jb_campo Reviews

Last Sentinel (2023)

Good thriller

[6/10 · 22 December 2023]

The featured review rated this 3 and boring. I totally disagree. The film subtly tells the story of what war does to people in various ways.

4 people (2 military, 2 civilian) are aboard this sentinel tower located between the only two countries left in the world after flooding has covered all other places. Ok, somewhat unbelievable.

This tower has a device that can change the fate for the entire planet and is meant as a fail safe device if the second country attacks this first country, who constructed this sentinel tower.

The problem is that they signed up for 2 years, and their relief is well overdue. They experience all sorts of communication issues. Then something appears, and changes the dynamics of the story. If you don't like growing tension, then I guess you'd call that boring, but I took it more as a who-done-it mystery.

Imagine being out in the middle of the ocean between two warring countries, and you are the last line of defense on a rotting decrepid metal structure. That enough creates the tension.

The captain is a tough military lifer, and he plays that role well. His corporel seems less strict but still follows his orders. The two civilians just want to get paid and go back to dry land.

There's plenty of story here, enveloped in rain, fog, mystery. The acting is decent as is the story. The cinematography does a great job of depicting the isolation, along with creepy noises and screenshots to ramp up the excitement.

I suggest you give it a view. Not a bad flick.

Enjoy.

Godzilla Minus One (2023)

Best Godzilla I've Seen

[8/10 · 21 December 2023]

On Pluto TV, I watched all the Godzilla movies and G-1 is by far the best Godzilla movie ever. Godzilla is the key villain, but this time, the director forms a detailed backstory of the main protagonist, Koichi, following the end of WW2.

The story of grief, more grief, loss, gain, love, hate, duty, and true friendship is woven thruout this fine film. The director ties it all together in a tightly choreographed story from start to finish. It's this enticing story, pulling you in, pulling at your heart, getting you to root for the good guys against an unstoppable force, that makes this a truly wonderful film.

The CGI graphics are terrific - Godzilla is scary each time he appears. They also did a great job of showing him as a smaller monster at the start, then growing bigger up to the current time.

I loved that they brought in the original Godzilla music when the good guys launch their attack. I don't think the music is great, but I cheered when I heard it, as a nod to the original. Other nods to the original are the scenes with people running down the streets while Godzilla destroys Japan in the background. Also, the final credits scrolling in black and white with old faded fonts was genius.

There are so many good things about G-1. Excellent acting, excellent plot, excellent cinematography of close-up horror and destruction, and real strong emotion.

I urge you to see this fine flick on the big screen because that amplifies the breadth of the action and increases the fear factor to the maximum.

Enjoy G-1!

The Equalizer 3 (2023)

Explosive Performance from Denzel

[8/10 · 11 September 2023]

I loved Equalizer 1, while #2 was less good. But the third in this trilogy reached new depths of violence.

The story is somewhat of a mystery with Robert in Italy but you don't know why. You see his trademark of dead bodies in a villa, but why?

The mystery evolves and he ends up injured and dying on the Amalfi coast until this kind-hearted old doctor saves his life. You then have the usual suspects - Robert grows to make friends in the village and sees the mafia doing bad things to good people. So, he stops them, quickly and efficiently, and brutally.

The CIA gets involved. Denzel has nice interactions with CIA agent Dakota Fanning. How she gets out into the field is a mystery, but whatever. They play cat and mouse with some great dialogs. We get to a fitting conclusion of good vs evil.

This story rocks because the dialog is excellent. The music, especially that DJ type music when things are about to go crazy, adds to the drama. It also storms in the final confrontation, similar to EQ2's hurricane. The dark symbolism is impactful. Explosions, old ways to kill, new ways to kill and inflict pain. EQ3 amps up the pain and the story.

Will this be the last Equalizer? Who knows. But if so, Robert is hopefully living peacefully at last in a quiet Italian town drinking tea and having the rest he deserves and earned.

I loved EQ3 - and - if you are a Denzel fan - I think you will enjoy it too.

The Foreigner (I) (2017)

Hidden Gem of a Movie

[7/10 · 20 February 2023]

I rented this from my library because I love Jackie Chan and also Pierce Brosnan. I'd never heard of this film before. What a pleasant surprise - The Foreigner is a really good film.

Chan plays Quan, a small, silent, obediant Asian living in London who runs a restaurant. He loves his only daughter. A very unspeakable tragedy hits and Quan goes into full revenge mode, but quite peacefully and respectfully. He asks the police to tell him who did this. He was very insistent. All we learn is that it's some faction of the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

Enter Brosnan as Hennessy, ex IRA terrorist now politician in charge of bridging the peace between the IRA now and the UK. He has a murky past and you feel that all is not as it seems.

Meanwhile, Jackie Chan starts his own work and starts to engage with Brosnan, seeking answers. As things escalate, bodies start falling, and everyone realizes that perhaps this diminutive little Asian man is not quite what they thought.

There are many chase scenes and many fights, in which Jackie chan still has a lot of his skills. But it's his superb acting that makes this film a gem. He shows great depth of emotion, believable emotion, as a man with nothing left to lose. While Brosnan also delivers with a man who has Everything to lose.

