What's In A Name? "Creed"

Creed  (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone

Directed by Ryan Coogler

The Story:

Adonis Johnson (Jordan) is a boxer with a desire to win. He also happens to be the son of the late Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). Which means, he's sorta drawn to an old run-down champ named Rocky (Stallone). Will Adonis be a chip off the old block, or a chump with no heart?

The very first time I saw the trailer for Creed, I was indifferent and thought, nah, I'll pass.

Then about halfway through the trailer, Stallone popped up and I thought, is that Rocky?

Once I realized it was, my interest was raised and I figured it was worth a shot.

Even though I've only watched one previous Rocky film (Rocky Balboa) I get the gist of the series.

And I was right, it was indeed worth a shot.

Stallone is the heart of the movie as he takes Adonis under his wing to teach him that there is more to boxing than just hitting and getting hit.

He becomes the father Adonis never had and in return gets the son who never really wanted him.

His work in the picture earned him a Best Supporting Actor nod at the Academy Awards which he subsequently lost.

 Stallone was robbed.

I saw the movie, Bridge of Spies, with the performance that he lost to.

No offense, but that performance, while a great, is not at the heart of the entire movie. Take him out of the story completely, Bridge of Spies still works.

Take Rocky out of this film, nobody watches.

Hyperbole, probably, people will watch just about any film to give it a try.

However, without Stallone, there would be no heart and soul to the film, it would just be another film about an athlete who wants to overcome the odds.

Yawn.

We've seen it all a million times.

The wise sage teaching the young upstart.

But when you have Rocky as the master teaching the pupil, you're already emotionally invested in the storyline because you have a history with Rocky Balboa whether you've watched all the films, or even never watched one, you know Rocky.

Everyone knows Rocky.

And that carries some emotional heft to the story and helps transform this film into something bigger than itself.

Final Grade:  Solid B, possibly even a B+

Third Time's The...Yawn... "The Expendables 3"

The Expendables 3 (2014)

Rated PG-13

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Wesley Snipes, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Dolph Lundgren, Harrison Ford, Antonio Banderas

Directed by Patrick Hughes

The Story:

Barney (Stallone) is on a mission with the team when he runs across his old partner-in-crime, Stonebanks (Gibson). They founded the Expendables together, and Barney thought he was dead. Instead, it's Stonebanks who is going to try and kill Barney and his all new team that he has assembled. So naturally it's up to the old gang to help save the day and stop the bad guy.

Piece of cake!

I'm not sure how I feel about this entry in the franchise.

One, everything changes.

Gone is Bruce Willis, replaced by Harrison Ford. Meh... I guess that works.

Mel Gibson is given prime crazy time to chew scenery and play the bad guy, and he does that well. You know there will be a straight up fight at the end that will leave someone dead.

Only this time, Gibson plays the Gary Busey role!

:)

Then there is Wesley Snipes who gets out of prison, and winds up right back on the big screen. He seems to get quite a bit of screen time which throws off the chemistry of the main characters a bit, in my opinion.

In fact, that's the biggest problem with the film, look at that poster. There isn't enough time to have much character interaction because there are just too many characters.

Don't even get me started on how shortchanged Banderas' part is. : /

So naturally, of the 3, this is my least favorite of the franchise.

If it was the end, so be it. It was a fun ride. The first one was good, the second one was a hoot.

This one was a suitable bookmark.

Audiences seemed to have finally had enough, but really, it was more of the same.

I guess in reality though, we've gone through just about every action start out there.

Except Steven Seagal.

Or Michael Dudikoff.

There's hope for 4 yet!

Final Grade: C+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Maybe...no hurry though.

Let's Get Ready To Rumble Down To The AARP... "Grudge Match"

Grudge Match (2013)

Rated PG-13 for language and violence

Starring Robert DeNiro, Sylvester Stallone, Kim Basinger, Kevin Hart,

Directed by Peter Segal

The Story:

In the 1980s, there were two boxers from Pennsylvania who were rivals for the belt: Billy "The Kid" McDonnen (DeNiro) and Henry "Razor" Sharp (Stallone).  They had two epic encounters, splitting both, however before they could have the third, deciding match, Razor retired from the ring.  Now, 30 years later, promoter Dante Slate Jr. (Hart) is trying to put the two back in the ring to settle the score and enjoy a huge payday for everyone.  Will it happen, or will the old guys die trying?

I was quite surprised by how much I enjoyed this film.

I wasn't expecting too terribly much, but it was engaging and it seemed like Stallone and DeNiro were having a blast playing off their 80s successes as two stubborn mules who are on a collision course with one another.

I mean, how often do you get to see Rocky vs Raging Bull?

Naturally, part of the reason that Sharp retired was because of a lady (Basinger) who enjoys a complicated relationship between both of the boxers.

However there is more to the retirement than meets the eye...

Alas, I've already said too much!

Rounding out the cast is Kevin Hart as the intentional comic relief as the promoter who is trying to get paid, and to get this bout off the ground.

It's an uphill battle, but he's determined to make it work.

And make it rich!

Give it a shot, I think you'll enjoy it.

