10s Movie Review - Alex Cross

Director: Rob Cohen
Genre: Action/ Crime/ Mystery
Runtime: 101 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Tyler Perry, Matthew Fox, Edward Burns, Rachel Nichols, Jean Reno, Carmen Ejogo, Cicely Tyson, John C. McGinley

Description: Homicide detective Alex Cross (Tyler Perry) is pushed to the brink of his moral and physical limits as he tangles with a ferociously skilled hired killer (Matthew Fox) who specializes in torture and pain.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 27: A THIRD MOVIE IN A SERIES

Review: Alex Cross is a psychologist and homicide detective, created by author James Patterson, who wrote a books series about this interesting character that has over 20 books and counting in it. Alex Cross has turned up in movies before, in the form of Morgan Freeman who portrayed him in “Kiss the Girls” and “Along Came a Spider”. In this film, based on the twelfth book in the series, has Tyler Perry as the titular character. Cross is dealing wit a violently deranged killer, who leaves cubist drawings as clues.

James Patterson is one of the best crime writers in the business, so the source material is solid. “Kiss the Girls” is one of my go-to thrillers. “Along Came a Spider” was okay, but not noteworthy. “Alex Cross” is just bad. It’s filled with bad dialogues, clearly not written by Patterson. And it’s in this story that Cross is offered the job to work for the FBI as a psychoanalyst. Which is very implausible, since all of his analysis are based on a few mere clues.

What is even more implausible is the fight between Alex and the perpetrator, called Picasso. Whereas Picasso is first portrayed as a dangerous maniac who causes death and destruction as if a whole arsenal of criminals had done these deeds, the creators just as easily step away from that and Picasso suddenly has trouble with Dr. Alex Cross. And Tyler Perry is really not good as Cross and he’s absolutely not believable as a psychoanalytic observer. Of course you’re going to compare him to Morgan Freeman, who portrayed Cross as a calm, rational and intelligent professional. Perry just never convinces.

The same goes for the story. The Alex Cross stories have serious topics, but this film has a comedic undertone due to some of the characters. John C. McGinley’s character gives it that undertone and it’s just out of place. Matthew Fox, as the villain Picasso, is pretty good though.

Although the film is meant to be a serious action thriller, it feels more like a satirical version of it. The film is predictable, cheesy, implausible and both the dialogue and most of the acting are just awful. I don’t think James Patterson is happy with this film.

Rating: 1,5/ 5

Movie Review - Those Who Wish Me Dead

Director: Taylor Sheridan
Genre: Action/ Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Jon Bernthal, Aidan Gillen, Nicholas Hoult, Jake Weber, Tyler Perry

Description: A teenage murder witness finds himself pursued by two assassins (Nicholas Hoult, Aidan Gillen) in the Montana wilderness with a survival expert (Angelina Jolie) tasked with protecting him – and a forest fire threatening to consume them all.

Review: It’s been quiet around Angelina Jolie for a while now, but in “Those Who Wish Me Dead”, sje takes on the role of the tough Hannah Faber. Hannah suffered quite a trauma while working as a firefighter, where she witnessed a number of people being consumed by flames. As a result, she is, to say the least, a bit destructive: a real adrenaline junkie who performs all kinds of stunts to get a kick out of it and consumes large amounts of alcohol. During the new ‘fire season’ in the vast American forest, firefighters are each assigned their own lookout, in order to assess whether a fire is about to break out somewhere.
Meanwhile, you see how two men break into a house and coldly kill the family living there and blow up their house. Owen sees the images on television ans is shocked. He immediately leaves the house with his son Connor for the only man he trusts, the sheriff in Hannah’s town: his brother-in-law Ethan. But he will never arrive, because the same two killers are after him now. His son Connor manages to escape and ends up finding Hannah, who will do anything to save this boy.
It all sounds exciting, but unfortunately nothing really comes off well. Yes, Angelina Jolie does a great job of portraying the role of the hurt power woman. And Finn Little, who plays Connor does a fine job as well. However, the film jumps around so much that none of the storylines are given time to develop properly. Hannah gets a little background, but that’s it. And the story of Ethan and his pregnant wife is overshadowed too. I would have liked to know more about them.
“Those Who Wish Me Dead” is a film hard to put in one genre. It is a thriller, certainly, but also has characteristics of a disaster movie, as well as a drama piece. Angelina Jolie plays her role with total dedication, but it’s the script that fails. The movie is fairly short for the story they want to tell and the characters they want us to relate to. It is still entertaining in a way, but leaves you with a lot of unanswered questions.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Movie Reviews - Vice