I loved The Foreigner. Terrific acting, terrific story. You won't be disappointed. Enjoy.

Harry and Tonto (1974)

Sadly a Disappointing Film

[5/10 · 11 February 2023]

I was disappointed in Harry and Tonto. I'm a senior and was expecting to be wowed by this flick, but I was not.

Art Carney stars as Harry, a widower who gets evicted from his NYC apartment that is being torn down. He has a network of nice friends, but as he says, all his friends are dead or dying. He seizes the opportunity to travel out west along with his best friend, his cat Tonto.

Along the way, he has many different adventures. He reminds us of the planes, trains, and automobiles movies. He's on a bus. He's hitchhiking. He's in a car. He tries a plane. It's pretty funny to see how his travels go. Maybe the theme of this movie is to show you that old people can be flexible, because that's Harry - nothing flusters him.

He travels to Chicago to visit his daughter. He's out in Arizona, then an obligatory stop in Las Vegas, then to California to visit his other son. Then the movie ends and I felt like - that's it?

There are other famous actors here too - Ellen Burstyn is very good as his daughter. Larry Hagman (Dallas TV series) as his son. But the lead is Carney, and sadly, his performance was underwhelming, despite his winning the Academy award for Best Actor.

I found his acting to lack breadth and depth. He always had the same emotion and look on his face and sound in his voice. He meets death, same. He tries to cry in one scene and it came off as fake and forced. He smiles but never really laughs, despite some occassions where he could have been very happy or very sad and angry. But he's even keeled, and that disappointed me.

I expected a better performance. I was hoping for something like Clint Eastwood in his more recent performances as an old guy who pokes fun at himself like Cry Macho or The Mule or earlier Gran Torino. But no, we did not get such a performance.

The funniest info about Harry and Tonto is that this was an R rated film. Absolutely no nudity, sex, drugs. Maybe some curses. There was one implied scene, and that one scene alone drew an R rating in the 1970s. Boy how times have changed.

I am happy that Carney was awarded for this film because his entire body of work deserves recognition. This award may have been like with Pacino won Best Actory for Scent of a Woman, except Pacino delivered a powerful portrayal that I found lacking in Harry and Tonto.

All told, if you watch this film, you'll get a good view of what life was like back in the 70s when I was a teenager. And you will be treated to an interesting plot. But overall, I was sadly disappointed in this movie, most.

RED (2010)

Cool and campy spy mystery thriller

[7/10 · 11 February 2023]

Red is a pretty cool flick that combines love, hate, politics, mystery, thrills, and surprises. It is the ability to combine all these feelings into a cohesive piece of art that makes this a winning film.

Bruce Willis is terrific as the ex-CIA guy who starts having a phone relationship with a normal woman. Then the action starts and the bad guys move in. Someone is coming for Willis, so he seeks help from his old friends. Like Morgan Freeman said, looks like it's time to get the band back together.

And what a band. What an oddball group, headlined by the incredible acting of John Malkovich. He's a lunatic assassin with too many LSD trips. Morgan Freeman, the never defeated cool customer. Helen Mirren delivers a brilliant performance as an expert assassin who wants to be normal and reaches out with compassion to Willis's new girlfriend.

Brian Cox also delivers as a Russian contact who apparently has an past with Mirren, and their chemistry is pretty cool to watch too. Richard Dreyfus is a businessman involved in shady deals. He's fun to watch in this different role. And the co-star of it all is a younger Karl Urban (Star Trek, The Boys) who plays an ambitious young CIA agent charged with tracking down Willis and his group. His chemistry with Willis is so fun to watch.

There's a lot of back and forth humor. Old stories about old times, and that plays a key role in the theme. Eventually, the good guys piece together the truth, which leads to a bang-up finale that leaves you satisfied and hoping for more.

They did make a sequel and I'm putting it on my list. But Red, this one, is going to be hard to top. It has action, thrills, campy spy humor, and most of all, terrific acting and super casting.

Red is a terrific spy film that will satisfy most everyone. Give is a view.

Star Trek: Picard (2020–2023)

Picard Season One Engages All

[8/10 · 25 January 2023]

I rented Picard Season One from the library and watched it over a few days. What a ride!

I was a little apprehensive about what kind of story could be created around an aged senior like Picard, but boy, was this a terrific story.

Picard is an Admiral retired to his vineyard in France until stuff starts to happen to him involving Data and AI life. Picard still has the fire to be useful so he starts asking questions. Before you know it, those questions bring reactions that increase Picard's curiousity even more and drive him to seek the truth, wherever it leads him.

Along the way, it leads him to bring in Riker and Troi from his old TNG days. Data is along for the ride too, posthumously. Data is THE central character so it's nice to see him in flashbacks and other scenes. You even get 7 of 9 from Voyager and Jeri Ryan absolutely delivers!

Picard assembles a rag-tag crew along the way, each person bringing something special to the mix. Picard has learned his limits with all that time has changed. There are many funny moments when you know that Picard only wants to do what he has earned, as he puts it. Those scenes make you chuckle. So as they jet around the universe trying to pull together the pieces of the puzzle, Picard is in the odd position of being in 'charge' but not really in 'command' because his technical skills have not kept up.

