Action Movies

The Rating System:

Filet Mignon=Excellent, fresh, and a memorable piece of art.

T Bone= Good helping, but not worth trading for a Filet.

Pork chop= In the middle, decent, but lacking something.

Hotdog= Nearly complete garbage.

Cat Food= The slums of the food/movie franchises

The Grey-(R)-(Blu-Ray worthy)

Liam Neeson + Wolves = A movie I have to check out. The Grey is about Ottway, a man who struggles to protect himself and an oil rigging team, who survive a plane crash in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in Alaska. They have to stick out the cold, and, even more deadly, the wolves (and their inner demons and fears.) The three key points to this movie are characters, suspense, and plot. The characters are key. If they aren’t interesting, or if you don’t care about them, you don’t care if they get taken by the wolves for meat. Luckily, this movie unites you with the characters, so that you feel sympathy when they are faced with a life-or-death situation. Liam Neeson’s character is very complex and very interesting. You feel for him the whole time. The suspense is nail-biting. You are paranoid of the shadows every second, and every time there is silence, your eyes are scanning the screen, because you never know when the wolves were going to attack. I’ve never felt this much suspense in a while. You are never comfortable, even during the rare moments of rest and story-telling, because you know that a wolf could pop up any minute. And I’m not talking about noble Husky -type wolves. I mean savage black wolves. The suspense keeps you on edge and holding your breath the whole time. The plot is varied, which is good, because traversing snow isn’t interesting in itself. Thankfully, things happen which keeps the plot interesting. The way this movie ends satisfied me, but will it satisfy YOU? It depends. Watch the movie and let me know. The Grey is a Filet. The direction is great as well. This film strikes many emotional chords, and it is more about the struggle between mind and man than wolf and man. Nonetheless, there are plenty of wolves to keep you occupied, when your eyes aren’t busy scanning the screen for indication of a pending wolf attack. This movie is deep, and Liam Neeson’s character is as strong as can be. Because of the deepness and suspense, The Grey is a worthy Filet. It was crazily intense, to say the least.

There is a 6 second scene after the credits

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Man on a Ledge-(PG-13)-(Blu-Ray worthy)

Like the trailer spoils for us, the man on the ledge is actually a distraction from a heist. How cool would it be if someone went into this movie thinking that it was just about a guy threatening to jump off of a building, but then the heist starts and they’re like: BEST PLOT TWIST EVER. Sadly, that can’t happen, because the trailer and commercials give away the plot, which I understand, because I wouldn’t want to watch a guy threaten to jump off of a building for and hour and forty-five minutes. The three key points to this movie are plot, action, and thrill. The plot had many elements to it. There is a lot of back-story and complexity to everything going on, as well as many motivations and characters. It had enough structure to keep it from being cliche and one-dimensional. Remember the Taking of Pelham 123? That movie is great because it’s not just a movie about a hijacking of a train. There are back-stories that amplify the plot. Walter Garber, the man who negotiates with Ryder, was accused of taking a bribe in the past, which raises credibility issues. Things like this add substance to the plot. Though you think that the plot is predictable, you learn in the last few minutes that your guess was way off from what you guessed. There were plenty of twists to satisfy your needs. The action, mainly referring to the heist, gave me some mixed feelings. The acting from the female protagonist doesn’t make sense for her character, because she has a personality more like a stubborn teenager than a grown woman, but she was the eye candy of the movie. A movie like this, full of manly cops and whatnot, needs some of that. The heist included some methods and gadgets that seem small compared to Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol’s, and I don’t know if any of it would work, but I advise you to let it be. Don’t question the realism of this movie. Some of the gadgets and things that happen don’t make sense, but it’s alright. You’ll be very entertained. The thrill factor is high. There are some tense parts that will keep you from being let down. Sam Worthington pulled this performance off very well, and so did most the other actors. Key word: MOST. Man on a Ledge is a T-Bone. If you want to have fun, and if you don’t question any of what you see, you’ll enjoy it.

