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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated The Hurricane Heist (2018) in Movies
Mar 10, 2018
Doesn't Go Far Enough
There are times when all I want to do is to sit in a darkened movie theater, turn off my brain, and let a movie with a silly, over-the-top premise wash all over me. THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS films are an example of an "A" in this category. Last year's GEOSTORM was a "B" (it was so over-the-top that it was fun, especially when the meteorologist declared - as if he was reciting Shakespeare - "Oh my God, it's a GEOSTORM!"). Unfortunately, a "C" example of this is THE HURRICANE HEIST.
Directed by Rob Cohen - who brought us the original FAST AND FURIOUS film lo' those many years ago - THE HURRICANE HEIST tells the tale of a HEIST set during a...anyone?...HURRICANE. That's pretty much all you need to know of the plot. The rest is action, escapes, weather gone bad, bad guys being bad guys and good guys being good guys.
The good guys are Toby Kebbel (so good as the motion capture bad-guy ape in DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES), perennial "B"-movie actress Maggie Grace (TAKEN, LOST and the immortal HOT GIRL, FAST CAR, EATING A BANANA) and Ryan Kwanten (I guess he was in TRUE BLOOD). What do these good guys have in common? They are not hard to look at on the screen. The two men also have really bad Southern accents.
The bad guys are led by Ralph Ineson ( a perennial "that guy" in such films as STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY and KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE) and a host of "red shirts". The problem is that Ineson plays his bad guy role as a "that guy" and the "red shirts" have no personality at all. One guy tries to be the "loose cannon" but he doesn't go far enough, nor does Ineson or ANY of the bad guys.
Oh...did I mention Ben Cross (Sarek in the new STAR TREK films)? Cross leaped off the screen in the Oscar winning film CHARIOTS OF FIRE way back in 1981 and was going to be "the next big thing". How has that worked out for him? I'm sure he's making a nice living, but...
But...you don't come to this kind of films for the acting. You come to it for the insane premise, the over-the-top acting, the out-of-this-world stunts and special effects. Unfortunately, THE HURRICANE HEIST plays each one of these "safely". The premise is insane, just not insane enough. The acting is melodramatic - just not over-the-top. The script doesn't really have any "oh-my-gosh, did he just say that" lines and the action, stunts and special effects are pretty good, (maybe even good), but not great.
A pretty mediocre time at the movies. It did serve it's purpose, I turned my brain off for two hours. I just wish it didn't power down as well.
Letter Grade: C (thanks for trying)
5 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Directed by Rob Cohen - who brought us the original FAST AND FURIOUS film lo' those many years ago - THE HURRICANE HEIST tells the tale of a HEIST set during a...anyone?...HURRICANE. That's pretty much all you need to know of the plot. The rest is action, escapes, weather gone bad, bad guys being bad guys and good guys being good guys.
The good guys are Toby Kebbel (so good as the motion capture bad-guy ape in DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES), perennial "B"-movie actress Maggie Grace (TAKEN, LOST and the immortal HOT GIRL, FAST CAR, EATING A BANANA) and Ryan Kwanten (I guess he was in TRUE BLOOD). What do these good guys have in common? They are not hard to look at on the screen. The two men also have really bad Southern accents.
The bad guys are led by Ralph Ineson ( a perennial "that guy" in such films as STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY and KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE) and a host of "red shirts". The problem is that Ineson plays his bad guy role as a "that guy" and the "red shirts" have no personality at all. One guy tries to be the "loose cannon" but he doesn't go far enough, nor does Ineson or ANY of the bad guys.
Oh...did I mention Ben Cross (Sarek in the new STAR TREK films)? Cross leaped off the screen in the Oscar winning film CHARIOTS OF FIRE way back in 1981 and was going to be "the next big thing". How has that worked out for him? I'm sure he's making a nice living, but...
But...you don't come to this kind of films for the acting. You come to it for the insane premise, the over-the-top acting, the out-of-this-world stunts and special effects. Unfortunately, THE HURRICANE HEIST plays each one of these "safely". The premise is insane, just not insane enough. The acting is melodramatic - just not over-the-top. The script doesn't really have any "oh-my-gosh, did he just say that" lines and the action, stunts and special effects are pretty good, (maybe even good), but not great.
A pretty mediocre time at the movies. It did serve it's purpose, I turned my brain off for two hours. I just wish it didn't power down as well.
