BRUCE WILLIS IN M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN'S 'GLASS' W/ SAM JACKSON

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixC8s3A5h54vSjqOZ-Qqv_W8wdyB-OLhrrhOzRRYqizYmMTzX1G8g0iX31jFNQYkrUCfO-F4dn8qpkU752qK5Hhnh7VHRrpyTApijJ76UkJwKoPTzjpX_ymYRPEGU0mlcvmrs-Fs5uwOeS/s1600/https---blogs-images.forbes.com-scottmendelson-files-2018-11-GLASS-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="1280" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixC8s3A5h54vSjqOZ-Qqv_W8wdyB-OLhrrhOzRRYqizYmMTzX1G8g0iX31jFNQYkrUCfO-F4dn8qpkU752qK5Hhnh7VHRrpyTApijJ76UkJwKoPTzjpX_ymYRPEGU0mlcvmrs-Fs5uwOeS/s400/https---blogs-images.forbes.com-scottmendelson-files-2018-11-GLASS-1.jpeg" width="400"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>The poster shows the main problem... way too much McAvoy  2019</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> M. Night Shyamalan never needs to provide a director commentary track for GLASS since the actors do it for him. A two-tier sequel, one for the subtle classic UNBREAKABLE starring Bruce Willis as a security guard who can't be injured, manipulated by title character Mr. Glass, played by Samuel L. Jackson; the other SPLIT, the recent thriller/horror with James McAvoy as a zoo employee serial killer of young girls...<br> <br> Unfortunately, and despite the title, this is <i>not </i>an UNBREAKABLE sequel. Having AMERICAN HORROR STORY actress Sarah Paulson play a psych-ward shrink with a three-day pass (using two unrealistically inept security guards) to cure this eclectic trio of their supposed hyperactive fantasies, it's really about sustaining SPLIT. And for the audience, having to deal with a killer with multiple personalities is one thing... Being stuck with an otherwise talented British actor showing just how damned talented he is, is, well.. Hell on Earth... and slowly...<br>

2019, action, bruce willis, comic book, franchise, horror, james mcavoy, m. night, new, samuel l. jackson, sequel, superhero, thriller, trilogy

BRUCE WILLIS IN M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN'S 'GLASS' W/ SAM JACKSON

The poster shows the main problem... way too much McAvoy  2019 M. Night Shyamalan never needs to provide a director commentary track for...

PRE FAME CAMEO OF SAMUEL L. JACKSON 'MOVIN' ON' CIRCA 1976

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmjnEFQprysdU6uDvFPkjkAkfd_zSL6vwxWqANNfjcStJKFRmxBa1mIh7r9wKMTL0b3GHqFydZiBWm824vg5v2N1zD3gKjHS2n1tS7e325Sj-fst6IwOnhIXLDgVF-oltuap6rtzwzmwO/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-11-14+at+3.30.43+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1243" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmjnEFQprysdU6uDvFPkjkAkfd_zSL6vwxWqANNfjcStJKFRmxBa1mIh7r9wKMTL0b3GHqFydZiBWm824vg5v2N1zD3gKjHS2n1tS7e325Sj-fst6IwOnhIXLDgVF-oltuap6rtzwzmwO/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-11-14+at+3.30.43+PM.jpeg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Samuel L. Jackson Movin' On Samuel L. Jackson as a Trooper on a 1976 show about Truckers</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pSaEOxSF8N9Lc0bO3QzhT3cqIWqjVuIUkbVRDzA4FxtkMvaf3vekirom2JXM7Qj42ZB_ZuqhNeKDC44nNCZZi4vLgpBFw4fdXv-1ovWQ_gIDkusDX5lSt8qvEJpYBNgPD02HdmNxmU7F/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-11-14+at+3.30.54+PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1222" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pSaEOxSF8N9Lc0bO3QzhT3cqIWqjVuIUkbVRDzA4FxtkMvaf3vekirom2JXM7Qj42ZB_ZuqhNeKDC44nNCZZi4vLgpBFw4fdXv-1ovWQ_gIDkusDX5lSt8qvEJpYBNgPD02HdmNxmU7F/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-11-14+at+3.30.54+PM.jpeg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Movin' On Samuel L. Jackson rousts Claude Akins & Frank Converse Movin' On Samuel L. Jackson</u></td></tr> </tbody></table>

cameo, claude akins, frank converse, samuel l. jackson, seventies

PRE FAME CAMEO OF SAMUEL L. JACKSON 'MOVIN' ON' CIRCA 1976

Samuel L. Jackson Movin' On Samuel L. Jackson as a Trooper on a 1976 show about Truckers Movin' On Samuel L. Jackson rousts Cl...