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Contraband-(R)-(Blu-Ray worthy)

Weak is all I could say. Contraband has a ton of potential, but it falls miles away from the finish line. It is a movie about a former smuggler who has to help his brother in law get out of some deep water when he fails to deliver a package to a drug lord, who wants his money and drugs. This smuggler goes to Panama to score some money to pay the drug lord back. At the same time, the generous smuggler’s wife is being threatened and assaulted by this drug lord. The three key points to this flick were action, acting, and plot. The action is nothing we haven’t seen. The gun-fights were typical, with no flare or anything to set it apart from other movies. In fact, the shootouts were boring. If you want good action, go see Mission Impossible. The acting was good, but the script was crap. The actors were forced a messy script, and you could tell that they were trying to make the best of their lines. They acted well, but the things they said weren’t witty enough or interesting enough. Mark Wahlberg did the best he could with this dialogue we’ve heard over and over. The team carrying out the job with Mark had no chemistry, and they weren’t interesting at all. I’ve seen these characters before. I’ve heard this dialogue before. I’ve seen movies where money is like mind control. As soon as money is offered in this movie, it’s like: YES! I’LL JUMP OFF THIS CLIFF FOR THAT MONEY! The plot was typical of an action movie as well. I’m  not expecting the most advanced plot of all time, but I would appreciate if there was any effort at all. I was more interested in the wife being stalked at home by the druggie with a cartoon character’s voice that’s worse than Snoop Dogg’s rather than Mark Wahlberg dealing with his brother-in-law who doesn’t know how to do anything right. Do not see this Porkchop. Rent the Expendables or watch 007 if you want action. Nothing about the smuggling was interesting. This was beyond forgettable.

Behind the Scenes

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Colombiana-(PG-13)-(Blu-Ray worthy)

This movie is about Cataleya, a girl who saw her parents murdered infront of her as a child. She grows up to become a killer, wanting to avenge her parents’ death.  The three key points to this movie are the plot, characters, and action. The plot is laughable. It is extremely unrealistic, there are plenty of plot holes, and it was plain stupid. Ten-year old girls do not travel the world, do parkour, stab people, eat things to conceal them, then throw them up again, or strive to become a killer. I understand that this girl was traumatized, but if she started to want to do these things as a woman, it would make more sense. The plot was just too unrealistic. The characters were your typical goons and family members, and they were acted well, but I had a problem with the main character. Zoe Saldana played Cataleya very well, but I disliked her. In fact, I wanted her to get caught for her crimes, and I wanted the good guys to catch her. This is a problem. You’re supposed to root for the main character, not wish them to rot in prison. I feel that her character was shallow, ignorant, and cold-hearted, and so I didn’t like her, therefore I didn’t like the story, and therefore I didn’t like the movie. The action was nothing special, and sharks can’t make up for that fact. There was no blood, probably in order to keep this movie at a PG-13. I could easily get up for twenty minutes and come back without a care in the world. Better yet, I could’ve just left for the whole movie and come back for the credits with no concern. This movie was a Porkchop. I personally found it was too unrealistic to take it seriously, and all of this has been done before. This is a movie you can skip.

Sniper Scene

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Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol-(PG-13)-(Blu-Ray worthy)

I never took Tom Cruise seriously before the Last Samurai, and so I didn’t consider this a movie that I would go see. Soon enough, I watched the Last Samurai and read the reviews for Ghost Protocol, and the reviews were outstanding. Though I’ve only seen the first Mission Impossible movie, I decided to give this one a shot. It’s about Ethan Hunt, who is disavowed after a mission goes wrong. He gathers his team in order to save the world from a nuclear missile threat, with no help other than his team. The three key points to this movie are acting, action, and plot. The acting was amazing, surprisingly, given that this movie is full of stunts and action. Tom Cruise didn’t disappoint. In fact, nobody did. They all performed perfectly. The humor was pulled off very well, and wasn’t overused. It didn’t overshadow the seriousness either. The characters all had complexity, and they were portrayed as feeling emotion, something that most action stars lack. Jeremy Renner didn’t let me down with his performance either. The action has set the bar for the next Bond movie. A lot of chases and fights are presented, but they aren’t clichéd. It doesn’t feel like something we’ve seen before. Chases take place in sand-storms and fights take place in spectacular locations. The gadgets put a grin on your face and don’t fail to impress. When the gadgets are used by your favorite characters, it makes them even better. The action was fast-paced and constant, and so when the fight music dies down, you hear your heart thumping and people heaving out their breath because they’ve been holding it for so long. The movie took action that we’ve already seen a hundred times over and put a twist to it. The plot is typical of an action movie, but it’s interesting to see how the events were carried out. Don’t expect an Inception-leveled story. This is an action movie, not politics. Over all, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is a T-Bone. It takes the spy-ish feel of the first movie and turns it into action, but the spy-ish feel still remains, though it becomes very fast paced. I recommend watching this movie. You’ll get your fill of gadgets, wise-cracks, and action. Bond is going to have to really try to top the stunts in this movie. A laser watch simply isn’t going to cut it.

