First Person Failure..."Hardcore Henry"

Hardcore Henry (2015)  


Rated R

Starring Andrei Dementiev, Sharlto Copley, Danila Kozlovsky, Haley Bennett, Tim Roth

Written and Directed by Ilya Naishuller

The Story:

Henry (Dementiev) wakes up to see Estelle (Bennett) putting him back together on a lab table. She tells him sorry his memory is off, but they are married and there's a bad guy, Akan (Kozlovsky) trying to catch Henry and steal his technology. When Estelle is kidnapped, Henry goes into rescue mode to save his love.

So if you saw the trailer for this film, you know exactly what to expect.

It's basically a first person shooter videogame brought to life.

Lots of stunts, lots of action.

Little plot that hasn't already been used in a million other films.

And it's not really that good.

I think the reason why boils down to the first person shooter aspect.

In a videogame, the first person is you.

But this is a movie, it's scripted to go a certain way, so you, the audience, have no control over Henry.

And since Henry isn't really you, and there is no actor to watch, empathize or sympathize with, there is no emotional attachment or investment in the film.

This isn't watching John McClane get beat down and hoping he'll come up with one solution after the next to beat the bad guys.

This is watching some arms and legs punch and kick and blow stuff up.

Watch the trailer...it's pretty much the entire movie, but with a better soundtrack, and much less time wasted.

Oh, and PS:

If you didn't think the "wife" was in on it the whole time, you haven't seen enough films yet.

Oops.

Spoiler.

:)

Final Grade: F

Here We Go Again..."London Has Fallen"

London Has Fallen (2016)

Rated R

Starring Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman,

Directed by Babak Najafi

The Story:

President Asher (Eckhart) heads to London for a funeral. Naturally, that's when a terrorist attack takes out all the leaders of the visiting nations except for the President, thanks to the planning of Secret Service Agent Mike Banning (Butler). Can he keep the President alive again, or is this finally the Vice President's (Freeman) chance for promotion?

Okay, I admit, I had a blast watching Olympus Has Fallen a few years ago. It was Die Hard...in the White House!

Much like the Die Hard franchsie, the setpiece has to get bigger, and this one plays more like Die Hard With A Vengeance as the two race all across London trying to stay one step ahead of the bad guys who want to catch and kill the President on live tv.

So that being said, this is a popcorn film, round two!

If you didn't like the first installment, you'll find nothing redeeming here.

Otherwise, if you didn't mind it, you'll have a good time watching London get blown up, real good.

;)

I'm not sure if they can pull off yet another sequel in the franchise.

Eventually, the President is going to stop going places, or run out of time in the office.

But if they decide to give it a go in the future, I'll be back.

I watched the DVD version, but now that this review has moved to the top to be published, you also have the option of streaming on Netflix.

It doubles your chances of being able to watch and enjoy some popcorn!  :)

Final Grade: B-

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.

Someday "The Prince" Will Come. And You'll Be Disappointed.

The Prince (2014)

Rated R

Starring Jason Patric, Bruce Willis, John Cusack

Directed by Brian A. Miller

The Story:

The Prince (Patric) is an ex criminal who got out of the game years ago when he attempted to take out the big bad guy (Willis) and instead killed his daughter.  Now, with his daughter missing, The Prince takes to the streets of New Orleans to find and rescue his daughter by any means necessary.

Remember when you have a successful movie and then everyone wants to make their version of it?

The pitch goes something like, "It's Die Hard, on a... "

Well, here they must have pitched, we get the guy from Die Hard, and we'll do something like Taken!

Because that's what you have, a half-hearted attempt at a crime/suspense thriller.

It's been done, many times, many ways, before.

Sometimes by some of these very same actors.

Which, no offense to Patric, but he doesn't have the charisma of Liam Neeson to carry an entire movie based on his ability to kill anyone, anytime. 

Instead, this will just be another direct to DVD resume filler for most, while we await the next Die Hard, or Taken.

Now streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: C-

May The Holidays Provide You A "Christmas Bounty"

Christmas Bounty (2013)

TV-PG

Starring Francia Raisa,  Mike "The Miz" Mizanin,

Directed by Gil Junger

The Story:

When elementary schoolteacher Tory Bell (Raisa) realizes a man she helped put in prison has been freed, she knows he is coming for revenge against her family because they are all bounty hunters. She heads back to Jersey and revisits her roots teaming with family and ex-boyfriend (The Miz) to bring their perp to justice. Will she be able to keep her secret life from her new boyfriend, or will her Jersey ways doom their relationship?

If you think the above sounds like a TV movie, congratulations, you've just discovered ABC Family's new Christmas movie entry from last year.

Like most of their offerings, there is nothing ground-breaking or earth-shattering to be had. However, they are always well done, well-acted, and usually very enjoyable.