EXTREMELY BELATED REVIEW OF KONG: SKULL ISLAND

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7ezskArwpNXq18iNF9YkVOin0BMC6UAJRAA8Zu2q1OPpN8YfdOpORh1IHB9GEsV74eseeV1R7edwWWBQQvW8W1cmEbOYCUn0NBIk2Ifm41-Ol9duGOBUOJx_JCwrr5LL5MQwzR9Vfcn5/s1600/two-new-kong-skull-island-posters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7ezskArwpNXq18iNF9YkVOin0BMC6UAJRAA8Zu2q1OPpN8YfdOpORh1IHB9GEsV74eseeV1R7edwWWBQQvW8W1cmEbOYCUn0NBIk2Ifm41-Ol9duGOBUOJx_JCwrr5LL5MQwzR9Vfcn5/s400/two-new-kong-skull-island-posters.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Apocalypse Now style poster for Skull Island YEAR: 2017</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> Being a rabid fan of KING KONG, from the original 1933 Fay Wray adventure classic to the 1976 Jessica Lange action-packed modernized reboot, KONG: SKULL ISLAND throws the usual damsel in distress template out the window, replaced with a group of soldiers, their mission never quite explained, even by exposition bearer John Goodman, occurring right after Vietnam where Sam Jackson's character is still sore from losing, or as he puts it, abandoning the war...<br> <br> Between the Thirties and Seventies, Toho films (along with Rankin/Bass) kept Kong alive as a protagonist adversary verses Godzilla and other monsters, and in KING KONG VS GODZILLA the giant ape battles an octopus that, as you can imagine, paying homage with today's technology, looks pretty cool despite having little to do with what SKULL ISLAND lacks completely: an actual plot...<br> <br>

2017, creature, john c. reilly, king kong, monster, new, samuel l. jackson

EXTREMELY BELATED REVIEW OF KONG: SKULL ISLAND

Apocalypse Now style poster for Skull Island YEAR: 2017 Being a rabid fan of KING KONG, from the original 1933 Fay Wray adventure classi...

TARZAN BEGINS AGAIN IN THE LEGEND OF TARZAN

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vt76aMY8Sg0bxH7Hbh0iuvTcoiNv02S0SXdqwrFHZ8DGNLasYEwJnxB16y_lMJh7rkiiOw7a0uFsA7wIO0yNz4LPRRtZ1-P93w9C1mrryZJf0hJR9osUNKvZ7Qf_0rhkwgkRN7_ux4w/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-15+at+12.27.15+AM.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vt76aMY8Sg0bxH7Hbh0iuvTcoiNv02S0SXdqwrFHZ8DGNLasYEwJnxB16y_lMJh7rkiiOw7a0uFsA7wIO0yNz4LPRRtZ1-P93w9C1mrryZJf0hJR9osUNKvZ7Qf_0rhkwgkRN7_ux4w/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-15+at+12.27.15+AM.png" width="320"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Sam Jackson watches Tarzan run </u></td></tr> </tbody></table> Edgar Rice Burroughs' second TARZAN novel was THE RETURN OF TARZAN, and while this movie, THE LEGEND OF TARZAN, is in no way inspired by or based upon that particular title, the same template exists: We all know about the Lord of the Jungle and since this is basically a comeback for the iconic character, why not start out with his need to... to quote The Beatles... "Get back to where you once belonged"?<br> <br> But Tarzan, holed up in his British Estate and going by his born name, John Clayton, doesn't quite feel the jungle-fever as much as his wife, Jane, played by the beautiful Margot Robie, who wants her old life in Africa back, and so her persuasiveness has to make up for Alexander Skarsgård's lack of emotion, or any pulse. Along for the ride (and to further help the wooden lead) is a token comic relief in Samuel L. Jackson, working for President Harrison to thwart a possible slave trade going on while speaking in a modern jive that doesn't fit the 1800's...<br>

2016, action, christoph waltz, franchise, margot robie, samuel l. jackson, tarzan

TARZAN BEGINS AGAIN IN THE LEGEND OF TARZAN

Sam Jackson watches Tarzan run Edgar Rice Burroughs' second TARZAN novel was THE RETURN OF TARZAN, and while this movie, THE LEGEND ...