Interesting Facts: Brandt, Jeremy Renner’s character, was specifically made to take over Tom Cruise’s role if he decided to leave the franchise.

The nuclear launch device as a Russian keyboard, and yet the screen has English letters.

Catch You Scene

Behind the Scenes

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Sucker Punch (PG-13) -(Blu-Ray worthy)

This movie is a hit or miss movie. In other words, you either like it or you don’t. It’s about Baby Doll, a girl who is brought to a mental institution by her abusive stepfather. She is to get a lobotomy five days after she is imprisoned, but Baby Doll doesn’t want that. She wants to break out. As she plans to bail out of the institution, she envisions a Wise Man who tells her the objects she needs to leave. With her fellow inmates, she focuses on a fantasy world where her imagination ties into the real world. It’s not done through dreams, but through  focus. To obtain these objects, she dances for the men she has to distract, and as she dances, another girl tries to take the item, while at the same time, Baby Doll has a fight going on in her head to get the object. Sound confusing? It will make sense when the first imagination sequence happens. The three key points to this movie are action, visuals/audio, and plot. The action in this movie was very cinematic. This was made by the same guy that brought us Watchmen and 300, so you could see what I’m saying when I explain that these fights were uniquely filmed. Odd points of views, slow-motion, and detail was finely applied. That made this movie interesting to watch. If it were directed by someone else, the final product would be a mind-numbing war movie. The action is very interesting, mixing close-ranged weapons with guns. The girls are put to fight odd enemies, and so the action is never stale. Yes, you know that they can’t get hurt in their imagination, but they can in the real world, and the way the real world translates to the imaginary one is very cool. The visuals were breath-taking. The CGI was over the top, making whole cities and crazy looking monsters. I enjoyed every scene of the movie because of everything to see. (No, I’m not talking about the girls. I’m talking about the visuals. No, really. I’m serious.)

 

The visuals will make you smile. The audio is the high point of the film. Not only do the guns and swords sound good, but the soundtrack is an amazing one. A new song is playing basically every scene, fitting the mood and situation. It makes it seem almost like a dance…a very violent dance. Lastly, the plot. A movie like this (with samurais and dragons and robots, with hot chicks) isn’t expected to have a plot, but it has a very deep, symbolic plot. In fact, the plot is so advanced that the conclusion can be missed by some. You know what happens at the end, but a whole new fact is thrown in during the last minute that turns the tables. Still, a good story can be garbage if it is not explained well, and I feel that that is the area where this movie suffered. The plot had potential to be huge, but the story was not explained well. If it were explained better, it would be a T-Bone, but this movie is sadly, a Porkchop, a Porkchop who couldn’t get its story straight. Another thing that wasn’t that impressive was the acting. I mean, there wasn’t much to act, and it wasn’t atrocious, but it wasn’t very great. This one is a movie where you have to think, but it will keep your attention the whole way through. The camera work was impressive, the soundtrack was great, mood was established well, and the action and girls were rich with personality and charisma. I recommend this movie for anyone who wants something different from an action movie: a story.

 Interesting facts: All of the girls had to undergo heavy physical training.

Baby Doll’s writing on the board goes from cursive to block letters between every shot when she first writes it.

Interview

Training the Cast

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The Taking Of Pelham 123 (R)-(Blu-Ray worthy)-

I am fully convinced that no matter how bad all of Travolta’s movies are, he will still be a highly accomplished actor just because of his success with his character in Pulp Fiction, one of the greatest movies to be made. In this movie, he comes back as another bad guy, but is he any good? Did this movie show off his acting skills? The Taking of Pelham 123 is a movie about some men who take over a New York subway train when it is still in a tunnel, the very smart leader, Ryder (Travolta) is leading them, and he connects with the operator Walter Garber. He demands that he gets 10 million dollars, and every minute that the money isn’t there after an hour, a passenger gets shot. Ryder demands talking to Garber and only Garber, which gets the other staff suspicious. Garber was previously accused of taking a bribe, and so he is watched closely. With many factors such as a passenger on video-chat, snipers in the tunnel, and the hastiness and problems with delivering money, you get the Taking of Pelham 123. The three key points to this movie are characters, dialogue, and filming. The characters are portrayed very well. Denzel Washington plays Garber very well. Garber is very nervous, but he is obedient at the same time. Previously being accused of taking a bribe, you could see his determination to get this situation under control to show that he is a good man. John Travolta pulls off Ryder fantastically. Ryder isn’t any ordinary criminal. He knows money and math like a human calculator, and he is religious (supposedly) but he is also aggressive and demanding. You don’t know if he’ll crack a joke or shoot a guy. He is very unpredictable, and moody, too. His character, as well as the Mayor’s and Camonetti’s, were all believable, and you understood what kind of people they were from the start.

