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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated The Mummy (2017) in Movies
May 27, 2019 (Updated May 27, 2019)
An abrupt and poorly executed end to the Dark Universe
Since The Mummy came out in 2017, Universals planned Dark Universe has come to a shuddering stop.
After watching this movie I can see why.
The movie starts off ok I guess, the pretty standard 'tomb raiding' you can expect from a Mummy film.
It Tom Cruise that starts to tank it for me - I've always been able to take or leave Tom Cruise. Sometimes I like him, sometimes I don't, and in The Mummy, I definitely didn't. It just seems like he's playing a parody of himself at this point.
When we are introduced midway through the film to the plot device that was supposed to start linking The Mummy to future Dark Universe films - namely Russell Crowe as Jekkyl/Hyde - the movie falls apart even further, causing what little coherence it did have to slowly crumble.
Annabelle Wallace's character is reduced to someone who panders after Tom Cruise, even with his character constantly being an arsehole.
Jake Johnson's character is used as a weird exposition tool that pops randomly without rhyme or reason.
It's just all a little messy.
Some saving graces - The CGI effects or pretty good for the most part and I did quite like Sofia Boutella as The Mummy.
Maybe the first Brendan Frasier Mummy film was just a one off, which is kind of sad, as I was quite excited to see the Universal Monsters brought back to life.
After watching this movie I can see why.
The movie starts off ok I guess, the pretty standard 'tomb raiding' you can expect from a Mummy film.
It Tom Cruise that starts to tank it for me - I've always been able to take or leave Tom Cruise. Sometimes I like him, sometimes I don't, and in The Mummy, I definitely didn't. It just seems like he's playing a parody of himself at this point.
When we are introduced midway through the film to the plot device that was supposed to start linking The Mummy to future Dark Universe films - namely Russell Crowe as Jekkyl/Hyde - the movie falls apart even further, causing what little coherence it did have to slowly crumble.
Annabelle Wallace's character is reduced to someone who panders after Tom Cruise, even with his character constantly being an arsehole.
Jake Johnson's character is used as a weird exposition tool that pops randomly without rhyme or reason.
It's just all a little messy.
Some saving graces - The CGI effects or pretty good for the most part and I did quite like Sofia Boutella as The Mummy.
Maybe the first Brendan Frasier Mummy film was just a one off, which is kind of sad, as I was quite excited to see the Universal Monsters brought back to life.
Kevin Phillipson (9943 KP) rated American Made (2017) in Movies
Apr 25, 2018 (Updated Apr 25, 2018)
Tom cruise (2 more)
Story
Sarah wright
I will this now this film is better than the mummy toms other film from last year way better thats out the way. Basically its a true story about a airline pilot who is recruited by the cia during the 80s to flyvto central americas and back again. Sarah wright plays his wife well domnhall gleeson plays his cia handler was underused but still entertaining 2 hours
Lee (2222 KP) rated American Made (2017) in Movies
Aug 31, 2017
A fun, entertaining movie
Anytime I mention to my family that I'm going to see a Tom Cruise movie, they roll their eyes and take the piss. The words 'man crush' are used, and I just take it on the chin (sometimes). The truth is though, many of my favourite movies are Tom Cruise movies. I'm not a fan of his earlier stuff (my wife is the complete opposite), but I pretty much love anything after his Vanilla Sky/Magnolia days. And he's clearly a hell of a nice guy outside of the movies too, despite what anything thinks about his religious beliefs. But then he went and made The Mummy earlier this year - a serious dip in Cruise quality. Can American Made be the movie to get him back on track?
It certainly is an idea role for Cruise. Based on a true story, Cruise plays Barry Seal. Top pilot for TWA and bored of the same old routine day in, day out. When his co-pilot and passengers are all asleep during a flight, he relieves the monotony by faking some heavy turbulence in order to wake them all up, but it's not enough. So, when he's approached by CIA agent Schafer (Domhnall Gleeson) to work for them, flying exciting reconnaissance missions over South America, he jumps at the chance. And then during a refueling stop in Colombia, Seal is recruited by Pablo Escobar's drug cartel, who offer to pay him $2000 for each kilo of cocaine he can carry from Columbia to Louisiana. Then he begins flying guns from Arkansas to Nicaragua while still continuing the drugs runs. Seal finds himself with more money than he can spend, burying bags of it in his backyard and piling it up in wardrobes. He can't turn around without bumping into money, and all the while the stakes are getting higher, the potential consequences of his actions increasing.
