Posts Tagged ‘action movie’
Friday, August 13th, 2010
Review:
After his daughter is kidnapped by Japanese Yakuza, an American businessman with ties to Japan asks his old friend Robert Mitchum to get her back. Mitchum knows Japan and uses the chance to return to the woman he loves, while also caching in an old favour to help his friend. But things don’t go as smoothly as planned and before long he and his partner in crime Takakura Ken must face their opponents time and time again. The film is an excellent portrayal of Japanese culture, especially their idea of honour, a great action movie and also a touching drama that is perfectly acted by both the American and the Japanese cast. Brutal, honest and above all thrilling and touching, this is an underrated gem that deserves to be rediscovered.
Random Observations:
The Yakuza at the IMDb
This concludes our celebration of the great Robert Mitchum. If you are still not convinced that you should see as many of his films as possible, all I can say is that you are missing one of the best actors of all time.
There is currently talk of a remake, which naturally, would be a complete travesty. The only good thing about it could be that it would draw a little attention to the all but forgotten original.
Directed by Sydney Pollack, the film has more than Mitchum’s name to attract casual viewers. And of course there is the screen-writing dream team of Robert Towne and Paul Schrader.
I’m used to shots of starting and landing planes to establish the location as an airport, but this is the first film I’ve ever seen where a Lufthansa plane was used.
Tags: 1974, action movie, Akiyama, Amercian Film, Brian Keith, Christina Kokubo, crime movie, Drama, Eiji Go, Eiji Okada, english, Go Eiji, Harada, Herb Edelman, James Shigeta, Keiko Kishi, Ken Takakura, Kishi Keiko, Kyosuke Mashida, Lee Chirillo, Leonard Schrader, M. Hisaka, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Okada Eiji, Paul Schrader, Richard Jordan, Robert Mitchum, Robert Towne, Sydney Pollack, Takakura Ken, The Yakuza, Thriller, William Ross
Posted in Minute Movie Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies | No Comments »
Friday, August 6th, 2010
Review:
New York advertising men Cary Grant is mistaken for somebody else and set up to be killed. He barely escapes, but nobody believes his story. As things move along, he gets more and more drawn into the plot, desperately trying to both find out what is going on and simply staying alive. The script was written especially for Alfred Hitchcock to make “the Hitchcock film to end all Hitchcock films” and it largely succeeds. It perfectly showcases Hitchcock’s humorous and fantastic side, while also being an excellent thriller.
Random Observations:
North by Northwest at the IMDb
This is the 21st Alfred Hitchcock film I’ve reviewed for this here publication. It’s also the first Hitchcock film I ever saw, many years before I ever decided to write my opinions on films down.
Saul Bass is probably the most underrated “signature” artist of the 20th century. The moment I saw the opening titles, I knew he had designed them. And this despite the fact that his titles for different films never look the same, he just has a very unique style.
This concludes our four week marathon of American Cinema of the 1950s. And what a high note to go out on!
Tags: 1959, action movie, Adam Williams, adventure movie, Alfred Hitchcock, American Film, Cary Grant, Drama, Edward Binns, Edward Platt, english, Ernest Lehman, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Jessie Royce Landis, Josephine Hutchinson, Ken Lynch, Leo G. Carroll, Les Tremayne, Martin Landau, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, North by Northwest, Patrick McVey, Philip Coolidge, Philip Ober, Robert Ellenstein, romance, Saul Bass, Thriller
Posted in Minute Movie Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies | No Comments »
Monday, May 24th, 2010
Review:
Chiwetel Ejiofor is a jiu-jitsu master who barely scrapes by with his academy in Los Angeles. He refuses to fight in competitions, citing that rules are against the purity of the fight. Things change, however, when an accident and Hollywood connections promise relief while making his financial troubles worse. The film by David Mamet is an interesting combination of straight-up drama and sports action film. The plot is not the most original nor the most consistent, the dialogue is stilted (written by Mamet, that is to be expected and intentional), and the ending is so over-the-top in it’s justification of the theme that if you stay true to your principles, you will eventually succeed, that it is almost painful. Nevertheless, it’s a good film, mostly due to great actors all around, led by the incredible Ejiofor, whose performance as the wounded warrior is simply breath-taking.