So, characterization worked, but how about the dialogue that came with the characters? Most of the dialogue is between Ryder and Garber, trading stories and demands over the radio/subway train phone. What this movie thrives is Ryder’s dialogue. He has crazy stories, unbelievable demands, and he can snap any minute. He isn’t a cliched bad guy, and let’s just leave it at that. Garber and everybody else had no cliched or pointless lines. Every line spoken was true to each individual character, unlike how is Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley is the movie’s output for the obvious. The filming was…awkward. The beginning started with a cool montage of New York, the subway, and the song 99 Problems. Fast camera motions and dark lighting made the movie feel unique. I haven’t seen a movie like the taking of Pelham 123 in a while. The last uniquely filmed movie I have seen recently was Limitless. When I review a movie, I absolutely hate using the words, “fun” and “entertaining” because fun could be The Losers and entertaining could be Percy Jackson, both pretty bad movies. Still, it pains me to say that this movie was entertaining, and with good reason. This movie is rewatchable, thrilling, and…entertaining. This movie, despite me seeming unenthuasiastic, is a Filet. This movie can be rewatched and enjoyed, and I would love to own it, except for the fact that its on HBO every day. Watch this movie. Once again, Travolta ignites a movie with great dialogue and grills a Filet. The fact that Ryder is unpredictable keeps you on edge, and you will be loving his character. Two words to describe him? Sick puppy. One of the best villain of all time? Yes.

Interesting facts: When Garber drops the gun at the end of the movie, you can clearly see a hand catch it.

When Garber makes a joke about Jersey and Ryder replies, “You watch it, I was born there.” Well…it’s true. John Travolta was born in Englewood, New Jersey

Interview with Denzel Washington

Interview with John Travolta

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The Tourist-(PG-13)-(Blu-Ray worthy)-

Depp and Jolie. Most people like both. Some only like Depp. Some only like Jolie, like me. Some may hate both. I, as previously discussed, am not a Depp fan, but I do like Jolie. Still, it didn’t influence my review one bit. This movie is about Elise, a spy who meets Frank, an American tourist, on a train. She receives a letter from Pierce, her old partner. The letter explains to board a certain train at a certain time and find a man his height and build on it. Then, she must make the police think that it is him. Sounds pretty spy savvy and suspenseful, but I assure you, it was a mess. The three key points were the acting, story, and action. The action was a huge screw-up on Depp’s and Jolie’s part. They were both on a different page the whole movie. Jolie was acting like a cool, quiet, sexy spy, while Depp was acting like a confused, unsure man. Depp’s performance was exactly like in the Pirates movies. The way he ran had a Pirates feel to it. He had both of his hands up with a few fingers, and with some makeup, he could have been Jack Sparrow right there and then. I think Jolie was still stuck in her role from Salt, and Depp still had some pirates in his head. The two leads were totally on a different page, and it was so obvious. Also, there was no chemistry between the two “lovers.” Zip. Zilch. Zero. None. Nothing. Here’s the amount of chemistry if you didn’t hear the first time:

When the kiss at the end of the movie occurs, you say, wait, they were in love? They did a crappy job of showing it! The unset acting ruined the connection to the characters. The plot had so much potential to be amazing, but it failed miserably. Why? You could blindly predict the verdict within the first ten minutes of the movie. My father did, and he was spot on. The plot is so anti-climatic and so sleepy. I could sit through a slow movie, but this wasn’t good enough to be called slow. It was BORING. I could care less that it is set in the beautiful Venice, Italy. I could make a movie in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Grand Canyon, or on the top of Mount Everest, but if what I film is garbage, it doesn’t matter! This movie doesn’t get slack just because it was pretty. Another stupid feature was the fact that everybody stared at Jolie as she walked around in her dress. This is a spy movie, not a perfume commercial. How corny? It was a 10, not a zero. That’s the only 10 rating this movie will get. Take a look at the Boondock Saints. It was such a simple concept, but it turned out a very high Filet. The action in this movie was, well……….there was none.