Caught up in among all of this are Seals wife and kids. Finding themselves woken by him at 4am and being told they need to move home before their house is raided at 6am, before gradually adjusting to their new, increasingly expensive lifestyle. We never quite get to spend enough time with that part of Barry's life, taking a backseat instead to the roller coaster thrill seeking that he's got himself wrapped up in outside of home.
Cruise charms and grins his way through all of this perfectly. Obviously he did all of the flying scenes himself and he must have had a real blast making this movie. There's a good deal of humour throughout and the use of film grain, handheld cameras and Kodak style lighting help to give it a real 70s-80s feel to match the era it's set in. A fun, entertaining movie and a return to form for Mr Cruise!
It certainly is an idea role for Cruise. Based on a true story, Cruise plays Barry Seal. Top pilot for TWA and bored of the same old routine day in, day out. When his co-pilot and passengers are all asleep during a flight, he relieves the monotony by faking some heavy turbulence in order to wake them all up, but it's not enough. So, when he's approached by CIA agent Schafer (Domhnall Gleeson) to work for them, flying exciting reconnaissance missions over South America, he jumps at the chance. And then during a refueling stop in Colombia, Seal is recruited by Pablo Escobar's drug cartel, who offer to pay him $2000 for each kilo of cocaine he can carry from Columbia to Louisiana. Then he begins flying guns from Arkansas to Nicaragua while still continuing the drugs runs. Seal finds himself with more money than he can spend, burying bags of it in his backyard and piling it up in wardrobes. He can't turn around without bumping into money, and all the while the stakes are getting higher, the potential consequences of his actions increasing.
Caught up in among all of this are Seals wife and kids. Finding themselves woken by him at 4am and being told they need to move home before their house is raided at 6am, before gradually adjusting to their new, increasingly expensive lifestyle. We never quite get to spend enough time with that part of Barry's life, taking a backseat instead to the roller coaster thrill seeking that he's got himself wrapped up in outside of home.
Cruise charms and grins his way through all of this perfectly. Obviously he did all of the flying scenes himself and he must have had a real blast making this movie. There's a good deal of humour throughout and the use of film grain, handheld cameras and Kodak style lighting help to give it a real 70s-80s feel to match the era it's set in. A fun, entertaining movie and a return to form for Mr Cruise!
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Mission: Impossible (1996) in Movies
Apr 7, 2020
Exploding Bubble Gum: The Start
Mission: Impossible- you cant have the month of "Tom Cruise" without this film franchise. This one started it all, the one with exploding bumble gun, the one with the close call, the one with a different face mask. The one that intudces Ethan Hunt and Luther Stickell. Such a excellent film, and franchise as a whole. Personally my favorite is the 3rd one, but i get to that eventually. For now lets start at the beginning.
The Plot: When U.S. government operative Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his mentor, Jim Phelps (Jon Voight), go on a covert assignment that takes a disastrous turn, Jim is killed, and Ethan becomes the prime murder suspect. Now a fugitive, Hunt recruits brilliant hacker Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and maverick pilot Franz Krieger (Jean Reno) to help him sneak into a heavily guarded CIA building to retrieve a confidential computer file that will prove his innocence.
Like i said before a excellent film, a excellent start for a excellent franchise.
The Plot: When U.S. government operative Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his mentor, Jim Phelps (Jon Voight), go on a covert assignment that takes a disastrous turn, Jim is killed, and Ethan becomes the prime murder suspect. Now a fugitive, Hunt recruits brilliant hacker Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and maverick pilot Franz Krieger (Jean Reno) to help him sneak into a heavily guarded CIA building to retrieve a confidential computer file that will prove his innocence.
