Tag: Vin Diesel

F9: The Fast Saga in Real Dolby

F9: The Fast Saga in Real Dolby

The Crew is back!! The long-awaited 9th installment of the “Fast & Furious” Franchise has arrived on the big screen. 

The crew finds themselves once again thrust into a mission where they are tasked with trying to stop something catastrophic from happening to the world.

Unlike other installments, there is a serious backstory that plays a part in this current mission and forces one of the crew to face their past. On this mission the crew crosses paths with the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they have ever encountered. The story unfolds from there…


Don’t try to keep up, just enjoy the ride!! Just when you think that you have seen every possible stunt, acrobatic move or crazy car chase, a movie comes along and throws more over-the-top craziness in your face.  “F9” is fast paced, has tons of action, intrigue and a decent amount of suspense and humor. The cinematography, special effects and camera angles are on point. You may think you know the enemy and have it all figured out, but you will be surprised.

There are a few holes in the story and a bit of a lull… But that does not diminish the movie. 

There are a few surprises like Actress Helen Mirren makes an appearance. I wish her role would have been a bit larger. She is so much fun to watch.

“F9” is a must see for “Fast & Furious” Fans. Something to note… This franchise has amassed $6.2 Billion dollars since its humble beginnings in 2001. I doubt it will be going anywhere anytime soon…

This is a 4 Star Movie!!

Bloodshot

“Bloodshot” is based on the best-selling comic book of the same name. Vin Diesel is Ray Garrison a decorated Soldier who gets killed in the line of duty. Ray is brought back to life by the RST Corporation. Loaded with a lot of nano-technology in his veins Ray is stronger than ever and is able to heal quickly if injured.

Although Ray is not in complete control of his mind and that’s where the problems start. The RST Corporation can alter Ray’s memories at any given time. Ray does not know what is real and what isn’t, but he is determined to get to the bottom of the situation. The story unfolds from there…

There is no plot. No solid story, but tons of non-stop action and special effects. The Cinematography was on point! It’s a bit sad…I had high hopes for “Bloodshot”. I counted down the minutes to when I could leave the theater. Vin Diesel does a good job with what he was given, but he isn’t the only person in the movie.

“Bloodshot” is best viewed on Cable, Blu-Ray or DVD.

This is a 2 Star Movie!!

Avengers: Infinity War in 3D

The Avengers and all of their Super Hero allies have their hands full. This is one of the most complicated and deadliest missions they have ever been faced with. They must all come together and fight as a total united front if they expect to be victorious.

The Avenger’s arch nemesis Thanos is on the move and wrecking-havoc across the universe. He and his warriors are destroying communities everywhere. Thanos is after the 6 jewels that collectively will give the owner the utmost power. He will have to battle several of the Avengers and their super hero allies to gain the jewels. Thanos is aware of this and starts his fight by coming to earth. The story unfolds from there…

The 3D aspects of the movie are excellent. It was awesome to see the Avengers and their Super Hero allies come together. They each have their own stories and the movie was able to bring everything together nicely.

The cinematography and special effects are awesome. There is plenty of action and intrigue. There is even some comic relief. This installment is part one. There will be a part 2 and this installment ends perfectly to allow part 2 to take over.

If you are a Marvel Universe fan, “The Avengers: Infinity War” should not be missed.

This is a 4 Star Movie!

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 the 3D IMAX Experience

In this installment the team continues their adventures as they make their way across the galaxy. “The Guardians” must fight to keep their family together as they are confronted with challenge after challenge, but one challenge made by Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) supposed father “Ego” (Kurt Russell) proves to be more than the team bargained for. The story unfolds from there…

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is a CGI feast. The special effects and cinematography are off the charts. There is plenty of action, suspense and intrigue. I did not review the first installment, but saw it later. This installment is a lot cruder and a lot more violent than the first installment, so Parents beware.

The movie is fast-paced and will keep you on the edge of your seat. There is plenty of humor, probably more than in the first installment. Normally sequels lose some luster, but I would say this installment kept it real and fresh. My favorite Guardian is “Baby Groot”. He looks like a miniature Mummy.

If you are a die-hard Marvel Comic Fan, you will love “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”.

This is a 4 Star Movie!

Fate of the Furious: The IMAX Experience

“The Fast & Furious Franchise Lives On…”

I was actually stunned to hear that another installment of the “Fast & Furious” franchise was coming our way after the great sendoff that was given for Paul Walker during Furious 7. I thought it would be tough for the original cast to continue without him, but I guess I was wrong. It is really all about making “Dead Presidents”.

So here we are two years later and the original cast minus Paul Walker with about five new faces ventures into another realm. There is some very good casting although this installment moves further away from its roots.

The story starts off great with Toretto (Diesel) and Letty (Rodriguez) together doing their thing in Cuba living what appears to be a normal life. The rest of the team is no-where around. The peace that Toretto and Letty enjoy can only last so long. A new villain makes its way into Toretto’s life. This villain needs Toretto’s special driving skills to pull of some major international jobs. In order to get Toretto’s help, this villain has already procured something that is very precious to Toretto, so how can he refuse? The story unfolds from there…

In order to keep this franchise going there needed to be a fresh new story, with fresh new characters. On a very small scale this story is fresh with new characters, but on the larger scale it’s a “Been There, Done That” sort of story. Unfortunately Jordana Brewster did not reprise her role as “Mia”. She is one of the original cast members.

