Craig, “No Time to Die” is right there with them.

If you are a James Bond fan “No Time to Die” should not be missed. 

“No Time to Die” is only available in Theaters.

This is a 4 ½ Star Movie!!

Copshop

Copshop

On the run from an Assassin, a wiry Con-Artist devises a plan to get arrested so he can hide out in the local jail. But when the Assassin shows up and is also booked and placed in a nearby jail cell, a rookie cop gets caught in the cross hairs. The story unfolds from there…

Actress Alexis Louder is absolutely stellar in her role as “Harper”. Actually, she is what keeps the movie interesting. There is action, but it is BLOODY!!


There is a combination of Director’s Guy Richie and Quinton Tarantino influences at work here. But with all of that and the great acting, the story is still lacking. There are many pieces to the puzzle that somehow must have fallen on the cutting room floor.

“Copshop” is only available in Theaters.

This is a 3 Star Movie!!

Cry Macho

Cry Macho

Clint Eastwood plays Mike Milo a former Rodeo Star / washed-up Horse Breeder in this Warner Bros Vehicle.

In 1979 Mike Milo takes on a job from a former Boss to see that his son gets safely across the Mexican Border to Texas. During the trip Mike and his young passenger are forced to take the back roads and they still face a number of challenges along the way. During the journey Mike reflects on his life and finds his own brand of redemption. The story unfolds from there…

While the story is interesting, the movie is slow and go. Clint Eastwood’s character seemed odd in this movie. There are a few bright spots in “Cry Macho”, but the story seems unfinished as if there should have been a better back story to really give the movie more meaning.

At 91 years of age, Clint Eastwood still gets around really good.

“Cry Macho” is at the Box office and also streaming on HBO MAX until Oct 17th.

This is a 2 ½ Star Movie!!