The Last Stand

The leader of a drug cartel busts out of a courthouse and speeds to the Mexican border, where the only thing in his path is a sheriff and his inexperienced staff.

I have to admit, being the action junkie that I am I was really looking forward to this movie, and the return of Arnold to the big screen.   A lot of people aren’t excited to see him return, but after his role in Expendables 2, I couldn’t wait to see this picture.   This is what I enjoy, a good throw back to the days of when Arnold ruled the screen as the action hero. 

Plenty of action and comedy delivered by Johnny Knoxville (who plays a wacky gun lover) in this one along with Luis Guzmán (the sheriffs most capable deputy).  Prisoner escape, big guns, explosions, gunfights, fast cars, and beautiful women, yes, it’s the complete movie for guys.  It was sometimes hard to focus on what was happening when Jaimie Alexander, and Genesis Rodriguez appear on screen.  Two beautiful and talented women who we will be seeing much more of in the years to come as their careers begin to liftoff.   Much credit to Arnold who seems to be having a good time making fun of himself in his movies, nice to see from someone who is used to being in perfect for his entire life. 

The Last Stand is a reminder that Schwarzenegger, as rickety and frayed a bridge to the action films of old as he is, can still pack a mean punch,

Enjoy the show

Parker

A thief with a unique code of professional ethics is double-crossed by his crew and left for dead. Assuming a new disguise and forming an unlikely alliance with a woman on the inside, he looks to hijack the score of the crew's latest heist.

What I enjoy about Jason Statham movies is the throwback to ass kicking times of the 80’s, but with updated special effects and martial arts tactics, these movies are so much fun to watch because I enjoy how each one tries to top the other with new fight moves, and exciting car chases.  This movie is more than advertised.  Statham’s do no harm to those who don’t deserve it and bring harm to those who have wronged you character, really gets you on his side from the get go and had me swinging my fists in the seat, as I wanted to be next to him helping during the fights. 

This is one of his toughest characters that I have seen in awhile, comparable to The Transporter.  He delivers harm to others in some very creative ways, yet is able to calm down a panicking security guard who wants nothing more than to see tomorrow with some gentle and calming words.  Now we all know that Statham is one tough mother!@#$er, but watching him kick the shit out of a bad guy with a knife stuck in his hand, while hanging 30 stories off a balcony is a great reminder of how bad ass he is. 

Every bad ass needs a girlfriend, and even though Jennifer Lopez isn’t his girlfriend in the movie, (she plays a real estate agent that he uses for information.) she looked absolutely amazing and did a good job playing the ex-wife who got fucked over by her ex and is desperately trying to put her life back together.  Michael Chiklis and Clifton Collins Jr. also star as ex-partners of Statham’s who tried to kill him and as we all know he gets his revenge, and what fun it is to watch the revenge play out.  See this one.

Enjoy the show. 

Gangster Squad

Los Angeles, 1949: A secret crew of police officers led by two determined sergeants work together in an effort to take down the ruthless mob king Mickey Cohen who runs the city.

This movie starts out fast and keeps kicking your ass until the closing credits.  I was hearing some mumbles about it being slow and boring at times, not true.  The only thing I found distracting was Ryan Goslings tone, which sometimes was high, low, and sometimes he dropped all together.  It's understandable that he did it for his character but I would have rather he didn't do it at all, he is a great actor, no need for that.  

Who would have thought that watching a chase scene with vintage cars would have been entertaining but the director (Ruben Fleischer) did an amazing job of it.  The combination of action, drama, and comedy was a perfect mixture.  With all the car chases, gun fights, and drama going on, it's the brawl between Sean Penn, and Josh Brolin that really did it for me.  This is one of the best gangster movies, done action style, that I have seen.  Keep in mind this is a different take on gangsters, not to be confused with L.A. Confidential, or The Untouchables, which are fantastic movies, I'm just saying it's always refreshing to see a new take on an old story. 

Enjoy the show.

