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Spawn (1997)
Spawn (1997)
1997 | Action, Animation, Horror
Michael jai white, character/costume design, visual effects (0 more)
Rough dialogue (0 more)
Where you're going, every day is Halloween.
Spawn is a 1997 anti-hero film based on the comic book character of the same name. the film stars Michael Jai White in the title role, and is one of the first films to feature an African American actor portraying a major comic book superhero.

Al Simmons is a mercenary who, after accepting a mission is double-crossed and assassinated on the orders of Jason Wynn. After selling his soul to Malebolgia, Al soon returns to Earth as a demon, a hell spawn with a raging thirst for vengeance.
After being reborn, Spawn has little time to understand his new being and must act fast all whist learning new abilities along the way.

Though not as dark as it's comic book counterpart and a little more humorous, Spawn is a nice addition to a pre MCU world, which would have been amazing to see this version of him team up with the likes of Wesley snipes Blade and future hero's like tobey Maguires Spiderman & Nicholas cages Ghost Rider.

Visually entertaining & always a personal favourite.

Love the CGI Cape.
  
Jack Reacher (2012)
Jack Reacher (2012)
2012 | Drama, Mystery
7
6.9 (14 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Rage Inside: A Mysterious Man
Jack Reacher- is a good movie, it has a intresting plot, good action, good suspense and good thrills. It seems like their just wasted the support cast like Richard Jenkins, David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike, Werner Herzog and Robert Duvall. Jai Country was a great villian and he didnt ruining this movie.

Other critics aka Screen Junkies, Jeremy Jahns and Chris Stuckmann say that Jai Country ruined this film, A Good Day To Die Hard, Terminator Gensyis and Suicide Squad. Those movie were already ruined since the start. With Die Hard, we didnt need anything one, with Terminator, it was the second trailer that gave everything away and Suicide Squad it was Jared Leto, so screw them. Their were wrong. Anyways...

The plot: One morning in an ordinary town, five people are shot dead in a seemingly random attack. All evidence points to a single suspect: an ex-military sniper who is quickly brought into custody. The man's interrogation yields one statement: Get Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise). Reacher, an enigmatic ex-Army investigator, believes the authorities have the right man but agrees to help the sniper's defense attorney (Rosamund Pike). However, the more Reacher delves into the case, the less clear-cut it appears.

I liked Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher he was really intresting as the charcter.

This movie was good, but does have its downfalls.
  
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
2008 | Drama, Romance
A once again astounding Dev Patel sells otherwise sulking, superficial melodrama. Don't you hate when the framing device is more interesting than the actual story? If not for the calamitous š˜ š˜¦š˜“š˜µš˜¦š˜³š˜„š˜¢š˜ŗ then the stuff when they were kids here would be some of the worst moments of Boyle's entire career - overedited to smithereens, fetishistic of plight, and vaguely offensive. Even when this gets good I'm convinced this movie is much more concerned with dragging these characters through the mud and inflicting pain to wring synthetic sympathy rather than fleshing them out beyond one-note characterizations and abrupt turnarounds. Still pressed this brilliant premise didn't get the justice it truly deserved but the last hour of this is executed about as engagingly as it could have been, for what it ended up being (which only makes the transition from the older stuff to the newer stuff more jarring) and randomly gets super entertaining, if not much less simplistic. Score is pretty decent, too. It's alright but not sure why this shook everyone's world back in the day, you guys do know Indian cinema exists too, no? Way better than š˜‰š˜¦š˜¢š˜“š˜µš˜“ š˜°š˜§ š˜µš˜©š˜¦ š˜šš˜°š˜¶š˜µš˜©š˜¦š˜³š˜Æ š˜žš˜Ŗš˜­š˜„ but way shittier than š˜“š˜Ŗš˜°š˜Æ. The "Jai Ho" segment is as cringey as it is memorable.
  
Terminator Genisys (2015)
Terminator Genisys (2015)
2015 | Action
Not a complete disaster
Sequels and reboots are making up the bulk of 2015ā€™s cinematic offerings. With films added to franchises like Jurassic Park, Star Wars and James Bond, it was always going to be tough for others to make much of a dent.

Itā€™s been six years since Christian Bale took over lead billing from Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Terminator series in the critically panned Terminator Salvation. But director Alan Taylor (Thor: the Dark World), a newcomer to the sci-fi adventure series, resurrects the franchise with Terminator Genisys. But is it worth a watch?