There is a ton of action, serious car chases, crashes and cool moves. The computer age is rampant in this movie as there are many high-tech maneuvers made and used. There is even some comedy relief. During the opening credits the music that plays is off the chain…

“Fate of the Furious” is a must see in IMAX. The camera angles, sound and the cinematography are excellent and you will feel like you are in the cars and planes riding right along with the gang.

The movie is not bad, it’s just not as fresh as it needs to be with an eighth installment.

“Fate of the Furious” is definitely worth a look.

I am almost sure there will be a ninth installment.

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!

XxX:Return of Xander Cage the IMAX Experience

After a 14 year hiatus, Xander Cage is back!

In this third installment Xander Cage is lured from his self-imposed exile to help stop a Pandora’s Box that is being used to take control of satellites and use them as weapons. Xander has plenty of company as he tries to stop the unknown enemy, but also stop alpha warrior Xiang and his team who are also racing to get their hands on the box. Xander recruits a whole new team that are highly skilled and thrill-seeking just as he is. The story unfolds from there…

The sound track is “Dope!!” There is a ton of action, fight sequences, out-of-this-world stunts and some pretty cool cinematography and camera angles.
The movie will keep you engaged, but unfortunately the story is lacking and dull. We have seen it all before. This has been a blockbuster Franchise in the past, but the story doesn’t bring anything new to the table.

This is a 2 ½ Star Movie!

Fast & Furious 7: The IMAX Experience

They saved the best for last!!

“Fast and Furious 7” is 2 hours and 20 minutes of “Non-Stop Action, Suspense and On The Edge of Your Seat Thrills. They take “Pedal to the Metal” to another level!! It’s a MUST SEE IN IMAX!!!

In this installment, Torreto (Vin Diesel) and the gang face some unexpected challenges from a new International Assassin who is out for some sort of revenge from a past incident that occurred.

The gang is up to the challenge and is not about to allow anyone to destroy them or their family.

There are some out of this world stunts, some crazy, scary driving. They really did take this to another level. The movie is very entertaining. The cinematography is fantastic!!

This has been one franchise that has lived up to the hype. There is a wonderful send off for Paul Walker at the end. If you are a fan of the “Fast & Furious” Franchise, “Furious 7” is not to be missed.

This is a 4 Star Move!!

Riddick: An IMAX Experience

In this fourth installment “Riddick” (Vin Diesel) finds himself left for dead on a sun scorched planet amongst alien predators. These Alien Predators appear to be a cross between the monster from the movie “Alien” and the “Cracken” monster from the movie “Clash of the Titans”.

The only way off this horrific planet is to activate an emergency beacon, but to do this would bring mercenaries to the planet looking to place Riddick’s head in a box and collect the bounty. Two ships do arrive each jockeying for how they are going to capture Riddick and collect the bounty, but Riddick appears to have the upper hand. He starts to single handedly pick off his adversaries one by one. The story unfolds from there…

Big issue…There doesn’t seem to be any relationship between this installment and any of the others. It’s pretty obvious that the movie is low-budget. It’s a piece of Sci-Fi fare that should have been left on the cutting room floor. The gore and bloodiness are off the charts. I found myself looking away several times. There is tons of action, violence and a bit of nudity, but there isn’t much else. The story sort of rambles on with no meaning and is complete utter nonsense. Some of the dialog isn’t understandable. I think that if the story were more gripping the movie would be tolerable.

“Riddick” ranks up there with “The Lone Ranger” that came out earlier this summer. Neither of these movies should have been made. What a waste… The Rotten Tomatoes rating for “Riddick” is one point from being fresh. I found that to be a laugh. I like Vin Diesel, but he should stick to the “Fast and Furious” franchise.

Fast & Furious 6

The Fast & Furious gang is back!!
This installment finds Dominic (Diesel), Brian (Walker) and the rest of the gang kicking back after their last heist in Rio made them all very wealthy. Although they are rich, they all still live as fugitives spread out around the world.
Agent Hobbs (Johnson) comes calling. He needs Dominic and his team’s help to battle a gang of skilled international mercenary drivers. Agent Hobbs has been tracking this gang for some time. He is unable and unequipped to take them down alone. Agent Hobbs convinces Dominic that if he and his team help him take down these international mercenaries, he will get pardons for everyone. The story unfolds from there…
The action, suspense, intrigue, cinematography and stunts are all off the chain!!
Usually sequels are not as good as the first, well not in this case. “Fast & Furious 6” is just as good as the first installment if not better. This installment ties in all of the previous installments (except the Tokyo Drift installment).
In fact if you did not see the first 2 installments you should rent them before seeing “Fast & Furious 6”.
The car stunts are taken to new heights!! You won’t be disappointed. If you go see “Fast & Furious 6”, it’s very important that you don’t leave before the credits really start to roll. Just after the movie is over, there is a HUGH surprise that leads to a 7th installment.