Random Observations:
Redbelt at the IMDb
I don’t know how to pronounce his name, but Chiwetel Ejiofor is one of the best actors working today.
Am I the only one who finds the idea of Tim Allen as an action movie star utterly hilarious? Or rather, am I the only one beside Mamet to do so?
The various fighters in the game were all portrayed by professional fighters in this strange new game called “Mixed Martial Arts”. I don’t know anything about it - nor do I really care - but I think the concept is simply that you can use whatever you can to bring your opponent down. Firearms might be an exception.
Tags: 2008, action movie, Alice Braga, American Film, Cathy Cahlin Ryan, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cyril Takata, Cyril Takayama, Dan Inosanto, David Mamet, David Paymer, Drama, Emily Mortimer, english, Enson Inoue, Jennifer Grey, Joe Mantegna, John Machado, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Matt Malloy, Max Martini, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Randy Couture, Ray Mancini, Rebecca Pidgeon, Redbelt, Ricky Jay, Rodrigo Santoro, sports movie, Tim Allen
Posted in Minute Movie Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies | No Comments »
Saturday, May 22nd, 2010
Review:
In this adaptation of David Ignatius novel, Leonardo DiCaprio stars as the best agent the CIA has in the Middle East. His superior is Russel Crowe, with whom he has nothing in common. While he works with the locals, Crowe personifies American arrogance, conducting his own parallel operations that threaten everything DiCaprio works for. Meanwhile, a new terrorist group has started bombings in Europe and now needs to be stopped, so they do everything they can to do that, with the help of the Jordanian security chief Mark Strong (who is almost as good as usual), while DiCaprio falls in love with an Iranian girl. All this makes for a solid, if unconvincing thriller, that makes the game of international espionage seem almost tedious.
Random Observations:
Body of Lies at the IMDb
What would it take for director Ridley Scott to return to making great films instead of middling ones? Would it be enough if he stopped his collaborations with the most overrated actor of our time, Russel Crowe? Probably not, but it would be a start.
I’m assuming that the budget for this film was quite big, so it’s especially embarrassing to have American Police cars in Amsterdam and Moroccan flags in Jordan. Sure, I wouldn’t shot in the Middle East either, but at least get the set decorations right.
Also: Arabic is not the native language of Iran…
Russel Crowe’s character is exactly how I imagine he is as a person: an arrogant, brash SOB.
Tags: 2008, action movie, Ali Suliman, Alon Aboutboul, American Film, Body of Lies, book adaptation, David Ignatius, english, Golshifteh Farahani, Jamil Khoury, Kais Nashif, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lubna Azabal, Mark Strong, Mehdi Nebbou, Michael Gaston, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Oscar Isaac, Ridley Scott, Russel Crowe, Simon McBurney, Thriller, Vince Colosimo, William Monahan
Posted in Minute Movie Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010
Review:
After the success of the first Iron Man film, a sequel was quickly produced, once more attempting to create a mixture of light-hearted, comedic entertainment and a gritty action film, which means that the film is on the middle ground and doesn’t really work as either. This time around Robert Downey Jr., who plays the narcissistic Tony Stark with his usual charm, thus easily being the best thing in the film, sadly has to surrender some screen time to villain Mickey Rourke and a large big-name supporting cast. Through all this, he develops a self-destructive streak that simply doesn’t fit with the tone of the film, thus creating a film that never manages to truly pull the viewer in. The film is often funny and the special effects sequences (that which used to be action set pieces before everything became CGI) are solid, so watching the film is not a waste of time, but it’s also hardly more.
Random Observations:
Iron Man 2 at the IMDb
Don Cheadle replaced Terrence Howard as Iron Man’s sidekick, supposedly over a contract (i.e. money) disagreement.
Some other illustrious cast names: Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson as well as director Jon Favreau.