There was no action, unless you count jumping buildings, a slow boat chase, and guns being POINTED action. What do you get with bad acting, a recycled plot, and no action? A Hotdog that’s not worth a penny. It’s not Catfood because it has some substance, unlike total garbage like District 9.

Interesting Facts: The only reason Jolie agreed to do this movie is because it would be a “quick shoot” in Venice.

Jolie wore 12 outfits in this movie.

Interview with Jolie

Interview with Depp

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The Mechanic-(R)- (Blue- Ray worthy)-

If you’ve read my review on The Expendables, you know that I am a fan of Jason Statham, and therefore, I wanted to see this movie really badly. The Mechanic is a movie about Arthur Bishop, a man who is an elite assassin, the best of the best. A mechanic isn’t someone who just assassinates people for money with a single bullet…a mechanic is someone who assassinates people for money using different methods and objects. Mechanics must assassinate people and make the assassinations look like accidents. How do they do it? First, they study up on the many ways people die. Then, they go to target practice. After that, they go over their target’s files . Finally, they go for the kill, and make it quick and clean. Arthur is having no troubles racking up money by killing, until a problem arises…Arthur receives a job to kill his mentor, Harry. Arthur takes the job and kills the man who had brought him up as a mechanic. Harry’s son Steve approaches Arthur, wanting to become a mechanic. Arthur, after thinking things through, trains Steve.

 

They both work together, doing jobs and seeking blood. The two key points to this movie are action and length. The action was brutal, creative, and clever. The opening scene is so stealthy and smart that you’ll be smiling ear to ear. After that, the story slows down to explain what a mechanic is. I thought that the rest of the movie would be just as slow, but as soon as Steve is employed, it’s nonstop thrills. After the first big fight scene, your heart is pumping like crazy. You feel like you just jumped off a cliff, sprinted into a roller coaster, and bungee jumped off a bridge at the same time. The action is bloody and graphic, and isn’t for anyone who cringes at the sight of blood. Trust me, there’s a lot of it. This wasn’t ALL mindless gory action. There were some clever kills, some which make you shiver, some with make you smile from ear to ear. Arthur is so clever, quick, and entertaining. Jason Statham was perfect for this role and this type of action. If you seek action, see this movie. The second point to focus on is length. It was 1 hour and 33 minutes. That’s about the length of Shrek…and we all know how short the Shrek movies seem. It’s the same case with this movie…it’s over before you know it. They could have fit so much more into this movie, and why they didn’t surprises me. I wish there was more, but there wasn’t enough…There WAS enough brutal violence, but not enough plot. It had enough story to make it fresh, unlike Tron, which was so cliched and simple, but wasn’t so complex, like Inception. It was an action movie. You can’t expect too much story from an action movie. Bottom line, it was too short. I give this review two Porkchops. Two? Yes, two. It wasn’t as bad as a porkchop, but it wasn’t as good as a T-Bone. The Mechanic would be a good rent.

Interesting Facts: Jason Statham is known as the King of B Movies.

Interview with Jason Statham and Ben Foster

Not So Good For Your Side Scene (This is a clean version, so expect blood in the actual movie)

I’m Not A Lefty Clip

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The Town-(R)-(Blu-Ray worthy)