Letter Grade: C (thanks for trying)
5 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated Logan Lucky (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) just got fired from his job and found out that his ex-wife is moving his daughter to another state. He lives for his daughter and needs to get money fast to pay for a lawyer to fight the move. He decides that the best way to get this fast cash is to rob his previous employer, the Charlotte Motor Speedway. He enlist the help of his brother Clyde Logan (Adam Driver), his fast driving sister Millie Logan (Riley Keough), and explosives expert Joe Bang (Daniel Craig). Together they hatch a plan to rob the cash vault under the NASCAR track during the biggest race of the year. It won’t be easy for the crew as they must overcome many obstacles along the way. For one they only one of them who can blow the massive safe, Bang, is currently in prison. Bang also insists that his two inept brothers be included in the heist. There is also the matter of a large private police force patrolling the track. But the biggest hurdle may be the Logan family curse. Something bad is seemingly always happening to the family. Jimmy was destine to go to the NFL before a freak accident ruined his knee and ended his football career. Clyde was on his way back home from deployment in the Army and was hit by a roadside bomb and lost his arm. If they can overcome all of this they can walk away with a fortune.
This Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s 11, Ocean’s 12, Ocean’s 13) directed film is a fun and fast paced heist film. It definitely fits into the Ocean’s film model, with a large cast, twists that keep the audience guessing and well thought out ending. This films stands apart from those by being more hillbilly than the sleek well put together Ocean’s crew. The film dialog is well done and written expertly by Rebecca Blunt, this is the first screen writing credit for Rebecca. There are plenty of cameos by West Virginia Natives, NASCAR drivers and commentators, and others. I had heard beforehand that there were several cameos and made for a fun exercise in spotting the NASCAR drivers in various roles. The ensemble cast is stellar led by Tatum, Driver and Craig. The cast includes fun performances by a barely recognizable Seth MacFarlane along with Dwight Yoakam, Katie Holmes, and Hilary Swank. There were times thought that the various accents that the cast were attempting to use felt forced and/or missing from particular scenes. The pace of the film is good but does get a little slow during the heist set up and the two hour run time was a tad too long for me.
Overall this is a fun film that fits the heist movie genre perfectly. One news report in the film characterized the robbery as Ocean’s 7/11 and that pretty well sums up the film. The characters are original and if you are a fan of these types of movies you will not be disappointed.
This Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s 11, Ocean’s 12, Ocean’s 13) directed film is a fun and fast paced heist film. It definitely fits into the Ocean’s film model, with a large cast, twists that keep the audience guessing and well thought out ending. This films stands apart from those by being more hillbilly than the sleek well put together Ocean’s crew. The film dialog is well done and written expertly by Rebecca Blunt, this is the first screen writing credit for Rebecca. There are plenty of cameos by West Virginia Natives, NASCAR drivers and commentators, and others. I had heard beforehand that there were several cameos and made for a fun exercise in spotting the NASCAR drivers in various roles. The ensemble cast is stellar led by Tatum, Driver and Craig. The cast includes fun performances by a barely recognizable Seth MacFarlane along with Dwight Yoakam, Katie Holmes, and Hilary Swank. There were times thought that the various accents that the cast were attempting to use felt forced and/or missing from particular scenes. The pace of the film is good but does get a little slow during the heist set up and the two hour run time was a tad too long for me.
Overall this is a fun film that fits the heist movie genre perfectly. One news report in the film characterized the robbery as Ocean’s 7/11 and that pretty well sums up the film. The characters are original and if you are a fan of these types of movies you will not be disappointed.
Debbiereadsbook (1166 KP) rated Twilight Heist (Outlaws #2) in Books
Jan 25, 2023
awesome follow up to Midnight Heist!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is the second book in the Outlaws series, and I think it would help to have read book one, Midnight Heist before this one. Not strictly necessary, but it will give you a better view of this group of people and what they do. And you know, cos I said so!
This is a multi-layered story, and it took me a little bit of time to fully immerse myself into Leo and Tuck's story. It doesn't quite grab as much as Danny and Grif's does, but it packs a no less powerful punch.
Leo changed his name and ran from the Stockyard after his parents died. Tuck left the circus after his died too. When those two paths cross in the here and now, Leo knows he has to keep Tuck safe, without revealing his past.
This is a proper "kinda creeps up on ya" book! I mean, it came outta nowhere, whooping me upside the head with things I did not see coming! Once I started, and I should have read this AGES ago, I could not put it down.
It's dark and deadly, given both Leo's and Tuck's past. It's emotional and difficult reading in places, again due to their past, but also their fears for the future. Neither knows there can be anything long term between them, right? They are both damaged beyond repair. Super smexy! But I really wanted more smexy times on those silks! (I'm just greedy, don't judge me!)