Patrick Steward delivers an outstanding performance that should inspire aging actors to keep at it. There are roles where aging stars work with middle aging stars who work with new young talent, and that bridge/mix of knowledge and strength and wisdom can be a powerful elixir of a story.

It's also heartwarming to see the old TNG folks get together and reminisce about the old days. It makes viewers remember the good times we enjoyed, and it proves that true friendships endure not matter how much time passes and no matter where you are in the universe.

I loved Picard Season One. I can't wait to watch the next seasons as they come available on DVD.

If you liked TNG, you will love Picard Season One.

Enjoy.

Blacklight (2022)

Weak effort

[4/10 · 25 January 2023]

Blacklight is a weak effort all around. It seems the producers wanted someone who was old who could portray a washed-up specialist, and again, they tapped Liam Neeson.

I love his acting, but this story was a poor vehicle for him. Neeson wants to spend time with his grandkid after being an absentee father to his daughter. But of course, his special job doesn't let people like him leave, ever. SOS in these kinds of stories.

The bad guy is so obvious from the get go, and so the movie has zero suspense. No twists or turns. Just - how many more chase scenes and shootouts must we endure before Neeson kills the bad guys?

Acting by all is nothing special. The plot is poor. There's no special dialog of note. Lots of chase scense. Lack of suspense. A standard boring thriller that is not worth your time.

Neeson has done better too, much better. Check out his other films, most notably Schindler's List, or Taken #1 or The Gray. Blacklight is not worth your time, unfortunately.

Ad Astra (2019)

Why was this movie made?

[5/10 · 25 January 2023]

Ad Astra begs the simple question - why? Why did they make this movie? It lacks in so many key areas that you come away shaking your head in disappointment.

Roy McBride (Pitt) is the son/astronaut of his famous father astronaut played by Jones. Pitt struggles with his feelings for everything and everyone. Oh lord, an astronaut that has feelings seems to be the message.

Roy's father went on this deep space mission to Neptune in search of I guess extraterrestial life. Bad stuff happens. Maybe Roy's dad is still alive? Maybe he's responsible for some bad stuff that happened and is happening? Maybe he's dead. No one is sure. Or are they?

But that suspense gets dragged thru the mud as Pitt gets sent on a secret mission to find the truth. Stuff happens along the way that really has nothing to do with the core plot. You ask yourself again - why? What was the purpose of that scene or that action? It's supposed to build up suspense but it all falls flat into a non-cohesive mesh of scenes of stuff that just happens.

When you come to the climactic finale, it falls totally flat. You ask yourself - really? That's your message? Whatever the message is, because it's not very strong or clear? Exasperating movie.

This movie only gets as high as 5/10 because of Pitt's acting and some very pretty CGI scenes. Otherwise, the plot is poor. The screenplay and character interaction is poor. Even Donald Sutherland is poor. Tommy Lee Jones is also poor. It's a shame that two great actors got wasted with this stupid plot.

Ad Astra is tedious and boring - it lacks in the so-called suspense it is supposed to deliver. If you like Brad Pitt, you might be mildly interested in this movie. Otherwise, I suggest you sit this one out.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Terrible - Don't believe the hype

[3/10 · 16 January 2023]

I rented this from my library because I'd heard it was a good movie. I was utterly disappointed because this is a terrible movie.

The story premise is fine, but it falls short from so many elements. The acting is so so. The lead woman is a whiner who flips from one side to the other. The other two main characters sleep walk thru.

Emotionally, the film is NOT scary. It's just not. There is intimated this and intimated that, but mostly I kept thinking of how stupid these kids were. Things happen that are just stupid. It's like that commercial where the kids have a running car to escape in and they hide behind the chainsaws. That level of stupidity.

The film uses the camera shaking effect and following people around. Ok, been there seen that. The audio was not good. The brightness was not good, so you couldn't see well, just like Transformers movies where you can't see who is fighting.

There was no build up of tension. It's one day, then it's another day. The kids are yelling. Then something happens, and suddenly it's the end and I'm like, what? Is that it? Just bad all around,

Not worth your time. I started to fast forward thru, which is always an indicator to me of a flawed film.

I recommend you pass on this one. Not worth the time and def does not meet the hype.

Cry Macho (2021)

Eastwood is still a fine actor

[6/10 · 30 July 2022]

The best part of Cry Macho is that Clint Eastwood is still making movies at the age of 90. That alone is awe-inspiring - I think he's trying to show people that you are as old as you feel.

That said, Cry Macho is an average flick. Eastwood obviously can move only so slowly, and it's helped by the storyline that will support his ability to move at all. He plays Mike, an old ranch guy who used to ride horses until he couldn't anymore. He's been around the block of life too and experienced tragedies.

Then he gets asked to do a favor for this guy who has helped him out in life and soon, Mike is on the road to Mexico for some adventure and to retrieve his friend's son.

