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Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Black Panther (2018) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
Black Ops.
There was a joke on the internet the other day that made me laugh and laugh. Virtually the only white people in “Black Panther” are the Hobbit/LOTR stars Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis…. they are the Tolkein white guys! It’s actually getting to feel quite isolating as an ‘average white guy’ at the movies! After a plethora of #SheDo films about empowered women, now comes the first black-centred Marvel film… stuffed full of powerful women too!
The setting is the hidden African kingdom of Wakanda, where due to an abundance of a an all-powerful mineral called McGuffinite… so, sorry, Vibranium… the leaders have made their city a technological marvel and developed all sorts of ad tech to help the people keep their goats well and weave their baskets better (there are a few odd scenes in this film!). T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) succeeds his father T’Chaka (John Kani) to become the king and adopt the role of The Black Panther, being bestowed superhero powers by drinking a glass of Ribena.
But it emerges that T’Chaka has a dark secret in the form of Eric Killmonger (Michael B Jordan, “Creed“) who is determined to muscle in on the king-stuff. ‘It never rains but it pours’, and the whole of Wakanda’s secrets are in danger of being exposed by the antics of the vicious South African mercenary Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis, “War For The Planet Of The Apes“), trying to get his hands on vibranium to sell on to CIA operative Everett Ross (Martin Freeman, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies“, “The World’s End“).
After “Thor: Ragnarok“, this is back to the more seriously-played end of the superhero spectrum: there are a few jokes but it’s not overtly played for comedy. Holding the film together are some sterling performances from the ensemble cast with Michael B Jordan very good as the villain of the piece. Adding to the significant black girl power in the film are Angela Bassett (“London Has Fallen“) as the queen mother; Danai Gurira (“Wonder Woman“) as the leader of the Dora Milaje: the all-female king’s guard; and Lupita Nyong’o (“12 Years a Slave“, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens“) as the spy and love interest Nakia. But the star performance for me, and one I found absolutely spot-on as a role model for young people, was Letitia Wright (“The Commuter“) as Shuri, the king’s chief scientist. She is absolutely radiant, adding beauty, rude gestures and energy to every scene she is in.
Man of the moment Daniel Kaluuya (“Get Out“) also adds to his movie-cred as a conflicted courtier.
On the white side of the shop Andy Serkis has enormous fun as Klaue and I really wanted to see more of his character than I did. Martin Freeman feels rather lightweight and under-used, and I couldn’t quite get past his dodgy American accent.
In terms of storyline, the film is a hotch-potch of plots from multiple other films, with “The Lion King” featuring strongly (but almost in reverse!). But that’s no crime, when the Shakespearean-style narrative is good, and interpolating the strongly emotional story into the Marvel universe works well.
Where I felt a little uncomfortable is the element of racism – that is, racism *against* white people – reflected in the story. If there was a movie plot centred (basically) on the topic of whites killing blacks and taking control of every black-controlled country in the world (yes, I know, I’m British and we have historically been there!) then there would be justified uproar, and the film would be shunned.
In the technical department, I had real problems with some of the effects employed. Starting with a dodgy ‘aircraft’ shadow, things nose-dive with an astonishingly poor waterfall scene with Forest Whitaker (“Rogue One“, “Arrival“) as Zuri, green-screened against some Disneyworld cascades and hundreds of cut and pasted tribesmen randomly inserted onto the cliffs. Almost matching that is a studio-set scene in a jungle clearing, where if feels they could hardly have bothered to take the plants out of their pots. Think “Daktari” quality (kids, ask your parents/grandparents).
But overall, the film, directed by Ryan Coogler (“Creed“), is a high-energy and uniquely different take on Marvel that absolutely pays off. And it is without doubt an important movie in moving the black agenda forward into properly mainstream cinema.
The setting is the hidden African kingdom of Wakanda, where due to an abundance of a an all-powerful mineral called McGuffinite… so, sorry, Vibranium… the leaders have made their city a technological marvel and developed all sorts of ad tech to help the people keep their goats well and weave their baskets better (there are a few odd scenes in this film!). T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) succeeds his father T’Chaka (John Kani) to become the king and adopt the role of The Black Panther, being bestowed superhero powers by drinking a glass of Ribena.
