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Awix (3310 KP) rated No Escape (2015) in Movies
Mar 26, 2018 (Updated Mar 26, 2018)
Technically competent suspense-thriller can't help coming across as a little bit suspect in the signals it's sending (also, title may not be strictly accurate). Nice American family go to a country which looks like Thailand but definitely isn't, dearie me no, and find themselves imperilled by a native uprising triggered by the Prime Minister's new water works. Can they escape before Pierce Brosnan starts singing again?
As I say, solidly put together, and if nothing else Lake Bell's performance is pretty much immaculate - but you have to wonder if the film's depiction of Asian countries isn't defamatory, or at least scare-mongering. It's not surprising this film was banned in some parts of Asia. There's a lot of bafflegab about the hordes of machete-wielding psychos being locals upset about globalisation, but c'mon, guys, this is clearly a film inspired by fears of radical Islamist terrorism, and as such it seems to be presenting every person in Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, etc, as a potential psychopathic killer. For something which is basically second-cousin to a zombie movie, it takes itself terribly seriously; a bit too seriously given how implausible the plot rapidly becomes. Perks up a bit when Brosnan is on screen (not often enough), but is this kind of subject matter really the stuff of such broad entertainment? As a thriller this is okay, but a point knocked off for the dubious subtext.
As I say, solidly put together, and if nothing else Lake Bell's performance is pretty much immaculate - but you have to wonder if the film's depiction of Asian countries isn't defamatory, or at least scare-mongering. It's not surprising this film was banned in some parts of Asia. There's a lot of bafflegab about the hordes of machete-wielding psychos being locals upset about globalisation, but c'mon, guys, this is clearly a film inspired by fears of radical Islamist terrorism, and as such it seems to be presenting every person in Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, etc, as a potential psychopathic killer. For something which is basically second-cousin to a zombie movie, it takes itself terribly seriously; a bit too seriously given how implausible the plot rapidly becomes. Perks up a bit when Brosnan is on screen (not often enough), but is this kind of subject matter really the stuff of such broad entertainment? As a thriller this is okay, but a point knocked off for the dubious subtext.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated The Foreigner (2017) in Movies
Dec 20, 2017
Boooo
If you're expecting me to say something nice about The Foreigner, please do us both a favor and click out of this review right now. On paper, it appears to be right up Jackie Chan's alley. After his daughter is killed in a terrorist attack, Quan (Jackie) is trying to hunt down the men that did it. He is willing to stop at nothing to get his revenge.
The formulaic aspect of the film ruins the entire experience. Here's the rundown: Jackie walks into Pierce Brosnan's office demanding names (Who did this????). When Brosnan is not forthcoming with the names, Jackie storms off usually doing something crazy in his departure. Brosnan sends men to take Jackie down. Jackie beats the crap out of them. When the men return, Brosnan asks, "How the hell did you get your ass kicked by this old man?"
Rinse and repeat.
I'm serious, it's so ridiculous at times it becomes almost comical. You would think with this straight-arrow formula, the film would be easy to follow, but there are a lot of moving parts and I mean A LOT. I found myself saying, "Say what now?" too many times to count. I don't know, maybe it was more of a lack of interest than confusion on my part. Blade Runner 2049 had a number of things going on throughout and it's one of the best films I've seen all year.
The Foreigner is one of those films where you think of all the other things you could be doing instead of watching it. Folding clothes. Grocery shopping. Picking boogers. Screaming at your dog to get out of the trash. I mean, ANYTHING else. Could a few solid action sequences have saved the film? Probably. Did it?
Nope.
I honestly don't know how this passed the smell test on Rotten Tomatoes. In the words of the wonderful Jay Sherman: It stinks. I give it a 42.
The formulaic aspect of the film ruins the entire experience. Here's the rundown: Jackie walks into Pierce Brosnan's office demanding names (Who did this????). When Brosnan is not forthcoming with the names, Jackie storms off usually doing something crazy in his departure. Brosnan sends men to take Jackie down. Jackie beats the crap out of them. When the men return, Brosnan asks, "How the hell did you get your ass kicked by this old man?"
