Spectre is a Globetrotting Thrill Ride

There are many adjectives that one could use to describe this next installment of the Bond franchise but none stick out over the other. With that said, this is one of the most well-rounded Bond films in recent memory. Ever since Casino Royale rebooted the Bond series, the proceeding films are slowly starting to resemble the Bond of old — the inclusion of Q, Moneypenny, gadgets and the omnipresent SPECTRE organization.

Daniel Craig’s Bond is on a mission for the late M so that he can track down an elusive man who has been behind his many tragedies (dating back to Casino Royale). Just as this is going on, the new M and company must fend off a global takeover of intelligence. I do not wish to spoil anything regarding the plot as there are some neat surprises.

More than anything, the film revels in some excellent action scenes that harken back to films like On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and From Russia with Love. The sheer scope of this film tops all previous entries as Bond travels to Mexico, Italy, Morocco, the United Kingdom and Austria. The cinematographer (Hoyte van Hoytema) doesn’t waste any effort as he beautifully captures the varying scenery that really is something to behold on the big screen. Not just that but also the music by Thomas Newman really stands out this time. In fact, I was so mesmerized by the music that it eerily reminded me of the score by Michael Stearns in Baraka. If you’re familiar with that film (which doesn’t have any words but rather strictly music and visuals) you’ll know that it is very ethereal. Look, I hardly ever use that word to describe a movie. Don’t worry though, when it’s time for action, the music certainly does its part in keeping up.

The performances by Daniel Craig and his MI6 crew: M (Ralph Fiennes), Q (Ben Whishaw), and Moneypenny (Naomi Harris) all really shine in their roles and they’re chemistry doesn’t go without notice. More than anything, it is Craig’s tortured, misunderstood Bond that is the core to this film. We don’t see a Bond that questions why he does what he does that is until he meets Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux). She presents a philosophical/intellectual challenge to Bond. We haven’t seen Bond in love since Casino Royale and it is a welcome addition to this film. It grounds him, at least for a short while (they’ll likely never stop making Bond movies with all the money it’s pulling in). Then there’s the main villain, played by Christoph Waltz. Waltz eats up most every scene but I couldn’t help but want more from his character. He seemed too one-dimensional in his goals.

The film is on a larger scale than Skyfall (if you can believe it) but doesn’t take itself as serious. This will either bother or please audiences. I would say I am most pleased. There were serious moments but they were sprinkled with your tongue in cheek dialogue and skimpy plot devices that were used to solve impossible situations. However, this IS the Bond of old. In my opinion, this is the perfect mixture of drama, nuanced humor, and larger than life action.

Grade: A

 

Let’ talk about that Doctor Strange movie.

There are ‘most’ of you out there that have no idea who Doctor Strange is but much just like Iron Man, you will likely become very familiar with the name upon the film’s release in November of 2016. The story follows a morally conflicted neurosurgeon after he is involved in a horrible car accident. The accident makes him useless as a surgeon but he ends up discovering the power of magic and alternate dimensions.

It’s pretty ‘out there’ and may not attract many based on that premise alone but the cast of the movie will definitely turn heads. Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Star Trek, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) has been cast as the films lead a few months ago. If you haven’t seen him in Sherlock then drop everything right now and watch it. It’s the best Sherlock Holmes easily.

Check out the rest of the cast!

Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave, upcoming The Martian) as Baron Mondo — villain

Rachel McAdams (True Detective, The Notebook) in an undisclosed role — just announced today.

Tilda Swinton (Snowpiercer, The Grand Budapest Hotel) as Doctor Strange’s mentor, The Ancient One

Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal TV series, Casino Royale, Valhalla Rising) as a mystery villain

The film comes from a script by Jon Spaihts (co-writer of Prometheus, The Darkest Hour) and directed by Scott Derrickson (Sinister, Deliver Us from Evil). Tonally, the filmmakers involved make sense. Also, remember this is a Marvel film that actually looks to deviate from a lot of the type of movies they’ve been churning out in the last five years or so. So, the change is welcome.