This one is no exception.

Raisa does a great job leading the cast. Apparently she is an ABC Family alumni from their network, and she has the charisma to lead a movie with little problem. The Miz, taking a break from the WWE turns in a fun little performance. Like him or hate him, he knows what to do for the cameras.

While it won't jump up the list of "must-sees" every year, it's a fun diversion that allows for a movie that takes place during the holidays, but isn't really about Christmas.

Like Die Hard. :)

Available to stream instantly on Netflix as of this writing, and my be part of the ABC Family 25 Days of Christmas line-up in the last few days.

Final Grade: C+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I would be able to watch this one each year with little problem.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas..."Lethal Weapon"

I'm too old for this...

The Story:

Veteran cop Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) is nearing retirement.  He finds himself saddled with a new partner, a burn-out, possibly suicidal maniac, Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson).  The two are pulled into a suicide which leads them back to an old Army buddy of Roger's.  The question then becomes, who is going to kill the cops first, the bad guys, or each other?

Come on, how much of a plot synopsis do you want me to give to Lethal Weapon?

It's over 25 years old and is a classic in its own rights.

If the film didn't define it, it at the very least redefined the entire Buddy Cop action flick.

Want to take film-making 101 for making that kind of movie, look no further.

First, get two polar opposites that bicker and squabble with each other, but come to depend and work well with each other by the end of the film.

Literally put them on death's door or as much of a physical wringer as you can muster, and you'll see what they are made of on the inside as well as how tough they are on the outside.

This was Shane Black's first feature movie that he wrote, and he knocked it out of the park on his first try.  He's kept the Christmas feeling over the rest of the movies he's worked on, most recently with Iron Man 3.

Aside from pairing Glover and Gibson together, they also put them opposite Gary Busey who is simply unleashed on the screen as possibly the most psychotic villain to plague 80s cops.  If Die Hard had the suave Hans Gruber to counteract the everyman John McClane, Lethal Weapon offered up Mr. Joshua as the psychopath who could channel Riggs inner rage, and give in to it.

You have to believe that the villains can beat the hero, and literally our heroes limp across the finish line when it's all over.

Tying this all together is Richard Donner.  If push comes to shove, I will say that he is, for overall body of work, my favorite director of all time.  His movies are nearly always entertaining and in a way, timeless.  While this movie is made in the 80s, it could just as easily be now, or earlier.  That's just how Donner works, and his movies age really well.

Plus, much like Die Hard, it's got a Christmas theme, so it's a way to get some adrenaline during the holidays pumped into your system.  Normally I try and squeeze these into holiday viewing when I'm wrapping gifts for the kids.  Now that they've figured out how great Die Hard is, I wonder when they'll come waiting to see this one?!

Final Grade: A+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I love 'em, I own 'em!

Tatum To The Rescue! "White House Down"

I get a feeling of deja vu...

The Story:

Cale (Channing Tatum) is a Capitol Service policeman attached to the detail of the Speaker of the House (Richard Jenkins).  But Cale is dreaming of working security for President Sawyer (Jamie Foxx) to impress his daughter (Joey King).  Of course on the day he takes his daughter to the White House for an interview, well that's the day that some really bad guys decide to take over Washington D.C. and take the President captive.

And they might have gotten away with it, if only they would have left Cale's daughter out of it.

But they didn't, and now he's mad.

And he's going to get his daughter back!

Welcome to 2013, when terrorists taking over the White House is not the subject of one Hollywood movie, but two!

First was Olympus Has Fallen, previously reviewed right here on this very spot! http://talesfromthequeue.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-step-by-step-guide-to-overthrowing-dc.html  It's now also streamable on Netflix if you still haven't seen it, or would like to watch it again.

If that was "Die Hard in the White House", then I guess this go-round we're going for "Lethal Weapon in the White House".

It's the buddy cop formula as Tatum and Foxx team up for most of the movie trying to stay alive and one step ahead of those dastardly fiends that are trying to catch the President.

There was some good stunts, some funny lines, and there's nothing inherently wrong with this take on taking out the White House.

However, there's nothing really memorable here either.

In fact, this one actually makes Olympus Has Fallen seem better than it may have been in retrospect.

This one's a little too long, and a little too reliant on the daughter for too many plot devices, than it should be.

Probably streaming on Netflix in about 6 months, but for now you'll have to rent or buy it.

Final Grade: C+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I could watch it again, but wouldn't go out of my way to do so.  If it comes on cable or something and the remote is too far... ;)

A Step by Step Guide to Overthrowing DC... "Olympus Has Fallen"

It's like Die Hard...

In the White House!

The Story:

Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) is a Secret Service agent on the President's (Aaron Eckhart) detail.  After a disastrous event, he removes himself off the detail and goes to push a desk at the Treasury Department.  Ah, but fate is a fickle mistress, and 18 months later, terrorists take over the White House, and only one man can save the day.