QUENTIN TARANTINO'S WESTERN ENSEMBLE 'THE HATEFUL EIGHT'

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjhbEGL54DlLZZKotF-ShuFQhyKoQrC-QfdA3awooq7UnKUyqBasfjxUILX4a-hA8im4pdgxGAEmqnz-OyRmrs1JmiMmvsR18Fyn5jVPEiL_0fPyfEwE1S8R10ms2qTLmn1AagGHXgs0/s1600/1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjhbEGL54DlLZZKotF-ShuFQhyKoQrC-QfdA3awooq7UnKUyqBasfjxUILX4a-hA8im4pdgxGAEmqnz-OyRmrs1JmiMmvsR18Fyn5jVPEiL_0fPyfEwE1S8R10ms2qTLmn1AagGHXgs0/s1600/1.jpg"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>year: 2015 cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Walt Goggins, Jennifer Jason Leight director: Quentin Tarantino</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> Will attempt not to spoil too much about this epic yet contained and intentionally claustrophobic Western by Quentin Tarantino, but that's after having to disclose it's only a Western in the Civil War time period, rural-rough location, dramatic score, and dusty, cut-throat characters. THE HATEFUL EIGHT is really a Mystery, and for the most part, could have been set in any century involving an eclectic roomful of people, and, as already known/shown in the Samuel L. Jackson-led expository trailers, somebody's not who they're supposed to be.<br>

bruce dern, ensemble, jennifer jason leigh, michael madsen, mystery, quentin tarantino, samuel l. jackson, tim roth, walt goggins, western

QUENTIN TARANTINO'S WESTERN ENSEMBLE 'THE HATEFUL EIGHT'

year: 2015 cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Walt Goggins, Jennifer Jason Leight director: Quentin Tarantino Will attempt not to sp...

COLIN FIRTH IN KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxmDWsXYbMDX8R6nBpUnwFkI2rqZamZvpJPeM9PQADdt6MJjx9klXArAOTccNCDVSKfDLuExRT51E8K-2B_2pUdbF-lmcYu7MxKYocHVP_8ZUu-oEXyuTggdi0Xf-aY2MID10AaKFshs/s1600/kingsman-poster-main.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxmDWsXYbMDX8R6nBpUnwFkI2rqZamZvpJPeM9PQADdt6MJjx9klXArAOTccNCDVSKfDLuExRT51E8K-2B_2pUdbF-lmcYu7MxKYocHVP_8ZUu-oEXyuTggdi0Xf-aY2MID10AaKFshs/s400/kingsman-poster-main.jpg" width="304" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015 rating: **1/2</td></tr> </tbody></table> Gallant, snarky, self-aware, debonair, extremely violent and excruciatingly polarizing, KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE serves up two hours of what Daniel Craig's new 007 tossed out the window... <br /> <br /> The retro gadgets are cool and the direction by KICKASS Matthew Vaughn has more than a touch of Edgar Wright: This is a proud English vehicle full of creatively manic action. The best scenes involve misguided youth, Eggsy, who goes through a barrage of dangerous tests with a handful of contemporaries, and only one can be a KINGSMAN… This pivotal “boot camp" takes its time and isn't merely leading to something, or someone, more important… <br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ZhXPs0kynyZgG2YWIEWZlfARz0W3KV-Picf7FRNOA35dLGENrdH0UqiDn6t-pWhQs4ZlRLz0EHdh9wa5lfQhTBnIkfQ7ovRd6rPpD4gGdfWZMf43c0tV4FFZQE-vUTrLEsuUH84toHY/s1600/kingsman-hamill-learn-to-be-a-proper-spy-in-the-kingsman-the-secret-service-trailer.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ZhXPs0kynyZgG2YWIEWZlfARz0W3KV-Picf7FRNOA35dLGENrdH0UqiDn6t-pWhQs4ZlRLz0EHdh9wa5lfQhTBnIkfQ7ovRd6rPpD4gGdfWZMf43c0tV4FFZQE-vUTrLEsuUH84toHY/s200/kingsman-hamill-learn-to-be-a-proper-spy-in-the-kingsman-the-secret-service-trailer.png" width="143" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luke being rescued</td></tr> </tbody></table> Although Colin Firth’s elegantly resilient Harry Hart aka Galahad is the man in charge. Partaking in the lion's share of ultra-violence, whether beating up barroom bullies or slaughtering a church full of racist zealots, the well-dressed gent goes way beyond a sophisticated mentor role. At one point he has a few words with a bizarre mogul named Valentine, discussing old school James Bond – the elephant muse in the room...<br /> <br /> It’s too bad Samuel L. Jackson, an otherwise talented actor, provides one of the worst performances of his career. With an embarrassingly exaggerated lisp, Jackson hinders an already convoluted plot involving Climate Change. Ironically, Firth’s Harry states that those nostalgic Bond films were only as good as the megalomaniac villain on board. If that were the case, KINGSMAN would be a really crappy film, which it isn’t… <br /> <br /> But once the youthful training is over, and the resolution begins, there’s nowhere else to go but down. <b>OVERALL RANK: Jedi, <u>Rebel, Droid</u>, Sith. </b>

action, colin firth, mark hamill, michael caine, samuel l. jackson, spy

COLIN FIRTH IN KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE

2015 rating: **1/2 Gallant, snarky, self-aware, debonair, extremely violent and excruciatingly polarizing, KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE ...