Director: Adam McKay
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 133 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Alison Pill, Eddie Marsan, Justin Kirk, Jesse Plemons, Bill Camp, Shea Whigham, Tyler Perry, Naomi Watts, Alfred Molina

Description: The story of Dick Cheney (Christian Bale), an unassuming bureaucratic Washington insider, who quietly wielded immense power as Vice President to George W. Bush (Sam Rockwell), reshaping the country and the globe in ways that we still feel today.

Review: Director Adam McKay was once know for his absurd comedies with Will Ferrell, but has since made some less humorous films. In 2015 he brought us “The Big Short”, which focused on Wall Street. And with “Vice” he puts Dick Cheney in the spotlight. Is it a good career switch for McKay? I can say it is, because “Vice” is, even though very ambitious, a very strong political drama, a well-executed film with a comedic edge.
Because of the daily doses of idiotic Trump news, you would almost forget about the time that George W. Bush was president, which was also not the best political period for America. If it is completely Bush’s fault, that’s up for debate. It more luck than wisdom for Bush. And the political games he left for Dick Cheney. A man who became powerful by staying in the background. In “Vice” his political career is shown, and that career is much longer then we think. He started there when Nixon was president.
Cheney isn’t interested in politics at first. He chooses to be a Republican based on a speech Donald Rumsfeld gives. He becomes Cheney’s mentor. But student becomes teacher in this scenario.
When Cheney says his goodbyes to politics, he is tempted to work as Vice President for the unexperienced Bush. And when he becomes VP, he manages to draw all the power to himself.
Christian Bale looks nothing like Dick Cheney in real-life, but thanks to the fantastic make-up department Bale is unrecognizable and Cheney is born. He plays his role with perfection. But the satire doesn’t always work for Bale. Steve Carell and Sam Rockwell, who play Rumsfeld and Bush, are better suited for this style.
“Vice” has a few absurd scenes, that you wouldn’t expect in a political themed film. But here is where McKay separates himself from the rest. It doesn’t always work well, but it is original.
If politics don’t interest you, this movie is not for you. Even if it is brought with more wit and satire. If you do like it, it’s a nice change from all the raw and serious political dramas.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 15: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

Director: Dave Green
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Comedy/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 112 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Laura Linney, Stephen Amell, Tyler Perry, Tony Shalhoub, Brad Garrett

Description: After facing Shredder, who has joined forces with mad scientist Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry) and henchmen Bebop and Rocksteady to take over the world, the Turtles must confront an even greater nemesis: the notorious Krang (Brad Garrett).

Review: Dave Green takes over on directing this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle sequel, from Jonathan Liebesman. Green imitates the camera movements and explosive action that Michael Bay loves so much. The movie looks visually great, but there is one thing I don’t understand. Why do they need to pimp this so much? Why do the turtles call each other Donnie or Mikey, when they clearly have perfect names and they never did this in the cartoon? And their party van is way too high tech, too over the top. Why couldn’t they just keep it retro? Bigger isn’t always better you know.
“Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” is entertainment, I give them that. And they somehow please the fans by adding Bebop, Rocksteady, Krang and Casey Jones into the film. But it’s all so superficial and the story is very random. Shredder does look better now and the film has some nostalgia here and there. But everything is pimped way too much.

Rating: 2/ 5