Parental Guidance

Artie (Billy Crystal) and Diane (Bette Midler)  agree to look after their three grand kids when their type-A helicopter parents need to leave town for work. Problems arise when the kids' 21st-century behavior collides with Artie and Diane's old-school methods

It's too bad that movies like this aren't as popular as they once were, like in the 90's when we had plenty of them and they were always a fun movie.  Pleasantly surprised by this movie. Going in I had a sense that Billy was going to be his funny self, and he delivers as usual.  He and Bette Midler actually have great chemistry and played their roles as tough, and protective grandparents perfectly.  This movie has a good number of tender moments that really reel you in and make you think about your parents and has you grabbing for your phone to call and tell them you love them.  Everyone knows that vomit scenes have been done all too often in movies like this but, you will not see this one coming, even mentioning it won't give it away.  

Hopefully Hollywood will create some more touching and fun family movies like this.  Now if we could only get families to attend movies like this instead of watching vampires and wolves chase one another around in the dark. 

Enjoy the show. 

Silver Linings Playbook

Nominated Movie

After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a mysterious girl with problems of her own.

This is what acting is all about, such a great cast and amazing performances by them all.  Bradley Cooper nailed it with his character, absolutely turning the page on whom he is and what he can do as an actor.  Jennifer Lawrence is talented beyond her years.  I thought it would be difficult for her to top the performance she gave in Winter’s Bone, but like Bradley, she too is just beginning to give us a glimpse of what she is capable of.  Thank God Chris Tucker has resurfaced with a career resurrecting performance.  This movie is what we all want to be, unfiltered and in your face with no apologies love it or leave it attitude.  Along with the message of always being able to find the silver lining in everything and believing that things will work in your favor quickly made this movie a favorite of mine.

Congratulations to Jennifer Lawrence and her Golden Globe victory and to Bradley Cooper on his nominations as well.  Be sure not to miss this one.

Enjoy the show. 

Django Unchained

Nominated Movie

Former dentist, Dr. King Schultz, buys the freedom of a slave, Django, and trains him with the intent to make him his deputy bounty hunter. Instead, he is led to the site of Django's wife who is under the hands of Calvin Candie, a ruthless plantation owner.

Honestly when it comes to Quentin Tarantino, who doesn’t enjoy his work?  We know exactly what it’s going to be, but he still is able to put his magic touch on it and make it into something more than what we thought it was going to be.  This film deserves all the recognition it’s getting and it quickly became my second favorite Tarantino movie, behind only Pulp Fiction.  That should get me in trouble with the Tarantino fans. 

The best part of this movie is that it surprised me with the story.  I do my best to figure out what a movie is going to do when I see the trailer, but this movie is so much more than advertised.  The same way that Jack Reacher is much more than its action packed trailer leads you to believe. 

Christoph Waltz, Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, and Samuel L. Jackson deliver incredible performances.  Now I need to get to Samuel immediately.  He was fantastic in this role and you either enjoy his character or you really pay attention and hate his character.  Christoph Waltz and risen to the top of the acting charts to the point where I would enjoy seeing he and Daniel Day Lewis in a movie together. 

I was entertained for the complete 2 hours and 45 minutes and the time flew by because there is never a dull moment.  Congratulations Quentin on your nominations and best of luck during awards season.

Enjoy the show. 

ARGO

Nominated Movie

A dramatization of the 1980 joint CIA-Canadian secret operation to extract six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran.

So I’m at the place in the road where when I hear Ben Affleck is directing, I know it’s going to be good.  Putting him up there among the ranks of Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg, Steven Soderbergh, and Christopher Nolan.  It goes without debate that the movies these men direct are going to be of the highest quality. 

What I don’t understand is why some people I talk to say they didn’t enjoy Argo because it was predictable.  Wow!! Breaking news to all you geniuses, it’s based on a true story and if you took the time to enjoy some history you would have already know the story and the outcome.  This spells bad news for Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty.  Spoiler Alert!! They capture Bin Laden!!

Fantastic movie and it deserves all the accolades that it’s receiving.  Ben has done it again while delivering a great performance along with Alan Arkin, John Goodman, and Bryan Cranston.  Honestly I couldn’t get enough of Arkin and Goodman, and I am now hoping that Ben, or any director will actually make the fake movie Argo into a reality.  Maybe it’s because I’m from Fargo and Argo is one letter shy of this great place but I can’t get enough of this movie.  We all (most of us) know what’s going to happen and still it keeps you on the edge of your seat and biting your nails.  Congratulations to Ben and the rest of the cast, and good luck during awards season.

Enjoy the show.