1.5 Razors

Red Dawn Redux

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Red Dawn (2012)
  • IMDB: link

red-dawn-remake-posterAfter being filmed in the Fall of 2009 this needless remake to 1984’s Red Dawn sat on the shelf for three years before finally being released in theaters this Thanksgiving. The new version of Red Dawn is an uninspired trainwreck of an incredulous plot mixed with a gritty attempt at character study, draped in the flag of simplistic patriotism that would make Michael Bay proud, that can never decide what kind of movie it actually wants to be.

Where the original film saw the United States invaded by the Soviet Union, the remake chooses China as the new baddies. However, unwilling to lose the lucrative Chinese movie market, the studio spent another $1,000,000 in post production and CGI to recast North Korea as Red Dawn‘s new villains. Because, in Hollywood’s view, all Asian bad guys are so easily interchangeable. Seriously, I’ve seen WWII propaganda films which were more subtle.

…

Red Dawn ReduxRead More »

Red Dawn Redux Read More »

Batman and Robin #14

/ / Comics

batman-and-robin-new-52-14-cover“Death of the Family” continues (albeit without the Joker) as Batman and Robin #14 concludes the story from last month by focusing separately on both Damian and Batman fighting with the army of hungry zombies kidnapping citizens for food. Even putting aside my dislike of zombies in general, I’ve got to say this is one of the most uninspired comics I’ve read so far this year.

Most of the comic focuses on Damian actually acting like a hero and fearful and irrational Batman needless berating him, first over the comms and later in person, before a 180-degree so fast it will give you whiplash.

Aside from Damain actually doing some justice to the Robin name (and not being the complete tool the New 52 has been so focused on delivering month after month) there’s almost nothing worthy of notice. The story is completely forgettable and the mix of both Patrick Gleason and Tomás Giorello’s art makes the comic look and feel uneven at best. Pass.

[DC, $2.99]

Batman and Robin #14 Read More »

Taken 2: The Wrath of Nameless Eastern European Thugs

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Taken 2
  • IMDB: link

taken-2-posterDirected by Pierre Morel and written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, 2008’s Taken starred Liam Neeson as retired CIA Agent Bryan Mills – a man forced to use his “particular set of skills” to rescue his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) who was abducted by an Albanian human trafficking ring while vacationing in Paris. Over the course of the film Mills racked up an impressive amount of property damage while assaulting, torturing, and killing dozens of people including shooting the wife of a French police officer (Olivier Rabourdin), and close friend, in front of him.

Taken 2 returns Neeson, Grace, and Famke Janssen (as Mills’ ex-wife), who take a family vacation in Istanbul only to find their past finally catch up with them. Mills and his family are hunted by members (who may, or may not, have ties to the trafficking ring) of the families of the men he killed in the first movie. When Mills and his ex-wife are taken the super bad-ass senior citizen will have to rely on the help of his daughter to wreck another city, rack up a hefty body count, and save both himself and her mother.

…

Taken 2: The Wrath of Nameless Eastern European ThugsRead More »

Taken 2: The Wrath of Nameless Eastern European Thugs Read More »

Eastwood and Adams have plenty of Trouble with the Curve

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Trouble with the Curve
  • IMDB: link

trouble-with-the-curve-posterTrouble with the Curve, a tale of an old baseball scout (Clint Eastwood) reconnecting with his estranged daughter (Amy Adams) on his final recruiting trip, is exactly what you’d expect. In fact, less than halfway through the film I correctly predicted how every single storyline would end.

The by-the-book tale is an odd mashup cashing in on the success of Moneyball and Grand Torino (with a romantic comedy thrown in for good measure). Sadly, but not surprisingly, Trouble with the Curve is nothing more than blatant Oscar bait and forgettable feelgood pre-holiday fodder.

Clichéd and as subtle as a kick to the groin, the screenplay by first-time screenwriter Randy Brown doesn’t so much foreshadow events as scream loudly from Hollywood playbook exactly what will occur. Overly sentimental, and not ambitious in the least, the film is a crowd pleaser with well-placed grumpy old man jokes that won’t force audiences to think much (or at all).

…

Eastwood and Adams have plenty of Trouble with the CurveRead More »

Eastwood and Adams have plenty of Trouble with the Curve Read More »

Assassin’s Bullet

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Assassin’s Bullet
  • IMDB: link

assassins-bullet-blu-rayAssassin’s Bullet is a dumb B-movie action flick starring Christian Slater as former FBI Agent Robert Diggs now assigned to the American Embassy in Bulgaria four years after the death of his wife. When a dormant assassin returns and starts killing several high-priority terrorists from America’s Most Wanted list Diggs is chosen to head up the investigation by the US Ambassador (Donald Sutherland).

Filled with far too many coincidences and awful ideas (like a multiple personality storyline that has Elika Portnoy playing three roles that, despite looking nearly identical, no one can tell apart) the script by Nancy L. Babine, Hans Feuersinger, and Elika Portnoy is a ridiculous mash-up of bad soap opera and forgettable action movie cliches.

Slater, Sutherland and Timothy Spall are all slumming it here. Available on both DVD and Blu-ray, extras include a short behind-the-scenes featurette (that does nothing to make the story more bearable or believable) and the film’s trailer.

[Xlrator, Blu-ray $26.99 / DVD $20.99]

Assassin’s Bullet Read More »