Along the way, a lot of fun is poked at him for being old, American, and so forth. There are some silly scenes too, in which I think Eastwood tries to recapture his youth, but they really don't fit well. He's old and he moves old and acts old.

The acting is average - there's not much of a script to work with. The kid, Rafo, does a decent job but he's working with a legend and it showed. His acting was pretty stiff, but give the kid time. Their interactions made me think of Denzel Washington in Equalizer when he met Cloe Grace Moretz in the restaurant each night and she was right there with him. Maybe this kid can get there someday.

The story slowly moves them back towards the USA. The rooster Macho plays a pretty good-sized role too in most scenes, as entertainment or even a helper.

They find themselves in a town and they meet helpful people. The story stalled there a bit.

Then stuff happens and then pretty much, the movie ends. I think they hoped for some suspense at the end, but it wasn't really suspenseful at all.

People are people. Some are good, some are bad, some are a mix. I think that's the main theme from Cry Macho.

It was great to see Eastwood tho his mobility is restricted. Lots of scenes were filmed with him driving or sitting. Still, he's out there living, even loving, at his age, that in itself is amazing to see.

I'd recommend Cry Macho just to see that Eastwood still has that glint in his eye and that smooth way of delivering lines, and maybe even a punch or two. He's a legend, and that alone should be reason enough to see Cry Macho.

Enjoy.

Nope (2022)

Nope is a Big Yep!

[8/10 · 30 July 2022]

Nope is an excellent film from Jordan Peele following his hits Get Out and Us. Nope is set in a western area, I think California, where this old western family makes a living raising horses on their ranch and working with filmmakers when they can.

The family meets an unthinkable tragedy and the son OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) needs to take over. His sister Emerald (Keke Palmer) is somewhat of a firebrand with a big personality, while OJ is the quiet thoughtful type of leader who leads by example.

From here on, it's hard to describe what happens without giving spoilers. The story becomes a weird game of cat and mouse between the ranch and some force. The viewer is trying to understand what's what until it gets pretty clearly revealed. Then it becomes a fight for survival.

I loved Nope because the acting is top-notch. The way the sister and brother interact is just amazing - like they were real siblings who grew up fighting and were now adults trying to figure out how to fight. Other characters get pulled in with varying impacts on the story.

The cinematography is big, again very big - sky-like big, with mountains. It's very western-like. There are often odd film angles from the sky or ground or under tables or from under buildings. It keeps the movie on edge. But it's the acting that delivers Nope. There's an old grizzled film guy who plays a role and boy, he's great, as the guy who has seen everything, until he finally meets something he's not seen. That scene is amazing.

Nope will keep you on the edge of your seat and maybe even get you to scream out a few times, like I did. But it also gets you thinking about interactions between people to people, between people and animals, and that is pretty much what Director Peele wants to leave you thinking about.

Nope is a good ole Sci-fi thriller that will leave you wanting more from this fine Director and this cast. I highly recommend Nope. All I can say is that I will no longer look at clouds the same way I used to...Nope.

Enjoy.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Delivers on every level

[9/10 · 30 July 2022]

Shang-Chi is a fully-formed action film that delivers on so many levels.

The storyline is great. Shaun is a smart college graduate who hangs out with friend Awkwafina. They both hold menial jobs at the same place. Life is going nowhere until a bus ride takes a strange twist and then everything explodes.

There is family vs family, family with family, old relatives vs family, friends, beasts, mythical creatures, and cool tie-ins with the MCU universe. A big action finish gives you just what you expected.

The acting is superb with great performances combining humor and super seriousness. Some famous Asian stars like Michele Yeoh and. Tony Leong, both megastars, and then the sister. Menger Zhang is super good too.

The martial arts choreography combined with the CGI is mindblowing, reminiscent of the possibilities you saw when Avatar first came out. Everything looks so real - it's amazing cinema.

The colors and costumes are to die for, especially when the ending delivers the fight of good vs evil. It's amazing cinema - attractive, flowing, traditionally, and beautiful.

I loved Shang-Chi because it combines a great story with great acting, great choreography, and big expansive cinematography, with just the right blend of tongue-in-cheek, like MCU always tries to do. They succeeded again with Shang-Chi.

If you want to see a solid story with great action that moves along quickly, and keeps you wondering what will happen, see Shang-Chi. The bus ride and the Macau episodes alone are worth the price of admission.

Enjoy.

Fargo (1996)

Dark tragic comedy

[8/10 · 29 January 2022]

Fargo (1996) is a dark tragic comedy. It tells the story of the tragic intersection of multiple characters where it ends badly for almost all of them.

The overlay for the movie is the open plains of the Dakotas in winter - cold and snowy. Beautiful cinematography throughout keeps that cold theme front and center. Nothing much should happen in such an area, you think, but that's why this is so interesting a story because a lot happens.

The intersecting characters are the police woman (Frances McDormand), her loving husband, supporting police, a car salesman, his family, and a couple of crazy bad guys.

The plot starts out as pretty simple, but then many bad twists and turns take the movie into very dark places for many characters. You ask, are people really like this? That's what the movie wants you to question.

