Manipulative To The Very End... "Eye In The Sky"

Eye In The Sky (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Helen Mirren, Aisha Takow, Aaron Paul, Phoebe Fox, Alan Rickman,

Directed by Gavin Hood

The Story:

Colonel Powell (Mirren) has discovered a location that contains some of British Intelligence's most wanted in Kenya. As the operatives on the ground prepare to stage an attack, the drone piloted by Americans show that they are preparing suicide vests for an attack. They need to attack now, risking the lives of a few innocents to save potentially hundreds. What should be an easy decision is strained to the breaking point by being politically correct in a war that is anything but.

So that describes it in a nutshell, but the movie is anything but boring.

It's fascinating the hoops that the program is attempting to jump through to make sure that everyone is satisfied, or absolved of any potential blame should things go badly.

Giving the okay is General Benson (Rickman) and the amount of people he has to get the okay from to dispatch the kill order is extremely lengthy.

That the whole operation then hinges on the American drone pilots (Paul & Fox) who discover a little girl (Takow) selling bread and threatens to compromise the entire mission.

As Rickman's final performance, he left us far too soon, he delivers a wonderful performance as the commander who knows what to do, but appropriately checks off each box that has to be done to satisfy 30 different masters. He then delivers a powerful quote at the end that literally puts tears into his biggest detractor.

Mirren also shines as the mission leader who may very well have to compromise credibility in order to take several threats off the board in one swift action.

As for the American pilots, it's nice to see a sense of compassion...

But...

Seriously?

That may have been a little too much compassion.

Well acted, nearly real-time thriller that stretches my suspension of disbelief just a hair too far.

Final Grade: C+

He Was An Exceptional Thief... R.I.P. Alan Rickman 1946-2016

:(

Every great hero needs a great villain.

They elevate each other and make one another truly memorable.

In 1988, a little film called Die Hard was released and that movie catapulted Bruce Willis from television star to movie superstardom.

It doesn't hurt that it's one of the best action films ever made, my words, and the general consensus of just about anyone else who has ever seen it.

But...

Would it be nearly as good if not for Rickman's portrayal of master criminal Hans Gruber?

Not a chance.

Not bad for another actor of stage and screen who was making his first big budget movie.

He puts on a master showing as the calculating criminal with layers to his evilness that anyone who is cast as a villain should watch, just for pointers on how to help make your character truly interesting.

So while Willis went on to movie icon, Rickman became a great utility player, making many memorable roles and elevating the movies that he was in with his presence.

He brought energy to Sherwood Forest as the Sheriff and steals the movie right out from under Costner's nose.

Then he portrayed Alexander Dane in GalaxyQuest, the homage to Star Trek where his character, Dr. Lazarus, was the Spock to Tim Allen's Captain. He balances the role perfectly as the fed-up actor who hates being typecast but still loves acting.

And, while I've never bothered with the Harry Potter franchise at all, knowing that he played a main character in the films, it's about the only interest the movies had at all for me.

We'll see you again this Christmas, but it's going to be much sadder watching you fall from the top of Nakatomi Towers this year.

R.I.P. Alan Rickman.

In A "GalaxyQuest" Not Far Away

GalaxyQuest (1999)

Rated PG-13

Starring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, Justin Long, Daryl Mitchell

Directed by Dean Parisot

The Story:

The old stars of a sci-fi television show called "Galaxy Quest" are now hitting the convention circuit. When actual aliens come to Earth, they ask Commander Taggart (Allen) to help them. He thinks they are the usual convention nerds, agrees, and then has his mind blown when he is actually sent into space. He returns to Earth to get the rest of the crew (Weaver, Rickman, Shalhoub, Mitchell) and a new recruit (Rockwell) to put on the performance of a lifetime.

Want a perfect sci-fi movie that is part homage, part parody and part aweseome?

Look no further than GalaxyQuest!

The most obvious inspiration is Star Trek and their rabid fanbase, but the movie plays perfectly as a love letter to the genre, those types of shows, and the fans.

Allen channels his inner Captain Kirk while Rickman gets to play the Spock counterpart.  The two bicker throughout the film, and it is hysterical.

Shalhoub plays the quirky straight man who steals many a scene just by reacting.

However, it's Rockwell who endears himself to the audience as the "token red shirt" who is simply waiting for the moment when he is going to get offed!

Great film, even if you're not a fan of science fiction films.

Even better if you are.

If it's been 15 years or more since you last saw the film, well there's no time like the present to rectify that!

Available to stream instantly on Netflix and Amazon Prime as of this writing.

Final Grade: A

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I own it. I love it. Great movie.