Captain America: Civil War (May 2016) will begin Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe which is followed by Doctor Strange. The rest of Phase Three is includes the following movies:

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
an untitled Spider-Man movie
Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War part 1
Black Panther
Captain Marvel
Avengers: Infinity War part 2
Inhumans

If you want a breakdown of the ‘phases’, then check out the Wikipedia listing here.

Marvel definitely does not sound like they’ll be slowing down anytime soon. It seems like every comic book character will be getting their due at the box office. It’s a win-win for comic book fans. Also, who doesn’t like Benedict Cumberbatch?!

August 2015 Movie Releases (DvD & Blu-Ray)

August 4^th

Insurgent – The movie cousin to The Hunger Games has a sequel. Based upon the YA(young adult) novel, this sequel focuses on the war between four factions (Amity, Abnegation, Erudite, and Dauntless). Tris is one of the divergents (having all 4 characteristics) as she helps lead the way in a fight for peace or something like that. Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet and the god awful Jai Courtney.

Do You Believe? – A religious movie about how a pastor influences another pastor to be more pastorly. Starring: Mira Sorvino, Sean Astin (Rudy), and Cybill Shepherd.

True Story – This is that James Franco and Jonah Hill movie that was based on a true story. It focuses on the relationship between a writer, Finkel (Hill) and a murderer, Longo (Franco), taking upon Finkel’s identity. Finkel was a writer for the New York Times Magazine and was actually fired for fabricating parts of a news story in 2002.

Child 44 – Tom Hardy plays a Russian Intelligence agent (in the Joseph Stalin era) who takes on a case involving multiple murders of children. Leo Demidov’s (Hardy) case leads to high authorities in the Russian government. Based upon the first in a trilogy of novels by Tom Rob Smith, the story follows Demidov’s exploits. Starring: Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace (Prometheus), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight, The Professional), Joel Kinnaman (The Killing, upcoming Suicide Squad), Jason Clarke (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), Vincent Cassel (Trance), and Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, The Golden Child).An incredible cast doesn’t always spell box office success. Still, I am likely to rent this.

A Little Chaos – A movie about competitive garden designers that are tasked to create a one of a kind water fountain on the grounds of le chateau de Versailles. I’m not making this up. Starring: Kate Winslet (The Reader), Alan Rickman (Harry Potter), Stanley Tucci(Transformers 4: Age of Extinction), and Matthias Schoenaerts (Bullhead).

Adult Beginners – A drama about a businessman (Nick Kroll) that loses it all but while staying with his sister (Rose Byrne) learns valuable life lessons. Starring: Nick Kroll (The League), Rose Byrne (X-Men: First Class), Bobby Cannavale (Ant-Man), Joel McHale (Ted) and Jason Mantzoukas (The Dictator, The League).

The Salvation – Mads Mikkelsen stars as a vengeful settler in the American West circa 1870s after the murder of his family. After killing the man responsible, the leader of their gang also seeks revenge. Looks like a decent flick. Starring: Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale, Hannibal), Eva Green (Casino Royale), and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen).

Barely Lethal – This movie follows a 16 year old teenager assassin after she fakes her own death and enrolls in a suburban high school. She quickly learns that school clicks and popularity come at a price. Starring: Jessica Alba (Sin City), Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones), and Samuel L. Jackson (every movie). Yawn!

Madame Bovary – A drama focusing on an adulterous wife as she tries to escape her boring lifestyle. Starring: Mia Wasikowska (In Treatment, Alice in Wonderland), Ezra Miller (Trainwreck, upcoming Flash), Paul Giamatti (Sideways) and Rhys Ifans (The Amazing Spider-Man).

Jackie & Ryan – Katherine Heigl still manages to headline movies, although this one looks straight to video. The story involves two musicians as they find themselves in love. Starring Katherine Heigl, Ben Barnes and Clea DuVall.