McDormand is almost a version of Columbo or Monk, who seems slow, but is really figuring things out. The used car dealer is the quintiscential slime ball, played brilliantly by William Macey. Steve Buscemi is one of the screwball bad guys and he nails that role. Solid acting by all helps make this a terrific film.

You will laugh at the poke at how the locals talk and act. I don't know if that's real, but it was funny. But that's about it for laughs. Any laughing you do is followed by sighs and yeuch sounds. The movie twists you around a lot.

Fargo is not clean. It could have been edited tighter. The whole bringing in of an old school friend seemed non-essential, unless the directors wanted you to see that McDormand was one of the lucky ones who turned out ok in this neck of the woods.

Fargo is a worthwhile movie with great acting and an interesting story. Just be prepared for some sensibility-testing scenes, especially the ending. Enjoy.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Moving. Great Story. Great Acting

[8/10 · 29 January 2022]

Slumdog Millionaire (2008) is a moving story that reveals how life teaches you many things, no matter who you are or how you were raised. You just have to be open to learning.

Enter Jamal Malik, a young 18 yr old chai walla (tea server) who is being tortured to reveal something. You don't know what. The Director reveals that Jamal is a contestant on the Indian version of the show, Who Wants to be a Millionaire. As his torturers interview him, we learn little by little about his life from a baby until now. And what a life it was.

The other two main characters are Salim (his brother) and Latika, a girl they meet when little who weaves her way thru their lives.

The host of the show, famous Indian actor Anil Kapoor, seems to needle his contestant, played brilliantly by a younger Dev Patel, who is now quite a famous actor too. We learn Jamal is poor. He has his wits but no money at all, no formal education. But how is he doing so well on this game show? This reveals the caste system that, although officially outlawed in India, is still there. The poor are looked down upon and treated as lesser people. The host treats Jamal like he is less worthy and as if he shouldn't be there.

The Director Danny Boyle does a terrific job of revealing all the key moments in Jamal and Samir and Latika's lives. It all fits together with beautiful editing. The cinematography takes you there to the slums of Mumbai and Delhia. You feel the poverty, the desperation. But from Jamal, you feel his love for Latika thruout. His mission in his entire life is this girl, who becomes a beautiful young woman.

Like all families, he and his brother get into their arguments, and sometimes it seems too painful to watch. But that's life - it's not clean. Thru thick and thin, the brothers always come back to each other and risk so much for each other. It is this touch and go interaction that is central to Slumdog.

The acting makes this a great movie too, from the little kid versions of the characters up thru their young adults. At the end, we see the typical Indian dancing scene, which if you watch Indian movies, you know is a standard. That may be the only time you will smile in this movie where you mostly cry and cheer on the good guys.

Slumdog Millionaire is a terrific must-see film. It excels on all levels. Enjoy!

Parasite (2019)

Parasite Really Bites

[8/10 · 29 December 2021]

Parasite bites, in a good way. It bites you and doesn't let go, ever.

Parasite is a Korean film with sub-titles that tells the story of a poor, lower-working class family that is struggling to get by. Father, mother, son, and daughter. They all have the important 'survival' gene that poor people need to get by - street smarts, improvisation, and slick with words.

When the son gets asked by a friend to substitute for him as an English teacher to a high school girl in a rich family, the plot takes off. Through outright lies and trickery, the poor family weaves its way into the lives of the rich family, becoming very intertwined in various ways.

The father is the ring leader, but he is happy to let his kids get things started. He tries other ways to earn money, none of them very successful. But the kids break thru, and the family thinks they have hit the motherlode with the rich family. Until, the tide turns and soon, they are fighting for their new lives.

Everything leads up to a brutal ending that leaves you stunned, sad, breathless, but still a little hopeful.

The director does a clear job of showing that the rich family has no clue what it is like to struggle to survive. They live on a hill in a huge house designed by a famous architect, while the poor family lives in a basement apartment that would fit into one of the rich family's rooms. There is a terrible scene during a heavy rainfall that highlights the plight of the poor. The director strongly shows you that the rich family worries are about things that the poor can't even conceive of worrying about because they are struggling to survive. The rich vs poor dichotomy permeates the film in every scene.

This film is about survival and about the struggles of the lower class vs how the rich live in their own world that can't even stand the smell of poverty. You see that theme played out in several different scenes.

The cinematography does a great job of showing closeup facial expressions and camera angles so you are in the scene, either in the poverty or in the rich. Certain scenes were too dark and I could not easily tell what was happening. This made me think of Transformer movies where robots fight but you can't tell who is who or who is winning.

The absolute star of the film is the rich family's wife. She is a terrific actress. Her character is the epitome of the deluded wealthy who have to find problems where there are none, and who is easily tricked out of her money. But she doesn't care because money is like air to her.

The acting is really great, by everyone. I didn't see the point of introducing a Romeo and Juliet like interaction. It seemed like that was thrown in there.

Otherwise, the story was biting, and keeps you wondering what is going to happen, how can this possibly work out?

Parasite is worth your while. Great story. Great acting. Tough ending. Enjoy.