Rinse and repeat.
I'm serious, it's so ridiculous at times it becomes almost comical. You would think with this straight-arrow formula, the film would be easy to follow, but there are a lot of moving parts and I mean A LOT. I found myself saying, "Say what now?" too many times to count. I don't know, maybe it was more of a lack of interest than confusion on my part. Blade Runner 2049 had a number of things going on throughout and it's one of the best films I've seen all year.
The Foreigner is one of those films where you think of all the other things you could be doing instead of watching it. Folding clothes. Grocery shopping. Picking boogers. Screaming at your dog to get out of the trash. I mean, ANYTHING else. Could a few solid action sequences have saved the film? Probably. Did it?
Nope.
I honestly don't know how this passed the smell test on Rotten Tomatoes. In the words of the wonderful Jay Sherman: It stinks. I give it a 42.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! (2018) in Movies
Oct 10, 2018
More semi-demented glam-rock-inflected goings-on amongst the Greek islands, distinguished this time by an actual sense of self-awareness of how absurd the whole thing is, an increased focus on younger and more attractive versions of the main characters, and an advertising campaign built around a massive piece of deception (Meryl Streep is only in the film for about two minutes).
I don't know, it's jolly enough I suppose, but one of the things that made the first one so distinctive was the fact it was about randy middle-aged people murdering classic pop songs, which you don't see much of in the cinema. This one is more about randy young people, which is much more commonplace and rather less fun. Also, when I watch a Mamma Mia film I want to see Pierce Brosnan murdering a song, not just being reduced to contributing the odd chorus and standing around in the background. Fairly inoffensive all in all, and quite entertaining.
I don't know, it's jolly enough I suppose, but one of the things that made the first one so distinctive was the fact it was about randy middle-aged people murdering classic pop songs, which you don't see much of in the cinema. This one is more about randy young people, which is much more commonplace and rather less fun. Also, when I watch a Mamma Mia film I want to see Pierce Brosnan murdering a song, not just being reduced to contributing the odd chorus and standing around in the background. Fairly inoffensive all in all, and quite entertaining.
David McK (3207 KP) rated GoldenEye (1995) in Movies
Feb 22, 2021 (Updated Aug 5, 2023)
The first of Pierce Brosnan's outing as 'secret' agent (not the air quotes) James Bond aka 007, and also - I believe - Judi Dench's first outing as his boss M.
Back when the Bond films were actually good.
I realise that might be an unpopular opinion, but I actually preferred Brosnan over Craig as Bind, and (much) preferred all the clichés of the genre - guns, gadgets, secret bases and all - over the overly dour and serious Daniel Craig outings.
Anyway, this is also the one with Famke Janssen and her, shall we say, unusual methods of dispatching her foes, and also with Sean Bean (bonus points straight away, there, in my book) as Bond's once friend Alec Trevelyan.
Maybe slightly dated now - look at all those 'top of the range' computers. Complete with CRT screens, modems and all... - but that was always going to be the case for a Bond film.
Back when the Bond films were actually good.
I realise that might be an unpopular opinion, but I actually preferred Brosnan over Craig as Bind, and (much) preferred all the clichés of the genre - guns, gadgets, secret bases and all - over the overly dour and serious Daniel Craig outings.
Anyway, this is also the one with Famke Janssen and her, shall we say, unusual methods of dispatching her foes, and also with Sean Bean (bonus points straight away, there, in my book) as Bond's once friend Alec Trevelyan.
Maybe slightly dated now - look at all those 'top of the range' computers. Complete with CRT screens, modems and all... - but that was always going to be the case for a Bond film.
Awix (3310 KP) rated GoldenEye (1995) in Movies
Mar 16, 2019 (Updated Mar 16, 2019)
Probably the best action thriller named after a duck ever. There was a time when a long gap between Bond films was highly unusual, and the six year absence of the commander from the big screen led some to suggest that maybe the series had had its day. The main achievement of GoldenEye is to take all the classic elements of a Bond film, spruce them up a bit, and produce a film which is fresh and entertaining.