Originally, when I had the decision to pick the movie my dad and I would see on the weekend, I said RED. The comedy about retired agents coming back into action….but I looked at the trailer for this movie again, and I realized that the critics liked it a lot. Well, the critics screw up a lot, but not my dad! They got it right. The movie is about a group of friends who rob banks and armored trucks for their money. They aren’t exactly bad guys, because they don’t like to kill, but robbing banks is kind of messed up. These men do their dirty work when wearing disguises. (Skeleton masks, Nun masks, cop outfits, etc.) They just rob when they’re out of money. The beginning starts with a bank robbery. One woman is taken hostage, and after she is released, she is scared and disturbed. The leader of the team, Doug MacRay(Ben Affleck), wants to keep tabs on her, and when trying to talk to her, they fall in love, more or less. So, this woman is in love with one of the men who robbed her bank. Still, the plot is that the FBI is looking for Doug and his crew AND Doug’s guys are robbing and destroying things AND there is the thrill of wondering if the bank manager will find out about Doug or not….THOSE THREE THINGS AT THE SAME TIME. Romance, suspense, and action. PEACHY, isn’t it? Well, it sounds like a romantic drama, but it isn’t. The three key points to this movie were action, advertisement, and …….the main man………Ben Affleck. The action in this movie was fresh. The beginning made me think, cool, bank robbery, but I’ve seen this before. I was wrong. The action wasn’t, “get on the ground or I’ll shoot you” kind of action. It was more like shoot if shot at…and boy, were they shot at. Lots of machine guns and grenades are brought into the mix, and back and forth shooting is there at every scene (almost). I like how this action wasn’t like Wanted or The Expendables, where the main characters could run through hallways killing people with ultra fancy moves. No. This was more realistic. Our main characters can get shot for once, killed too. They don’t care. Bottom line: This isn’t one of those movies where good guys aren’t touched. That is why there is always a sense of danger with this flick.

 

The advertisement for this movie was done horribly. The Town’s trailer was so vague. I didn’t expect it to give everything away, like Devil, but it didn’t show much. It made it look like another whatever film that isn’t worth seeing, and it made it a drama. I would expect the producers to put a little more in the trailer to hook the viewer. Plus, I haven’t heard any publicity or commercials or anything about it. That ca turn people down. Oh well. No one can change that now. Lastly was Ben Affleck. I know he directed the movie, and put himself in it…but he wasn’t the right guy for the lead. I would prefer someone like Jason Statham (from Transporter, Death Race, Expendables,etc.). Why? Well, Ben makes his character seem soft and not too tough. His character robs banks….he has to have a dark side to him….but Ben stays sweet the whole time. I looked into other reviews, and it seems many other critics agree. They said that Ben, though he directed it well, didn’t pull off the acting. I agree. We need a guy who isn’t too suave but isn’t too sweet…..Jason is that guy. The film still turned out great, with intense reckless chase scenes, going up against the SWAT, trying to hide everybody’s identity, hostages, robberies, funny irony, a cool concept, and great story. This film was unique, and a T Bone in my opinion.

Interesting facts: The premiere of The Town was in Boston

Cast member Slaine worked at Fenway Park as a teenager

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7439911/

GOOD COP…BAD COP (I MADE THIS)

Interview

Interview

Behind the Scenes

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The Rock-(R)- (Blu-Ray worthy)

Right when I looked at the film description and it said, “1996″, I dropped it, until I saw the actors who starred in it. Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery. Good enough for me! I popped it in, and I instantly it wasn’t old looking. I even saw it on video. (My first review on a movie a saw on video.) I forgot that it was old, because it looked great. This movie is about Alcatraz, or, the Rock. For all of you who don’t know, it is an old jail who has been around for years. It held the worst of criminals, including Al Capone. It is surrounded by ocean, tight, and locked down….inescapable. Some say some people made it to the ocean, but died, but I don’t believe that. I truly think no one has escaped it. THAT is the real part of the movie. The fake part is that ex-Marines take over Alcatraz during a tour and takes 81 tourists hostage, for money. If the government doesn’t abide, they will send rockets rigged with some crazy deadly gas into the atmosphere. That means death.

Due to this threat, the government orders Dr. Stanley Goodspeed(Cage) and John Patrick Mason(Connery) to the action. Goodspeed is a biochemist, who is called in so he could provide information on the chemical the Marines are threatening to use. Mason is the only person to escape Alcatraz, so the government needs a better understanding of the place. Problems arise with Mason, who is taken out of jail for this job, but after working out deals and kinks and action, the boys and some soldiers go to Alcatraz for more action. The 2 key points to this awesome movie are action and acting. The action was very crazy. There is a car chase which leaves destruction, which gets me upset because some nice cars are treated like crap the way they are destroyed. Also, there are many gunfights and close up combat. Tripwires and high tech chemicals are used to kill, and Mason’s crazy moves leave you breathless. The action isn’t mindless, and is realistic. When I mean realistic, it’s not like the good guys kick butt and the bad guys are used as targets, like some 007′s where Bond is almost untouched. This, however, is a flick where the good guys are in danger, so it’s more entertaining. Trading bullets aren’t the only action which is found. There is also varied fights and traps. Very amusing. The acting was great. What do you expect form Connery and Cage? Connery has his usual charm and experience, as he sets the stage. Pierce Brosnan couldn’t do this role. Mason is a really developed and unpredictable character. That’s what keeps him interesting. His quick temper keeps you at the edge of your seat. Nicolas Cage cracks me up, because he is so funny in action movies, with his constant shouting and slight nerdiness to all his roles. I still like him a lot. He has some funny lines in this movie, and is actually helping with some kills. This movie was directed by Michael Bay, who brought us Transformers. This beat that by 1 million and 6. This isn’t a ‘oh, I’ll skip it’ movie. This would have to be one of my favorite movies. It’s a Filet Mignon, fresh and salty.