The Marksman (2021)

Misses the Mark

[5/10 · 14 December 2021]

This story had possibilities. I thought it might be like a Jason Statham, Steven Segal, or Clint Eastwood film, perhaps Gran Torino style. But despite respectable acting by Neeson, the story has no bite.

Neeson plays Jim Hanson, a down-and-out cattle farmer with land in Arizona on the Mexican border. He is on the verge of losing everything. You learn how he lost his wife and how soon he's about to lose his land because of money. He sees illegals cross his land every day, and he radios the Border Patrol (BP) to advise them, We also learn he has a relative on the BP.

Suddenly, a mom and her son cross over and are chased by the cartel. Neeson gets involved, somewhat reluctantly, and has a back and forth with his conscience and with reality as to what to do.

Then begins the long, tedious, pretty unremarkable trip up North to hopefully reunite the boy with relatives. The story slogs along. Somehow, the cartel is always 5 miles away from him it seems. Even when they hide, they are found miraculously. Come on. This cat-and-mouse get tiring quickly because nothing really happens.

The whole cartel angle was pretty unbelievable, though the actors had the appropriate scowls and shaved heads with tatoos. Still, their access to everything left me scratching my head - was this possible? Was this one guy and one kid really worth this?

When we finally get to the final showdown, it's nothing special, and the movie finishes as you would expect. You are left wondering what happens to Jim, which is the only suspense this movie generates.

There is no chemistry at all between Neeson and the boy Miguel. The Director tries to build something, but it's not effective at all. The cinematography was nothing special either. You do get to feel the emptiness at the border, but after that, it looks like the movie could have been filmed pretty much anywhere.

Neeson is a loner, and has that scruffy, down and outer look, along with the appropriately beat-up truck. So costume design was decent. But - he's a marksman? From the marines? Then how come he couldn't shoot all these cartel guys at the border, with his rifle?

I had hopes this might be like Gran Torino, or even The Mule, from Eastwood at an older age, but no, The Marksman is a below average B-grade movie that aspired for more, but missed the mark.

Enjoy.

Joker (I) (2019)

A Trip to Mental Illness

[7/10 · 13 December 2021]

The Joker is a wild ride thru the waves of mental illness. Joaguin Phoenix delivers a powerful portrayal of Arthur Fleck's journey from simple man into the powerful Joker, or at least, the beginning of him.

The movie is appropriately dark with many scenes in close, dark quarters. Very little light is shed on Arthur. As the movie progresses and he gets beaten up by the world bit by bit, he tries to use comedy and laughter to make his way thru. But soon you learn, thru flashbacks, that all is not quite as it seems in his world. You start to wonder what is delusion and what is reality.

I had hoped for a little more of Batman's beginnings here, but no, you only get a glimpse into the murder of the Waynes and of young Bruce. The focus is squarely on the Joker.

I found the tie-in to the TV show announcer Murray, played by DeNiro, as a bit of a stretch. Arthur really admired DeNiro's talk show and dreams of being on his show. Well, watch out what you dream for because in Joker's world, there is a very thin wall between dream and reality, often with shocking results.

Gotham City always seems perched on the edge of anarchy, and it's never clear why, but, so be it. When the Joker's message of a clown starts to gain traction with the masses, there's a tidal shift of popularity towards Fleck, which he leverages to start emerging into his character as a full-time reality.

The story is pretty depressing. It shows the power of mental illness, and certain scenes made me think of the movie The Secret Garden. With mental illness, it seems you never know what is going to happen, and that certainly is what played out in this movie.

The Joker is a hard movie to watch. Be prepared for brutal scenes. But then again, suffering from mental illness must not be a pretty thing to experience, so the movie does it justice by showing you just how messy it can be. Enjoy if you dare.

Nomadland (2020)

Sorrowful But Harshly Real

[7/10 · 12 December 2021]

The one feeling you take from watching Nomadland is sorrow. You feel sorrow for prople living as nomads although they are not looking for your sympathy. In this painful movie, you see that some people chose this lifestyle, and for others, it chose them.

Frances McDormand as Fern gives a masterful performance of a lonely woman searching for something that was forever lost. You never figure out if she chose to be a nomad, or if it chose her, but she shows you she is resigned to live this life, and maybe that she actually wants it that way.

Her acting is outstanding. The way she walks, moves, talks, and stares at life is moving. She's been beaten down, yet she keeps going. Some nomads we learn gave up. Others live life to the fullest. Most all of them, we learn, want to experience life because they had an event that taught them how short life is.

This movie is somewhat slow. Not a lot happens, but perhaps, that is what the Director wants you to understand. Life moves very slowly for Fern. She and the other nomads form a tribe, and their mission is to support each other and enjoy being alive.

As the story plods on, you see Fern move from place to place in her van which is her home. She is fiercely proud of it because it's her refuge, but yet in one scene you see how she and others wouldn't mind having a much fancier ride. Fern has chances to live in a stable home, several times, but she always returns to the comfort of the home she now knows, her van.

Fern lost many things in her life, but the most painful is watching her flip thru pictures of her family when she was young. You watch her face take you thru the emotions of a woman who lost something she can never have back, and wonder what brought her to where she now is.