Everyone is clearly working very hard to make this film a success, particularly Pierce Brosnan (even if his hair isn't quite right yet). Makes the obligatory attempt at updating Bond for the 'modern world' but doesn't get dogmatic about it and mostly just worries about entertaining the audience, which is surely as it should be. The tank chase surely features on anyone's list of great Bond sequences; director Martin Campbell would go on to make the hard-edged Casino Royale, which is probably a better film, but this is much more fun.
Everyone is clearly working very hard to make this film a success, particularly Pierce Brosnan (even if his hair isn't quite right yet). Makes the obligatory attempt at updating Bond for the 'modern world' but doesn't get dogmatic about it and mostly just worries about entertaining the audience, which is surely as it should be. The tank chase surely features on anyone's list of great Bond sequences; director Martin Campbell would go on to make the hard-edged Casino Royale, which is probably a better film, but this is much more fun.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Hammer House of Horror in TV
Mar 15, 2018 (Updated Mar 15, 2018)
Last-gasp attempt by the famous film studio to stay solvent is a fairly decent stab at a horror anthology show, featuring some of Hammer's regular personnel (though not Christopher Lee, as he was in the States at the time).
The fact the show was made for a commercial British network inevitably means the horror content is somewhat constrained, and the low budget means the episodes have a contemporary setting quite unlike the archetypal Hammer films (then again, Amicus House of Horror wouldn't have been as catchy a title). This being an anthology show, the quality and tone of the episodes is inevitably all over the place: some of them are rather subtle and inventive, others are predictable nonsense. Some good performances, though, including many from the before-they-were-famous file - a 27-year-old Pierce Brosnan gets one of his first speaking roles as 'Last Victim' in the Carpathian Eagle episode. As a whole, the series is probably more of a curiosity for Hammer completists than anything else.
The fact the show was made for a commercial British network inevitably means the horror content is somewhat constrained, and the low budget means the episodes have a contemporary setting quite unlike the archetypal Hammer films (then again, Amicus House of Horror wouldn't have been as catchy a title). This being an anthology show, the quality and tone of the episodes is inevitably all over the place: some of them are rather subtle and inventive, others are predictable nonsense. Some good performances, though, including many from the before-they-were-famous file - a 27-year-old Pierce Brosnan gets one of his first speaking roles as 'Last Victim' in the Carpathian Eagle episode. As a whole, the series is probably more of a curiosity for Hammer completists than anything else.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Mamma Mia! (2008) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
The story of a bride-to-be trying to find her real father told using hit songs by the popular 1970s group ABBA.
My name is Emma, and this is the first time I've seen Mamma Mia.
I did wonder if I was going a bit too far by seeing it in a singalong version, but then... this is me, and I love musicals so I thought, nah.
What can I say about it though? It's a passable film. Entertaining definitely. But let's face it, everyone is really there for the songs and the dancing, not the story. It definitely delivers on that.
I needed to see this one so that I can go see the new one... one of the perils of attempting to see every new films that comes on at my cinema! I'll be taking ear plugs with me to Mamma Mia 2 for every time Pierce Brosnan sings. I have loved that man ever since Goldeneye, but he was making it very difficult to keep those feelings.
My name is Emma, and this is the first time I've seen Mamma Mia.
I did wonder if I was going a bit too far by seeing it in a singalong version, but then... this is me, and I love musicals so I thought, nah.
What can I say about it though? It's a passable film. Entertaining definitely. But let's face it, everyone is really there for the songs and the dancing, not the story. It definitely delivers on that.
I needed to see this one so that I can go see the new one... one of the perils of attempting to see every new films that comes on at my cinema! I'll be taking ear plugs with me to Mamma Mia 2 for every time Pierce Brosnan sings. I have loved that man ever since Goldeneye, but he was making it very difficult to keep those feelings.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Foreigner (2017) in Movies
Feb 9, 2018 (Updated Feb 9, 2018)
I Wanna Know What a Roaring Rampage of Revenge Is
Not-as-lighthearted-as-you-might-expect vehicle for Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan: Chan plays an ex-special forces restauranteur whose daughter is killed in a terrorist attack, Brosnan the IRA man turned politician whom he pursues for information about the men responsible.
