20s Movie Review - Expendables 4

Director: Scott Waugh
Genre: Action
Runtime: 103 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Megan Fox, 50 Cent, Anday Garcia

Description: Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on, the Expendables are the world’s last line of defense and the team gets called when all other options are off the table.

Review: The “Expendables” were never really good, but at least they managed to give the impression that they would be good. Posters filled with big names like Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Mel Gibson, Wesley Snipes, Harrison Ford, Jason Stathman and many others made it clear that plenty of Hollywood stars were happy to show up for them, so that had to be some sign of quality. Part four, however, has to make do with… Megan Fox and 50 Cent?

Okay, Fox is an easy headline, because the problems of “Expendables 4” are bigger than one mismatched actress. But her presence is somewhat exemplary of how the source has dried up nicely. The previous volumes packed in plenty of action heroes of yesteryear, but now we have apparently arrived at actors we know mostly from modern blockbusters. That’s remarkable for a film series meant to capitalize on nostalgia for a time when action movies were a lot rougher and simpler than the ones Fox is known for.

Regulars like Jet Li, Terry Crews and Arnold Schwarzenegger are nowhere to be found, while the newcomers from the previous installment also proved completely expandable. Initiator Sylvester Stallone also seems to be a bit don with it, and Jason Statham is upgraded to lead actor in this fourth installment.

This movie is really bad. No memorable one-liners, the new characters are forgettable and uninteresting, and this film is just no fun. The other three were so much fun, they didn’t take themselves serious. “Expendables 4” looks like it does. If all these previous action stars that weren’t in this fourth film said no to it, I understand why and they should be happy about it. I’m just going to pretend this film never happened and I will stick with the other three films.

Rating: 1/ 5

Movie Review - Pain Hustlers

Director: David Yates
Genre: Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 122 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Emily Blunt, Chris Evans, Andy Garcia, Catherine O’Hara, Brian D’Arcy James
 
Description: Liza (Emily Blunt) dreams of a better life for herself and her daughter. Hired to work for a bankrupt pharmaceutical company, Liza skyrockets with sales and into the high life, putting her in the middle of a federal criminal conspiracy.

Review: In “Pain Hustlers”, we see the opioid crisis unfold through the eyes of stripper and sinle mother Liza Drake. Through a combination of perseverance and luck, she manages to bring a new cancer drug to market. Although the film is based on the (fiction) book of the same name, that was based on a New York Magazine article.

Director David Yates seems to be inspired by “The Big Short” (unpopular opinion, but a movie I really hated), a film about the financial crisis in which seriousness and satire are perfectly intertwined. This movie was very successful, but Yates fails to establish a similar or at all consistent tone. It’s fast paced, flashy and promising, but never fully delivers.

Most interesting is the dichotomy in Liza. After a tough existence as a single mother, she blossoms when she begins to understand the sleezy lobbying game of the pharmaceutical industry. Liza herself does virtually nothing illegal. Her mail companions (played by Chris Evans and Andy Garcia) are the cartoonish villains of profiteering capitalism. For some extra dollars, they easily look away from an overdose. Typically, though, the film pays regular attention to victims but avoids any kind of systemic criticism.

The film is an easy watch as a sensational drama, but its concluding message (greed is a mortal sin) turns out to be a bland one. It’s unfortunate that “Pain Hustlers’ did not make that underlying aspect a main issue. If you’re interested in this theme, a mini-series called “Dopesick” is definitely better at it.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - Ocean's Thirteen

Director: Steven Sodenbergh
Genre: Comedy/ Crime
Runtime: 122 minutes
Year: 2007
Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, matt Damon, Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin, Bernie Mac, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Elliott Gould, Shaobo Qin, Don Cheadle, Andy Garcia, Carl Reiner

Description: Danny Ocean (George Clooney) rounds up the boys for a third heist after casino owner Willy Bank (Al Pacino) double-crosses on of the original eleven: Rueben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould).

Review: The story in a nutshell: Danny Ocean and his ream get together to assist their buddy Rueben Tishkoff, who has been double-crossed by casino boss Willi Banks. As a result, Rueben has collapsed, is in bed with heart problems and Danny is furious. Time for revenge. The plan is to bankrupt Banks’ casino before it officially opens its doors. Let the swindle and sabotage begin…
After a flying start “Ocean’s Thirteen” collapses after thirty minutes. The different storylines aren’t all that interesting, characters come and go, and certain things remain unexplained. But they are back in Las Vegas, like in the first movie. And the actual execution of the plan feels like old times. And this part was really fun, enjoyable and exciting.  
Does the third film add something to the series? Not really. The second one also didn’t, but I do prefer this over “Ocean’s Twelve”. But “Ocean’s Eleven” was the best of the three and they should have just stuck with that one.