 

August 11^th

Hot Pursuit – All of the previews for this mess looked like a rip off of The Heat with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. This is a ‘female buddy’ film that has a conservative cop (Reese Witherspoon) and the wife of a drug dealer (Sofia Vergara) that must team up against a drug cartel. If Sofia’s blabbering accent on Modern Family isn’t enough for you, then check this out!

Unfriended – A high school girl that killed herself due to a cruel prank now communicates via Skype in video group chats! Okay, it sounds lame but at least it’s a different way for the genre of horror to reach another generation of kids.

Robot Overlords – Humans are slaves to a race of robots that conquered the world. People are confined to their homes and must wear implants. I’m not sure how this escaped me as it stars Ben Kingsley (Ghandi, Tut) and Gillian Anderson (X-Files). I may watch if the SyFy Channel picks it up.

 

August 18^th

Little Boy – A seven year old boy ventures off to bring his father back home from the World War II. The boy’s innocence incites those embedded in the war. Starring Emily Watson, Kevin James (you read that right), Michael Rapaport, Tom Wilkinson and Ali Landry (that hot Dorito’s commercial girl).

Lambert & Stamp – This documentary chronicles the journey of aspiring filmmakers, Christopher Stamp and Kit Lambert, as they try to produce a movie during the 1960’s underground music scene. The doc also features footage with famous people related to The Who, Richard Barnes, Roger Daltry, and Pete Townshend.

5 to 7 – This is a romantic comedy that follows a woman who writes about falling in love. Things get crazy when the person she is in love with is the French diplomat’s wife! Gasp! Caged Heat sounds better.

Strangerland – A family moves to the Australian outback when a dust storm results in the loss of their children. A search party forms to find the missing children amidst rumors and suspicion. Spooky! Starring: Nicole Kidman (Fur), Joseph Fiennes (Voldemort’s brother) and Hugo Weaving (The Matrix, Lord of the Rings).

The Riot Club – In this thriller, two freshman join an infamous club at Oxford. One day, all of the spoiled, rich students get in over their heads. Based upon the play, Posh.  The movie,Skulls, is probably much better than this but that ain’t saying much!

Vendetta – Remember Dean Cain? Well, if you haven’t went out of your way to research where he’s been, you’d still only remember him for playing Superman in the TV series, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Mr. Cain has been playing in direct to video movies for quite some time. In this movie, he plays a cop who must get revenge after his wife is murdered by The Big Show (Paul Wight or WWE fame). This looks like hung-over viewing.

 

August 25^th

Aloha – An all-star cast surrounds this box office disappointment. Brian Gilcrest is a US weapons consultant that becomes disgraced, then later talks to a robot and then eventually heads to Hawaii to oversee the launch of a spy satellite. He must also get permission for the launch from the Hawaiian council as part of his assignment. Directed by fan-favorite Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire) and starring: Bradley Cooper, Emma, Stone, Rachel McAdams, John Krasinski, Danny McBride, Alec Baldwin, and Bill Murray.

Citizenfour – This riveting looking documentary showcases how filmmaker, Laura Poitras (who focuses on gov’t surveillance of private citizens post 9/11) receives an encrypted email by “citizenfour” who claims to have inside knowledge of covert surveillance by intelligence agencies. “Citizenfour” ends up being Edward Snowden. The documentary focuses on key interviews with Snowden and Julian Assange. Looks very interesting.

Where Hope Grows – Holy 1980s! This movie stars Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years) and William Zabka (bad guy from The Karate Kid). The story focuses on a former professional baseball player who retires because of panic attacks. He eventually develops a relationship with a store clerk who has Downs Syndrome. His perspective on life changes and hope is learned…blah…blah…blah….I’ll pass.

Two Days, One Night – Marion Cotillard (Inception, La Vie en Rose) stars in this drama about how working class people who may have been disenfranchised from society. Sandra (Cotillard) tries to return to her job after an episode of depression only to find that her employer no longer needs her. She learns her fate is to be decided by her fellow employees in a vote.

