Cold War Cliches..."Atomic Blonde"

Atomic Blonde (2017)

Rated R

Starring Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, Eddie Marsan, John Goodman, Toby Jones, Roland Moller

Directed by David Leitch

The Story:

Agent Broughton (Theron) is the best in the business, and that business is spying. It's the height of the Cold War, and a list of double agents has gone missing, and she must travel to Berlin to retrieve it before it falls into the wrong hands. Naturally, she shouldn't trust anyone...

How do you make an 80s action thriller spy movie for a 21st century audience?

You turn James Bond into Jane Bond, and set the screen ablaze with something the audience hasn't seen before.

Except the whole list of double agents things was played out long before the 90s even ended, so it seems all so familiar, no matter how much action and great soundtrack they attach to it.

Or maybe I'm jaded because it was as good as the trailer indicated, but didn't rise to be any better than that.

Can I really blame a movie for simply repeating what has come before, 100s of times? It's not their fault the audience has seen them all already, so it's hard to reinvent the genre.

Theron makes a great action star, and I won't lie and say I won't be back again if there's a sequel.

Hopefully, there will simply be a bit more to the story to really stand out and make it a must see affair the next time around.

Final Grade: C+

Spy vs. Spy "Allied"

Allied (2016)

Rated R

Starring Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard,

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

The Story:

Max Vatan (Pitt), a Canadian spy parachutes into Casablanca to meet the lovely French resistance ally Marianne Beausejour (Cotillard). Their mission: to assassinate a German ambassador. While their cover as a married couple was very convincing, Max decided that he wanted it to be real. So after enduring months of vetting and background checks, Marianne finally comes to England, the two are wed, and happiness abounds. Until suspicions arise that Marianne may not be all that she seems.

Cue the ominous music!

In 2005, Brad Pitt makes a movie about being a spy, and having a wife who is also a spy.

He later divorces Jennifer Aniston and marries Angelina Jolie.

In 2016, Brad Pitt makes a movie about being a spy, and having a wife who is a spy.

He later divorces Angelina Jolie...

Clearly, Brad Pitt needs to stay away from this type of role, as he's obviously being typecast!!

:)

That said, this one is not the rip-roaring adrenaline thrill-ride that Mr. & Mrs. Smith was.

It's an action/thriller/drama that keeps you engaged in the is she/isn't she and what happens next as every bit of the story unfolds.

Zemeckis keeps the audience dazzled with action set pieces as well as dramatic tension-filled character moments.

It's not perfect, but it's a pretty solid viewing.

I won't say much more than that, because it's a spy film, you need surprises!

 Final Grade: B-

It's Difficult "Keeping Up With The Joneses"

Keeping Up With The Joneses (2016)

Rated PG-13

Starring Zach Galifianakis, Isla Fisher, Jon Hamm, Gal Gadot

Directed by Greg Mottola

The Story:

Jeff and Karen Gaffney (Galifianakis & Fisher) are a happy couple living in a wonderful neighborhood in suburbia. And then the Jones family moves in and Tim and Natalie (Hamm & Gadot) just seem to be so cool...so different.

Well that's because they are international spies...

The movie literally begins with a bang and then fills us in on the backstory of the Gaffney's, their lives, their jobs, their neighborhood.

But why on earth would spies want to live in the suburbs?

That's the next layer of the film as eventually, their mission is learned as their identities are compromised.

It's not a laugh out loud comedy, though it does have it's fair share of laughs.

Much of the humor is situational comedy as stereotypes of suburbia and espionage are both examined a little closer.

It's a great cast, and with a few tweaks here or there to punch up the comedy, this could've been really good. However, the interaction between the characters is what keeps the movie afloat and invests you in the overall story.

But I've seen worse spy films, comedies, and comedy spy films, so there's that at least. :)

Final Grade:  C+

Kicking The Tires On The Old 007 Franchise... "Spectre"

Spectre (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Dave Bautista, Lea Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes, Monica Belluci, Naomie Harris,

Directed by Sam Mendes

The Story:

Bond (Craig) discovers that there is a secret organization named SPECTRE that has been behind much of the assignments that he's had over the years. He works to infiltrate their headquarters and meets the mastermind, Blofeld (Waltz). However, if he can't prove anything, it is quite possible that this will not only be his last mission as 007, that all of MI6 will be taken offline thanks to technology that shows spies to be horribly outdated.

The sweeping epic reboot of the Bond franchise comes full circle as Blofeld and SPECTRE finally arrive.

Thankfully, not a moment too soon.

For me, this is the best of the Craig Bond films since the stellar Casino Royale. I was underwhelmed with both Quantum of Solace and Skyfall was an improvement, but this felt more like it.