MARVEL PRESENTS CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0gPUIop-6ZAriN3XwEzS-1t-nBWm3u7JoE2VdyPmZgCrXlyWreagUM-Tei3BIymu9sNK9EO8h3SuJBhWTo71GP3Q8BaJnB8zWin6obAT1MXUfboAG8rucltErNsEGEHKE4ctK8bdryE/s1600/2aaaea27-f3d2-40fe-b2fa-a62f535d6fe9_zps8dda70f8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0gPUIop-6ZAriN3XwEzS-1t-nBWm3u7JoE2VdyPmZgCrXlyWreagUM-Tei3BIymu9sNK9EO8h3SuJBhWTo71GP3Q8BaJnB8zWin6obAT1MXUfboAG8rucltErNsEGEHKE4ctK8bdryE/s320/2aaaea27-f3d2-40fe-b2fa-a62f535d6fe9_zps8dda70f8.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2014 rating: *1/2</td></tr> </tbody></table> “Lotta things you don’t know about me,” Nick Fury tells Captain America… And he could also be talking to the theater audience since so far, through several films, the monotone, monologue-spouting S.H.I.E.L.D chief has been kept on the peripheral…<br /> <br /> And now he, along with former Russian agent Natasha, can step into the co-lead spotlight, which sadly winds up casting an extremely dull glow on everyone…<br /> <br /> Especially our hero, Steve Rogers, who literally starts out in a brisk, humorous pace and then has a bland pop culture conversation with fellow soldier Sam Wilson, played by Anthony Mackie, a forced sidekick eventually donning his winged-costume befitting a bad cartoon...<br /> <br /> Perfectly suited for other Marvel ventures, the new character Falcon awkwardly contrasts to the gloomy plot that's part James Bond, part political thriller: The latter where Robert Redford, as a stiff-suited wolf in sheep's clothing... setting up giant drone flying machines to "protect" the country... fits like a dreary glove.   <br /> <br /> Between spurts of bombastic action are lofty conversations about American defense, questionable freedom and glimpses into the first movie including a pointless visit to Steve's old stomping grounds… This occurs after Sam Jackson’s Fury has his very own car chase leading to the introduction of a stealthy, long-haired assassin with limitless fighting skills, equal to Captain America, and whose real identity adds to the melodrama. (Tony Stark, where are you? These people take themselves way too seriously!) <br /> <br /> The only good parts that seem worthy of – or that were already wasted and/or spoiled on – theatrical trailers happen much too fast while the<i> </i>head villain’s wag-the-dog goal is not only cliché, but for a  world derived from comic book origins, and following up the cinematic spectacle that is THE AVENGERS, this uneven, uninspired SOLDIER is no fun at all...

2014, chris evans, comic book, marvel, robert redford, samuel l. jackson, scarlett johansson

MARVEL PRESENTS CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER

year: 2014 rating: *1/2 “Lotta things you don’t know about me,” Nick Fury tells Captain America… And he could also be talking to the the...