But it emerges that T’Chaka has a dark secret in the form of Eric Killmonger (Michael B Jordan, “Creed“) who is determined to muscle in on the king-stuff. ‘It never rains but it pours’, and the whole of Wakanda’s secrets are in danger of being exposed by the antics of the vicious South African mercenary Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis, “War For The Planet Of The Apes“), trying to get his hands on vibranium to sell on to CIA operative Everett Ross (Martin Freeman, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies“, “The World’s End“).
After “Thor: Ragnarok“, this is back to the more seriously-played end of the superhero spectrum: there are a few jokes but it’s not overtly played for comedy. Holding the film together are some sterling performances from the ensemble cast with Michael B Jordan very good as the villain of the piece. Adding to the significant black girl power in the film are Angela Bassett (“London Has Fallen“) as the queen mother; Danai Gurira (“Wonder Woman“) as the leader of the Dora Milaje: the all-female king’s guard; and Lupita Nyong’o (“12 Years a Slave“, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens“) as the spy and love interest Nakia. But the star performance for me, and one I found absolutely spot-on as a role model for young people, was Letitia Wright (“The Commuter“) as Shuri, the king’s chief scientist. She is absolutely radiant, adding beauty, rude gestures and energy to every scene she is in.
Man of the moment Daniel Kaluuya (“Get Out“) also adds to his movie-cred as a conflicted courtier.
On the white side of the shop Andy Serkis has enormous fun as Klaue and I really wanted to see more of his character than I did. Martin Freeman feels rather lightweight and under-used, and I couldn’t quite get past his dodgy American accent.
In terms of storyline, the film is a hotch-potch of plots from multiple other films, with “The Lion King” featuring strongly (but almost in reverse!). But that’s no crime, when the Shakespearean-style narrative is good, and interpolating the strongly emotional story into the Marvel universe works well.
Where I felt a little uncomfortable is the element of racism – that is, racism *against* white people – reflected in the story. If there was a movie plot centred (basically) on the topic of whites killing blacks and taking control of every black-controlled country in the world (yes, I know, I’m British and we have historically been there!) then there would be justified uproar, and the film would be shunned.
In the technical department, I had real problems with some of the effects employed. Starting with a dodgy ‘aircraft’ shadow, things nose-dive with an astonishingly poor waterfall scene with Forest Whitaker (“Rogue One“, “Arrival“) as Zuri, green-screened against some Disneyworld cascades and hundreds of cut and pasted tribesmen randomly inserted onto the cliffs. Almost matching that is a studio-set scene in a jungle clearing, where if feels they could hardly have bothered to take the plants out of their pots. Think “Daktari” quality (kids, ask your parents/grandparents).
But overall, the film, directed by Ryan Coogler (“Creed“), is a high-energy and uniquely different take on Marvel that absolutely pays off. And it is without doubt an important movie in moving the black agenda forward into properly mainstream cinema.
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Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Call of Duty: Black Ops II - Vengeance in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
Fans of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 who are waiting patiently for the November release of Call of Duty: Ghosts, can put their skills to the test with the latest map pack DLC. The collection is named Vengeance and it offers four new multiplayer maps as well as a new Zombie campaigns for players aching for more of the wildly popular series.
The set is the third of a planned four map packs and for fans of frantic, run and gun action, this is the collection for you. This is not to say there is not a place for players who wish to snipe or use stealth, but the developers have clearly put the focus on smaller maps which bring the action front and center and force players to get into the action fast.
Like the previous map collections the players are limited to either Mosh pit or Hardcore Moshpit that puts teams of players in a series of online games where the objective is varied. There is the usual mix, Team Deathmatch, Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed, and Demolition modes and the mode as well as your teammates change with each map.
Accessing the new maps is easy as once you start in multiplayer mode, the option to select Vengeance is shown on your menu. Players who have the previous map packs which are not required to play the new ones, will be able to access them in the game mode of their choice now as they would for the maps that came with the initial release of the game.
The first map I played was called Uplink which is an updated version of the Summit map from Black Ops. This time out the snowy eastern Europe locale has been changed to a rainy Asian locale. It took me a few times around and a few deaths before I realized there was something familiar about it. This helped me get adjusted to likely areas for attacks and defense much faster than usual and I soon found myself dishing out the damage instead of being a walking target.