Obviously there's a bit of an issue with audience expectations where these two guys are concerned, as this film is considerably heavier than the kind of thing either of them usually makes, and the subject matter of this film might be considered a bit iffy anyway - terrorist bombings and the IRA are not usually the stuff of a jolly evening's entertainment. (Given that Brosnan's character somewhat resembles real-life Irish republican leader Gerry Adams, I would imagine that the libel lawyers had a profitable time with this film, too.)
But, that said, both actors are actually rather good, and when the action sequences come Campbell handles them with his usual aplomb - note I say when, for this is much more of a straight thriller than a martial arts action movie (it's certainly not a comedy of any stripe). It's all a bit dour and you get a distinct whiff of it all having been made on a low budget, but everyone involved deserves credit for being prepared to do something a bit different and doing a decent job with it.
(No idea why there's a picture of Steven Seagal listed with this movie; I suspect there may be more than one film titled The Foreigner and there's been a mixup.)
Obviously there's a bit of an issue with audience expectations where these two guys are concerned, as this film is considerably heavier than the kind of thing either of them usually makes, and the subject matter of this film might be considered a bit iffy anyway - terrorist bombings and the IRA are not usually the stuff of a jolly evening's entertainment. (Given that Brosnan's character somewhat resembles real-life Irish republican leader Gerry Adams, I would imagine that the libel lawyers had a profitable time with this film, too.)
But, that said, both actors are actually rather good, and when the action sequences come Campbell handles them with his usual aplomb - note I say when, for this is much more of a straight thriller than a martial arts action movie (it's certainly not a comedy of any stripe). It's all a bit dour and you get a distinct whiff of it all having been made on a low budget, but everyone involved deserves credit for being prepared to do something a bit different and doing a decent job with it.
(No idea why there's a picture of Steven Seagal listed with this movie; I suspect there may be more than one film titled The Foreigner and there's been a mixup.)
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Bag of Bones in Books
Sep 24, 2020
This is my first encounter with this famous author and I was quite pleased with it. When I started reading the book it didn’t make me very excited. To this time I think that it could’ve been at least 150 pages less than it actually was. In my opinion, the beginning was too dragged and the information which actually was necessary could’ve fit in couple chapters. Once Mike actually gets to Sara Laughs then all the fun begins. I liked the characters chosen for this novel, they were realistic and very believable.
The plot was quite layered, and there were multiple stories unfolding in this book, that kept me intrigued. The book is perfect for a big screen, and if the right crew would’ve worked on it could be an amazing thriller. I had an opportunity to see the screen making with Pierce Brosnan and it didn’t make me very happy. I loved Mr King’s writing style and little clues of what will happen. So, overall, I had a slow beginning with this book but once I got to the fun bit I couldn’t put it away. I will definitely indulge myself into more of Mr King’s writing.
The plot was quite layered, and there were multiple stories unfolding in this book, that kept me intrigued. The book is perfect for a big screen, and if the right crew would’ve worked on it could be an amazing thriller. I had an opportunity to see the screen making with Pierce Brosnan and it didn’t make me very happy. I loved Mr King’s writing style and little clues of what will happen. So, overall, I had a slow beginning with this book but once I got to the fun bit I couldn’t put it away. I will definitely indulge myself into more of Mr King’s writing.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated The Foreigner (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
STX Films is releasing the film The Foreigner this weekend, and stars Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan. It is directed by Martin Campbell who also directed Casino Royale.
This film is full of action from the first few minutes on. It made me actually tear up within the first 20 minutes, when Quan, the main character, loses his daughter in a bombing.
The bombing is politically motivated, and is under investigation by British officials both in London and in Ireland. Quan just wants the names of those responsible, in order to exact revenge on the death his daughter.