SPIKE LEE REDIRECTS OLDBOY

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4CmzBw57-JYc0hCKxbbejvD0sDvcFarcoo1ThSggkx7OA00W6nm3GuIlWrOPK7SmjwfHaTg0d7fIRo9nXEmcDMZYi3SPIyruQ-MtY4At-YToS9OF3gQOX_wrYzbk83hFRjTUnUjs4lzU/s1600/oldboy1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4CmzBw57-JYc0hCKxbbejvD0sDvcFarcoo1ThSggkx7OA00W6nm3GuIlWrOPK7SmjwfHaTg0d7fIRo9nXEmcDMZYi3SPIyruQ-MtY4At-YToS9OF3gQOX_wrYzbk83hFRjTUnUjs4lzU/s640/oldboy1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2013 cast: Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Samuel L. Jackson rating: **</td></tr> </tbody></table> By the time Josh Brolin’s Joe Doucett is released from his bizarre motel room/prison cell after a twenty-year sentence, it’s like he was never there at all…<br /> <br /> How could Spike Lee pull off making so much time behind an iron door, watching television, drinking vodka and eating dumplings, seem prolonged, dire and agonizing using quickly edited montage sequences of Joe donning a Rip Van Winkle beard, watching news footage of various catastrophes and the introduction of three presidents, writing to his daughter and constantly hearing about his wife’s murder he was falsely accused of? All the brooding and screaming just isn’t convincing enough… This important, pivotal sequence is glossed over like a music video… Even when Joe finds his only friend, in the form of a pregnant mouse, the result occurs so quickly you’ll never quite feel the attachment – what should have been heartbreaking winds up unintentionally hilarious although, later on, an extended fight scene with a stagnant camera pointed straight at Joe, who furiously takes down venomous thugs while an intentionally melodramatic soundtrack blares, is somewhat entertaining...<br /> <br /> Forced to watch vintage Kung Fu flicks during his incarceration, our hero obviously learned a thing or two… As did the director: Being able to witness gritty action without exploiting the "modern" in-your-face shaky-cam is a nice change... Meanwhile, during the time after Joe's freed, chasing clues with a beautiful young woman, the mysterious maze becomes a poor man's version of THE GAME but not without a dash of genuine intrigue… That’s until the main villain is introduced and fully realized – a lecturing pill so smug and arrogant you’ll wanna mentally fast-forward to the inevitable twist that, in the case of OLDBOY, is more uncomfortable than satisfying… Which can also sum up the entire movie.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsX4v7Ls5lb2IuG4MYFjFvD_1hr4FQFfgsE9aQ3uwyCb3n9fyJ1nOQ3Y5t4QmdtGoOGLJDAhuPI31hnvdyDdCt2gaggZegSkoGZvZKHgXjrEHUD0Pd1pT4flNQsTRmHg6RZI1y6ZXQUb4/s1600/oldboy07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsX4v7Ls5lb2IuG4MYFjFvD_1hr4FQFfgsE9aQ3uwyCb3n9fyJ1nOQ3Y5t4QmdtGoOGLJDAhuPI31hnvdyDdCt2gaggZegSkoGZvZKHgXjrEHUD0Pd1pT4flNQsTRmHg6RZI1y6ZXQUb4/s640/oldboy07.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Who green-lighted this completely unnecessary remake? Come on, let me at 'em!"</td></tr> </tbody></table>

2013, action, elizabeth olsen, josh brolin, mindtrip, remake, samuel l. jackson, spike lee

SPIKE LEE REDIRECTS OLDBOY

year: 2013 cast: Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Samuel L. Jackson rating: ** By the time Josh Brolin’s Joe Doucett is released from his b...

TURBO VS DESPICABLE ME 2

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3HJ1Dv-CEC6Y7ccb03YmL3_8lbx2whQ-qeCXG4WlpOlfp76D_R-jCE-T6Nw9SUIXj8EzdrkrmZPOuyZZS11Ro5wTVBT-aTfiM_mDL-2upWgnVdcBqUYbT7FlowuzSIb40zDS3OJyfVZw/s1600/turbo-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3HJ1Dv-CEC6Y7ccb03YmL3_8lbx2whQ-qeCXG4WlpOlfp76D_R-jCE-T6Nw9SUIXj8EzdrkrmZPOuyZZS11Ro5wTVBT-aTfiM_mDL-2upWgnVdcBqUYbT7FlowuzSIb40zDS3OJyfVZw/s640/turbo-movie-poster.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">year: 2013 cast: Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Ken Jeong, Steve Carell, Kristin Wiig rating: *1/2 rating: **</td></tr> </tbody></table> Since Disney, many years ago, provided a human-like Volkswagen Bug racing in Monte Carlo, perhaps the competing DreamWorks could have a Snail competing in the Indy 500 make sense. Even for a cartoon this premise is farfetched and downright preposterous, but the worst scenes are those leading up to the big race.<br /> <br /> Actually, the first twenty minutes aren’t too bad: getting to know <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">TURBO</span>, a snail who dreams of being a race car driver… or rather, being the car and driver both… while working with his snail buddies in a community that lives a suburban home’s vegetable garden.<br /> <br /> While the movie works for kids during the initial setup in the colorful garden world, there are scenes where crows swoop down and quickly kill several snails. Of course we never get to know those particular characters to make those deaths sad, but they are shocking.<br /> <br /> Although when Turbo’s best buddy Chet (voiced with melancholy sarcasm by Paul Giamatti) gets snagged by one of the killer crows, Turbo, who gained the power of becoming a jet-powered hot rod after being sucked inside an engine during a local race, goes to the rescue and both snails wind up saved, or captured, or both, by one of the most annoying cartoon and/or computer-animated characters in history: a fat twenty-something Latino named Tito whose uncle owns a taco stand, one of several stores in a forsaken outdoor mall with shops run by other completely uninteresting characters. For some reason, Tito and his friends race snails in a mechanic's garage, and here they discover a lucrative potential for advertisement.<br /> <br /> The commercials and trailers set up the other hot rodding snails, voiced by Sam Jackson and Snoop Dogg to name a few, as if they were actually part of the storyline, and yet they have hardly anything to do with Turbo’s goal, instigated by Tito to save his uncle’s store: competing in the Indy 500 against a conceited human superstar. All scenes leading up are tortuous and lame, and you’ll be glad once the revving competition is underway since it means the end is near. <br /> <br /> Meanwhile <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">DESPICABLE ME 2 </span>is a kiddie film with potential… for adults. The premise centers on Steve Carell’s formerly world-renowned villain: after adopting daughters, Cru has, along with a bevy of one-eyed alien minions, turned into a mundane suburban father. Till Kristin Wiig’s Lucy brings Cru back into the  business to, like Hannibal Lecter, help find a similar bad guy. The best scene has obvious love interest Lucy taking Cru to her underground compound in a car much like James Bond’s in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME. Leading to an intriguing premise: within a large busy mall, one of the store owners could be the next villain who wants to take over the world. It’s during the undercover investigation the film drags with prolonged musical numbers and an overlong conclusion dealing with a familiar enemy (to Cru). The aliens running around clumsily are humorous but can get tiresome after a while.<br /> <br /> Despite the flaws, children <i>will</i> keep interested throughout, unlike TURBO: youngins were yawning halfway through that slugfest.