Marvel is really pushing that whole “one gigantic franchise” thing. The film references several of their other comic book superheroes, all in the set-up for the 2012 release of The Avengers.
Tags: 2010, action movie, adventure movie, American Film, Clark Gregg, comic book movie, Don Cheadle, Don Heck, english, franchise film, Garry Shandling, Gwyneth Paltrow, Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Jack Kirby, John Slattery, Jon Favreau, Justin Theroux, Kate Mara, Larry Lieber, Leslie Bibb, Mickey Rourke, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Paul Bettany, Robert Downey Jr., Sam Rockwell, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, sequel, Stan Lee, Terrence Howard, Thriller
Posted in Minute Movie Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies | No Comments »
Thursday, April 29th, 2010
Review:
In China They Eat Dogs is an action comedy crime film, a genre that has been made popular by Quentin Tarantino. And Tarantino’s influence can’t be denied in this story of an extremely boring bank clerk who stops a robbery and then decides to abandon his boring life by teaming up with his criminal brother to right the wrongs he has done to the poor bank robber. Naturally, this doesn’t work out as intended. The film is a pitch-black comedy that is brutal without apologizing for it, yet often also simply hilarious. Despite it’s American heritage (and even a major character being American), the film is also decidedly European in its honest portrayal of a world that quickly turns surreal.
Random Observations:
I Kina spiser de hunde at the IMDb
Writer Anders Thomas Jensen went on to write international films like Lone Scherfig’s Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself before directing the Danish film Adams æbler (Adam’s Apples).
I really enjoyed the epilogue. It was funny.
The title refers to the fact that in China, they not only eat dogs, but they also think nothing of it. Basically, it means that you should make your own rules. A theme that is extensively explored in the film.
Tags: 1999, action movie, Adam's Apples, Adams æbler, Anders Thomas Jensen, Brian Patterson, Comedy, crime movie, Danish Film, Dejan Cukic, english, I Kina spiser de hunde, In China They Eat Dogs, Jesper Christensen, Kim Bodnia, Lasse Lunderskov, Lasse Spang Olsen, Lester Wiese, Line Kruse, Lone Scherfig, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Peter Gantzler, Preben Harris, Quentin Tarantino, Slavko Labovic, Søren Sætter-Lassen, Tomas Villum Jensen, Trine Dyrholm, Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself
Posted in Minute Movie Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies | No Comments »
Friday, April 23rd, 2010
Review:
Gangster James Cagney pulls a magnificent train heist. When the authorities begin to close in, he takes the rap for another, lesser crime, committed at the same time. In prison, an undercover cop tries to find out enough to get him convicted of the real crime. Meanwhile, Cagney, already a lose screw, unravels completely. The film is an entertaining take on the always similar gangster movie story. Cagney is brilliant in the lead role as the crook who adores his mother above all else, and the ending is truly memorable.
Random Observations:
White Heat at the IMDb
This film marked the return for James Cagney to the gangster film genre. But while in his last such film, The Roaring Twenties, he barely looked 30, ten years later, he had become an old man, clearly showing that he was fifty at the time.
Margaret Wycherly as Cagney’s equally criminal mother is a delight to watch.
Tags: 1949, action movie, American Film, Ben Roberts, crime movie, Drama, Edmond O'Brien, english, film noir, Fred Clark, Ivan Goff, James Cagney, John Archer, Margaret Wycherly, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Raoul Walsh, Steve Cochran, The Roaring Twenties, Virginia Kellogg, Virginia Mayo, Wally Cassell, White Heat
Posted in Minute Movie Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 24th, 2010
Review:
A boisterous father of a young daughter is imprisoned for fifteen years for no apparent reason. But his ordeal isn’t over when he is released as he tries to find out the reason while also taking revenge. Oldboy, by South Korean director Chan-wook Park (possibly Park Chan-wook, sources vary) is a revenge thriller that seems to sacrifice plot for style, but actually makes sense in the end. It’s a beautifully shot film and has gained cult status among Tarantino fans. If you don’t mind violence, you’ll definitely enjoy this film. If you are squeamish, you should nevertheless give it a try. It’s not the masterpiece many people claim it to be, but it’s solidly made.