Bait And Switch... "Gambit"

Gambit (2012)

Rated PG-13 for language and partial nudity

Starring Colin Firth, Cameron Diaz, Tom Courtenay, Alan Rickman

Directed by Michael Hoffman

The Story:

Harry Deane (Firth) is an art curator who is sick of his boss (Rickman).  So he decides to conspire with The Major (Courtenay) to dupe him into buying a fake Monet painting.  Their plan hinges on the cooperation of a Texas rodeo queen (Diaz).  But with all good heists... things never quite go as planned.

This is a fun little heist caper, written by the Coen brothers.

It starts off with a perfect retelling of what is supposed to happen with the heist as imagined by Harry.

Naturally, as soon as the wheels are set in motion...

Everything falls apart!

As with most heist films, I don't want to divulge too much.

The cast did a great job, and there's a couple of inspired scenes in the movie.

I would have liked a little more like those scenes with word-play or character actions/reactions/interactions.

That said, it wasn't too bad, and Firth and Rickman are both great in their roles, as usual.

Final Grade: B-...maybe a B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I don't think I'd buy it, but I wouldn't mind seeing it again in the future.

It's a Good Week to "Die Hard"

Yippie-Ki-Yay...

The Story:

New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) flies out to Los Angeles see his wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) for Christmas.  When he arrives at the Nakatomi Tower for the Christmas party, he has no idea that the party is about to be commandeered by terrorists led by the enigmatic Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman).  Managing to escape, McClane systematically takes down the terrorists one by one, but there is more to this group than terrorist motives.  McClane is going to save his wife...

Or die trying.

I think we all know where I stand on this movie.  It's in my personal Top 10 list of greatest movies I've ever seen.

It totally reinvented/reinvigorated the action genre of film in the late 80s.

We had grown so used to Stallone, Arnold, Chuck and the rest of the kick-butt generation, that McClane was an odd choice for a hero.

He's not big.  But he's tenacious.  His willpower alone is what sets him above, and apart, from the rest of the crowd.

It didn't hurt that Bruce Willis had charisma and charm to spare as the wiseacre.  Those who watched him on Moonlighting knew he would become a star.

Think John McClane is David Addison...with an attitude! :)

His one liners didn't come across forced, they came out as a snarky response to the bad guy... McClane was the everyman action hero.  He's not ripped and buff, but he would use his smarts and adrenaline to try and save the day.  That connection is one that the audience can grab and connect with.  25 years later, this movie still impresses as much as it did back in the day.

It really is a blueprint for how to make an action movie correctly.

The counterpoint for the everyman action hero, you have to have a great villain.

This is where most movies go wrong.  You can't just have a cardboard cutout/stereotype.

You need someone charismatic that audiences hate...but like.  Like to hate.  Hate that you like him.

Rickman owns Hans Gruber, so much so, that every installment since has been trying to catch that lightning in a bottle.  You've got the hero, but how's the villain? 

Sadly, every installment falls short, but when you come out this strong as a franchise, there really is nowhere to go but down.

I let the teens see Die Hard for the first time last year for Christmas...

Yes, this qualifies as a Christmas movie.

They sat glued to the screen.

I was so proud. :* )

Final Grade: A+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I loved it so much, I begged and whined a little... and they upgraded me to the Blu Ray set for Father's Day.  I have the best family ever!  It gets watched at least once a year... for Christmas! 

100 Greatest Movies of All Time...That I Own. # 5 ~ Die Hard

Yep.

The greatest Christmas movie of all time...  : )

Okay, that honor probably goes to It's A Wonderful Life.  Die Hard just happens to take place during Christmas...

But still...

It's awesome!

The story:  A New York cop flies to L.A. to see his estranged wife.  While heading to her office Christmas party, a gang of terrorists take over the tower... and it's up to John McClane to save the day.

Yippee Ki Yay!

This is the movie that made Bruce Willis a star.  Sure, he was already great on Moonlighting, but this gave him that Silver Screen movie star stamp of approval.  We've been reaping the benefits for nearly 25 years since then.

Alan Rickman gave the ultimate slithery performance of a terrorist that all bad guys since have been forced to be compared to.  Most people cannot give that type of performance, so we live with the memory of Hans Gruber as the ultimate bad guy.

The movie, of course, seems simple in execution.  And has spawned, like Jaws, countless imitations.  If ever a hero is trapped somewhere by bad guys, the movie was likely pitched, it's like Die Hard...on a Blank!

Under Siege: Die Hard on a boat.
Speed: Die Hard on a bus.

See?  But the formula works, as both of those made the Top 100 list. ; )

As for the rest of the franchise, it's almost as awesome as the original.  Like most franchises, the second one is a bit weaker, but the third comes back strong.  Really love the pairing of Willis and Samuel L. Jackson in that one.  The fourth one, unfortunately they decided to pc John McClane for a different time.  It still works, but McClane's got to be free to be violent AND potty-mouthed as the situation fits.  Otherwise, it just feels wrong.

And yes, I'm looking forward to Die Hard 5.

: )