The next map is called “Detour” and this takes places on a bombed out suspension bridge that has cars and trucks as well as blast holes littering the roads. Players can take the side paths and lower areas but can also engage the other team in the clutter up top. Be prepared for plenty of flying grenades as well as mines and other traps in this one. I usually need around five rounds in a map before I am comfy enough to really let loose and this one after some initial frustrations paid off big,
A recent kill streak earned me a sentry gun, which when deployed racked up an impressive number of kills for me thanks to the choke points and strategic placement near an enemy objective.
Up next is “Cove” and while it took me a little bit to differentiate the enemy attire from that of my team, I soon found this to be an early favorite for me. The setting is a tropical island complete with a crashed plane. The plane became a great shield to toss grenades over and I loved walking around the beach in my efforts to flank the other players. For a person who loves a run and gun, devil may care style of play, coming around a rock and finding two or three enemy players facing away from me was a great thrill as was having a cluster of them camped out on a ledge above or in a rocky cave..
There are plenty of cliffs as well as snipers love to setup on the ridges and let loose as do players who have earned a sentry gun or other reward. This became tough when most of the objectives involved either planting or defusing a bomb. Fighting to an objective only to be cut down as you were seconds away from completing a task is a frustration indeed but also part of the fun.
The final map is entitled “Rush” and the title not only describes the fun of playing it but also the best way to play it as it is set in a paint ball venue. There are tons of paint-soaked vehicles, wooden buildings, and venues that anyone who has ever played paintball will be all to familiar with. The real joy comes when you head into the shop and have to battle in the pro shop, indoor arena, and other locales. The colors are vivid and the attacks can come from all angles at any time.
As much as I liked “Cove” “Rush” quickly became my favorite of the maps as I was able to record my best scores of the new maps the first time I played it, and was able to maintain my lucky runs with each subsequent match.
Zombie fans will love “Buried” which like previous Zombie modes allows four players to work with one another as they fight off legions of undead. Like previous modes, players must heal fallen players and purchase weapons and ammo. This can be a challenge as starting off with just a pistol, grenade, and knife, you have to take down more than a few bad guys to earn needed funs for the big guns.
Cash can also be used for health, to restore barricades, as well as unlock new areas of the map.
Set in an underground western town, and I have to admit to really enjoying mowing down legions of undead as I came out of the saloon and enjoying the detail level of the map.
Skilled players can earn the Ray Gun Mark II and really fry the undead to a crisp.
Picky fans will say that Vengeance does not offer as much as some map packs as more than one person I played with lamented the fact that they did not get any new weapons like they did with the first map pack, and how one of the four maps was an older map that was remade.
To me it all comes down to a matter of choice as the maps are available in a set for $14.99 or players can purchase a season pass which will allow them to obtain all four map packs at a discounted price.
If you are a fan of the game and play online on a regular basis then you will want the maps as they do offer something new and are enjoyable to look at and play for gamers but be prepared to take your lumps early as most of the players have already mastered the previous maps and showed no mercy for players who were trying to get their bearings in the new offerings.
In the end, if you’re a hardcore player or simply love the series, then you will enjoy the maps as they offer something new while players wait for the final collection and the November release of Call of Duty: Ghosts:
http://sknr.net/2013/08/06/call-of-duty-black-ops-2-vengeance/
The set is the third of a planned four map packs and for fans of frantic, run and gun action, this is the collection for you. This is not to say there is not a place for players who wish to snipe or use stealth, but the developers have clearly put the focus on smaller maps which bring the action front and center and force players to get into the action fast.
Like the previous map collections the players are limited to either Mosh pit or Hardcore Moshpit that puts teams of players in a series of online games where the objective is varied. There is the usual mix, Team Deathmatch, Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed, and Demolition modes and the mode as well as your teammates change with each map.
Accessing the new maps is easy as once you start in multiplayer mode, the option to select Vengeance is shown on your menu. Players who have the previous map packs which are not required to play the new ones, will be able to access them in the game mode of their choice now as they would for the maps that came with the initial release of the game.
The first map I played was called Uplink which is an updated version of the Summit map from Black Ops. This time out the snowy eastern Europe locale has been changed to a rainy Asian locale. It took me a few times around and a few deaths before I realized there was something familiar about it. This helped me get adjusted to likely areas for attacks and defense much faster than usual and I soon found myself dishing out the damage instead of being a walking target.