Interesting Facts: Some Navy SEAL’s were played by real Navy SEAL’s

Some people who went to the Rock during filming for tours witnessed some scenes.

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7324249/

Above is Daniel giving his opinion about the Rock (I created the video)

Very cool scene from The Rock(Language included)

Soundtrack

Chase scene

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The Expendables-(R)-(Blu-Ray worthy)

The expendable is definitely and absolutely the best  hardcore rated R action movie of the year. It is about Barney (Sylvester) and his friend and companion, Christmas,(Jason Statham) go to an island which is being run by a nasty dictator. Plot is simple: Sylvester blows up what he needs to (or so he thinks), leaves the island, and comes back with Christmas……why? Because there’s a girl who he needs to save . Eventually after fights, chases, betrayals, weapons, explosions, and the rest of the bunch, the rest of the Expendables come to help with the killing of the dictator. Simple action movie…but it was so good. The three key points were the Cast, humor, and action. The cast consisted of big names: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Swarrzenager, just to name a few! (Arnold and Bruce are only in it for a cute little comedy bit that’s five minutes long.)  Still, when you know stars of a movie, you like it even more. That’s why I loved this movie, finally seeing Stallone back in the game, and watching Jason Statham bust some blades is also very different. (he’s one of my favorite actors) This movie isn’t bragged about by Stallone, despite his big ego. In fact, as seen in the trailer, Stallone gets asked, “What happened?!” Stallone admits, “I got my @$$ kicked!” Yep. He said it  Another big quote was from Statham. In the beginning, before killing some pirates, there is a deep rumbling sound. The team asks, “What was that?” Jason said, “I got a text.” There were many more hilarious quotes from the huge cast.

The second point was humor.  It was so funny for an action movie. The remarks about Jet Li being short cracked me up, and so did Mickey Rourke’s remark on what he planned to do to his guitar. But, as we all MUST admit, the funniest sequence would have to be the 5 minute talk between Arnold Swarzennegar and Sylvestar Stallone. The final lines of that scene. “What the **** is his problem?”…….”he wants to run for president.” Haha. Nothing gets funnier. Lastly, and most importantly, the action of the movie was breathtaking. Guns, knifes, car chases, torture, C4, explosives, punches, and more were at every sequence. Enjoy what you get, because until Expendables 2, you won’t see action like this ever again. Charred Filet Mignon is what I have on my plate.

Interesting facts: It took 6 hours to film the part with Arnold and Bruce

Stallone broke his neck while filming

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7325315/

Howey giving his opinion (I made this)

Stallone Interview

Behind The Scenes

Interview with Jason Statham

Interview with Terry Crews

Interview with Jet Li

Expendables Fight Scene (Contains strong language)

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Prince of Persia: Sands of Time(PG-13)- (Blu-Ray worthy)

MIDDLE EASTERN MUSIC                 ACTION SCENES                    SLOWMOTION……that’s what this movie was the whole time. And I didn’t mind. The story is pretty much about Prince Dastin, who is glorified for taking over a city, but after his father is poisoned while wearing a cloak that Dastin gave to him, he is thought as a murderer, and leaves with an enemy princess and the Dagger that could turn back time. The 3 key points to this was the music, action, and visuals. The music of the movie was fully and 100% under Middle Eastern influence. It was all Middle Eastern. And it sounded VERY good. It went well along with crazy building jumps and intense street chases. Below is a video of Arabic music….. it’s like what was in the movie. Secondly, there was lots of action in this movie. Actually, not a lot of action,  but ALL action. There are swordfights, archer invasions, snake survival, slow motion throwing knives, bladed whip attacks, slow motion building jumping, and hard falls, VERY hard falls. There is no romance, disaster scenes, or any blabbing arguments……ALL ACTION AND FIGHTING. Whether its one on one or army invasions, there is always fights. And lastly, the visuals were great. Not Blu-Ray Avatar quality, but the lighting and effects were great. Especially the costume design. It was like it was actually in Ancient Persian times….and the dagger effects were sharp.

