Paul Blart: Mall Bad@$$... "Security"

Security (2017)

Rated R

Starring Antonio Banderas, Ben Kingsley, Liam McIntyre, Cung Le, Katherine de la Rocha, Chad Lindberg, Jiro Wang, Gabriella Wright

Directed by Alain Desrochers

The Story:

Veteran Eddie Deacon (Banderas) is down on his luck and unable to find work that was commensurate to his pay grade in the military. Desperate, he tells the unemployment office that he'll take anything. As luck has it, he can start tonight as a security guard at a local mall. Meanwhile, in a US Marshal motorcade, a star witness is heading to trial when it is ambushed, and the witness heads to the local mall for help. It's going to be a long night.

Ha! Then I find a copy of the poster, and they use the same tag line!! :)

So, in a sense it's Die Hard meets Paul Blart, with much more action and a lot less humor in this direct to DVD action thriller.

Deacon's military training kicks in as he goes about protecting the witness as well as trying to use his co-workers to defend the mall and the witness while not getting any of them killed in the process.

Meanswhile, Ben Kingsley sits outside twirling his villainous moustache and threatening to tear down the mall brick by brick.

No, it's not going to reinvent the genre, but all the same, the movie remains watchable throughout.

Security is currently streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: C+

Actors Gotta Act..."Collide"

Collide (2017)

Rated PG-13

Starring Nicholas Hoult, Felicity Jones, Anthony Hopkins, Ben Kingsley

Directed by Eran Creevy

The Story:

Casey (Hoult) loves Juliette (Jones) so very much, that when she needs a medical procedure, he turns back to his old way of life as a driver for drug runner Geran (Kingsley). However, Geran let's Casey know that the real money would be if they could hit the supplier, respected businessman Hagen Kahl (Hopkins). And then the real fun begins!

Sadly, that is a very true statement.

The movie opens with a terrific chase and crash, and then goes back to fill us in on the narrative of how we wound up at the opening.

And it's 10 minutes of Hoult and Jones saying "I love you...no, I love you...I love you more..."

Cue the fast forward button.

I was tempted to take the movie out, I mean clearly this is a budget film, no harm no foul; Kingsley and Hopkins are just collecting their paychecks.

Then I began to realize that I'm not very fond of Felicity Jones as an actress. Granted, I've not seen her in much, but she's yet to stand out to me as a great actress I look forward to seeing in a movie.

She was okay in Rogue One, but her supporting characters were infinitely more interesting.

And as the mum in A Monster Calls... ugh...so pathetic and sad as a character, I really didn't care that her character was going to die by the time the movie ended.

See?

The mind wanders when the movie creates boredom.

And I pause the fast forwarding and watch Hopkins and Kingsley interact for possibly the first time ever together on screen, and it's pretty interesting. They both try and dial their characters up to 11, especially Kingsley who seems to be channeling his Mandarin from Iron Man. :)

Which leads us to the 45 minute-ish mark.

That's when things get interesting as the movie veers back to the action caper the opening so promised us.

And yes, it delivers quite well on the back half of the movie.

So I'm torn on a grade for a film.

I mean, dismal start, I actually fast forward past the 20 minute mark that I set for myself just to see if the movie had any potential on the other side, while other movies get yanked out of the player and returned to Netflix without the same courtesy.

I'm nothing if not a movie hypocrite sometimes.

So we'll grade fair, and say terrible first half, pretty good second half...

Final Grade: D+

He's The Man..."WInston Churchill: Walking With Destiny"

Winston Churchill: Walking With Destiny (2010)

Not Rated

Narrated by Ben Kingsley

Directed by Richard Trank

The Story:

This documentary / biography of Winston Churchill takes a look at his life and his legacy of leadership to Great Britain and the World.  Biographers, historians and others look at what he did to help stop the Nazis in World War II and touches on many of the stands Churchill had attempted to make prior to the war that could have severely impacted the Nazi influence and if properly heeded could have, perhaps, stopped or severely limited the Holocaust.

I'm sure arguments could be made for the most influential political figures of the 20th century, but any conversation that doesn't include Churchill is incorrect.

My opinion, any argument that doesn't conclude that Churchill was THE most important political figure of the 20th Century is flat out wrong.

In addition to Churchill's early worries and concerns over Nazi Germany, long before the war had even started, the history as laid out in this program show that were it not for a few tactical errors on the part of Hitler, it is possible, perhaps even probable that Britain too would have fallen to the Germans.