The banter between the Outlaws is awesome and I loved that we got to catch up with Danny and Grif. I'm reading between the lines about who might be next, but I'm not voicing those words, cos I might be way, WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY off the mark there! But Scarlet is growing on me, I love the way they flip from male to female pronouns and the guys just run with them. It did take me a while it book one to get Scarlet, but not so here, since I was aware of their fluidity.
An awesome follow-up to Midnight Heist.
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elswhere
This is the second book in the Outlaws series, and I think it would help to have read book one, Midnight Heist before this one. Not strictly necessary, but it will give you a better view of this group of people and what they do. And you know, cos I said so!
This is a multi-layered story, and it took me a little bit of time to fully immerse myself into Leo and Tuck's story. It doesn't quite grab as much as Danny and Grif's does, but it packs a no less powerful punch.
Leo changed his name and ran from the Stockyard after his parents died. Tuck left the circus after his died too. When those two paths cross in the here and now, Leo knows he has to keep Tuck safe, without revealing his past.
This is a proper "kinda creeps up on ya" book! I mean, it came outta nowhere, whooping me upside the head with things I did not see coming! Once I started, and I should have read this AGES ago, I could not put it down.
It's dark and deadly, given both Leo's and Tuck's past. It's emotional and difficult reading in places, again due to their past, but also their fears for the future. Neither knows there can be anything long term between them, right? They are both damaged beyond repair. Super smexy! But I really wanted more smexy times on those silks! (I'm just greedy, don't judge me!)
The banter between the Outlaws is awesome and I loved that we got to catch up with Danny and Grif. I'm reading between the lines about who might be next, but I'm not voicing those words, cos I might be way, WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY off the mark there! But Scarlet is growing on me, I love the way they flip from male to female pronouns and the guys just run with them. It did take me a while it book one to get Scarlet, but not so here, since I was aware of their fluidity.
An awesome follow-up to Midnight Heist.
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elswhere
Merissa (11950 KP) rated One Last Heist in Books
May 29, 2018
One Last Heist by Dahlia Donovan
One Last Heist has a host of new characters, and our main couple are already married, which made for a lovely change. They both have jobs by day, but are thieves by night. Mack has a list of rules that he works to, helping to ensure he only robs from those who deserve it. And yes, there are plenty of Robin Hood references guaranteed to make you smile. They get caught up in a situation that quickly takes them from their 'normal' into something far more dangerous that could change their lives forever.
I loved how this story played out. Mack and Toshi are brilliant both together and separately. Charlie, Tosh's sister, is autistic and her coping mechanisms are captured perfectly, along with an explanation of the why's and how's. In fact, I have to say that I thought all of the characters were more than capable of standing on their own two feet. They worked great as a team, with their own individual strengths helping each other, but none were so weak they could ONLY be part of the team.
With plenty of twists and turns, only some of which I saw coming, or partially at least, this story kept my interest from start to finish. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
I loved how this story played out. Mack and Toshi are brilliant both together and separately. Charlie, Tosh's sister, is autistic and her coping mechanisms are captured perfectly, along with an explanation of the why's and how's. In fact, I have to say that I thought all of the characters were more than capable of standing on their own two feet. They worked great as a team, with their own individual strengths helping each other, but none were so weak they could ONLY be part of the team.
With plenty of twists and turns, only some of which I saw coming, or partially at least, this story kept my interest from start to finish. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
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Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001) in Movies
Feb 25, 2021
Elvis
3000 Miles to Graceland- is a good crime thriller. I know it got bad reviews, nominated for five different raspberries and laughable, but i liked it.
The plot: It's International Elvis Week in Las Vegas, where the strip is flooded by a sea of King wannabes decked out in jumpsuits and sideburns. But five of the impersonators swaggering into the Riviera Hotel are toting heavy weaponry in their guitar cases. It's the heist of a lifetime, orchestrated by ex-con Michael (Kurt Russell) and his cunning former cellmate, Murphy (Kevin Costner). The crooked Elvises steal away with $3.2 million, leaving the hotel in ruins and a high body count in their wake.
It has a good cast and intresting thriller.
The plot: It's International Elvis Week in Las Vegas, where the strip is flooded by a sea of King wannabes decked out in jumpsuits and sideburns. But five of the impersonators swaggering into the Riviera Hotel are toting heavy weaponry in their guitar cases. It's the heist of a lifetime, orchestrated by ex-con Michael (Kurt Russell) and his cunning former cellmate, Murphy (Kevin Costner). The crooked Elvises steal away with $3.2 million, leaving the hotel in ruins and a high body count in their wake.
It has a good cast and intresting thriller.
Andy K (10821 KP) Mar 10, 2018
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) Mar 11, 2018