The next map is called “Detour” and this takes places on a bombed out suspension bridge that has cars and trucks as well as blast holes littering the roads. Players can take the side paths and lower areas but can also engage the other team in the clutter up top. Be prepared for plenty of flying grenades as well as mines and other traps in this one. I usually need around five rounds in a map before I am comfy enough to really let loose and this one after some initial frustrations paid off big,
A recent kill streak earned me a sentry gun, which when deployed racked up an impressive number of kills for me thanks to the choke points and strategic placement near an enemy objective.
Up next is “Cove” and while it took me a little bit to differentiate the enemy attire from that of my team, I soon found this to be an early favorite for me. The setting is a tropical island complete with a crashed plane. The plane became a great shield to toss grenades over and I loved walking around the beach in my efforts to flank the other players. For a person who loves a run and gun, devil may care style of play, coming around a rock and finding two or three enemy players facing away from me was a great thrill as was having a cluster of them camped out on a ledge above or in a rocky cave..
There are plenty of cliffs as well as snipers love to setup on the ridges and let loose as do players who have earned a sentry gun or other reward. This became tough when most of the objectives involved either planting or defusing a bomb. Fighting to an objective only to be cut down as you were seconds away from completing a task is a frustration indeed but also part of the fun.
The final map is entitled “Rush” and the title not only describes the fun of playing it but also the best way to play it as it is set in a paint ball venue. There are tons of paint-soaked vehicles, wooden buildings, and venues that anyone who has ever played paintball will be all to familiar with. The real joy comes when you head into the shop and have to battle in the pro shop, indoor arena, and other locales. The colors are vivid and the attacks can come from all angles at any time.
As much as I liked “Cove” “Rush” quickly became my favorite of the maps as I was able to record my best scores of the new maps the first time I played it, and was able to maintain my lucky runs with each subsequent match.
Zombie fans will love “Buried” which like previous Zombie modes allows four players to work with one another as they fight off legions of undead. Like previous modes, players must heal fallen players and purchase weapons and ammo. This can be a challenge as starting off with just a pistol, grenade, and knife, you have to take down more than a few bad guys to earn needed funs for the big guns.
Cash can also be used for health, to restore barricades, as well as unlock new areas of the map.
Set in an underground western town, and I have to admit to really enjoying mowing down legions of undead as I came out of the saloon and enjoying the detail level of the map.
Skilled players can earn the Ray Gun Mark II and really fry the undead to a crisp.
Picky fans will say that Vengeance does not offer as much as some map packs as more than one person I played with lamented the fact that they did not get any new weapons like they did with the first map pack, and how one of the four maps was an older map that was remade.
To me it all comes down to a matter of choice as the maps are available in a set for $14.99 or players can purchase a season pass which will allow them to obtain all four map packs at a discounted price.
If you are a fan of the game and play online on a regular basis then you will want the maps as they do offer something new and are enjoyable to look at and play for gamers but be prepared to take your lumps early as most of the players have already mastered the previous maps and showed no mercy for players who were trying to get their bearings in the new offerings.
In the end, if you’re a hardcore player or simply love the series, then you will enjoy the maps as they offer something new while players wait for the final collection and the November release of Call of Duty: Ghosts:
http://sknr.net/2013/08/06/call-of-duty-black-ops-2-vengeance/
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated the PC version of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
The latest in the highly-popular Call of Duty series has arrived and with
it comes a bold new direction for the series that mixes the familiar with
the new.
Infinite Warfare is set in the future but unlike the recent Advanced
Warfare, this is a future where space travel has become the norm and the
people of Earth find themselves in an ongoing battle with a Mars based
faction who have amassed a very large and powerful fleet of warships.
Players take on the role of Lt. Reyes who finds himself forced into
command when a surprise attack devastates much of the Earths forces and
at the mercy of the ruthless leader of the opposing forces (Kit
Harrington).
Like with last years Black Ops 3 players have a staging area and the
ability to select their weapon configurations for each mission. There is
also a Captains room where players can view newsreels and other items
should they want to take a break from the combat and explore.
Players can also select which missions to take based on the recommended
story missions or they can select side missions. In my first run through I
stuck mainly to suggested missions and was amazed at how fast I got to the
final battle, so those looking to prolong their solo campaign will want to
select some of the additional missions.