Final Grade: Solid B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: While this won't make the Top 10 list of the year, I would have no problem owning or watching it again in the future.

Trouble Is Brewing On The "Homefront"

Homefront (2013)
Rated R for language and violence

Starring Jason Statham, James Franco, Izabela Vidovic, Winona Ryder

Directed by Gary Fleder

The Story:

Phil Broker (Statham) is a former DEA agent who has retired to the country in Louisiana to raise his daughter.  However, he soon tangles with the locals, and they bring their country justice to bear against him in the form of Gator (Franco) a local meth manufacturer with dreams of going big time.  When he learns Broker's secret, he puts together a plot to give Broker and his daughter over to the man who rots in prison because of Broker, and then Gator can become the king of Louisiana meth.

It's like Justified... in the swamps!

And I mean that in a good way.

This is more of a drama than your typical Statham actioner, but when they unleash Statham in the finale, you get some nice bursts of action sequences to cap off the film.

Otherwise, the movie is a nice, slow build as Phil and his daughter (Vidovic) try and live peacefully with their neighbors, but when the daughter is bullied one time too often, she fights back and sets off a chain of events that will nearly see her and her daddy killed.

But otherwise, it's a great moment on the playground, and a nice taste of Statham action when he is attacked...so to speak...by the bully's dad.

It's a shame that Sylvester Stallone and Chuck Logan felt the need to have the backwoods characters curse like a bunch of sailors every time they opened their mouths.

Unneeded and unnecessary, and seemingly the only reason that the film had to warrant the R rating.

Again, I see some of these movies and think they could appeal to a wider audience if they simply dial back the language.  Embrace the lower rating if you've got a good story to tell.

Franco is perfect as the drug pushing psycho who takes a request from his sister (Kate Bosworth) to get even with Phil to the extreme.  Add in Winona Ryder as the creepy girlfriend, and you've got your usually loveable leads playing against character, but playing it well.

Then you have Jason Statham playing himself.

I've decided that when I grow up, I want to be Jason Statham.

Because, that would just be cool.

:)

Final Grade: Solid B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Aside from the language problem, it's a pretty engaging story and I wouldn't mind adding this one to the Statham section of the DVD library.

Ready For The Weekend? Better Have An "Escape Plan" From Work

Escape Plan (2013)
Rated R for Violence and language

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Caviezel

Directed by Mikael Hafstrom

The Story:

Ray Breslin(Stallone) lives to break out of prisons.  He is hired to analyze, test and escape from the best prisons on the planet.  When the Feds come looking to have Breslin check out the greatest prison ever developed, he agrees, but soon finds himself trapped in a prison with all of his fail-safes gone.  He meets another inmate (Schwarzenegger) and the two begin to slowly hatch Breslin's escape plan.  But with the Warden's (Caviezel) ever present guards and cameras, it looks like this could be the end of Breslin's storied career of being able to escape.

This was a fun little movie!

The previews didn't lie, and I had a great time watching the film.

I don't think any kids growing up in the 80s would think that we would still see Arnold and Sly making movies 30 years later, but I'm glad they are.

And for the most part, lately, their movies are turning out to be as good, or better, than much of the stuff they were in from the 80s on through to today.

That's not bad at all.

Caviezel's warden seems to be missing a few pieces of his character, probably on the cutting room floor.  He's an odd duck, to say the least, but he is disturbingly effective in his role.

Also nice to see Sam Neill pop up as the prison doctor.  Haven't seen him in ages.

Give it a shot if you haven't yet seen it.

Final Grade: Solid B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I quite enjoyed this one, and would have no problem owning or watching it again.

"Bullet To The Head" ? That Sounds Painful...

That's going to leave a mark!

The Story:

James Bonomo (Sylvester Stallone) is a hitman living in New Orleans.  After completing a job, his partner is killed and James barely escapes.  Meanwhile, detective Kwon (Sung Kang) comes calling to find his partner who was also murdered.  The two cross paths, and then reluctantly join forces as they realize that the killer ( Jason Momoa) took out both of their partners.  They'll uncover a layered web of corruption and deception as they work their way to the top of the food chain. However, how long can Kwon tolerate Bonomo's less than legal actions as they seek out the information they need?

Has anyone had a better late career boost than Sylvester Stallone?

He's hung around long enough to be cool again! ;)

Personally, I think the movies that he is making now are also much better than what he was making years ago.

Granted, Stallone also has no problem bringing back the gratuitous violence that embodied the 80s action films, and added an extra layer of splatter to make the movies more violent and less cartoony.

Though sometimes when people die, it's still pretty funny watching them explode... : /

Nice to see that Sung Kang is getting some work outside of the Fast and Furious franchise.  We'll see where he turns up after this.

It appears that this movie is based on a French Graphic novel, so yay, comics win again!

It's directed by Walter Hill who hasn't done many feature films in quite a while, and his heyday was also in the 80s with 48 Hours probably being the best movie of his career.

It's probably nothing groundbreaking that you haven't seen in a million and one other action/buddy cop movies.

It is a nice spin having a hitman and a cop team up, and how they are able to one-up each other, and tear down each other often at the same time.