Big Game – A teenager finds the President of the United States in a pod while hunting. Together they must make it through the woods alive as terrorists close in. Starring: Samuel L. Jackson (every movie) and Onni Tommila.

Skin Trade – Dolph Lundgren stars as a detective out for revenge after his family was slain by the mob. The mob is eventually connected to a human trafficking ring and Dolph must work with Tony Jaa (Ong Bak, The Defender), a Thai detective, to destroy them once and for all. Hung-over viewing.

Justice League: Gods and Monsters – Set in an alternate universe, DC’s trinity (Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman) find themselves framed for a bombing. DC’s main guns all have different origin stories and must decide whether they want to save the world or conquer it. Voice actors: Benjamin Bratt, Michael C. Hall, Tamara Taylor, Jason Isaacs and C. Thomas Howell. It’s a comic book animated movie! Count me in.

Lila & Eve – A drama/thriller surrounding a mother, Lila, who loses her son in a drive by shooting.  Lila eventually meets Eve, another mother who lost her daughter the same night. Together they go after the criminals responsible. Starring: Viola Davis and Jennifer Lopez. Lifetime should starting making theatrical releases.

October Gale – This follows a doctor who tries to assist an injured man on an island from a man that is hunting him. Starring Patricia Clarkson, Scott Speedman, and Tim Roth.

The Runner – Nicolas Cage is back again as a once idealistic politician that must re-examine his life after a sex scandal destroys his career. Not to be confused with a good movie, this stars Nicolas Cage, Sarah Paulson (12 Years a Slave), Peter Fonda (Easy Rider) and Connie Nielsen (Gladiator). Will Nic Cage ever make a comeback from box office obscurity?

New Spectre Trailer Has James Bond Going After Secretive Organization!

We finally have a footage that reveals much more to the story of SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion) and how the organization ties in with James Bond. They are always lurking in the shadows until now. Any James Bond fan will urge that Christoph Waltz must be playing Spectre leader, Blofeld, but that is yet to be confirmed.

You even see a shot of actor Andrew Scott (Moriarty in BBC’s Sherlock) who plays Max Denbigh, head of Centre for National Security as he stares menacingly into the camera and another where he and M (Ralph Fiennes) are fighting.

It also looks like the gadgetry component of this Bond stretch is getting an upgrade. Ben Whishaw reprises his role as Q. We see an Aston Martin that looks to be super-fast and a quick chase scene along the Ponte Sisto Bridge in Rome. So the more classic take on Bond will be emphasized. No complaints from me!

You’ll get a glimpse of Lea Seydoux (Blue is the Warmest Color) as Madeleine Swann, the supposed daughter of Mr. White (played by Jesper Christensen). Mr. White will look to make an appearance himself (we last saw him in Casino Royale as one of Le Chiffre’s henchmen and agent of the Quantum Organization). It’s likely that Bond will seek out Madeleine Swann for answers in regards to the mysterious Spectre organization.

Some takeways: Did you hear the On Her Majesty’s Secret Service theme in the trailer? The Austrian mountain scenes are also reminiscent of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Actually, it seems this film is inspired from a lot of the Bond movies that came before it. Waltz is being billed as Franz Oberhauser (son of Hannes Oberhauser) but it is likely he’ll be revealed as Blofeld. I’m guessing this will go down in a similar fashion to that of Star Trek Into Darkness.

This trailer has a lot to speculate on! I can’t wait until November 6, 2015 when it hits theaters.

 

Action Heroes in the 21st Century

Happy Easter!!! In celebration, I thought I’d rant about action heroes in cinema!

The action hero has been embedded in the Hollywood paradigm since the 1950s with John Wayne, Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood in the 1960s/1970s, and Steven Seagal, Jean Claude Van Damme, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Jackie Chan in the 1980s/1990s. Action heroes of the 1980s and onward defined a lot of careers but the idea of the action hero has since changed. If I had to mark a year in which the change happened I would have to say 1996 or 1997. In these years, we saw the movies “Mission Impossible”, “Face/Off”, and “The Rock”. What separates these movies from action movies of the past? Focus on storytelling and acting.