Random Observations:
Oldboy at the IMDb
The film is based on the manga of the same name, but the story deviates from it significantly.
The ending was shot in New Zealand, which over the last decade has become the go-to place for filmmakers in need of beautiful scenery.
First South Korean film I have ever seen.
Tags: 2003, action movie, based on previously published material, Byeong-ok Kim, Chan-wook Park, Chun-hyeong Lim, Dae-han Ji, Dae-yeon Lee, Dal-su Oh, Drama, english, Garon Tsuchiya, Hye-jeong Kang, Il-han Oo, Ji-tae Yu, Jin-seo Yun, Jo-yun Hwang, Joon-hyung Lim, Kwang-rok Oh, Min-sik Choi, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Nobuaki Minegishi, Oldboy, Quentin Tarantino, Seung-Shin Lee, South Korean Film, Tae-kyung Oh, Thriller, Yeon-suk Ahn
Posted in Adventskalender 2007, Adventskalender 2009, Minute Movie Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies, WGA Strike | No Comments »
Monday, March 22nd, 2010
Review:
Ten years after the events of The Mummy, the two heroes, now married and with a son, are at it again. Once more, the destruction of the world is threatened and once more they save the day. And that is basically all the film is: more of the same. There is nothing original here, which means that aside from the typical sequel offerings (i.e. sillier villains, stupid mythology, unaccounted changes, sillier set-pieces) the film is still just entertaining enough to be passable. The CGI here is horrible, but if you can see beyond that and the other shortcomings, you will be able to watch the film without expressing either anger or sadly much joy.
Random Observations:
The Mummy Returns at the IMDb
The main characters are supposed to have matured significantly since the last film, which in the case of female lead Rachel Weisz mostly means opting for much more revealing outfits.
Films like these always border on being completely campy and silly. But despite the fact that the film crossed the border repeatedly, I was still able to enjoy a good portion of it. I guess the viewer’s mood really decides the matter here.
Tags: 2001, action movie, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, adventure movie, Aharon Ipalé, Alun Armstrong, American Film, Arnold Vosloo, Brendan Fraser, Bruce Byron, Donna Air, Dwayne Johnson, english, fantasy movie, franchise film, Freddie Boath, horror movie, Joe Dixon, John Hannah, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Oded Fehr, Patricia Velasquez, Rachel Weisz, sequel, Shaun Parkes, Stephen Sommers, The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, The Rock, Tom Fisher, Trevor Lovell
Posted in Minute Movie Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies | No Comments »
Sunday, March 21st, 2010
Review:
When looking for the fabled Egyptian City of the Dead, 1920s adventures/explorers threaten to unleash a horrible curse upon the world. So naturally, they will have to stop it. This film, a loose remake of the original Universal Monster Feature from 1922, the film is preposterous, silly, and ultimately funny. It’s one of those rare popcorn flicks were everything comes together - a just barely plausible story, some cool characters, snappy dialogue, decent special effects to keep you entertained for two hours. It’s not great art, but it’s definitely good enough for a rainy afternoon.
Random Observations:
The Mummy at the IMDb
I haven’t seen many films with Brendan Fraser, but I always considered him a wimp. So it was a bit odd to see him play the action hero character here. He does so convincingly enough, though, so I got used to it after a while.
There is plenty of comic relief in this film. In fact, there are very few scenes that don’t have any.
Tags: 1999, action movie, adventure movie, Aharon Ipalé, American Film, Arnold Vosloo, Bernard Fox, Brendan Fraser, Comedy, Corey Johnson, english, Erick Avari, fantasy movie, horror movie, John Hannah, Jonathan Hyde, Kevin J. O'Connor, Kevin Jarre, Lloyd Fonvielle, minute movie review, movie review, Movies, Oded Fehr, Omid Djalili, Patricia Velasquez, Rachel Weisz, remake, Stephen Dunham, Stephen Sommers, The Mummy, Tuc Watkins
Posted in Minute Movie Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies | No Comments »
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