Action

Wax on, wax off (again)

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: The Karate Kid (2010)
  • IMDB: link

In 1984, director John G. Avildsen and writer Robert Mark Kamen presented the world with a coming-of-age story about young high school student named Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) who moved to California and learned karate from kindly handyman Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita).

The Karate Kid was a hit and cultural touchstone for anyone who grew up in the 80’s. It produced two sequels (and a third with Hilary Swank replacing Macchio), an animated series, a videogame for the NES, and countless merchandise. It also introduced the world to Elizabeth Shue, earned Morita a best supporting actor nomination, and forever cemented William Zabka (Johnny) in the minds of millions as a total dick.

…

Wax on, wax off (again)Read More »

Wax on, wax off (again) Read More »

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
  • IMDB: link

What do you say about a film which includes a “dagger of time” and magic sand which powers its time traveling capabilities? Yeah…magic sand!? Let’s get this out of the way right from the start – Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is ridiculous. Yes, utterly and completely ridiculous. It is however, at times, also fun.

Trying to find a good movie adapted from a video game is akin to finding a boy band who has aged well over the years. It just doesn’t happen all that often. Director Mike Newell and screenwirters Boaz Yakin, Doug Miro, and Carlo Bernard attempt to adapt the video game franchise created by Jordan Mechner for the big screen. How successful they are is debatable.

The story centers around Prince Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal), a street uchin who as a child was adopted into the family of King Sharaman (Ronald Pickup) and now is one of three princes of the Persian Empire. Although miscast (he’s neither an action star nor Persian) Gyllenhall relies on his charm to provide the kind of scruffy likable hero the film needs to build it’s silly premises around.

…

Prince of Persia: The Sands of TimeRead More »

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Read More »

Robin Longstride and his less than merry men

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Robin Hood (2010)
  • IMDB: link

Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe come together once again to create a a film about one man’s bloody journey to martyrdom. Sound familiar? Fans of Gladiator should like the look of this film, and fans of Braveheart should like the story (at one point Mel Gibson Crowe rouses a reluctant army by talking of liberty and freedom). Fans of the character, however, might have some issues with this new take on Robin Hood.

I’ll give Scott credit for trying to do a different type of Robin Hood film. Rather than focus on Robin and the outlaws of Sherwood Forest, the script by Brian Helgeland focuses entirely on the journey of a young archer from the Crusades to enemy of the crown. The entirety of the film (140 minutes) is dedicated to showing how Robin Hood came into being. Of course that means that the film entitled Robin Hood is missing one important ingredient – Robin Hood himself.

…

Robin Longstride and his less than merry menRead More »

Robin Longstride and his less than merry men Read More »

Iron Man 2

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Iron Man 2
  • IMDB: link

Six months after revealing himself as Iron Man, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has become a national hero. Not everything is all sunny in the life of the world’s newest hero, however. As Iron Man 2 opens Stark is facing multiple problems including health issues tied to his use of the arc reactor, a push by the U.S. Senate to get their hands on the Iron Man technology for military use, a competitor (Sam Rockwell) wanting to steal limelight for himself, and the son (Mickey Rourke) of Howard Stark’s business partner out for revenge.

That’s a lot of plot to squeeze into two-hours, and I haven’t even mentioned Pepper Potts’ (Gwyneth Paltrow) new role as CEO of Stark Industries, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and S.H.I.E.L.D., James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) and the creation of War Machine, or Stark’s new assistant (Scarlett Johansson) who has a few skills not listed on her resume.

…

Iron Man 2Read More »

Iron Man 2 Read More »

The Losers

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: The Losers
  • IMDb: link

the-losers-poster

So far 2010 is turning out to be a good year for those who like action flicks, especially those based on comic books. First Kick-Ass gave us the bloodiest super-hero movie ever, and now the The Losers show up to give us a classic tale of wronged would-be-do-goers out for revenge.

Based on the Vertigo comic, the film begins with a mission gone wrong. The CIA Special Forces Team known as “The Losers” are betrayed by a their mysterious unseen handler (Jason Patric) and left for dead in the jungles of Bolivia. Months later the team is approached by yet another mysterious figure (are you sensing a pattern here?), a woman (Zoe Saldana) willing to offer them a chance to get their revenge.

The team includes Commander Clay (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), the hard-as-nails Roque (Idris Elba), the sharpshooter Cougar (Oscar Jaenada), the pilot Pooch (Columbus Short), and nerdy tech Jensen (Chris Evans – who manages to steal every scene of the movie, except perhpas those in which Saldana takes off her clothes).

…

The LosersRead More »

The Losers Read More »