The movie has such a sad piano playing throughout to enforce the feeling of sadness. Loneliness abounds in almost every scene. Many scenes have Fern walking down a road by herself or in the middle of absolute nowhere by herself. She doesn't seem to revel in the loneliness, but she accepts and understand that this is what life has dealt her.

The cinematography is outstanding with so many scenes of absolute wilderness as it is in Nevada, Arizona, and South Dakota. I lived in Utah a few years and felt this extreme openness which leaves you in awe but makes you feel vulnerable to all the 'what if' scenarios you could imagine. You are literally in the middle of nowhere with nothing but you and your wits.

This movie is not for you if you crave a lot of action, or even a cohesive storyline. You would enjoy Nomadland if you love outstanding acting and fantastic outdoor scenes, while dealing you a dose of what real life is for many people who get dealt lethal blows by society, or who just want to say they've had enough and want to see what the road brings.

I liked Nomadland alot. In the end, you get the feeling that Fern is at peace where she has ended up. Perhaps that is the whole point of the movie - that you can learn to accept anything in life. The important thing is to keep on moving forward. Enjoy.

The Silencing (2020)

Superb murder thriller

[8/10 · 13 August 2021]

The Silencing blew me away. The story follows Rayburn, a loner who lives a subsistence life alone by a lake in Minnesota. Apparently, his daughter disappeared years ago and he was driven deep into alcohol to ease the pain. The actor Nikolaj Waldau is incredible. I felt all his desperation and emotion in every moment of this film. Outstanding performance.

There are multiple crossover themes in this movie. The loner, a native american land/county with their own law enforcment team, and the county law. Each theme is pushing back and forth against the other to try to get an advantage. Rayburn is divorced on top of his standard pain, and there is a tie to the native american land.

The sheriff Alice Gustafson (Annabelle Wallis), is new to the job. She has a brother who has some strong mental issues that she tries to deal with, sometimes pressing the boundaries of the law she is to uphold. That debt against the law plays a key role in the film. Again, very strong acting from Ms Wallis.

The direction and cinematography are top notch. The scenes are always somber, rainy, cloudy, no color. Sets the mood perfectly. There are multiple chase scenes that leave your heart pounding - will the person make it? What is going on?

The ending is very satisfying and ties it all together in a respectful, believable fashion.

The Silencing is an excellent, must-see film that will leave you guessing until the end. Great acting, great story, great cinematography, appropriate music. This movie has it all. Enjoy.

Honest Thief (2020)

Capable but nothing special flick

[6/10 · 13 June 2021]

I watched Honest Thief free on Amazon Prime. It's a 2020 film made during a pandemic so perhaps we can use that as an excuse. The film survives because of Liam Neeson's name, but the film falls short on many levels.

Neeson plays Tom, an ex-military guy with a background story that eventually gets revealed. He plays a thief who robbed banks and is now in Boston. He meets Annie played by Kate Walsh, who manages a storage place where he stores his loot. The story gets a little hokey. They fall in love apparently, though we don't see much of that. Again, the pandemic probably prohibited them from kissing because no, they didn't kiss once the entire movie, just hugs and I love you's.

Neeson wants to make amends for his thievery but turns himself into the FBI who happen to be guys who are not too honest. Then the cat n mouse game begins with car chases and people getting shot and beaten up. That's about it.

The plot was pretty thin except for Neeson's background, which finally puts some action into the film late in the game. The acting was pretty stiff - definitely not Neeson's best by far. I liked the hero cop with a dog who is played pretty well and adds some honesty to the cop side. His interaction with Neeson and Annie works well.

Otherwise, you end up hating the bad guy, disliking the other bad guy, cheering for the good guys, and knowing how it will all wrap up neatly in the end. The movie was like 1 hr 50 mins so you won't spend too much time. There are some small plot twists. Overall, capable but nothing special. Always Good to see Neeson always in films tho he seems to be getting a little old for these roles. Maybe he will next appear in Expendables #20.

Enjoy.

Redemption (I) (2013)

Way Better Than I Thought It'd Be

[7/10 · 6 June 2021]

Redemption really surprised me because Jason Statham actually showed some real acting chops. The story takes place in London. These roustabouts are ripping off people in an alley and pick on this drunk and his female friend. They beat the crap out of this long-haired hippie guy and chase him until he sneaks into an apartment thru a skylight. It was a few minutes until you realize that this scrubby old-looking drunk was Statham!

Statham plays Joey, a down-on-his-luck ex-military guy who has a mysterious history, but you don't know what it is. It hurts him though, and he constantly drinks himself into numbness. Flashbacks reveal parts of his memory, but you can't really tell what is what, which made for fine cinema.

Joe is friends with Sister Christina, a nun who helps feed the homeless. She seems like a nice young woman. But as the film develops, she reveals that she has a past too, which brought her to where she is today. This actress I had never heard of before. She seems Polish, at least, they had her speak Polish. She was really a great foil for the rough edges of Joey.