Acting as a reboot and a sequel, the film follows the story of a young Kyle Reece (Jai Courtney), sent back in time by John Connor (Jason Clarke) to protect his mother Sarah, played by Game of Thronesā€™ Emilia Clarke. His aim is to stop the war before it even begins.

The duo are joined on their travels by the naturally charismatic Arnold Schwarzenegger who is one of the only highlights in a film full of soulless set-pieces, meaningless dialogue and a sickening sense of nostalgia.

Genisys constantly reminds you of the brilliance radiating from James Cameronā€™s first two films. Herein lies the problem, this sequel has none of the soul or charm of its predecessors with the homages coming across as insulting attempts to cash in on the series.

Even the iconic ā€œIā€™ll be backā€ phrase is shoehorned into an awkward position where it doesnā€™t really make much sense.

And there we move onto the second issue. It makes hardly any sense at all. With continuity errors abound, Genisys relies on your knowledge of Terminator and Judgement Day being in tip-top shape, and after more than two decades itā€™s safe to say the majority of people will need a refresher course first.

The set pieces are, on the whole, glorious and despite being slightly overlong at 126 minutes, Genisys is a well-paced film without a boring moment to its name. Itā€™s just a shame the plot doesnā€™t make more of an impact.

It feels like the characters are stuck in a video game, with a climactic action piece signalling the next level, moving on up until the obligatory big-boss fight that makes a further sequel seem incredibly likely.

Emilia Clarke is well-worth noting however. Despite being more used to being in the company of dragons rather than robots, she plays her character well and steps into Linda Hamiltonā€™s shoes with ease. The casting is spot on here with Clarke having more than a whiff of Hamilton in her appearance.

The rest of the cast, bar Schwarzenegger fail to make an impression with Jai Courtneyā€™s character proving particularly dull.

Overall, Terminator Genisys isnā€™t a complete disaster but comes close to being a write off. The action pieces are thrilling but a lack of soul, comprehension and individuality ensures itā€™ll end up being forgotten once 2015 is over.

With a sequel almost definitely on the cards, all fans of the franchise can hope for is a film worthy of James Cameronā€™s brilliant original ā€“ and this is not it.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/07/05/not-a-complete-disaster-terminator-genisys-review/
  
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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Suicide Squad (2016) in Movies

Sep 1, 2019 (Updated Sep 2, 2019)  
Suicide Squad (2016)
Suicide Squad (2016)
2016 | Action
Yikes
I, like many of you, really like comic books. So in this day and age, where films like Elektra, The Spirit, Catwoman, Daredevil etc, are just a horrible joyless memory, it takes something truly special to make you nearly hate comic book movies forevermore.

Suicide Squad is that something truly special.

After being saddened by the underwhelming Batman vs Superman, I had my hopes set high for SS. The trailers looked fantastic. I couldn't wait to see characters such as Katana, Enchantress, Harley Quinn, Deadshot etc, finally have their moment in the spotlight. I couldn't wait to see what Jared Leto brought to the table as The Joker. I was ready to be shown that BvS was a one off misstep, and that the DCEU properties were ready to take their place amongst comic book film royalty.
I'm almost cross at myself for being so very silly.

Where to begin - I guess characters.
I have no problem with Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. I thought she was fine. The script is terrible in places but that's not her fault.
Another character that suffers from the script is Deadshot. Again, I have no problem with Will Smith (except that the movie threatens to become the Will Smith show on occasion), but the script turns him into a tool to spout one liners and name check the movies title.
Enchantress is just a weird gyrating CGI embarrassment that is given little room to do anything else.
Everyone else is a waste - Katana, Killer Croc, Diablo - all so boring.
Same goes for Boomerang (although I get the feeling that Jai Courtney genuinely tried his best with what he was given)

And then there's The Joker. I can't honestly tell whether I liked him or not - he was hardly in it! Although his brief appearance was more interesting than the rest of the film for sure.

The whole film is set to a soundtrack of 'cool' rock songs that I would have put on a mixtape when I was 12, and they're relentless. It feels like every two minutes another song is obnoxiously blasted into my poor eyes and ears.

The film feels like one huge trailer. It's edited and chopped up jarringly, and it's a film that evidently has suffered from re shoots and studio meddling.
I refuse to believe that the same man who directed the damn good 'Fury' is solely responsible for this car crash.

