Tag: Willem Dafoe

The Card Counter

The Card Counter

“The Card Counter” was not originally on my “Watch List”, but after seeing several trailers I decided to give it a look. 

“The Card Counter” is about revenge, redemption and moral responsibility. The movie is intense and at times difficult to look at because some of the scenes are very grotesque. 

Oscar Isaac plays William Tell, a former Military Interrogator who becomes a gambler. He is haunted by events and tasks he participated in during his time in the Military. William meets a woman in a Casino that he becomes attracted to. The story unfolds from there…

 The story and the movie are super intense and riveting. While the performances of Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Willem Dafoe and Tye Sheridan are outstanding, the movie was not very entertaining.

Some of the viewers in the cinema I was in got up and left an hour into the movie. Had I not been writing a review; I probably would have left also.

Hopefully in the near future we will see Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish and Willem Dafoe in something more entertaining and light-hearted.

This is a 2 1/2 Star Movie!! 

Aquaman in Real 3D

DC Comics got this right. Aquaman has a very good back story! It ties in nicely to the over-all story and plot.

“Aquaman” tells the original story of the famed DC Comic’s Undersea Super-hero half-human and half-Atlantean Arthur Curry. The saga takes you on an action packed adventure showing off the breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas. During this adventure Arthur is taken on a journey that forces him to face who he really is and where his place among Atlantis is and if he is worthy of who he was born to be…a king.

“Aquaman” is very entertaining and a visual feast! The movie shows off breathtaking panoramic views of the undersea world. There is tons of action, special effects and intrigue.

This first installment sets the tone. I hope the next installment will be just as visually appealing and entertaining.

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!!

Murder on the Orient Express

The remake of “Murder on the Orient Express” is loaded with heavy hitters. Too bad they did not hit it out of the park!

“Murder on the Orient Express” is a story of thirteen strangers aboard a stranded train where a murder has occurred. Everyone is considered a suspect. There is a detective (Kenneth Branagh) aboard the train and he races to investigate and try to solve the crime before the murderer strikes again. The story unfolds from there…

I had high hopes for the remake of “Murder on the Orient Express”. The trailers were awesome. The movie does contain some very nice scenic views of Istanbul. The movie would be passable if it weren’t for the second half which drags and goes on way too long. At the theater I was in there were people standing at the exit waiting to bolt.

The train does not run off the rails, but it’s a bumpy ride along the European Countryside.

Stick to the original. Peter Ustinov in the original cannot be replaced.

This is a 2 Star Movie!

The Great Wall in Real 3D

“The Great Wall” is an Action/Fantasy set in 11th century China, two Mercenaries (Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal) from the west find themselves battling for their lives against a Chinese Military. They are soon captured, but once their captors witness their archery and weapons skills, the military command at the Great Wall needs their assistance to battle a super-natural menace who continues to try and scale the wall to get at them and their people. Meanwhile there is a stranded visitor (Willem Dafoe) who has been at the great wall for twenty five years. He states there is a treasure to be had and tries to convince the Mercenaries to help him steal it. The story unfolds from there…

“The Great Wall” is an action epic and visual feast. Matt Damon is the best element in the movie. It’s a shame that the story wasn’t put in proper context so that it was understood how the super-natural menace came to be and why it wishes to attack and destroy an entire nation and where did the supposed treasure come from.

Because the story as a whole is dis-jointed and unclear, it’s boring. If it weren’t for Matt Damon, the movie won’t be worth seeing. The 3D aspects are pretty good.

“The Great Wall” will be a great movie to watch on Blue-Ray, DVD or Cable.

This is a 2 ½ Star Movie!

John Wick

Bloody is the order of the day for “John Wick”. This vehicle serves as a great comeback to action for Keanu Reeves. 

“John Wick” is an ex-hit man who comes out of retirement when shortly after his wife’s funeral he is beaten and his little puppy dog is killed all for his high performance Ford Mustang that he refuses to sell. Little do the thugs know who they are dealing with or what they have gotten themselves involved in. The story unfolds from there…

“John Wick” is gritty, bloody, action-packed and a throw-back to gangster style movies, but with a fresh take.

There is a plot and story; you just have to give the movie time to formulate everything into a nice neat package.

If you like Action/Assassin type movies, “John Wick” is your movie.

This is a 3 1/2 star movie