Mission Impossible

Do you remember the first time you saw “Face/Off”? I’m not talking about the plausibility of switching faces but the emphasis on the consequences of living another life as your mortal enemy. A serious action movie with heavy elements of drama proved to be more effective. Let’s be honest, Stallone and Schwarzenegger in the same movie instead of Travolta and Cage would be a disaster. They simply do not have the acting prowess.

Face Off

So, during these two years(1996/1997) we saw the careers of JCVD, Stallone, and Schwarzenegger slow down and a different formula was introduced. It’s funny as it was JCVD who helped introduce the director, John Woo, to American audiences with “Hard Target” and it would be to his detriment as Woo would later make the movies “Face/Off”, “Mission Impossible 2” and “Broken Arrow”. In the same two year period Stallone came out with “Daylight”, JCVD came out with “Double Team” with Dennis Rodman of all people, and Schwarzenegger was pushing out “Eraser” and “Batman and Robin”. Today, you simply cannot think of these guys and not think of the stereotypical action hero that dominated the 1980s and early 1990s.

Double Team

What helped bury the idea of the 1980s action hero came in the form of superhero movies (X-Men, Spider-Man, Batman Begins) and the ‘smart action movie’ in the 2000s — “Bourne Identity” series, neo James Bond — “Casino Royale” and “Kill Bill”. I’m not including “The Fast and the Furious” franchise for obvious reasons but I’ll get back to that. So now superheroes are everywhere and ‘real actors’ are being more relied upon to take up mantles as action heroes(even though they don’t nearly have the physical presence that our 1980s action stars had). And look, the only reason the “Expendables” movies are doing so well (minus the last one) is because they are grouping all of these action stars of old and putting them in the same movie and even pitting them against each other in what most fans of that era want most. Stallone knew that the old formula would never work unless he was ambitious enough to actually get everyone to come together, thereby creating a mass appeal. I should also mention that once Stallone did a couple of 1980s-esque movies after “Expendables” like “Bullet to the Head” and “Escape Plan” they were box office flops.

This brings us back to “The Fast and the Furious”. Outside of the idea to ‘rebrand’ themselves after the fourth installment, the series caters to so many groups of people — car racing, action sequences and epic smack downs. Add this with the very diverse cast and you have a global box office powerhouse. This is even more the case with the crazy $$ that it’s pulling in. Review of “Furious 7” is here. 

Transporter

Today, many of the action heroes of old are just trying to retread their earlier, successful works and with enough fans of the originals, a remake or sequel may work at the box office. Examples of this include “Terminator Genisys”, “Bloodsport” and “Kickboxer” remakes, and a sequel/spin off to “Rocky” with “Creed” (focusing in on how Balboa trains Apollo’s son to fight). What is likely the only action stars to consistently be putting out action movies would likely be Jason Statham or Tom Cruise. Say what you want about Tom Cruise, he makes great action and sci-fi movies and the “Mission Impossible” series has become ridiculously successful for a reason. No, Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson doesn’t count as he usually plays a supporting role in bigger movies, not necessarily headlining them.

Bloodsport

But why did the action hero formula change since the 1980s with the almost unstoppable stars racking a body count in the hundreds? It was simply over done. The market became too crowded and you can only tell a similar story so many times. Now I’m not trying to take away from the movies that came out during this period as some of them went on to become classics — “Bloodsport”, “Predator”, “T2”,  “First Blood” or “Total Recall”.

Even with other global players in the film industry — namely China, bigger movies will cater to global audiences and a story about a one man army that plows through thousands of men with a machine gun will be a distant memory. You need an example of this already happening? Look at “Avengers”, the newer “Godzilla”, “Fast and the Furious” series, etc.

First Blood

So, the ultimate action star has died but what has taken its place are stories worth telling with actors that can act. We are getting better action movies because of this but we can always look back at action heroes of the past with a certain fondness that will forever be embedded in Hollywood’s history.

Predator