July 2020

The Old Guard

  • Title: The Old Guard
  • IMDb: link

The Old Guard movie reviewIn the first three minutes The Old Guard introduces not one but two action movie cliches. They will not be the last. We’re introduced to the movie through the voice of a grizzled veteran (Charlize Theron) who in the movie’s first scene is offered a mission she knows better than to accept. The leader of the elite covert squad made up of Marwan Kenzari, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Luca Marinelli takes the foursome to the South Sudan where they are promptly betrayed, ambushed, and riddled with bullets allowing the film to reveal its big twist.

The four characters are immortals who have walked the Earth for hundreds of years. Borrowing more than a little from the original Highlander, it doesn’t attempt to explain the immortals’ existence while offering a circumstance where they can die (along with flashbacks to lives throughout history). On the run from an evil pharmaceutical executive (Harry Melling), did I mention the script really loves cliches, who wants to use them as lab rats, the four attempt to keep their existence secret and deal with the birth of a new immortal (KiKi Layne) not ready to leave her old life behind.

The Old Guard Read More »

6 Underground

  • Title: 6 Underground
  • IMDb: link

6 Underground movie reviewEven for a Michael Bay film, 6 Underground is a dumb action flick which isn’t much more than problematic story used to tie together a series of impressive action sequences. Despite these limitations, the film offers some basic dumb fun largely due to a cast better than its source material and several lengthy stunts including parkour, magnets, car chases, guns, explosions, and lots of dead bodies.

Our heroes are a no-name team brought together by billionaire turned would-be savior (Ryan Reynolds) who operates a private group hoping to do good in the world by performing coup d’etat (apparently under the nose of every intelligence organization on the planet). His team includes a spy (Mélanie Laurent), hitman (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), acrobatic thief (Ben Hardy), doctor (Adria Arjona), driver (Dave Franco), and sniper (Corey Hawkins).

The group’s mission, what we’re told is the first of many, after a botched opening mission that left one of them dead, involves taking down a foreign head of state (Lior Raz) and replacing the dictator with his more moderate brother (Payman Maadi).

6 Underground Read More »

SHAZAM! #13

SHAZAM! #13 television reviewBilly Batson is forced to face some hard truths and choices in SHAZAM! #13 as the Monster Society of Evil has been unleashed on the world and Mr. Mind reveals he’s been controlling the actions of Billy’s estranged father all this time (and now has the power of one of Shazam’s champions).

All of the Marvel Family is in action here against a wild assortment of villains including King Kull, the Crocodile Men, Jeepers, Mr. Atom, and others. With the perfect hostage, Mr. Mind forces Billy to break down the magical barriers between worlds leading to a tease of what writer Geoff Johns has in mind to allow the comic to go out with a bang before ending its run with issue #15.

SHAZAM! #13 Read More »

Green Hornet #1

Green Hornet #1 comic reviewWhat immediately drew my attention to Green Hornet #1 was the art of Anthony Marques which popped right off the page in beautiful black and white. I’m a fan of the character of the Green Hornet, but honestly I wasn’t planning on spending much time with yet another series featuring a new take on the character (I’ve lost count how many different comics Dynamite Entertainment has put out over the years). The look of the comic made me take notice.

After a few minor skirmishes both in costume and as themselves, the story begins in earnest as the Green Hornet and Kato get in over their heads while searching for a missing reporter from Britt Reid’s newspaper The Sentinel. The trouble also includes a baby, the United States Army, and a UFO.

Green Hornet #1 Read More »