Still, there were a few issues with the plot. First off, it went too fast. One minute an important character dies, and the next minute another one dies. There was no time to think or breath. The characters seem to get from point A to point B with no problem. The story was too fast. I’m happy that it wasn’t as slow as Valkyrie, but it was too fast. Something was missing. Another issue were the actors. The actors were great, and they played their parts very well, but they weren’t right for them. This movie takes place in Persia. The actors were American. I didn’t see 0ne Persian dude in the movie. That was a bit frustrating, because the characters ARE supposed to be Persian. Imagine Spock without his trademarked ears. Imagine Spiderman without his costume. Imagine Spongebob without his pineapple. Imagine crackers without dip. Exactly. A Prince of PERSIA is just as weird when there are no PERSIANS in the movie.I have been served a Hotdog. Come on Hollywood, wake up.

Interesting Facts: Dastan means hero in Persian

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7329453/

Howey’s in Singing rehab…..Chin will substitute.

Arabic Music

Blade Scene

Discovery of the Dagger

The genius plan in the beginning invasion

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Valkrie-(PG-13)-

Valkrie, the movie about Hitler’s contol, was a real dissapointment. Tom Cruise, the main opposer of the Nazi force, tries to round up men to kill Hitler during Operation Valkerie. It sounds thrilling and action packed, right? No. The only exciting parts were the beginning and the assassination attempt. The rest of the long movie was war talk. War talk. War talk. War talk. “The Berlin borders are being slowly swarmed by Hitler’ forces at 2 clicks per dial” The whole movie. There wasn’t much excitement, and everybody pretty much looked the same. If you would die for strategic war movies, you’d love this, but if you’re a hardcore action lover, steer away. You’re not missing anything except for bla, bla, bla.

Hitler’s character was a model of the real Hitler, but the rest of the movie cast was bland. If you like COD 5, you would hate this even more. This could have made a great History Channel documentary, but not a Hollywood Blockbuster….. Trust me. This was a Hot dog, a Nazi Hot dog, and if it didn’t have a decent cast, it would be Cat Food.

Interesting facts: Tom Cruise has similar looks to the real von Staffenberg

Von Staffenberg’s glass eye is blue, but his real eye is brown.

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7381761/

Malcolm reviews this disaster

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Npw46CVtxiM

Click on the link above for a spoof that you will die laughing to.

THIS FOOTAGE IS FROM SUPERHERO MOVIE….AND ITS NOT REALLY TOM CRUISE…ITS A GUY WHO IMPERSONATES HIM PERFECTLY

Second time viewing this movie: I said this was no good. I meant it. But when you actually follow along with whats going on, and how much danger these real men were getting themsleves in, you owe the ,movie a pinch of respect.

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Eagle Eye-(PG-13)-(Blu-Ray worthy)

Though it isn’t the newest movie, it’s sure a good one!! It stars Shia La Beof, and is about a man named Jerry Shaw. His brother, who was in the military, passes away, and once Jerry gets home, his room is filled with guns, poisen, fetilizer, fake passports, plane manuals, and maps. After he finds it, a woman calls him on the phone and says that the FBI would come to his house. He hangs up, but it comes true. Then, a mom gets a call from the same lady,and the two meet, and follow the mystery women’s orders. When those orders aren’t obeyed, bad  things happen… very bad things.

Electrical wires kill a man, Construction cranes destroy police car, car chases arise, and the President’s life becomes in danger. If you like suspenseful action, this movie is for you. Its full of technology, guns, cars, life or death decisions, terrorists, bomb like crystals, and fighting. The phone calls keep happening, and the action becomes more plentiful. Gun fights are included, and it is a movie where you have to think. Every part was intense and got your heart pounding. The action is a bit blurry, but overall, this here is looking like a T Bone to me!

Interesting facts: In order to get upset for the funeral scene, Shia had to listen to: Over The Rainbow, because it “breaks him down.”(HOW MANLY)

At Ethan Shaw’s funeral, his eyes ccould be seen flickering

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7358849/

Howey TRYING to give a review (I made the video)

Eagle Eye: Closer Look

Shia La Beof Interview

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