It will touch on the importance of Churchill being seen among the people and the rubble after each German bombing during the raids by Germany. His resolve kept the people strong and rebuilding, and it was of great concern and consternation by the Germans.

The film does wander away from Churchill exclusively on several occasions, but it all falls under the scope of his leadership and what was going on in the world at the time.

So while not a thorough, extensive biography on Churchill, it does hit all of the main points of interest as a very good example of World War II history, and Churchill's important role in world events.

This is currently streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: B+

Just As Long As There's No Singing... "The Jungle Book"

The Jungle Book (2016)

Rated PG-13

Starring Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Lupita Nyong'o, Scarlett Johannson, Christopher Walken,

Directed by Jon Favreau

The Story:

Mowgli (Sethi) is a man cub growing up in the jungle, raised by a pack of wolves. However, Shere Khan (Elba) is ready to exact vengeance, so they decide it's time to return Mowgli to the man village. Bagheera (Kingsley) leads him through the jungle, hoping to keep him safe until they reach their destination. But the jungle is full of interesting creatures, and Mowgli is an inquisitive little boy...

So Disney returns with their lastest live action update of their animated classics.

For those keeping score at home, we were deadlocked at 1-1.

Maleficent was an interesting take on Sleeping Beauty and added something new to the legend.

Cinderella was a straightforward bore, partially due to the fact that it is one story that has been told in many different forms over the years, and has been done better.

So it's up to the Jungle Book to break the tie.

Would I love it, or would I be indifferent.

Well, for starters, like Life of Pi, this movie is absolutely gorgeous. Whether it's all green screen, or they actually went on location to the most lush jungle imaginable, there isn't a jarring CGI blip in the action, so it's totally believeable.

The talking animals, well, you either love or hate that aspect of films. They did a good job and the animals all look pretty realistic, and the voice cast does a wonderful job with their roles.

And let's face it, that animated film had some of Disney animations' finest voices on that film.

Sethis' Mowgli is in 95% of the movie, and he does a great job as the little man cub who has to grow up and learn the ways of the jungle, all the while allowing a little bit of his humanity to seep into the character.

And I loved the ending did not send Mowgli back to the man village.

Yay!

So did I like it? Yes I did.

Did I love it...

Well, I probably would have...

But...

Then they let the animals sing.

:: sigh ::

No offense, but I thought they would let Murray whistle "The Bear Necessities", or even just use part of it as dialogue.

But then they sang, and I felt myself cringing. It's just out of place and wrong that late in the movie to suddenly become a musical.

But okay, I guess I can forgive this one moment...

Wait, what?

King Louis (Walken) is getting angry and starts talking, and then breaks into song...

No.

NO, this is too much.

I could feel the review crumbling as I watched, there was no coming back from this.

So yes, I hammer this film for the singing, and it falls from Best of the Year contention, to just another movie that I watched.

Final Grade:  B-

What Could Possibly Go Wrong? "Self/Less"

Self/Less (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Ryan Reynolds, Natalie Martinez, Matthew Goode, Ben Kingsley,

Directed by Tarsem Singh

The Story:

A dying multi-millionaire (Kingsley) discovers a radical solution by Professor Albright (Goode) to his problem: they will transfer his consciousness into a body that was grown in a lab (Reynolds). Sounds too good to be true?

It is.

When he discovers that the body was not grown but actually  someone else thanks to the  weird visions he keeps having, he tracks down his former life, while being tracked down by people who very much wish to keep this project a secret.

Luckily his new body has some Army training, sir!

: )

Nothing earth-shattering in cinematic achievement, but it is a movie that will hold your attention throughout and you can forgive any plot holes that you find.

Nothing wrong with that.

Kingsley gives a great performance, as always, though he's not in the movie for very long.

Then they turn it over to Reynolds, and he gets to play a fish out of water as he slowly learns what diabolical plan he really signed up for. He doesn't get to play too much of the smart-aleck character that we know and love, but he does a good job.

I totally buy him as an action hero.

;)

Final Grade: C+

This Election Day, Vote For "Dave"

Dave (1993)

Rated PG-13

Starring Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Ving Rhames, Frank Langella, Ben Kingsley,

Directed by Ivan Reitman

The Story:

President Bill Mitchell (Kline) brings in look-alike Dave (Kline), a temp-hire expert to fill in for him during an official function. However, when the real President suffers a stroke in the midst of an affair, Dave is thrust into the position full-time while the Chief of Staff (Langella) figures out what to do. Only a few know the true identity, including a very loyal Secret Service Agent (Rhames). But while it's one thing to fool the public at a one-time function, how do you fool the First Lady (Weaver) and Vice President (Kingsley) among others?