Rating: 3/ 5

00s Movie Review - Ocean's Twelve

Director: Steven Sodenbergh
Genre: Action/ Crime/ Comedy/ Thriller
Runtime: 120 minutes
Year: 2004
Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Bernie Mac, Scott Caan, Casey Affleck, Julia Roberts, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Carl Reiner, Shaobo Qin, Elliot Giuld, Vincent Cassel, Bruce Willis, Don Cheadle, Albert Finney

Description: Danny Ocean (George Clooney) once again teams up with experts so he can pull off three major European heists.

Review: Steven Sodenbergh’s “Ocean Twelve” demonstrates the difference between actors and movie stars: the film clearly lacks content, but is filled with beautiful images and gorgeous people. Loads of star power in this film, but rarely do they show their acting skills.
Where “Ocean’s Eleven” has a clear vision and plot, “Ocean’s Twelve” doesn’t really seem to care about the plot. Because it’s really of no importance at all. Danny Ocean and his companions are yet again trying to pull off three major heists. This time in three European countries: The Netherlands, Italy and France.
The other story that we follow is that of an elusive thief called Night Fox. He is in everything the cliché of the flamboyant jewel thief: a rich French baron who was trained by the best thief of all time, he steals purely for fun and leaves a small stone fox statue at the places he robs.
I really enjoyed the first film, but “Ocean’s Twelve” really dragged and was even boring at times. I did like the added humor, especially when Tess Ocean (played by Julia Roberts) had to pretend to be Julia Roberts. And with all those amazing stars in the film, it’s sad that actos like Don Cheadle and Elliot Gould don’t get the screen time they deserve. Because they are true scene stealers.
Overall, “Ocean’s Twelve” was just another cash grab.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - Ocean's Eleven

Director: Steven Sodenbergh
Genre: Crime/ Thriller/ Comedy
Runtime: 122 minutes
Year: 2001
Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Bernie Mac, Elliott Gould, Julia Roberts, Scott Caan, Casey Affleck, Don Cheadle, Carl Reiner, Shaobo Qin, Holly Marie Combs, Barry Watson, Joshua Jackson, Topher Grace, Shane West

Description: Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and his ten accomplices plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously.

Review: Danny Ocean just got out of jail and he’s already planning his next heist: the simultaneous robbing of three major casinos in Las Vegas. To carry out this daring plan, he assembles ten experts that, after extensive preparation, seems perfectly capable of getting the job done. However, it is questionable whether it will be that easy in reality, because casino owner Terry Benedict is smart and has cameras everywhere.
“Ocean’s Eleven” is a remake of the 1960 film of the same name. although in this case the term remake is very broad. Because Steven Sodenbergh’s version has some common ground with its predecessor it is essentially a completely different film. It starred Franks Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. among many others, and had the right atmosphere. But it lacked atmosphere and action. With Sodenbergh’s take on it, that’s different.
Their mission seems impossible at first, since the safe is very hard to access without being seen. But somehow the protagonists know how to find a surprising wat to bypass all security measures. Of course things go wrong, which add to the excitement of the film. The film has a lot of tension. The slick camera work and high star quality make for a great film. But it’s not perfect. The characters are largely one-dimensional. But don’t let this stop you from watching the film.
“Ocean’s Eleven” is almost two hours of entertainment.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

80s Movie Review - The Untouchables

Director: Brian De Palma
Genre: Action/ Crime
Runtime: 119 minutes
Year: 1987
Starring: Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Andy Garcia, Robert De Niro, Patricia Clarkson, Charles Martin Smith

Description: During the era of Prohibition in the United states, Federal Agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) sets out to stop ruthless Chicago gangster Al Capone (Robert De Niro) and, because of rampant corruption assembles a small, hand-picked team to help him.

Review: Due to the prohibition, the empire of Al Capone blossoms like never before. He is too big to deal with by the police. Policemen fear revenge if they would do it or have been bribed by Capone’s men. However, Eliot Ness is going to put a stop to this. He gathers 3 men around him who will go to extremes to get Capone behind bars.
The first of the three is Jim Malone, a street cop who happens to meet Eliot. However, he hasn’t been a street cop all his life and has a lot of knowledge of fighting crime and gives Eliot important lessons. Next there is agent George Stone, a very accurate and loyal policeman. The last is gent Wallace, who is an accountant by nature, and get some more insight on Capone’s finances.
The entire atmosphere, the setting and the characters are what make this film great. Old Chicago is portrayed beautifully. All main character have enough depth and development to gain sympathy for them.
The most memorable and iconic scene is the one in the train station. It’s filmed so well and it has so much tension. This is a lesson in film by itself. So is the scene at the round table, where Capone ‘deals’ with one of his guests and later the camera has an overview and you see what happened.
With gangster films like “The Godfather”, “Scarface” and “Goodfellas”, this is one you would easily forget or overlook and that’s a shame. Because it’s a fantastic crime film.

