Bruce Willis Needs "Extraction" From The Direct To DVD Movie Realm

Extraction (2015)

Rated R

Starring Kellan Lutz, Gina Carano, Bruce Willis, D.B. Sweeney

Directed by Steven Miller

The Story:

Harry Turner (Lutz) has been training to be the best C.I.A. field operative since his dad, Leonard (Willis). He keeps getting denied because his dad keeps calling in favors to keep his son safe. When Leonard is kidnapped, Harry goes rogue to save him. Victoria (Carano) an ex-flame and current agent is assigned to bring Harry in, but they both will need to work together to find Leonard's kidnappers and stop something much, much bigger than they realize.

It's a movie about spies, so you need to be brief and vague on the review.

To its benefit, this movie is brief, clocking in under 90 minutes and it's not bad, so not a total waste of your time.

Contrary to movie posters and billing, Bruce Willis is not the star, it's Kellan Lutz who is being groomed to be part of the next generation of action heroes.

We were spoiled with our 80s and 90s action stars. They were often many things, but rarely wooden.

Most of the actors that are getting handed these franchises have little personality or charisma.

Lutz carried most of the Hercules movie a few years back.

No, not the one that was overshadowed by The Rock a few months later.

:)

He just doesn't do anything to stand out in the generic leading action star department.

Films like this aren't helping him much either.

So again, not bad, but probably a million other action films you can get to before you need to watch this one.

Final Grade:  C

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-

A Movie That Will Put You In A "Rage"

Rage (2014)

Rated R

Starring Nicolas Cage, Rachel Nichols, Danny Glover

Directed by Paco Cabezas

The Story:

Paul Maguire (Cage) is a former criminal who has lived the straight and narrow life for some time. However, when his daughter is kidnapped, and then turns up murdered, he assumes that members of the Russian mob have decided to come after him.  So he rounds up his old buddies, and they search for his daughter's killer, using any means necessary.

Never heard of this one?  It was originally titled "Tokarev".

Never heard of that one either?

You're not missing anyting.

Cage's latest direct-to-DVD affair (or at least it seems like it) is the worst yet.

Stolen was pretty good. The Frozen Ground had its moments. Seeking Justice was okay.

I watched this one, but the eyes pretty much glassed over by the halfway point.

Thankfully, I had homework to keep me occupied and I kept looking back up to see if the movie was getting any better.

Nope, just louder and more violent.

Your typical twists and turns as the body count rises.

Then, there's the big reveal of who really killed his daughter.

I was only half-paying attention, and I figured out the killer an hour earlier, and could have easily saved the lives of 30 extras.

:)


Available to stream on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: C-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Nah, the latest in a string of Cage's direct to DVD features is my least favorite of the bunch.

All-Star Heist Action... "The Art Of The Steal"

The Art of the Steal (2013)

Rated R for language

Starring Kurt Russell, Matt Dillon, Jay Baruchel, Kenneth Welsh, Chris Diamantopoulos, Katheryn Winnick, Jason Jones, Terence Stamp

Directed by Johnathan Sobol

The Story:

Crunch Calhoun (Russell) has finally gotten out of jail after his last art theft scam got him caught.  His half-brother Nicky (Dillon) comes to Crunch to try and pull off another heist, and hopes that the whole doing time in jail thing is water under the bridge.  They bring in Crunch's old crew and begin scheming to pull of their next heist.  However, hot on their trail is Interpol Agent Bick (Jones) and with him is convicted art thief Samuel Winter (Stamp) who can vouch for art being real or fake just by looking at it.  Is Crunch going back to prison, or is he going to get away with the biggest score of his life.

Yes indeed, a heist movie!  One of my favorite genres, and this, a direct to DVD offering with a pretty decent cast to it, so it must really suck, right?

Not so fast...

Indeed, the movie starts a little slow, but it's still interesting and keeps you connected to the characters.

Then it builds, and with the final act, you are treated to a payoff that you may, or may not, have seen coming.

And even if you did, it's quite doubtful that you thought of every plot piece that this movie works out perfectly.

That's what brings a "C" movie into the "B" range right there.

In fact, aside from the slow-ish start, once again I'll give the rant:

This movie is Rated R for language.  Which is overused throughout the film. 

Cut it back, widen your audience.

Then again, with one of the pieces of art in the film, and the joke that accompanies it, well, I can almost forgive the rating.

:)

All of the actors are great, and Kurt Russell plays the aging action hero to perfection.

However, the interplay between Jones and Stamp is downright hilarious every time they are on screen and bickering with each other.

Worth a look if you've never seen or heard of it.

Rumor has it, this film should be streaming on Netflix before the month of June is over.

** Update:  Now Streaming As of June 8th **

Final Grade: Solid B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Would've gone for a B+ and put it on my Purchase list, but again, the language hampers replayability in a house full of kids.  I need family friendlier heist films like Fast 5 or The Italian Job.  But yes, I could certainly watch it again in the future.