Heist

The Nut Job

/ / Home Video
  • Title: The Nut Job
  • IMDB: link

The Nut JobCentered around a selfish squirrel named Surly (Will Arnett) and his mute rat pal Buddy who are exiled from their home in Liberty Park after the squirrel’s latest act of selfishness costs the rest of the animals the much-need food for the winter, The Nut Job is a mess that tries to do far too much (most of it not all that well). There’s a nice message buried deep, deep, deep down, but I’m betting most will lose interest before discovering it.

Set against a human bank robbery, the exiled Surly works with a pair of squirrels, the honest Andie (Katherine Heigl) and the the ridiculous park “hero” Grayson (Brendan Fraser), to make the biggest score of his life by robbing a Nut Store at the same time. Complicating things are the fact that nobody, other than perhaps Andie, is at all likable in the film and the fact that the real villain isn’t the selfish Surly but the power-mad Raccoon (Liam Neeson) running the park who decides to thwart the plan realizing his control may falter if the animals are all happy and fed.

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Star Wars: Rebel Heist #1

/ / Comics

Star Wars: Rebel Heist #1The first issue of the new Star Wars mini-series Star Wars: Rebel Heist, taking place during the same period between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back as the current ongoing Dark Horse comic, is presented from the view of a new Rebel recruit who meets Han Solo for the first time. It’s certainly a memorable meeting.

Our narrator’s name is never given as his opinion of Corellia‘s most infamous son goes from awe to disbelief to exasperation as Solo navigates the alleys and skies above his homeworld only to get the pair eventually captured and then interrogated by Imperial agents.

With each issue centering around the combination of both a core Star Wars character and original characters to the expanded Star Wars Universe Star Wars: Rebel Heist gets off to a good start here. I like Marco Castiello’s art (even if some panels do feel a bit rushed) and Matt Kindt captures Solo through the eyes of of a hero-worshiping fanboy in way over his head. Worth a look.

[Dark Horse, $3.50]

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Continuum – Minute to Win It

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Continuum – Minute to Win It
  • wiki: link

Continuum - Minute to Win It

After breaking Lucas (Omari Newton) out of his psychiatric prison ward, Liber8 puts him to work creating a series of bank heists using mind-controlled suicide bombers gathering confidential information, blackmail material, advanced technology, and secret patents on companies who will shape the world to come. As Carlos (Victor Webster) continues to struggle with the latest implications of time travel, he and Kiera (Rachel Nichols) attempt to stop the latest robbery.

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Muppets Most-ly Wanted

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Muppets Most Wanted
  • IMDB: link

Muppets Most WantedAfter the success of 2011’s big-screen relaunching of the Muppets franchise, director James Bobin and co-writer Nicholas Stoller return (along with Christophe Beck who once again writes the songs) for a mostly enjoyable sequel that sadly lacks the heart of the previous film.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed Muppets Most Wanted. It works as a wacky caper comedy, albeit not nearly as well as The Great Muppet Caper, with the trademarks of The Muppet franchise including cameos, running gags, frog and pig romance, and several fun (if not that memorable) songs. But ranking it against the Muppets other four major theatrical releases I would place it solidly last behind The Muppets Take Manhattan.

Picking up directly following the events of The Muppets, Muppets Most Wanted begins with the group hiring Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais) as their new agent who helps his boss, escaped thief Constantine (Matt Vogel) swich places with Kermit (Steve Whitmire) to use the Muppet’s world tour as cover for a series of robberies.

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1984 – Lassiter

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Lassiter
  • IMDB: link

lassiter-dvdOn this date 30 years ago Lassiter opened in theaters which makes an opportune time to re-share my review of the movie on DVD.

1984’s Lassiter was a pretty obvious attempt to cash in on Tom Selleck‘s popularity from Magnum, P.I. It’s also surprisingly good. The film was directed by Roger Young, who also helmed the first episode of for Magnum (as well as the TV mini-series adaptation of The Bourne Identity starring Richard Chamberlain and Jaclyn Smith). Although a little dated in spots, the film holds up fairly well nearly 30 years after its initial release.

On the eve of World War II, framed for a crime he didn’t commit, London’s premiere cat burglar Nick Lassiter (Selleck) is pressured by a British Police Investigator (Bob Hoskins) and an agent of the FBI (Joe Regalbuto) to use his unique skill set to break into German Embassy in London and steal $10 million in precious uncut gems.

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