Tag: Denzel Washington

Highest 2 Lowest

Highest 2 Lowest

“Highest 2 Lowest” is about a titan music mogul (Denzel Washington) who is known for having the “best ears” in the business is targeted with a ransom plot. He is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma. The Story unfolds from there… 

“Highest 2 Lowest” is a Spike Lee “JOINT”. This is the 5th Spike Lee / Denzel Washington collaboration. This film particularly showcases the mean streets of modern-day New York City. Additionally, this installment is actually a reinterpretation of filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 Crime Thriller “High and Low”.

The movie has great execution, plenty of drama and suspense. The storyline is meaningful and will hold your attention. This movie is not playing in the usual mainstream theaters. I saw it at a Dine-In Theater. The movie opened August 15th. Try to catch it if you can.

This is a 4 Star Movie!!

Gladiator II in IMAX

Gladiator II in IMAX

Remember the first Gladiator from 2000? 

This installment comes years after witnessing the death of Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius must enter the Colosseum after the powerful emperors of Rome conquer his home. With rage in his heart and the future of the empire at stake, he looks to the past to find the strength and honor needed to return the glory of Rome to its people.

Ridley Scott and Denzel Washington do not disappoint. In fact, every scene that Denzel Washington is in makes the movie intriguing and interesting. Denzel steals every scene he is in, Think “Training Day”. Also hats off to Pedro Pascal and Paul Mescal.

This installment comes very close to matching the same intensity as the Oscar-Winning Best Picture first installment, but does fall short just a bit. There is plenty of bloody action, suspense and intrigue. Crowds will roar at the Coliseum action. The IMAX aspects are awesome! You will feel like you are in the Coliseum and riding on every Chariot, Horse and on any Ships.

If you are a fan of the Oscar Winning first Installment then “Gladiator II” is definitely worth a look.

This is a 4 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!!

The Little Things in AMC Dolby

The Little Things in AMC Dolby

“The Little Things” is a Complicated Crime Thriller with twists and turns and holes in its plot and story.

Denzel Washington plays Joe “Deke” Deacon, an LA Sheriff who at one time was a Detective on the Los Angeles Police force.

Young Women are being murdered in Los Angeles. There is a serial killer on the loose. The cases are piling up and not being solved. While on some Sheriff related business in downtown LA, Joe Deacon comes in contact with some of the old department buddies. Joe is invited to assist on the open cases, so he stays in town, gets a hotel room and starts to review the evidence and the existing crime scenes. The story unfolds from there…

There are several smaller stories in “The Little Things” that should have been further developed. There are parts of the movie that echo Joe Deacon’s past as a Detective and should have been explored a bit more. It could have helped with the overall story and possibly the plot scenario. The movie is complicated and suspenseful. Denzel does the best with what he is given. “The Little Things” is not one of Denzel’s best movies. 

If you are a die-hard Denzel fan, then by all means do see “The Little Things” in the theater. 

If you have HBO MAX see it for free!

This is a 3 Star Movie!

The Equalizer 2

I am not sure why there are so many negative reviews on “Equalizer 2” because I thought it was excellent!

Denzel Washington reprises his role as Robert McCall. Robert McCall is a Lyft Driver by day and works to help the oppressed and taken advantage of by night. Robert gets a call about his close friend and just as quickly Robert’s world takes on a tale-spin. The story unfolds from there…

“Equalizer 2” is full of suspense, intrigue and action. There are several stories going on at once, but everything comes together and is tied up nicely at the end. The movie doesn’t have as many thrills as one would expect, but it’s still very good and is definitely worth seeing. Watching Denzel in action is awesome! I am hoping for a 3rd installment.

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!!

Roman J Israel, ESQ

“Roman J. Israel, ESQ” is a slow-paced legal thriller. Unfortunately the pace was too slow and not nail-biting or edge-of-your seat thrilling.

Academy Award Winner, Denzel Washington plays Roman J. Israel, ESQ a defense attorney in Los Angeles. Roman’s life is turned upside down when a series of unfortunate events occur and challenge his otherwise daily routine causing chaos. The chaos causes Roman’s beliefs in the system to be question. The story unfolds from there…

The pace of the movie was too slow for what was going on. It dragged and at times became boring. The foundation was not laid properly so there are holes in the story.

Denzel Washington is the bright element in the movie doing what he does so well. Denzel works overtime to hold the story together. Without him, the movie would really be mundane.

