It Takes A Thief..."Precious Cargo"

Precious Cargo (2016)

Rated R

Starring Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Bruce Willis, Claire Forlani,

Directed by Max Adams

The Story:

Karen (Forlani) has swiped some important information from Eddie Pilosa (Willis) and he wants to make sure she can't use it. As his boys try and track her down, she goes to meet her former lover, Jack (Gosselaar) an exceptional thief in his own right to enlist his assistance in the prize that Eddie is trying to get: millions of dollars worth of gems. But in a world of thieves, who can you trust?

As with all heist movies of any sort, the amount of twists, turns, and betrayals are part of the fun of the movie, so I won't elaborate on anything of the sort here.

For a budget B movie though, they do a very good job of keeping us as entertained as possible. I'm reminded of last year's Heist, both are films that delivered far more interest than other would-be blockbuster films with three times the budget.

The cast does a fine job, and Gosselaar acquits himself nicely in this film as the hero with a heart of gold, but also at least half a brain on knowing who he can and cannot trust.

Bruce Willis delivers a little more than a glorified cameo in this one, and he seems to at least be interested in what's happening in this one compared to some of his other straight to DVD fare.

Not the greatest heist / action caper I've ever seen, but the best one of the year so far.

:)

Final Grade: C+

I'm Always Up For A "Heist" Film

Heist (2015)

Rated R

Starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Gina Carano, Dave Bautista, Robert DeNiro, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Morris Chestnut, Kate Bosworth, D.B. Sweeney, Stephen Sepher

Directed by Scott Mann

The Story:

Vaughn (Morgan) needs a ton of money to save his little girl. So he goes to see his old boss, The Pope (DeNiro) who feels bad, but not bad enough to compromise on his principles to never give money to charity. Vaughn then turns to Cox (Bautista) who works at the casino and they hatch a plan to rob the casino. When the driver bails on them, the criminals end up hijacking a bus and taking the passengers hostage. Now it's a high stakes game of cat and mouse as they must elude the authorities and The Pope's men for a clean getaway.

Okay, so if you're going to make a heist film and call it Heist, it better be good.

From my point of view, it was.

: )

Your mileage may vary of course, but I quite liked this one from start to finish.

It starts with a strong cast, and there isn't much of a problem with that in this film. DeNiro can do the tough mob boss in his sleep, but he puts just enough heart and remorse to his character that you can understand why he makes the decisions that he does as the film moves forward.

Morgan is the emotional anchor and focal point of the film. Faced with the prospect of losing his daughter, he is determined to do whatever it takes, by any means necessary. Bautista doesn't get to do much acting like he did in Guardians of the Galaxy, here he mostly yells and spits a lot.

While this would be typecasting or typical of most WWE wrestlers turned actors, Dave has already shown much potential and heart as an actor and it will be interesting to see where he goes from here.

That said, he will grate on your nerves in this film, and that is both intentional, and necessary, to the overall narrative.

As you'll notice by the cast listed above, they all have numerous parts which all play pivotal roles in the film.

But remember, this is a heist film, so any plot twists and turns that you're expecting, or not expecting, are best enjoyed as spoiler-free as possible.

A few tweaks here and there, this movie could have been in contention for best of the year honors.

That said, it's a solid movie and I'd be willing to own it or watch it again in the future.

Final Grade: B

Reliving Christmas Eve Over And Over On The "12 Dates Of Christmas"

12 Dates of Christmas (2011)

TV PG

Starring Amy Smart, Mark-Paul Gosselaar

Directed by James Hayman

The Story:

Kate (Smart) is trying to get back with her ex-boyfriend on Christmas Eve. She ends up standing up a blind date with Miles (Gosselaar) in the attempts to win back the ex. Fate decides that perhaps Kate needs to try again, and so she is going to relive this date with Miles until she gets it right. Will she ever enjoy her Christmas, or is she doomed to forever be stuck on Christmas Eve?

Another of the many Lifetime/Hallmark/ABC Family plethora of holiday movies that have been produced to air on television for viewers.

This little romantic comedy has quickly become one of my recent favorites.

Yes, it is just like Groundhog Day in the repetition aspect, but that's okay because Groundhog Day is a great movie and if you're going to try and replicate the formula, make sure you do a good job of it.

And they do.

Smart and Gosselaar are great leads with enough chemistry that you are rooting for them to get together by the 12th Date.

Naturally, Kate spends her time learning new things to do, learning more about herself, and learning quite a bit about her friends, loved ones, and some passing acquaintances.

Needless to say, she decides as the Christmas Eve wears on, she needs to share her gifts of discovery and make the world a better place.

Great movie, lots of fun!

Available to stream on Netflix as of his writing.

Final Grade: B+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I have yet to purchase it, but I've been lucky enough that it's been streaming on Netflix for the last 2 years.

Christmas with the Bayside Alumni: The 12 Dates of Christmas

Yesterday we caught up with A.C. Slater, tonight we take a look at what Zack's been up to since graduation...

: )

The Story:

Kate(Amy Smart) is set up on a blind date with Miles (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) on Christmas Eve.  Due to an accident at the mall, every night at midnight, Kate ends up reliving the part of her day directly after he mall accident.  Will she figure out the meaning of Christmas, or is she doomed to repeat Christmas Eve... forever?

Another sweet romantic comedy from ABC Family to the holiday rescue. 

If the plot sounds familiar, it should.  It's like Groundhog Day, only set at Christmas. 

As Kate spends each day trying to figure out what it is that will trigger her life to return to normal, she learns a few things along the way about others, and about herself.

I quite enjoyed this one, and look forward to adding it to the annual festival of Christmas movies.

If you haven't seen it before, or in awhile, check ABC Family for air dates, or head to Netflix where it is streaming as of this writing.