Quan zeros in on Liam Hennesy (Pierce Brosnan), an ex IRA leader and current high ranking official Irish Diplomat who answers to the British government. Hennesy claims to have no knowledge of who committed the crime, but investigation reveals that the parts of the bombs are stolen from old weapons stores that only his group would have knowledge of.
Quan demands names, Hennesy repeatedly refuses, and Quan reverts to desperate and ingenious measures. He rigs up bombs out of what looks like regular groceries, inside Hennessey’s business offices and rattles Hennesy into fleeing / retreating to his farm in the countryside.
Quan follows and consistently picks off Hennessey’s men, always beating the odds in creative ways to come out ahead in the fight against men that are younger and outnumber him, at times 10 to 1.
Hennesy, meanwhile, is actually actively trying to figure out who set off the bombs, and sets up a plan to try and catch the bombers the next time they attempt a bombing, but somehow the next bomb goes off without any of the given code words that were assigned, which leads Hennesy to discover that at least one of the perpetrators is in fact directly tied to him, and helping the terrorist group.
Hennesy and the British police track down the bombers holed up in an apartment building, but Quan gets to them first and takes care of business, leaving one bomber to be able to tell the Brits where the last bomb is, and where its headed.
Whether they manage to get to the last bomb I will leave for you to find out……
I really liked the film, as did my husband. I thought that some of the Irish accents were a bit horrid, but overall the film was enjoyable, full of action, and we thought that it had a good storyline too. It had enough twists to be interesting and a few “AH HAH” moments, but not so convoluted as to be annoying.
The fact that Jackie Chan is still able to pull off hose stunts was amazing to us and we loved watching him get his revenge and overcoming seemingly impossible odds.
The only part we both we taken aback by was how “quiet” the very end of the film was. It wasn’t a big deal, but after the action of the movie it was definitely a different “feel”
This film is full of action from the first few minutes on. It made me actually tear up within the first 20 minutes, when Quan, the main character, loses his daughter in a bombing.
The bombing is politically motivated, and is under investigation by British officials both in London and in Ireland. Quan just wants the names of those responsible, in order to exact revenge on the death his daughter.
Quan zeros in on Liam Hennesy (Pierce Brosnan), an ex IRA leader and current high ranking official Irish Diplomat who answers to the British government. Hennesy claims to have no knowledge of who committed the crime, but investigation reveals that the parts of the bombs are stolen from old weapons stores that only his group would have knowledge of.
Quan demands names, Hennesy repeatedly refuses, and Quan reverts to desperate and ingenious measures. He rigs up bombs out of what looks like regular groceries, inside Hennessey’s business offices and rattles Hennesy into fleeing / retreating to his farm in the countryside.
Quan follows and consistently picks off Hennessey’s men, always beating the odds in creative ways to come out ahead in the fight against men that are younger and outnumber him, at times 10 to 1.
Hennesy, meanwhile, is actually actively trying to figure out who set off the bombs, and sets up a plan to try and catch the bombers the next time they attempt a bombing, but somehow the next bomb goes off without any of the given code words that were assigned, which leads Hennesy to discover that at least one of the perpetrators is in fact directly tied to him, and helping the terrorist group.
Hennesy and the British police track down the bombers holed up in an apartment building, but Quan gets to them first and takes care of business, leaving one bomber to be able to tell the Brits where the last bomb is, and where its headed.
Whether they manage to get to the last bomb I will leave for you to find out……
I really liked the film, as did my husband. I thought that some of the Irish accents were a bit horrid, but overall the film was enjoyable, full of action, and we thought that it had a good storyline too. It had enough twists to be interesting and a few “AH HAH” moments, but not so convoluted as to be annoying.
The fact that Jackie Chan is still able to pull off hose stunts was amazing to us and we loved watching him get his revenge and overcoming seemingly impossible odds.
The only part we both we taken aback by was how “quiet” the very end of the film was. It wasn’t a big deal, but after the action of the movie it was definitely a different “feel”