Rating: 4 / 5

Movie Reviews - The Mule

Director: Clint Eastwood
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Alison Eastwood, Dianne Wiest, Taissa Farmiga, Bradley Cooper, Michael Peña, Laurence Fishburne, Andy Garcia, Clifton Collins Jr.

Description: A 90-year-old horticulturist and Korean War veteran (Clint Eastwood) turns drug mule for a Mexican cartel.

Review: Clint Eastwood is almost 90 years old. In “The Mule” he looks vulnerable, but looking at him and listening to him never gets old. It’s like that characteristic look (pursed eyes, raised mouth corner, pained look on his face) has become more intense because of his age. Mumbling, cursing, snarling at the people that cross him, but he never explodes. Eastwood stays cool, even though it’s not like in his Dirty Harry days.
It’s the first time since “Gran Torino”, which marks my favorite Eastwood film, that he signs up for both directing and starring in the film. Walt Kowalski, who he played in “Gran Torino”, and his character in “The Mule”, Earl Stone, have a lot in common. Both conservative, grumpy Korean War veterans who look down at the foreigners in their neighborhoods.
“The Mule” is based on an article in The New York Times. People could read about a 90-year-old American man, that became a drug mule for a Mexican cartel. Eastwood and screenplay writer nick Schenk used this as their inspiration for this story about loyalty, neglect, regret and forgiveness. All these themes get attention and towards the end are finished off nicely. But midway they get lost a little bit and disappear into the background.
In this part of the film, the focus is on Earl Stone’s rides for the Mexican cartel. Because the happenings are repetitive – loading cocaine in the truck, drive it to the destination and deliver it – the makers try to add some variation. And for the most part it works well. But they also added some jokes here and there and they don’t really work. Often racist or sexist.
We have seen a character like Earl Stone very often, but it’s thanks to Eastwood that he becomes somewhat likeable and you get a connection with him anyway.
Eastwood does a lot with a little. Something he is very good at.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Passengers

Director: Morten Tyldum
Genre: Drama/ Science Fiction/ Romance/ Fantasy
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Chris Pratt, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Sheen, Laurence Fishburne, Andy Garcia

Description: A spacecraft traveling to a distant colony planet and transporting thousands of people has a malfunction in its sleep chambers. As a result, two passengers are awakened 90 years early.

Review: There are always those film projects, that take a long time to make. “Passengers” has been waiting on the shelves, when it was eventually picked up to be directed by Morten Tyldum.

The film starts with an introduction to the Avalon, a spacecraft traveling to a distant colony planet and transporting thousands of people in order to start a new civilization. The people are all in hibernation. As a malfunction, two of the passengers wake up 90 years early.
The first act of the film is the most impressive. It sets an intriguing atmosphere. We meet Jim and Aurora and how they are trying to deal with the fact that they woke up 90 years too early. How they explore the ship. Especially Chris Pratt gets a lot of room to develop his character. And the opening also has amazing special effects. After the first plot twist, it all fades a little bit.
There is supposed to be an emotion spectrum. Themes like loneliness and romance have a lot of potential here. But Jim and especially Aurora are a bit too superficial as characters to make this combination of drama and romance work to the fullest. And although Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence are two of the most beloved actors working today, the two don’t have the on screen chemistry we were all hoping for. Pratt’s character gets a bit more substance, because of his solo scenes at the start of the film. But Lawrence’s character misses that. They perform great, very solid, don’t get me wrong. But I expected them to be better together.
On paper, “Passengers” had everything to become a hit. The fantastic actors, the visuals and an interesting story. It all feels a bit mediocre, pretty predictable and without the chemistry we hoped for. A fun popcorn film, certainly not bad, but it could have been so much more.

Rating: 3 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 100: Ghostbusters

Director: Paul Feig
Genre: Comedy/ Action/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth, Ed Begley Jr., Bill Murray, Andy Garcia, Cecily Strong, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Steve Higgins, Zach Woods, Charles Dance

Description: Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) and Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy), nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon), and subway worker Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) band together to stop the otherworldly threat.