2013, action, computer animated, kristin wiig, paul giamatti, race car, samuel l. jackson, steve carell

TURBO VS DESPICABLE ME 2

year: 2013 cast: Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Ken Jeong, Steve Carell, Kristin Wiig rating: *1/2 rating: ** Since Disney, many years ag...

QUENTIN TARANTINO DIRECTS DJANGO UNCHAINED

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEgp2cmIxG9cm5-haft342r_goJRfTanDpxsO8wrZO313lpMauAcwCsG-eqrKjyukUGM5gex0Azu6k5EtPDPuHRaLuTT2RWKJWKMpWEulkgfYh-fw8nwypRCATZr96SGJsbuJUjvn3to/s1600/unchained+django.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCEgp2cmIxG9cm5-haft342r_goJRfTanDpxsO8wrZO313lpMauAcwCsG-eqrKjyukUGM5gex0Azu6k5EtPDPuHRaLuTT2RWKJWKMpWEulkgfYh-fw8nwypRCATZr96SGJsbuJUjvn3to/s16000/unchained+django.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>year: 2012 cast: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Don Johnson rating: **1/2</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> Modern exploitation guru Quentin Tarantino serves up historical revenge once again. His last film, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, had the German Nazis getting theirs, and now, with a good German on board (the villain from the last film) we’re out to set things right in the American Deep South, two years shy of the Civil War…<br /> <br /> Although the first half takes place on the road from Texas to Mississippi as bounty hunting dentist Dr. King Schultz recruits a slave named Django to help him find three outlaw brothers (Django alone knows their appearance)... These are the more spirited and deliciously cutthroat segments as our heroes partner up and, as Django puts it, “Kill white people for money.” <br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTft1Tx88yDRp_OK2C14q2oev5_kPgxZFJAUvBhPiyi1t7FsE4vqo181grrNiuAiCXKREUfazlxzYr8uqwkR__tfHJ5JAhkWoTcNMi2J2ltUU1YhfmXkmjSHNWbhXzdIv18fayVPOOmE/s1600/ddd1.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTft1Tx88yDRp_OK2C14q2oev5_kPgxZFJAUvBhPiyi1t7FsE4vqo181grrNiuAiCXKREUfazlxzYr8uqwkR__tfHJ5JAhkWoTcNMi2J2ltUU1YhfmXkmjSHNWbhXzdIv18fayVPOOmE/s320/ddd1.jpg" width="178" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christoph Waltz</td></tr> </tbody></table> Christoph Waltz (Schultz) and Jamie Foxx (Django) are a good team, and while making mince meat out of their targets, the bloodshed is something to marvel. But Tarantino throws in awkward bouts of humor, derailing the intensity of the moment. One particular scene where a group of rednecks complain about not seeing through masked eyeholes (including a very distracting cameo by Jonah Hill) feels like Mel Brooks clumsily intruding Sergio Leone. <br /> <br /> After Django helps Schultz with his job, it’s time for the doctor to aid his more-than-capable partner rescue Django's wife Broomhilda, who resides at “Candyland,” an infamous Antebellum plantation run by the sinister though much too youthful Calvin Candie. <br /> <br /> While Leonardo DiCaprio has more than capable acting skills, and savors the gloriously tyrannical racist dialog, there could have/should have been a backstory on why the owner of a plantation looks fresh out of finishing school. For a man who’s supposed to have a lifetime of seething venom oozing from his veins, those desperately piercing blue eyes seem more confused and frustrated than cold and calculating, making Tarantino’s purposely overboard racism more of a crutch than weapon for the DiCaprio character (perhaps Don Johnson, who played a wily brothel owner in a previous scene, could have taken this role… he had the age going for him and with that, soulless eyes that look like he’s seen – and been through – pretty much everything).<br /> <br /> But Leo’s not alone. He’s helped along by the most wicked of Uncle Tom’s played by Samuel Jackson, whose spitefully cantankerous Stephen figures things out before his boss. This is a nice role for the QT stock actor, who has sleepwalked through many roles post PULP FICTION and JACKIE BROWN. Although his feeble mannerisms often slow down the performance, and at times he seems to be performing. <br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJekmyVBtl3Hf5LV5-j2toEneWVeMxGfOV2Jgmj4B14pZ982j0jwDfq1iNfe4-ev78F3dSrJdwGi-yTvMaZsL1LArGHNCMomVcPnR9F1d3HTTtPeJRmldB-Ni9YziCpvqbgg_On65B6E/s1600/1.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJekmyVBtl3Hf5LV5-j2toEneWVeMxGfOV2Jgmj4B14pZ982j0jwDfq1iNfe4-ev78F3dSrJdwGi-yTvMaZsL1LArGHNCMomVcPnR9F1d3HTTtPeJRmldB-Ni9YziCpvqbgg_On65B6E/s320/1.jpg" width="174" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jamie Foxx</td></tr> </tbody></table> The main problem with UNCHAINED is how long Tarantino stretches scenes with dialog. While the actors, especially Waltz and DiCaprio, have a blast with colorful monologues, you’ll often forget there are other characters on board – and most of the speeches fail to serve the plot: the duo pretending to buy Mandingo slave fighters when they really want to free Django's girl, a slave. And unlike the movies QT grew up on, especially the Leone Westerns, there's never a genuine feeling of being outdoors. Even the exterior shots, especially the opening chain gang sequence, feels contrived and constrained.<br /> <br /> With all the deals and discussions going on, the much-anticipated reunion of Django and Broomhilda is lost in the mix. Not even Django’s surreptitious trigger finger (whenever she's treated badly) adds worthy suspense, which, during this overlong stint at Candyland, is very much needed. But there’s not all downtime at the mansion: a particular Candie lecture involving a slave’s skull does successfully perk things up, providing DiCaprio a good five minutes of sheer unapologetic villainy. Then, after a shocking twist, it’s Django alone who must save his girl.<br /> <br /> Jamie Foxx, having played a quietly brooding second fiddle to Waltz so far, makes up for lost time with heated gusto. This third and final act involving a group of Australians being duped by Django, who’s learned the art of waxing poetic, is replete with the bare-knuckle action we’ve anticipated (although large chunks of bloody guts flying off each gunshot victim seems like Tarantino doing an overboard imitation of himself). There are some decent montage sequences, but some of the music, especially that of the rap nature, seems too modern for the time portrayed. And the editing feels somewhat limp without QT’s longtime collaborator Sally Menke, who died a few years back: Particular flashbacks and hallucinations are often confusing and awkward.  <br /> <br />An okay ride, much better than Quentin’s last two films (BASTERDS and DEATH PROOF), yet there needed a much tighter/sharper vehicle for our hero to truly deserve the fanfare of the literally explosive finale. Instead of being the title character he mostly seems a sidekick. <br />