Mission play is what you would expect from Call of Duty with missions
mixing stealth and waves of enemies for players to mow down. This time out
several missions involve space combat as players will take on fighters and
enemy ships in their fighter plane which also allows for some interesting
missions where players will leave their ship to battle in Zero-G before
resuming the attack on foot.
Players also will have access to energy and ballistic weapons and can pick
up weapons and ammunition along the way.
Using futuristic grenades that cause gravity to disrupt as well as spider
like seekers is a nice touch as is the protective shield players can
deploy when the action becomes heated.
Multiplayer has always been the strong point of the series and Infinite
Warfare is no exception to this trend. There are fewer modes than in the
past, but the customization and rankings that players expect are still in
place. There are also the popular kill streak rewards that can turn the
tide of any battle.
Although some may not like the inclusion of jump packs in multiplayer, it
did not harm Advanced Warfare and the levels where fallen players float
away in Zero-G were also a very nice touch. I did briefly think I was
playing DOOM with some of the maps set on a planet exterior at first, but
soon found myself caught up in the action. Like with Black Ops 3, a
special weapon is on a timer and allows players to deploy a wide angle
machine gun called a Claw which mows down enemies with ease.
The maps like the solo portion of the game are highly detailed and
stunning to behold and the composition for the game has some very
compelling music. I played the game on an NVIDIA 960 then moved to a
NVIDIA 1060 Founders Edition card and found that the game looked and ran
amazingly well even on the highest settings.
The real treat of the game for me was the Zombie mode set at Spaceland, an
80s themed amusement park. The mode had plenty of 80s nostalgia as well as
an 80s soundtrack of hits from the era as well as a campy tone that
invoked the best of 80s horror films.
The detail level was so good that you can even take a ride on an
attraction, use some rides as weapons, and use tickets you gain to gain
power ups. For me it was simply the best initial Zombie offering of any
Call of Duty game ever.
In the end, Infinite Warfare offers one of the best campaigns in recent
years and blends old and new to create a Call of Duty experience that is
fresh yet familiar. Fans of the series should not be put off by the space
setting and should give the game a try as it is a very enjoyable and
winning combination that is as fun to play as it is great to look at.
http://sknr.net/2016/11/08/call-duty-infinite-warfare/
it comes a bold new direction for the series that mixes the familiar with
the new.
Infinite Warfare is set in the future but unlike the recent Advanced
Warfare, this is a future where space travel has become the norm and the
people of Earth find themselves in an ongoing battle with a Mars based
faction who have amassed a very large and powerful fleet of warships.
Players take on the role of Lt. Reyes who finds himself forced into
command when a surprise attack devastates much of the Earths forces and
at the mercy of the ruthless leader of the opposing forces (Kit
Harrington).
Like with last years Black Ops 3 players have a staging area and the
ability to select their weapon configurations for each mission. There is
also a Captains room where players can view newsreels and other items
should they want to take a break from the combat and explore.
Players can also select which missions to take based on the recommended
story missions or they can select side missions. In my first run through I
stuck mainly to suggested missions and was amazed at how fast I got to the
final battle, so those looking to prolong their solo campaign will want to
select some of the additional missions.
Mission play is what you would expect from Call of Duty with missions
mixing stealth and waves of enemies for players to mow down. This time out
several missions involve space combat as players will take on fighters and
enemy ships in their fighter plane which also allows for some interesting
missions where players will leave their ship to battle in Zero-G before
resuming the attack on foot.
Players also will have access to energy and ballistic weapons and can pick
up weapons and ammunition along the way.
Using futuristic grenades that cause gravity to disrupt as well as spider
like seekers is a nice touch as is the protective shield players can
deploy when the action becomes heated.
Multiplayer has always been the strong point of the series and Infinite
Warfare is no exception to this trend. There are fewer modes than in the
past, but the customization and rankings that players expect are still in
place. There are also the popular kill streak rewards that can turn the
tide of any battle.
Although some may not like the inclusion of jump packs in multiplayer, it
did not harm Advanced Warfare and the levels where fallen players float
away in Zero-G were also a very nice touch. I did briefly think I was
playing DOOM with some of the maps set on a planet exterior at first, but
soon found myself caught up in the action. Like with Black Ops 3, a
special weapon is on a timer and allows players to deploy a wide angle
machine gun called a Claw which mows down enemies with ease.