Apparently Craig is getting bored or tired of the role of James Bond, and it's been showing onscreen for some time as his Bond is beginning to not have the ruthless edge of a killer spy, but that of a bored actor who seemingly can't believe he's making another one of these films.

I don't know, the Bond Actors club is a pretty exclusive set, and I would think most actors would love to be known for playing the role.

We'll see what happens going forward with the franchise.

Waltz said he'll come back if Craig does.

Craig seems to no longer prefer suicide to another outing as James Bond, so I guess we'll find out in about 2 more years.

Otherwise, they've cobbled together a great support team for Bond, whoever is sporting the tux, going forward.

Final Grade: B

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

Your Review, Should You Choose To Read It..."Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation"

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Alec Baldwin

Written and Directed by Christopher McQuarrie

The Story:

CIA Director Hunley (Baldwin) convinces the Senate to disband the Impossible Mission force because they are reckless and are doing more harm than good. While this is happening, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) realizes that there is a sinister agency known as The Syndicate out to destroy the IM Force. He is now alone, but calls in those he trusts the most (Pegg, Rhames) to help him track the mysterious Isla Faust (Ferguson) and stop the Syndicate once and for all.

Over the past few years, the Mission Impossible movies have been getting better and better.

I prefer this series to the Bourne franchise, and I hate to say it, but even Bond is beginning to take a backseat to the IMF.

Sacrilege, I know.

I think a lot of it may be in the handling of the spies themselves.

Whereas Bourne and Bond are unstoppable machines that can pretty much do anything unassisted (gadgets notwithstanding), Hunt relies on the teammates to help him overcome the odds and win the day.

This allows others to shine in the series and make Cruise look good, but vulnerable as our main character.

Twists and turns abound, and these movies take on an air of con-man/heist film in addition to being a spy thriller.

That works for me.

The teamwork required to pull off the elaborate ruse is always a joy, and the addition to Pegg as comic relief has elevated this series nicely.

I enjoyed Ghost Protocol, but I may have to give a tip of the hate to Rogue Nation for being the best of the series.

Like the Fast and Furious franchise, the Mission Impossible series is simply getting better with each installment.

Looking forward to # 6

Final Grade: B+

Spies Like Us..."The Man From U.N.C.L.E."

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Christian Berkel, Hugh Grant

Directed by Guy Ritchie

The Story:

The two best spies in the world, Napoleon Solo (Cavill) from America and Illya Kuryakin (Hammer) of Russia must work together at the height of the Cold War to stop a German scientist (Berkel) from making nuclear weapons for some very bad people. They enlist the aid of his daughter, Gaby (Vikander) to help them. But can these two adversaries put aside their differences long enough to save the world?

Aside from the name and concept, I've never watched a single minute of the television show that this is based on, so I cannot compare and contrast how well/how poorly it stands next to its predecessor.

I can say the following with little worry though:

1) It looks great. It captures the feel of a world of the late 50s/early 60s very well with the sets and costumes.

2) This movie is the best I've seen from both Cavill or Hammer in ages. So that's a big plus, considering how much I disliked the Man of Steel and Lone Ranger reboots.

The downside?

The movie felt a little long and a little boring.

Not quite 2 hours, but it felt every minute of it, and maybe a few more for good measure.

Bursts of greatness bogged down by stretches of boredom is not what I want from a spy movie.

Ever.

So much potential, and I'm up for a sequel if they are game and can tighten things up a bit.

Final Grade: C

High School Is Brutal... "Barely Lethal"

Barely Lethal (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Hailee Steinfeld, Samuel L. Jackson, Jessica Alba, Rachael Harris,

Directed by Kyle Newman

The Story:

Megan (Steinfeld) was raised at an Academy for wayward girls where their instructor Hardman (Jackson) teaches them everything they need to know about becoming assassins.  However, it's not an easy life, and Megan wonders about the childhood she missed out on. On a mission to take down evil-doer Victoria Knox (Alba), Megan finds herself with a way out. She applies to be a foreign exchange student in America, but with all of her training, nothing prepared her for the pitfalls of high school!

A movie that spans all genres to give you an action-adventure-coming-of-age-high-school-spy-romantic-comedy-family-friendly viewing experience.

Whew!

That's a lot of hyphens!

The problem, that's almost too much, and too many different subplots to juggle and cram into one 90 minute adventure.

But they try, and for the most part, it's a cute little movie that indeed can be enjoyed by the whole family.

Nothing that will reinvent any of the genres mentioned above, but nothing that makes you think you wasted an hour and a half of your life.

It's a great cast giving their best effort and having fun while doing so.

Hard to beat that.

I watched on disc from Netflix, but this film is also available to stream instantly on Amazon Prime.

Final Grade: C+