2012, blaxploitation, christoph waltz, dennis christopher, exploitation, james remar, jamie foxx, leonardo dicaprio, quentin tarantino, samuel l. jackson

QUENTIN TARANTINO DIRECTS DJANGO UNCHAINED

year: 2012 cast: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Don Johnson rating: **1/2 Modern exploitation guru Quentin Tarantino se...

THE OTHER GUYS

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpao1KtG_RwekrUnIGB5cxnIa8v1ax4kah37GgMl1Gcisq_xcKqmCSgFpLsPM9m2RpDxeD9tXS9OYWRZEROUdGZEweGkgAJSBLQWuUux905seucHJYivq1AoP245DnlYr5jNDYGVtEIU/s1600/the-other-guys-motion-poster-25-3-10-kc.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581529346805647186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpao1KtG_RwekrUnIGB5cxnIa8v1ax4kah37GgMl1Gcisq_xcKqmCSgFpLsPM9m2RpDxeD9tXS9OYWRZEROUdGZEweGkgAJSBLQWuUux905seucHJYivq1AoP245DnlYr5jNDYGVtEIU/s200/the-other-guys-motion-poster-25-3-10-kc.jpg" style="MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; WIDTH: 106px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: pointer" /></a><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">title: </span>THE OTHER GUYS<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">year: </span>2010<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">cast:</span> Mark Wahlberg, Will Farrell, Michael Keaton, Eva Mendes, Samuel L. Jackson<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">rating:</span> **1/2<br /><br />There have been so many buddy cop movies throughout the years, any new attempt is usually tongue-in-cheek satire: a plot riding backseat to what makes the genre work: the contrary personalities of the duo and how they bicker back and forth, eventually making up to take on, and then defeat, the villain. This is no different, giving ample time for Mark Walhberg, as a frustrated, hard-boiled jerk who wants to make a difference, and mellow, passive desk-jockey Will Farrell, to clash and clash some more. Farrell does his usual clueless, sweet-natured airhead while Walhberg tries his best to counterbalance with sporadic intensity, making up for the fact his role, if more comedic, could have fit John C. Reilly. Not bad, and not too great, but entertaining enough to wile away the time.