Like i said before a excellent film, a excellent start for a excellent franchise.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Mission: Impossible 2 (2000) in Movies
Apr 8, 2020
Flaming Birds
Mission: impossible II- this is a strange sequel, on one hand its good, on the other its bad. So lets call it in the middle, good but bad. Tom Cruise and Ving Rhames both return. I like how each movie is directed by a different director. The first one was Brain De Palma so his take was putting spy, suspense and thrills in the first one. In this one John Woo directs it. That means alot of slow-mo, birds, and that pretty much it.
The plot: Tom Cruise returns to his role as Ethan Hunt in the second installment of "Mission: Impossible." This time Ethan Hunt leads his IMF team on a mission to capture a deadly German virus before it is released by terrorists. His mission is made impossible due to the fact that he is not the only person after samples of the disease. He must also contest with a gang of international terrorists headed by a turned bad former IMF agent who has already managed to steal the cure.
Its good, but the first one was better.
The plot: Tom Cruise returns to his role as Ethan Hunt in the second installment of "Mission: Impossible." This time Ethan Hunt leads his IMF team on a mission to capture a deadly German virus before it is released by terrorists. His mission is made impossible due to the fact that he is not the only person after samples of the disease. He must also contest with a gang of international terrorists headed by a turned bad former IMF agent who has already managed to steal the cure.
Its good, but the first one was better.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Valkyrie (2008) in Movies
Apr 13, 2020
Suspense and thrilling
Valkyrie- is a good movie. Its a good suspense, thriller thats based on a true story.
The plot: Col. Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) serves Germany with loyalty and pride but fears that Hitler will destroy his country if allowed to run unchecked. With time running out for Germany and the rest of Europe, von Stauffenberg joins a group of like-minded, high-ranking men who want to overthrow the Nazi regime from within. With everything he holds dear in the balance, von Stauffenberg becomes the trigger man in a plot to assassinate the evil dictator.
One eye patched tom cruise is a plus. It makes him more intense. Reminds me of Snake Plissken.
So i watched the trailer, and the music their were playing was the "Saw Theme", which was intresting. Cause i love that theme song, its so intense and makes things 10x more intense and intresting. Thats why i watched this film, because that theme song made the movie look really intresting and intense. Which it was. It was suspenseful and thrilling till the end.
The plot: Col. Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) serves Germany with loyalty and pride but fears that Hitler will destroy his country if allowed to run unchecked. With time running out for Germany and the rest of Europe, von Stauffenberg joins a group of like-minded, high-ranking men who want to overthrow the Nazi regime from within. With everything he holds dear in the balance, von Stauffenberg becomes the trigger man in a plot to assassinate the evil dictator.
One eye patched tom cruise is a plus. It makes him more intense. Reminds me of Snake Plissken.
So i watched the trailer, and the music their were playing was the "Saw Theme", which was intresting. Cause i love that theme song, its so intense and makes things 10x more intense and intresting. Thats why i watched this film, because that theme song made the movie look really intresting and intense. Which it was. It was suspenseful and thrilling till the end.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) in Movies
May 27, 2019
A Race Against the Clock After a Mission Gone Wrong
In this sixth installment (yes, it’s been six!), special agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his crew find themselves racing against the clock after a mission goes terribly wrong.
Acting: 8
Beginning: 9
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 9
Solid action from beginning to end keeps this film alive and well. This is what you come for, not a deep story or in-depth character development. You want to see Tom Cruise run really fast and jump off of tall things. While the action falls just short of the quality from the third film, it still packs a hard punch.
Genre: 9
It is surprising to me that, after six films and the following of a somewhat similar formula along the way, this franchise still continues to stand at the pinnacle of espionage action films. Director Christopher McQuarrie not only manages to keep the action fresh in Fallout, but he makes you think they could easily pull off another three. Not the best M:I movie, but it takes you on a wild ride nonetheless.
Memorability: 9
Pace: 9
Plot: 9
Resolution: 9
Wasn’t perfect, but solid enough to wrap the film up nicely. I was hoping for a little more for Ethan, but something tells me that things are going to work out for him just fine in the end. You will definitely leave the movie excited from the seventh installment.
Overall: 91
Mission: Impossible—Fallout is clever enough to make you use your brain, but not too over-the-top where you’re left thinking, “Wait, what?” I have mad respect for McQuarrie as it’s hard as all get out to keep a franchise fresh. After a terrible second try, the franchise has been balling ever since. Long live the running of Tom Cruise!