Not bad...

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Probably pass on purchasing or watching it again.  I have to choose my action films carefully around here. :)

Too Rainy For the Real Thing...Watch "The Zookeeper" Instead

They say it's all happening at the zoo...

The Story:

Griffin (Kevin James) is a zookeeper.  He has been moping over his girlfriend (Leslie Bibb) turning his marriage proposal down for the last 5 years.  Suddenly she is back in his life, and that's when the animals at the zoo decide they've had enough, and decide to help Griffin win his lady love.  So naturally they start talking to Griffin and giving him pointers.  Will they succeed in reuniting the pair, or will love work in mysterious ways and Griffin realize that the woman (Rosario Dawson) he really deserves is right under his nose?

Should I start off by saying that I thought this movie was funny?

Did I disappoint too  many people?

:)

Well too bad, because I did, and it is.

I am always a fan of movies that I can watch with all of my kids, and this is one of them.

Sure, talking animals can get old, but the voice work from the movie is really good, and the animatronics and CGI aren't too far-fetched or annoying to watch.  You've got Adam Sandler, Cher, Sylvester Stallone and Nick Nolte as the main vocal talents who work to teach Griffin to be a better man to win the love of his lady.

The antics that James puts himself through are great, especially for a guy of his size.  He's the next version of Belushi or Farley as a bigger comedian  who enjoys physical comedy.  However, thankfully, he's also not burning himself out on drugs, so hopefully we can enjoy a much longer career from him.

So yes, add this to Paul Blart and Here Comes the Boom and you have a winning Kevin James film marathon to enjoy.

Final Grade: B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: High on both counts, as I already own it and it's been seen several times at my house already.

I Am The Law 2.0 ~ "Dredd"

Will this make you forget the Stallone classic?

The Story:

In the future, what's left of America is protected by The Judges: Judge/Jury and Executioner, all rolled into one.  The best of the best?  Judge Dredd (Karl Urban), hands down.  He's so good, he's given the task of training a rookie (Olivia Thirlby) who didn't pass the aptitude test, but is a psychic, a skill that could be used to help the Judges turn the stemming tide of violence, drugs and rampant.  The problem is, most rookies don't survive their first day, and when these two judges stumble into a high-rise that happens to house one of the worst crime-lords in the area, even Dredd himself may not make it out alive.


Hats off, figuratively, to Karl Urban for tackling Dredd.  First, the guy wears his helmet through the whole film.  I don't think we ever actually saw his face without the helmet.  In the age of comic book movies where the hero has to lose the mask for over half the movie so we can see who they are... Urban bucks the trend and just growls under the helmet the entire film.

For the film though, it works, and works perfectly.

Dredd growls and snarls throughout, and every once in awhile throws out a verbal zinger that just sounds awesome coming from the gruff lawman.

The action is violent, and over-the-top.  In other words: Awesome!

The futuristic look of the movie and sets is also very well done.

I have no background at all with the comic, so I cannot judge on whether the adaptation is faithful or not.

I would have to say that compared to the adaptation that Stallone did, which admittedly I have not seen since 1995 or 1996.  If I remember correctly, it was campy fun, but nothing like this.


Sadly, it appears that Dredd underwhelmed at the box office.  That's a shame, because this is a good reboot for the series, and I would happily sign on to the see the further adventures of this Dredd.


Final Grade: B+

Would I add it to my "I Own This Movie" catalog: Yes!

Black Friday Review: 2 for the Price of One: The Expendables Franchise

Fans of 80s action flicks rejoiced when the Expendables came out in 2010.

In that film, Stallone leads a team on a top secret mission on behalf of the government.  Mayhem and bloodshed ensued.

In 2012, Stallone leads a team on a top secret mission on behalf of the government.  More mayhem and bloodshed ensued.


I mean, who's kidding who.  You're either a fan of action movies like this, or you're not.  There are very few fence-sitters who wonder:  "hmm...do I want to watch a kick-butt action flick tonight... I'm not sure I'm in the mood for it..."

Yeah, it's always time for an action flick. 

Stallone and company pull no punches either.  The blood spatters everywhere, and bullets, fists, knives, and anything but the kitchen sink gets used in nearly every conceivable way.

The Expendables is streaming currently on Netflix, and is definitely worth a viewing if you've never taken in the carnage.

As for the Expendables 2...

It's even better than the first one.  The romantic subplot is shelved for a tale of straight up revenge when one of their own is killed by...

Van Damme!

Turning the franchise over to Simon West (Con/Air ~ one of the 100 Greatest Movies Ever Made!) was a good decision by Stallone.  While he did just fine helming the first one, it seems like turning the show over to another set of eyes let Stallone concentrate on just having a good time in front of the camera.

It's funnier, bloodier, and just plain better than the predecessor.

Also back for a return, The Governator and Bruce Willis.  Both have extended parts in the film, and provide some fun during the final battle.

Looking forward to seeing what they've got in store with the franchise from here.

If you haven't seen the first, there is no fine points that you'll miss from jumping in on the second part of the franchise.

If you liked the first, you should love the second.