Review: The movie got a lot of negative critique, even before the movie was released. A new “Ghostbusters” movie with an all-female cast. Director Paul Feig never intended to do a remake or to copy the eighties version of the film. This movie breathes new life into the concept. In 2016 Venkman, Stanz, Spengler and Zeddmore never existed. Bill Murray even has a small cameo as a scientist that doesn’t believe in ghosts. The Ghostbusters from the 1984 and 1989 movies are not a part of Feig’s universe.
Physicist Erin Gilbert is trying to make a career at a prestigious university, but is reminded of the book she once wrote with her friend Abby Yates. A book about ghosts. Abby is still seriously investigating the paranormal, with her engineer friend Jillian Holtzmann. When there is a ghost sighting in the city, the three check it out and realize that they were right all along. When also Patty Tolan joins them, who knows a lot about the city, the four women get an office, hire the very dumb secretary Kevin and try to catch ghosts for a living.
The plot is not that different from the original film. The story is a bit bland. But the film is supposed to be a comedy. And it is a really funny film, all thanks to the great women. Melissa McCarthy is really on a roll with both physical and verbal humor. Kristen Wiig is really strong, Leslie Jones is hilarious and Kate McKinnon is crazy. I also loved Chris Hemsworth, as the dumb (yet hot) secretary Kevin. But there is also the problem. It’s definitely a women’s film, because every male character is either a douchebag or very stupid.
There are many nods to the original film and I really liked that. “Ghostbusters” got a lot of crap and not all deserved. Is it better than the original? No. It does look better, but that’s logical because of today’s techniques. I really enjoyed the film and I thought it was very funny. Sceptic at first, a little surprised and very entertained.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 84: Dead Again

Director: Kenneth Branagh
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Romance
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 1991
Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Andy Garcia, Robin Williams, Wayne Knight, Derek Jacobi

Description: An amnesiac (Emma Thompson) and a private eye (Kenneth Branagh) find they might have a past life connection.

Review: In a convent nearby Los Angeles, an unknown woman is brought in. she doesn’t know who she is, doesn’t speak and has the most terrible nightmares. Private detective Mike Church is called to find out who this woman is. Because Mike can’t find any lead, he decides to put her picture in the paper. The only one that responds is an eccentric antique store owner, who says he can discover her past by hypnotizing her. And it works.
“Dead Again” was the first Hollywood production by director Kenneth Branagh. He mixed up romance, thriller and humor. And he gathered a good cast. Branagh himself takes the lead with his then girlfriend Emma Thompson. We also see Andy Garcia, who is underused by the way, and a smaller role for Robin Williams.
The film has an interesting plot, but somehow the movie comes off as somewhat cheesy. And the music, which should add some tension to it, is way too present. Even in scenes where hardly anything exciting happens, there is this bombastic and overwhelming music. I just didn’t love “Dead Again” as much as most people did.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 99: Let's Be Cops

Director: Luke Greenfield

Genre: Comedy/ Action

Runtime: 104 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Damon Wayans Jr., Jake Johnson, Rob Riggle, Nina Dobrev, James D’Arcy, Andy Garcia

Description: Two struggling pals, Justin (Damon Wayans Jr.) and Ryan (Jake Johnson) dress as police officers for a costume party and become neighborhood sensations. But when these newly-minted "heroes" get tangled in a real life web of mobsters and dirty detectives, they must put their fake badges on the line.

Review: This time, not two cops undercover as citizens, but two friends going undercover and pretending to be cops. Cop movies have this timeless formula that can be mixed and matched with countless of genres. Most of the time it’s two totally different characters that have to team up. That’s not any different here, but this time it’s two buddies impersonating cops and they choose to work together.

First we have Ryan, who doesn’t have a job. He could have been a professional football player, but after an injury he never picked up the ball again. His best friend Justin works for a gaming company, where he is trying to sell his game, without any luck. When they are going to a school reunion, where they have to go in costume, the decide to dress up as cops. Soon they realize that those uniforms have big advantages and gives them a big confidence boost.

The strongest point of the movie is the chemistry between the two leading men. Both actors are masters at portraying the clumsy, frustrated losers. Although the buddy cop movie is sometime getting old, it never bothers you here. The comedy finds a balance between funny and obscene. Sometimes the jokes are a bit predictable and obvious, but the easy likeable characters played by Johnson and Wayans Jr. make up for it.

The concept of “Let’s Be Cops” is very pleasant. It’s not a very intelligent comedy, but that’s not something you should expect. For a movie I didn’t have high expectations of in the first place, it was very enjoyable and funny. It had a strong opening and a strong ending. Some minor flaws, but you can forgive those.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Video of the Week (5)

This week I picked a funny video from Jimmy Kimmel's late night show. Celebrities are used to people writing about them, sometimes negative and sometimes even very mean. Kimmel got some celebs to read mean tweets about themselves. It's really funny, especially the ever so serious Gary Oldman bursting into laughter after reading his mean tweet.