mark walhberg, michael keaton, modern, samuel l. jackson, tens, will ferrell

THE OTHER GUYS

title: THE OTHER GUYS year: 2010 cast: Mark Wahlberg, Will Farrell, Michael Keaton, Eva Mendes, Samuel L. Jackson rating: **1/2 There have...

IRON MAN 2

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGV5Ssl1we__A6f1mmm48dURgnUtVRjFOlG5uR6lcMS5lm4AQVs0V7jqnl2Oe70oQ7fH_Omy0r-to1Te5eOnzCSMAoKNZgCFOUapkiB2dDuinHT5niGLe4hWJ_ZNmoMsavzR88vYHNcc/s1600/IRONMAN2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572123717966619954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGV5Ssl1we__A6f1mmm48dURgnUtVRjFOlG5uR6lcMS5lm4AQVs0V7jqnl2Oe70oQ7fH_Omy0r-to1Te5eOnzCSMAoKNZgCFOUapkiB2dDuinHT5niGLe4hWJ_ZNmoMsavzR88vYHNcc/s200/IRONMAN2.jpg" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 200px; float: right; height: 132px;" /></a><strong>title:</strong> IRON MAN 2<br /><div><strong>year:</strong> 2010</div><div><strong>cast:</strong> Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell</div><div><strong>rating:</strong> **1/2</div><br /><div></div><div>Although it's intriguing watching Robert Downey Jr. as millionaire Tony Stark who, with too much fame, money, booze and girls, behaves like Downey did in the nineties (short of waking up in a stranger's living room), this is an action film lacking action. Mickey Rourke makes for a potentially decent villain, but is given two (relatively quick) scenes battling our hero, the metal clad warrior not up for saving the world (but from what, or who?). The lack of a decent heavy is replaced by Sam Rockwell's sleazy arms-dealing senator, given too much dialog in scenes that need more <em>punch</em>. Much like ROCKY IV... a lazy "champion" with too much money verses a killer Russian... but even that had more vapidly entertaining comic book appeal, something this needed more of. </div>

comic book, franchise, mickey rourke, robert downey jr., sam rockwell, samuel l. jackson, sequel, superhero, tens

IRON MAN 2

title: IRON MAN 2 year: 2010 cast: Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell rating: **1/2 Although it's intriguing watching Ro...

RAGTIME

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGU6DQ7RdDR-ITCvZhBp5UAsENs9UeR-ZtQt7oCssDSncDOnfYDrjOh0UWzTHdsravt4g16JwvP9otV-of_jt171ABaHFl3T8dx3MJKbsLQrNFxkj85xHaI8ZvZbSIieeVx9lY4RzTgNA/s1600/patrick_ragtime1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557064149712497890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGU6DQ7RdDR-ITCvZhBp5UAsENs9UeR-ZtQt7oCssDSncDOnfYDrjOh0UWzTHdsravt4g16JwvP9otV-of_jt171ABaHFl3T8dx3MJKbsLQrNFxkj85xHaI8ZvZbSIieeVx9lY4RzTgNA/s200/patrick_ragtime1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 140px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">title: </span>RAGTIME<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">year: </span>1981<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">cast:</span> Howard Rollins Jr., James Cagney, James Olson, Brad Dourif<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">rating:</span> **<br /> <br /> With a great script, director Milos Forman can make a perfect film. With a mediocre script, Milos will make a mediocre film that looks great. Such is the case in this period drama centering on a black man, Howard Rollins, holed-up in a library with thugs (including a young Sam Jackson) and explosives because of what happened to his car and his lady. Legendary James Cagney plays a police commissioner after a long screen absence, but seems to be going through the motions: perhaps because of his advanced age. But the most frustrating aspect of this E.L. Doctorow adaptation is that it initially promises to be a big film on a grand scale, teasing us with gorgeous sets, historical tie-ins, and various eclectic characters who, by the end, mean very little.

adaptation, eighties, howard rollins jr., james cagney, milos forman, period piece, samuel l. jackson

RAGTIME

title: RAGTIME year: 1981 cast: Howard Rollins Jr., James Cagney, James Olson, Brad Dourif rating: ** With a great script, director M...