The movie plays on the interaction between those two central characters plus the Chinese gangs that Joey starts to get involved in. In a perverted way, Joey is good at doing bad things, but like Robin Hood, he turns his ill-gotten game into a societal benefit. Of course, he bashes a million heads along the way - it is Jason Statham after all, but he seems to do it with regret because you feel he wants to do good despite the bad things he's doing and seeing done to people.

The climax will make you say, okay, that was pretty brutal, but just like Death Wish, the bad guys always deserve what they get when the good guy gets his revenge in the end. That makes this a typical Hollywood ending, at least that part of it. But you get the feeling that Joey has righted a wrong, but you really don't know what is going to happen to him after the end scene.

All told, a surprisingly good film that is worth your while. Good, interesting story, strong acting, and a lot of societal themes about the good and bad that people do, which makes us all just plain human beings.

Enjoy.

Dredd (2012)

Onslaught of a flick - in your face action

[7/10 · 23 May 2021]

I really like this 2012 Dredd starring Karl Urban (Star Trek films) as Judge Dredd. I saw Urban in another film and thought it sub-B grade at best, but as Dredd, oh he nailed it. You never see his full face throughout because his visor hides his eyes. But what he does with his motions and voice are outstanding. At times, he has that almost Robocop walk and movement. It's fantastic.

Dredd gets to train up a rookie and based on his judgment on that day's performance, she either passes or not. The rookie has some special abilities that are helpful thruout the movie. Dredd gets called to a scene at one of the mega-apartment buildings where the bad guy drug overlords rule. It's like Dredd against a 1000 bad guys. No problem.

That's about all you need to know. Dredd has to overcome tremendous adversity to get his man or woman. The partners work well together. The bad guys are really bad bad guys, and the good guys, well, expect some twists.

Excellent directing kept this moving fast n tight. The overall theme is dark, bloody, violent, and loud. There is excellent use of slow motion camera to accentuate things going on, and it works really well.

I never saw the Stallone version of Dredd, but this one with Urban will be hard to beat. Watch this if you want to see a non-stop action movie of good guys against bad guys in a futuristic setting. That's a common theme, but Dredd stands out by having terrific acting and a pretty good plot. Enjoy.

Cliffhanger (1993)

Falls short - coulda been a contender

[6/10 · 4 May 2021]

Cliffhanger could have been a much better film but it fell short.

The story revolves around a group of Rocky Mountain rescue staff who love climbing for a living versus an evil gang of killers looking to rip off a boatload of cash from the govt when fate brings them all together.

Stallone delivers a decent job as the likeable super climber. Gabe. Due to a terrible accident, he leaves the mountain and his friends, then suddenly returns. No real explanation why. He's apparently in a relationship with. Jessie but had no problem leaving her for a year. Doesn't make sense, like several things in this movie.

The bad guy is of course John Lithgow who sometimes talks with a pseudo British accent because he's an international bad guy. He's got his mob of bad guys and they all end up on the mountain trying to retrieve this stolen money with the help of a turncoat.

This sets you up for a pretty good thriller. But then, the dialog starts. I cringed at almost every sentence that any of the bad guys uttered. It was just excruciating how stock and just crappy the dialog was. They would say stupid stuff and do stupid stuff to measure their manhood against each other. That worthless banter dragged this movie into a crevasse of mediocrity.

The other good guy Hal (John Rooker) was pretty good - I recognize him from other movies, not famous, but decent. He and Stallone are on the outs but yet they end up rebonding to fight the bad guys. They had me rooting for them, which was a positive.

The cinematography was wonderful. The climbing scenes and air scenes were very real and exciting. But so much of the plot just didn't make sense, mostly around the bad guys doing stupid stuff, repeatedly.

The final scene was very predictable, and possibly Mission Impossible stole this for one of their movies, but we've seen it before.

Cliffhanger could have been an 8/10 if they had a decent screenwriter for dialog, and a better director to weed out the terrible stupid scenes. Still, it was mildly entertaining despite that, and with the beautiful scenery, I'd give it a 6/10.

The Mule (2018)

Clint delivers, again

[7/10 · 6 July 2019]

I love seeing Clint Eastwood continue to deliver strong films at this point in his life. In The Mule, Earl Stone (Eastwood) is a divorced grouchy old man who is struggling to keep his life financially viable. He was a professional gardener, but the internet seems to be changing that. He is at the point of losing his home. He's already on the outs with his family - you gather that he was not the world's best father.

Then he gets the chance for some big money, so much that for him it's life-changing. The money allows him to make many positive changes in his life. But he suspects things are not as clean as he'd like.

Meantime, the FBI is trying to bust a drug cartel and their mules who transport the drugs. Bradley Cooper plays Bates, the lead agent in charge of the pursuit.

That's about it for the story. It's cat and mouse. Earl shows his wiles gained from his life experience, and he gets a bit of luck too. The acting was great, but as many have said, a lot of it was cliche'd lines that teach us life lessons. But, hey, Eastwood can do that because he's passing along those lessons again and again at this point in his life.

The Mule allows Eastwood to continue to deliver what his fans want - a tough guy who has had a hard life and is just trying to reconcile how he got to where he did from where he was, and the lessons he learned from that experience. That's worth the price of admission on its own. See The Mule - you won't be disappointed.