Ivan Reitman directs another light, fun comedy with a bit of a political bite under the surface.

Kline gets to shine as the novice political figurehead who takes his patriotic duty as President very seriously. However, he has a heart of gold, not a politician's heart, so he makes some changes along the way.

This draws suspicion from some, including his "wife".

As Dave continues to prove a popular President, more so than the man he is replacing, the Chief of Staff sees his chance to move into the big chair.

The cast is exceptional from top to bottom, and the humor and politics are as fresh and fun now as they were over 20 years ago.

Regardless of who you choose at the polls today, this movie is a winner!


Final Grade: A

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I own it, and while I don't watch it nearly as often as I'd like, this is a charming movie that is really fun to watch, especially during the political season.  Then I can sigh, and wish that Dave was the real deal.

Definitely For The Birds... "A Birder's Guide To Everything"

A Birder's Guide To Everything (2013)

Rated PG-13 for language and brief nudity

Starring Kodi Smit-McPhee, Ben Kingsley, Alex Wolff, James Le Gros, Michael Chen, Katie Chang

Directed by Rob Meyer

The Story:

David (McPhee) is a 15 year old member of the high school birding club.  He catches a picture of what may be a Labrador Duck.  The problem with that?  That animal is extinct!  Working with his two best friends and fellow birders (Wolff and Chen) and the audiovisual girl (Chang), the boys are about to go on a road trip to prove the duck is alive!  The real problem: it's the same weekend David's dad (Le Gros) is getting remarried.  Will the duck cost David his relationship with his dad?

I've reviewed movies like this before.

Not bird-watching movies, per se...

But movies that want to tell multiple stories in the course of the running time, and ultimately are unable to get any real momentum into any main story and at the end of the film you simply shrug your shoulders and say...

Meh.

What's on tap here?

A coming of age story.
First romance.
Rebellious teen.
Underdog "sports" team (if you consider birding a sport)

So again, you start swirling these little stories together, and get no real traction with the big story.

Stuff. Simply. Happens.

Add to the chaos, a birding expert (Kingsley) who is basically a throw-away part for the most recognizable name in the movie.

Again, it's okay, but nothing great.

Final Grade: C-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I'd have to pass on replay value.

War Is Just A Game With A More Serious Outcome..."Ender's Game"

Ender's Game (2013)

Rated PG-13 for violence

Starring Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, Aramis Knight

Directed by Gavin Hood

The Story:

In the future, the Earth was threatened by an alien race.  Saved by a heroic pilot (Kingsley), the Earth regrouped and has formed a battle fleet that will chase down the aliens and ensure that they are never again threatened by the species.  To do this, the military uses children who they push and assess to see if they can find their next great leader. Colonel Graff (Ford) believes he has found such a prodigy in Ender Wiggin (Butterfield) and he is recruited to lead the forces into battle.  But is a child really the right leader in the balance of life and death?

Well, it was no After Earth, thank goodness!

But again, I've been stuck in a rut with a bunch of average movies.

Granted, at the end of the day, that's way better than a bunch of terrible movies.

This film feels like it could have used a bit of trimming to shorten it's almost 2 hour runtime down to 90 minutes.

A few tweaks here and there, could have lifted this one a little higher.

No complaints with Harrison Ford, thankfully growing his hair back.  His gruff demeanor lends more believability to the film and tries to anchor it with his performance.

Ben Kingsley is also a nice, but wholly underused, addition to the cast. The character is integral to the film, and I would have liked to have seen more.

Otherwise, the kids engaging in military games, pushing each other in the pursuit of their objectives and the final question of who were the real monsters keep this film from being a total letdown.

Final Grade: C

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I could watch it again, but I'd be in no hurry.

Holiday Blockbuster Weekend Concludes: "Iron Man 3"

Not a hoax...not a dream...

This is the review after seeing the movie again at home, even though there is a perfectly suitable review for Iron Man 3 back when it was in theaters:

http://talesfromthequeue.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-tin-man-has-heartiron-man-3.html

Now, on to today's update!



I am Iron Man.