Acting: 8
Beginning: 9
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 9
Solid action from beginning to end keeps this film alive and well. This is what you come for, not a deep story or in-depth character development. You want to see Tom Cruise run really fast and jump off of tall things. While the action falls just short of the quality from the third film, it still packs a hard punch.
Genre: 9
It is surprising to me that, after six films and the following of a somewhat similar formula along the way, this franchise still continues to stand at the pinnacle of espionage action films. Director Christopher McQuarrie not only manages to keep the action fresh in Fallout, but he makes you think they could easily pull off another three. Not the best M:I movie, but it takes you on a wild ride nonetheless.
Memorability: 9
Pace: 9
Plot: 9
Resolution: 9
Wasn’t perfect, but solid enough to wrap the film up nicely. I was hoping for a little more for Ethan, but something tells me that things are going to work out for him just fine in the end. You will definitely leave the movie excited from the seventh installment.
Overall: 91
Mission: Impossible—Fallout is clever enough to make you use your brain, but not too over-the-top where you’re left thinking, “Wait, what?” I have mad respect for McQuarrie as it’s hard as all get out to keep a franchise fresh. After a terrible second try, the franchise has been balling ever since. Long live the running of Tom Cruise!
David McK (3185 KP) rated The Last Samurai (2003) in Movies
Feb 6, 2021
Who is The Last Samurai?
In the early noughties, following the success of Ridley Scott's 'Gladiator', there was a rash of historical epic films - 'Alexander', 'Troy', 'Kingdom of Heaven'.
And this.
Which is a strong contender for one of the best of those films.
The film stars Tom Cruise (who, for once, is not playing Tom Cruise) and Ken Wattanabe, with the former a world weary US Civil War veteran (suffering from PTSD?) who is hired to train the modernising Japanese army, and the latter a Samurai leader who thinks Japan is losing its identity; moving too fast into the future.
Captured by that Samurai leader following an early battle, Algren (Cruise's character) soon finds himself beginning to wonder is he fighting in the right side...
Yes, the plot is somewhat akin to 'Dances with Wolves' (or even 'Avatar'), and I've heard the charge of the film being a White Saviour story - a charge, I have to say, that I do NOT find any merit in: indeed, I would argue the opposite (that Cruise's character is saved rather than the one doing the saving) is more true.
And this.
Which is a strong contender for one of the best of those films.
The film stars Tom Cruise (who, for once, is not playing Tom Cruise) and Ken Wattanabe, with the former a world weary US Civil War veteran (suffering from PTSD?) who is hired to train the modernising Japanese army, and the latter a Samurai leader who thinks Japan is losing its identity; moving too fast into the future.
Captured by that Samurai leader following an early battle, Algren (Cruise's character) soon finds himself beginning to wonder is he fighting in the right side...
Yes, the plot is somewhat akin to 'Dances with Wolves' (or even 'Avatar'), and I've heard the charge of the film being a White Saviour story - a charge, I have to say, that I do NOT find any merit in: indeed, I would argue the opposite (that Cruise's character is saved rather than the one doing the saving) is more true.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated American Made (2017) in Movies
Aug 31, 2017
Good, but the best bits are in the trailer
This is a fairly solid film for Tom Cruise, with a great script and a very interesting and fun way to tell this intriguing (and almost unbelievable) story. I feel Domnhall Gleeson is a little underused, and my main issue with this is that all of the funniest parts were in the trailer. I know this is standard for lots of films, but with American Made it felt like ALL of the humour was in the trailer, which kind of ruins that aspect of the film.
Dean (6921 KP) rated Tropic Thunder (2008) in Movies
Jun 30, 2018 (Updated Jun 30, 2018)
A big budget all star cast comedy!? Well it was quite a good idea of having a bunch of actors filming in the jungle, going for realism when actually they are under attack from a local drug cartel! Almost spoofs parts of platoon, Rambo along the way. It does have some very funny scenes and laugh out loud moments. Other times it's just a bit too silly. Robert Downey Jr was a very good surprise addition as was Tom Cruise as a Hollywood studio executive! Well worth checking out.