But since John McClane is a different franchise, Mike Banning will have to do!

:)

Directed by competent action-helmer Antoine Fuqua, this was the first of 2 big budget "White House attacked by terrorists" films.  Much like Armageddon and Deep Impact from a few years ago, sometimes studios have great minds thinking alike at the same time.

Sometimes it pays to be first, sometimes it simply pays to be better.

I'll let you know how the two Secret Service to the Rescue films fare head-to-head after I've seen the other, but for now...

Olympus Has Fallen is pretty decent action fare.

Much as I had hoped, Gerard Butler returns to his roots in all his butt-kicking glory.  Again, pigeon-holing this as a "Die Hard" rip-off is both fair and critical at the same time.  The setup begs for the comparison, so if you're going down that road, you have got to make your lead character likeable, believable, and a bit humourous doesn't hurt.

Well, the screenplay lets Butler down, as he's got the first 2 down, but really doesn't get to unleash any McClane-isms at the bad guy until the film is well into the third act.

The terrorists, hands-down, are quite brutal and believable.  Again, take the destruction of DC as you will, the plot is only as far-fetched as you want it to be.

The assembled cast is pretty impressive, it was nice to see Angela Bassett again, and Ashley Judd's extended cameo is thankless, yet necessary to the overall plot.  It's nice to see them both in a box-office hit again.

Plus, this film has the Morgan Freeman factor, so that makes it automatically better just by including him.  He does a great job as the President who's not the President.

It falls in the long line of Die Hard-ish movies that cannot escape the shadow of the original.

That said, it's a good attempt, and extremely watchable.

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I'd watch it again, and for a decent price, I'd pick it up and add it to the action pile.

WWEekend Movies: Get Ready to Go "12 Rounds" With The Champ!

You can't see me...

The Story:

Danny (John Cena) is a New Orleans cop who gets promoted to detective when he takes down a terrorist, Miles Jackson (Aiden Gillen).  The only problem, Miles' girlfriend gets caught in the crossfire, and he blames Danny for her death.  One year later, Miles gets free, and Danny's house explodes!  It seems Miles has a series of 12 tasks for Danny to tackle if he wants to see his wife alive again.  Can Danny survive all 12 rounds, save his wife and take down the bad guy?

Yeah... it's John Cena, remember?!

: )

2009, and WWE Studios decides to give John Cena another crack at stardom.  It's not a bad effort at all, and perhaps a bit better than The Marine.  I can't recall, it's been a few years since I last saw that one.

Cena is a bit more at ease behind the camera, letting his natural ability and charisma to carry him through the action.  The story itself is a good one, reminiscent of Die Hard 3, which is always a good thing.

Lending Cena a hand behind the camera is Renny Harlin.  People can mock his body of work, but when he does a good film, it's really very good.  He is a firm believer in reality over CGI, and that's a refreshing change and carries over on the big screen.

But let's be honest, most things coming out of Vince McMahon's studio is going to be seen on the small screen, however, that may be for the best.

The action and pacing is good, and very little wasted time and effort from start to finish.

It's a nice budget action flick...no complaints.

Final Grade: C+... borderline B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor:  It's been over 5 years... not going to be buying it but if I stumble across it again in a few years, why not?

I "Brake" For Good Movies. I Should Have Kept Going :(

It's like Die Hard...in a trunk of a car!

The Story:

Secret Service Agent Jeremy Reins (Stephen Dorff) awakens to find out he is being held captive in a plastic box in the trunk of a car.  Terrorists want information on "Roulette", where the President is being held during an attack on the Capitol.  But Jeremy won't talk, even when they take his wife, and he learns that there are others being held captive, and those captives turn out to be in the trunks of vehicles that are exploding across D.C. as car bombs!

To their credit, they take an interesting premise and turn it into a watchable movie.

The problem becomes, aside from voices, Stephen Dorff is all you've got to go with.  While he's a great actor, he's not exactly a "commanding the screen with his presence" kinda guy. 

Now, put Bruce Willis in the trunk of the car...

Dorff is more like the poor man's Christian Slater.  : )

Whether or not Agent Reins saves the day, well I don't want to spoil it for you if you plan on watching it.

Let's just say, what had been a decent enough movie up to that point, I can forgive many things...

But I can never forgive stupid endings.

And this ending...

Stupid.

Final Grade: C-.  Would have been B-/ C+ range until the end... now I'm dropping it lower!

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Nope, I'm good.

Wrapping Up The Week Because It's "A Good Day To Die Hard"

A chip off the old block.