The Story:

Tony Stark (Robery Downey Jr.) returns to end the trilogy of Iron Man films.  This time, he faces the loss of everything he holds dear, including Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and his sanity as he still recovers from the events of New York.  The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) is apparently sending suicide bombers around the globe to punish the American people.  Happy (Jon Favreau) gets caught in the cross-hairs, and sets Tony on a path of revenge.  All of these events conspire in a cyclical tale that flashes back over a decade when Tony ran into Aldich Killian (Guy Pearce) for the first time.  That chance encounter comes back to haunt him at the worst possible time:

Christmas.

Written (partially) and directed by Shane Black, of course it's Christmas!  That's his schtick.  See the Lethal Weapon franchise for further proof.  And that franchise alone will get Shane Black a pass with me on most of what he does for the rest of his career.

That said, Iron Man 3 doesn't need a pass, it's actually that good.

Is it as good as the first one?  Debatable.  It's newer...shinier...
Is it better than the 2nd one?  No question.

I had a blast watching it.  For the critics, many of whom live under my roof, who found holes in the film... well, there are holes everywhere, in every film.

They just didn't bother me so much.

: )

It has been a fun run watching Robert Downey Jr. inhabit the role of Tony Stark to the point where he IS Iron Man, pure and simple.  Someday these Marvel franchises will require rebooting, and while most roles will be easily changed out (see the Hulk...), I do not envy the person that has to pick up where Downey will leave off.

So for now, I'll forget that will happen, and simply soak in the fun and good times that Marvel is giving me with these movies.

Trust me, 10 year old me NEVER thought this day would come, so all in all, this guy is pretty darn happy.

Oh, and the whole outcry about the Mandarin?  Brilliant.  Thought it was absolutely perfect.  Remember kids, these aren't exactly based on the comics, they just contain the same characters.

Plus, these are light years more fun than anything DC is giving us to enjoy.

And finally, do stick around for the end credits, it caps off the movie perfectly.

: )

Final Grade: A (upgraded from A- in the theatrical run)

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Even though a few in my house moaned about some of the plot holes, I'm hoping it's under the tree this Christmas! :)

The Tin Man Has A Heart..."Iron Man 3"

Phase Two Begins...

The Story:

Ever since New York, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has been feeling a bit... off.  Still tinkering with his suits, he is up to version # 42 when the movie begins.  This causes a bit of unease with Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow) but when you're in love with a genius, there's a price to be paid.  Unfortunately, a terrorist known only as The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) is attacking around the globe, and when one of his attacks injures Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), things get personal.  Tony seeks revenge, but even he may be no match for the greatest threat he's ever suited up against.

I'm not going to lie, I loved Part 3.

: )

And the # 1 complaint of the movie going public/critics seems to be The Mandarin and his fate in the movie.

This guy?  No problems at all with what unfolded.  I thought it was a stroke of genius to be honest. 

Stepping on board as director is Shane Black, in only his second outing behind the camera (Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang), but he reteams with Robert Downey Jr., and he is the man who wrote Lethal Weapon, so the franchise isn't going to slip too much.

No, in fact, it rebounds from the disappointment of the 2nd film which gave us perhaps too much Iron Man (men) and in fact, let's Tony Stark spend much of the film sans armor.

This provides Iron Man 3 with its greatest strength, and that owes also to Marvel, Stan Lee, and all who followed in his footsteps in making Marvel the better comic universe to grow up reading:

The movie is about Tony Stark.  Tony Stark IS Iron Man.  You put any other guy in the suit, and while you can call him Iron Man, he's not.  He's an imitation.  Which is why Rhodey (Don Cheadle) became War Machine/Iron Patriot.

The human character is what made the heroes in Marvel lore stand out for me (and many other readers).  Take them out of the suit, and the replacement versions just never clicked after that.  Yet when you see the end of the Batman trilogy, it seems like they feel that if anyone jumps in the suit, they become Batman.

Meh.

So, there you have it, a review that hopefully gives nothing away on this opening weekend, but instead serves as a soapbox as to why I love Marvel heroes, and am thrilled to be seeing them brought to life on the big screen.  Changed as needed from the comics to make as much sense as possible, but never leaving out the heart that made the characters so endearing in the first place.

Go see the # 1 movie in America.  If you liked either of the first 2 installments, you won't regret your decision.

Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I'd go again in a heartbeat, but I already got to see the film with my sweetheart. : )  So for now... maybe I'll just go pre-order the Blu Ray on Amazon.