Hopefully, James Gunn can keep the suits at bay and deliver a home run with the next attempt...
  
Honest Thief (2020)
Honest Thief (2020)
2020 | Action, Crime, Drama
Tom (Liam Neeson) is a long-time bank robber eager to put his past behind him in the new film ā€œHonest Thiefā€. A circumstance forced Tom to decide to strike back at the establishment following a career in ordinance in the military and has found he has a real talent for blowing safes and making away with millions of dollars over several years.

The Feds have been unable to stop him and regularly field numerous calls from people claiming to be responsible in order to gain attention. So when Tom calls Agent Sam Baker (Robert Patrick) and his partner Agent Meyers (Jeffrey Donovan); his claims are met with skepticism.

Tom has fallen in love with an aspiring Psychologist he met while renting a storage facility and he is eager to start a new and honest life with Annie (Kate Walsh). Tom offers to return all nine million dollars that he has stolen in term for a light sentence at a minimum security locale near Boston so Annie can visit him frequently.

Unwilling to accept that Tom is who he says he is, the agents dispatch Agents Nivens (Jai Courtney) and Agent Hall (Anthony Ramos); to interview Tom and check out his story. Tom offers to tell them where the money is in order to prove his claims. When several boxes of cash are discovered in storage; Nivens decides to take the money and pressures Hall into going along with it despite his reservations.

Nivens them attempts to eliminate Tom but in doing so kills Agent Baker who has shown up unexpectedly. Tom is now framed for a murder he did not commit and forced to flee in order to try to clear his name and make good on his initial offer to turn himself in.

Nivens is not willing to stop there and escalates his level of corruption and danger including threats on Hall and his family to ensure his compliance and silence.

As anyone who has ever seen a Liam Neeson film in the last ten years or so can deduce his character is motivated by events that follows and with his expert knowledge of explosives looks to strike back at Nivens and ensure justice is served.

While the film may be a bit slower paced in some areas than fans of Neeson may expect; he turns in a satisfying performance as a sort of modern day Robin Hood.

Tom is a man who does not make excuses for his actions and is willing to pay the price for them but believes he was justified in what he did and the reasons behind them.

The supporting cast is solid and while the film does have some real gaps in logic which must be suspended to make the story work; it does entertain.

In the end ā€œHonest Thiefā€ provides enough enjoyment to make it worth your time and shows that Neeson still can deliver what fans have come to expect from him.

3.5 stars out of 5
  
Terminator Genisys (2015)
Terminator Genisys (2015)
2015 | Action
The Terminator franchise has been as relentless and unstoppable as the series namesake. The first two films written and directed by James Cameron are cinematic icons and made many of the ten best lists when they were released.

The subsequent two films that lacked any input from Cameron and as such paled in comparison with the most recent, ā€œTerminator Salvationā€ failing to achieve the success of the previous films in the series.

Undaunted, the series is back with ā€œTerminator Genisysā€, the first in a planned trilogy before the rights to the series revert back to James Cameron.

The new film shows parts of the final battle by the human resistance as they finally defeat the deadly Skynet system but as fans of the series know, learn that a Terminator was sent back to stop humanities savior John Connor (Jason Clarke), from being born.

As fans known, loyal soldier Kyle Reese (jai Courtney) volunteers to travel back to 1984 to save Sara Connor (Emilia Clarke) and preserve the future but upon his arrival in 1984, Reese learns that the mission he has been sent on has changed.

Someone has sent a Terminator back to protect a younger Sarah when she was a child and as such, this Sara is not the naĆÆve waitress Reese had been expecting, rather she is a battle hardened and strong willed woman with a Terminator protector she named ā€œPopsā€ played by series icon Arnold Schwarzenegger.

This is where any similarities to the original films end as what initially sets up to be moments from the first two films revisited in a new timeline quickly changes and moves to 2017 where Sara, Reese, and Pops, learn that Skynet is about to go live and accomplish the start of Judgement Day which puts the heroes in a race against time and overwhelming odds to save humanity.
This time however there are several new wrinkles to the mix as well as some epic action sequences that have been sorely missing from the series since Cameronā€™s departure. The 3D effects are solid but note that they are converted from a 2D source and the film was not shot with 3D cameras.