The maps like the solo portion of the game are highly detailed and
stunning to behold and the composition for the game has some very
compelling music. I played the game on an NVIDIA 960 then moved to a
NVIDIA 1060 Founders Edition card and found that the game looked and ran
amazingly well even on the highest settings.
The real treat of the game for me was the Zombie mode set at Spaceland, an
80s themed amusement park. The mode had plenty of 80s nostalgia as well as
an 80s soundtrack of hits from the era as well as a campy tone that
invoked the best of 80s horror films.
The detail level was so good that you can even take a ride on an
attraction, use some rides as weapons, and use tickets you gain to gain
power ups. For me it was simply the best initial Zombie offering of any
Call of Duty game ever.
In the end, Infinite Warfare offers one of the best campaigns in recent
years and blends old and new to create a Call of Duty experience that is
fresh yet familiar. Fans of the series should not be put off by the space
setting and should give the game a try as it is a very enjoyable and
winning combination that is as fun to play as it is great to look at.
http://sknr.net/2016/11/08/call-duty-infinite-warfare/
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JT (287 KP) rated Haywire (2012) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
With all the acting talent that was on offer in this film how could Soderbergh give us such an overrated pile of rubbish and waste said talent in an instant. Thank the lord I didn’t purchase this on Blu-ray as I was originally intending to; otherwise it would have been in the box and back to the shop the following day.
There is nothing wrong with casting a female in the lead role for an action film, it worked for Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider, Wanted and Salt. Here though, Gina Carano, who had no acting talent at all and came from a Muay Thai background meant she would need little training in the fight choreography, but lots in the acting department. It was clear then that no one directed her to that department. Sharing the screen with the likes of Fassbender, Douglas, and McGregor she was well out of place.
Mallory Kane (Gina Carano) is a black ops soldier who has been double crossed and is now out for revenge. The plot that is so overdone it is boring with nothing new to offer at all. The film is told from Kane’s point of view to Scott (Michael Angarano), a customer in the diner who she escapes with. Looking at Soderbergh’s back catalogue he’s never really tackled a high octane action flick, and it shows right from the outset. The fight scenes are powerful and well put together but then I’m sure that is down to Carano’s skill and experience as a real life fighter.
Soderbergh tries to make it too slick and too involved. When all we are begging for is a decent car chase or explosion, something to get us off our seats and fist pump the air. This doesn’t happen, even if she does dispatch Fassbender with ease or leaves poor Channing Tatum with a broken arm.
The cast list is admirable, but in their own way they are used sparingly. Douglas’s government agent gets a little screen time, as does the shady contact Antonio Banderas who, like Douglas, is only around for a short space of time. The less said about McGregor the better as quite frankly he was crap! I personally didn’t rate this at all. Soderbergh is a good director but his foray into action was a bit of a let down and a great disappointment.
There is nothing wrong with casting a female in the lead role for an action film, it worked for Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider, Wanted and Salt. Here though, Gina Carano, who had no acting talent at all and came from a Muay Thai background meant she would need little training in the fight choreography, but lots in the acting department. It was clear then that no one directed her to that department. Sharing the screen with the likes of Fassbender, Douglas, and McGregor she was well out of place.
Mallory Kane (Gina Carano) is a black ops soldier who has been double crossed and is now out for revenge. The plot that is so overdone it is boring with nothing new to offer at all. The film is told from Kane’s point of view to Scott (Michael Angarano), a customer in the diner who she escapes with. Looking at Soderbergh’s back catalogue he’s never really tackled a high octane action flick, and it shows right from the outset. The fight scenes are powerful and well put together but then I’m sure that is down to Carano’s skill and experience as a real life fighter.
Soderbergh tries to make it too slick and too involved. When all we are begging for is a decent car chase or explosion, something to get us off our seats and fist pump the air. This doesn’t happen, even if she does dispatch Fassbender with ease or leaves poor Channing Tatum with a broken arm.
The cast list is admirable, but in their own way they are used sparingly. Douglas’s government agent gets a little screen time, as does the shady contact Antonio Banderas who, like Douglas, is only around for a short space of time. The less said about McGregor the better as quite frankly he was crap! I personally didn’t rate this at all. Soderbergh is a good director but his foray into action was a bit of a let down and a great disappointment.