The Story:

John McClane (Bruce Willis) returns...but this time to the streets of Russia!?  It seems his son, Jack (Jai Courtney) is in a Russian prison, and John's on his way to try and help.  What he doesn't know, is Jack is undercover for the CIA and is trying to get some information from deposed Russian leader Kamarov (Sebastian Koch) before he is silenced forever.

Nothing says 'bonding moment' like fighting Russian extremists!

Okay, so I went to see this one in theaters, and I had a blast.  For what it is, it's the latest part in the legacy of John McClane.

At the time I gave it a B+.

Time passes...

The Sprinter chase is still a fun...

But the buddy-cop enjoyment of 3 & 4 vanish.

It could be the fact that the son is mainly in the same line of work as his dad.  He's not a novice thrust into this situation.  He's an equal...mostly.  Though still not quite as good at is as his old man.

I would say the least enjoyable aspect of this movie is Jai Courtney.  He is just a sour dude, from start to finish.  He's angry, and never stops being angry.

You would think McClane's family would give him some sort of break, I mean he's only saved the world a few times, and their mom too.

How does she repay him?  She divorces him.

No, instead, this one will wear the mantle of worst part of the franchise.

John McClane is not supposed to be a fish out of water.  He's supposed to be the fly in the ointment.

Again, this movie reeks of political intrigue moreso than heist caper. 

That appears to be the big undoing with the weak links in all of the less enjoyable films. 

Cops stop crooks.  Madmen driven by political schemes are best left to Secret Agents.

I want McClane...not Bond.


That said, if you do rent it/buy it... don't watch the extended version.  For some reason, they excise the most redeeming portions of the theatrical release, and all of the Lucy McClane scenes are removed.  Dumb move.

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: It sits on the mantle next to the rest of the franchise... but it will see the least rotation.  Once in a blue moon...

The Fourth for the Fourth..."Live Free or Die Hard"

I'm getting too old for this...

Whoops.

Wrong franchise!

The Story:

After over a decade, John McClane (Bruce Willis) is back in action again.  This time, he is asked to check on a computer hacker suspect named Matt (Justin Long).  He arrives in time to save Matt from an assassination attempt.  Now it's a race to get Matt back to the FBI and figure out what is going on.  It turns out that ex-Fed Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant) is going to bring down the Federal Government by hacking into it and destroying it from within.  Only Matt has a chance of stopping him, and McClane is going to make sure he survives.  But when Gabriel kidnaps Lucy McClane (Mary Elizabeth Winstead)...

Well saving the world takes a backseat to saving his daughter.

This movie gets more right than it gets wrong in the franchise.  Say what you will about it, but it definitely was great to see Willis back on screen as John McClane.  Could they and should they have embraced the heritage of the film and embraced the R rating?

Probably so.

And I think that's where most longtime fans had an issue.  Not nearly as bloody or violent as its predecessors, and not nearly as much sarcastic profanity-filled snark from our hero.

Plus, I think a lot of people simply hated Justin Long.

Me, I liked the guy, and as was proved in Part 3, McClane with an everyman partner works.  Matt is clearly in over his head, but McClane is there to help out throughout the film.  Plus Long works as someone who is in so far over his head, he is just amazed at what looks like second nature to McClane, and he just doesn't see how that kind of heroism is possible.

Again, this installment straddles the heist versus political stance like part 2, but comes off more on the side of the heist, which is a good thing.

It was a nice reminder of how great the franchise was, and unlike say the 4th Indiana Jones movie, it didn't come back and run the franchise into the ground.

Yes, I'm willing to forgive the fighter jet surfing at the end, they had to get McClane off the freeway somehow... ;)

Giving this one a slight edge over Die Harder in the overall scheme of things.

Final Grade: B+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: This one is growing on me.  : )

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! 

It's Always "A Good Day to Die Hard" !!!

Yippie Ki Yay...


The Story:

John McClane (Bruce Willis) is off to Russia to see if he can somehow get his son out of jail.

Mayhem ensues.

: )


So this movie is getting thrashed by critics up one side and down the other.

Well let me just tell you, other critics can suck it.

: )


The Die Hard franchise is like your favorite shirt.  It's worn, it's faded, but boy does it feel good when you wear it.


Is it the weakest of the franchise?  Maybe.  Arguments can be made that either 2 or 4 were the weakest in the franchise.

However, when the bar was set so high with the original, the franchise only ever could go lower.


There are two reasons to see this film:

1) Die Hard
2) Bruce Willis

All other complaints are null and void.

Come for the fun, stay for the explosions!


Plus, the car chase through Russia... in a Sprinter .... is awesome.   Yeah, I drive one of those, and judging by the beating it took, I'm driving a tank!!!

YEAH!!!!


So I'll give the film a solid B, maybe even a B+

It's great to see McClane back in action!


Will I Own It:   Without a Doubt!

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.

: )