A less successful adaptation of the Parker novels than that of Jason Statham (there’s a sentence you don’t hear often), Mark Wahlberg stars in what is easily the worst, and most bland, Shane Black movie ever made. After a heist gone wrong, Parker (Wahlberg) works with the duplicitous Zen (Rosa Salazar) on an even larger heist which will pit him against his old enemy Lozini (Tony Shalhoub) and the Outfit.
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I love of a good heist movie. The Pickup is not a good heist movie. It’s generous to call The Pickup a film at all. The braindead comedy features Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson as armored car guards who get targeted in convoluted scheme by a beautiful young woman (Keke Palmer) with a sob story and a pair of goons (Jack Kesy and Ismael Cruz Cordova). There’s almost nothing believable about the script by Kevin Burrows and Matt Mider and less likable about the movie.
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Set up as a number of interlocking stories all centered around an expensive rare Native American ghost shirt and the desperately stupid people who want it, writer/director Tony Tost‘s Americana is an interesting exercise even if it doesn’t all quite fit together such as the extended lull in the backstabbing Mandy Starr (Halsey) returning home. The highlights here are Sydney Sweeney as stuttering waitress Penny Jo (although the controversy of her American Eagle ad isn’t likely to help the small independent film at the box office), Paul Walter Hauser as the lonely cowboy, and young Gavin Maddox Bergman as a mixed up kid who has watched too many cowboy movies claiming he is the reincarnation of Sitting Bull. As ridiculous and culturally inappropriate as he is, the kid proves surprisingly good with a bow and arrow.
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“We in Danger, Girl” and “Bad Magic” are where Riri Williams‘ (Dominique Thorne) life takes a turn. More interested in investigating the Hood‘s (Anthony Ramos) than doing her part in the next heist, for no real reason other than curiosity, Riri nearly botches another robbery and her actions not only cause to be killed (Manny Montana) but also throw the life of Joe (Alden Ehrenreich), who it turns out isn’t really Joe, into chaos allowing the Hood to recruit him as well. The two episode arc is all about bad decisions and regret and Riri creating a number of enemies who now want her dead. Of course what this means is that Riri doesn’t get to make a hero turn but will be forced into becoming on due the fallout of her own actions. That’s not the most intriguing hero’s journey.
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Ironheart – We in Danger, Girl / Bad Magic Read More »
Although the pieces of the story feel about awkwardly stitched together, “The Cooling Off the Mark Job” offers fun moments as Hurley (Drew Powell) returns after his own con went sideways to help the team deal with their own mark (Alex Boniello) who stole $3 million from a church including $1 million the team hasn’t yet recovered. While initially there to just help Clay cool off, and recover the rest of the church’s missing funds, Hurley empathizes with Clay especially after learning what, or more specifically who, the stolen money was for.
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Leverage: Redemption – The Cooling Off the Mark JobRead More »
Leverage: Redemption – The Cooling Off the Mark Job Read More »