What really worked well for me was the fact that the film is very respectful to the source material and while telling a new chapter to the story does not do much to undermine the impact and the legacy of the first two films. It was reported that James Cameron himself has endorsed this film and had called it the third film in the series.
The action is solid from an epic bus chase to intense firefights across the timelines the film grabs your attention the way the best summer films do and takes you on an epic thrill ride. Action and effects aside, what really makes the film work is the cast. The characters are strong and well portrayed and mix humanity, empathy, and self-sacrifice in the manner to which the characters have been established.

Reese and Sara are strong and determined and in a twist, have a more complicated relationship in this timeline than had been previously established. Of course the star of the film is Schwarzenegger and he knows this character inside and out. From the stoic and intense action sequences to the rivalry and distrust he and Reese share which grows into a solid respect. Arnold knows what audiences want and delivers it again and again. Despite the years, he still remains the backbone of the series and it is great to see him back in form.
While some may have issues with a rebooted timeline to propel future films, there were enough great moments in the film and plenty of entertainments for me not only to recommend the film, but to say bring on the next chapter.

http://sknr.net/2015/07/01/terminator-genisys/
  
Triple Threat (2019)
Triple Threat (2019)
2019 | Action, Thriller
Story: Triple Threat starts when a group of professional assassins led by Devereaux (White) breaks Collins (Adkins) out of a remote holding location in the jungle, Jaka (Uwais) is the only survive of the assault which sees the love of his life killed. Xian (Jade) the daughter of a billionaire is planning to use her fortune to take down a crime syndicate, which makes her a big target for the syndicate.

Jaka searching for the people responsible locates two members of the team Paya (Jaa) and Long Fei (Chen) who were also left for dead by the assassins, soon Payu and Long Fei will find themselves needing to defend Xian, while Jaka using other means to get revenge.

 

Thoughts on Triple Threat

 

Characters ā€“ Payu is one of the guides that helps the assassins through the jungle, he is betrayed and left for dead with his partner, returning to the underground fighting scene for money, he soon finds himself going up against the assassins once again, using his connections from his mysterious past to do the right thing. Long Fei is the partner of Payu, he is much more straight down the line with everything, equally as good in combat, the two make for a deadly team. Jaka is one of the guards of the camp, he is left for dead and left to bury his wife, he wants revenge and knows how to get it, he is hunting down everybody involved, playing them against each other to get what he wants. Collins is the leader of the assassins, broken out of prison to take on the latest job, he must complete the last job, which sees him hunting down Payu and Long Fei, while leading his team in the assassination mission of Xian. He is cocky and believes he can always win in a fight against any level of opponent. Xian is the daughter of a billionaire, she has made it clear she will be giving up for fortune to make the streets clean for the next generation of children, this sees her being the target for the crime syndicates of the country, forcing her to figure out who to trust for her own safety. Devereaux is the second in command, he doesnā€™t trust Jaka in any of the missions and is quite happy to watch anywhere they have worked burn to the ground.

Performances ā€“ This has a cast that will be an action fans dream, Tony Jaa, Tiger Hu Chen and Iko Uwais fighting is something we can watch all day long, seeing the human side of the story has help show how the three are improving outside of the action scenes in film too. Scott Adkins in the villainous role works very well too showing his fighting skills, while being a villain that is easy to see how they are performing through the film. Celina Jade and Michael Jai White complete the main cast not putting a foot wrong through the film.

Story ā€“ The story here follows an elite group of assassins that have been hired to eliminate a billionaire woman that wants to end the crime world going on in her home land, only for her to need to turn to new mercenaries who will be the ones that will keep her safe from the danger. This is a story that focuses on the action over any really difficult subjects going on, we do get people coming from different sides searching for a moment which will see them getting their own objective, be it a paid job, revenge or change. The story is mostly, lets get to this location or lets get away from this location usually involving a fight along the way, it is nothing completed hitting everything it needs to by the end of the film.

Action ā€“ The action brings some of the best martial artists together in dream fight matches, we have each unique style given to the actors involved, they donā€™t go to the full levels of their hits or give away all their best moves.

Settings ā€“ The film does use the settings to create different locations for the fights, be it the jungle, the police station or the final showdown location.


Scene of the Movie ā€“ Seeing Jaa, Uwais and Adkins fight.

That Moment That Annoyed Me ā€“ The fact they donā€™t let Xian show any fighting skills.

Final Thoughts ā€“ This is a fun action film that brings together some of the brightest fighting stars in the business today in a story which will see them get a chance to fight.

 

Overall: Pure action fun.