This is a 3 Star Movie!

Fences

Denzel Washington and Viola Davis both give masterful performances in the big screen adaptation of “Fences”.

The main characters in the movie are both complex and deep. Their performances make it look easy.

“Fences” is about a family of color in 1950’s Pittsburgh. The Patriarch is Troy (Denzel Washington) who works as a city garbage collector. His wife, Rose (Viola Davis) takes care of the house and their teenage son Cory (Jovan Adepo).
Troy is trying to pave a path to a better life for Cory, but Cory thinks his Dad is selling out to the “Establishment”. The story unfolds from there…

“Fences” is August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play that has been brought to the big screen. The movie shows its “stage” roots a bit, but that does not stop it from being excellent. Denzel not only stars but also directs. Viola and Denzel’s performances outshine and upstage any possible problems.

What a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon that also happens to be Christmas Day!

This is a 5 Star Movie!

The Magnificent Seven (2016): The IMAX Experience

Remakes are never as good as the original upon which they are based, but the remake of the 1960’s The Magnificent Seven does a pretty good job. It’s pure “Pop Corn Entertainment”.

The cast is awesome. Think the “Wild, Wild West” of 1897 or better yet think “Gun Smoke”, “Dodge City” and Sheriff Matt Dillon.

The little western mining town, Rose Creek is under siege by a greedy tyrant named Bartholomew Bogue. He and his merry band of men over throw the town’s sheriff and his deputies. All of the town is in jeopardy, but one resident, Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett) and other desperate residents seek out the help of a Bounty Hunter who comes through town looking for one of his Bounties. The Bounty Hunter finds out he knows Bartholomew Bogue and agrees to help the town out. The story unfolds from there…

“The Magnificent Seven (2016)” does what it’s supposed to do. It provides great entertainment. There are no special effects, CGI’s or anything that would remotely remind you that we are in 2016. This is a good old-fashioned western. It’s not perfect, but the cast makes the movie worth watching. There is lots of western style violence, action and blood-shed. There is even a bit of comic relief.

If you like Westerns, you should enjoy “The Magnificent Seven (2016)”.

This is a 4 Star Movie!

The Equalizer (2014)

The last time Director Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington hooked-up to make a movie, Denzel picked up one of the gold statues (An Oscar).

That most likely will not happen this time, but that doesn’t mean that “The Equalizer” isn’t good!!

Denzel Washington brings “The Equalizer’s” Robert McCall to the big screen. McCall believes he has put his strange past behind him and is trying to live a quiet normal life in Boston. McCall goes to work every day at a Home Depot type store. McCall frequents a Diner in his neighbor and it’s there that he meets a young girl named Teri (Chloe Grace Moretz). Teri is under the influence of a roguish Russian Mobster.

McCall witnesses the mobster violently slapping Teri. He can’t stand by and allow this to continue. McCall devises a plan and uses skills no one knows he has to get Teri away from the Russian Mobster. The story unfolds from there…

“The Equalizer” is a “Slow Burn Suspense Thriller”. There is no rush with this movie, but it doesn’t drag either. The suspense and intrigue are at an all time high. There is plenty of action and at times it’s rather bloody.

Watching Denzel in action as Robert McCall is awesome!! You can’t wait to see what happens next!
If you like Suspense Thrillers, you will find “The Equalizer” entertaining and satisfying.

This is a former TV Drama brought to the big screen with a big time actor. I expect this to become a franchise. We will undoubtedly see Denzel as Robert McCall again in the future.

This is a 3 Star Movie!

2 Guns

Denzel Washington plays Bobby Trench a DEA Agent and Mark Wahlberg is Marcus Stigman a U.S. Naval Intelligence Officer. For the past year they have both been trying to infiltrate the Mexican Drug Cartel.
Their current sting operation goes awry and they are disavowed by their superiors, so they devise a new plan to flush out all of the bad guys. The plan is that Bobby and Marcus pull of a very easy robbery at the local bank. $43 million dollars is stolen. This brings everyone out of the woodwork. The story unfolds from there…
Suspense, Intrigue, Twists and Turns are the order of the day with “2 Guns”. There is even a bit of slapstick comedy. There is lots of violence.
I feel the weak link is Paula Patton’s role. She doesn’t portray a detective very well. She was boring. Otherwise the movie is good.
The story is a bit disjointed, but it does all come together quickly. “2 Guns” is definitely worth a look. Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg make an interesting duo.