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Abduction (2011)
Abduction (2011)
2011 | Action, Mystery
6
5.4 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Story: Abduction starts as we meet rebellious high school student Nathan (Lautner) that is under strict training from his parents Kevin (Isaacs) and Mara (Bello) as well as his therapist Dr Bennet (Weaver) helping him control his anger problems. Nathan gets assigned to work with his high school crush Karen (Collins) in the latest project, which involved looking at missing children’s websites only to discover one of the kids looks just like him.

When Nathan learns the truth, he finds himself getting targeted and Nathan is wondering just who to trust with Dr Bennett, Agent Burton (Molina) or Kozlow (Nyqvist) in what will turn into a race against time to find safety.

 

Thoughts on Abduction

 

Characters/Performance – Nathan is a rebellious high school student, struggling with girls, studying and generally fitting in. he learns that he is in fact adopted but this opens the doors for people coming to capture him leaving him one option, running. Karen is the crush of Nathan and ends up in the middle of the chase also running for her life. Burton is the CIA operative trying to bring Nathan in before Kozlow can get his hands on him. Kozlow is a European enemy that came to America in search for Nathan for bargaining, nothing overly fancy about this character. Dr Bennett, Mara and Kevin all have a secret about what is going on with Nathan.

Performance wise, we all know Taylor Lautner isn’t known for his acting and it does clearly show here. Lily Collins is similar, while she has come a long way now back here she struggles. When we look at the older respected actors we get good supporting performances without shinning on any levels.

Story – The story follows the idea of a teenager learning his parents are not his parents leaving him on the run from enemies he doesn’t know who to trust. Having two teenagers outsmart CIA, international enemies and normal cops does come off rather farfetched which in places does nothing but disappoint in this film. as for entertainment value, this is simple enough for the fans of the genre.

Action/Mystery – The action is everything you expect with no extra special moments but the mystery about Nathan’s true identity is what is the only interesting part of the film.

Settings – Being on the run leaves us going through a string of generic settings for this type of film.

Special Effects – All the effects are fine without being anything special.

Final Thoughts – This is a film that has its flaws sure, but once it gets going it can become an edge of your seat thriller.

 

Overall: Simple, average and forgettable action film.

https://moviesreview101.com/2018/01/23/abduction-2011/
  
After Earth (2013)
After Earth (2013)
2013 | Action, Sci-Fi
3
4.9 (16 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Story: On paper this is a very good idea for a story, but it gets put together so badly it feels messy and confusing from start to finish. The idea that only two people that survive are father and son is a bit farfetched too. The biggest flaw I see is that Kitai is meant to be trained and thinks he is ready but as soon as he is out in the field he makes mistake after mistake even with the so called best helping him through the situations. If I was to give the mark on just how the story unfolds it would only get a 2 but I like the idea and with better performers it could work. (5/10)

 

Actor Review: Jaden Smith – Kitai trained to become a soldier against creatures that sense fear but doesn’t seem to stop panicking. Poor performance in this film it clearly is too much too soon for the young man. Poor Performance Award, Miscasted Award (4/10)

 jaden

Actor Review: Will Smith – Cypher the injured father who spends most of the film telling his son what to do and shouting because he doesn’t follow the instructions. Remember when Will Smith was a selling point for any movie, well this time he just sold out, gets the career back on track and stop working for money. Pay Check Performance Award (2/10)

will

Director Review: M. Night Shyamalan – You have to give this guy credit for being able to create an unusual world but this isn’t his written work, he creates some good scenes but still expect better. (5/10)

 

Action: Lacklustre action throughout. (5/10)

Adventure: It could have been a great adventure film. It is not. (5/10)

Sci-Fi: With the world creature it is a interesting look at the future. (7/10)

Special Effects: Some good but mostly poor CGI effects. (5/10)

Chemistry: The awkward chemistry between father and son tries to shine but fails. (6/10)

Believability: Anything could happen the future but this is too much to imagine. (1/10)

Chances of Tears: No (0/10)

Settings: Earth in the future is an interesting setting and creates some atmosphere but it could have easily been in a normal jungle with real animals. (5/10)

Suggestion: This is poor it will most likely go down in Will Smith’s career as his worst film. (Avoid)

 

Best Part: The final battle is you make it that far

Worst Part: The first hour is boring.

Action Scene Of The Film: The final battle

Kill Of The Film: The final creature

Oscar Chances: No

Chances of Sequel: No

 

Overall: Terrible sci-fi thriller

https://moviesreview101.com/2014/12/02/after-earth-2013/
  
The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
2011 | Sci-Fi, Romance
9
7.1 (8 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Story David Norris (Matt Damon) is running for congress when a story gets released cause his ratings to slide. It is now upon Harry (Anthony Mackie) to fix this to make sure David wins and follows his destine path. David goes on to win and thanks to a chance meeting with Elise (Emily Blunt) gives one of the best speeches people have heard boosting his chances of running for senate.

The next morning Harry misses the chance he has to stop David getting on a bus to work, on this bus he meet Elise again cause his destiny to be changed. After getting her phone number he arrives at work only to discover that Charlie (Michael Kelly) his campaign manager and his office had been frozen by Richardson (John Slattery) and his team for adjustments. After seeing behind the curtain Richardson burns the number putting David back on his path, warning David not to find Elise and not tell anyone about the people making peoples lives happen.

David is left trying to keep his destine line while always trying to find Elise can he beat the adjustment team watch and you will see.

Verdict The headline review was ‘Bourne meets Inception’ and in a way it is having a way of controlling someones life by make chances things happen. the action chases are well constructed without even having to use guns. David love for Elise is strong with all the obstacles and sacrifices he makes for the idea of a better futures. This is a strong action thriller that everyone should enjoy but you would have to watch from start to finish and will struggle if picked up half way through.

Best quote Elise ‘ I’m not some hopeless romantic, I would never allow myself to be that way, but once I’ve fell, even for a moment, what I felt with you’

Favourite character Harry David personal watcher who explains the rules and breaks some too

Stand out performance Matt Damon he gives his normal strong performance as an important figure who takes risks

Best moment The door chase

Worst Moment Maybe being picky but maybe more explanation of the year gaps

https://moviesreview101.com/2011/07/09/the-adjustment-bureau-2011/
  
Aftermath (2014)
Aftermath (2014)
2014 | Action, Mystery
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Story: Aftermath starts by showing us a man struggling to walk through an abandoned landscape. We then flash back to one month earlier where we learn about an ongoing war between America and Israel. We meet or protagonist Hunter (Thomason) as he listens to the ongoing war before nuclear explosion hit leading him to rescue a young family. The group also meet another survivor in the road but find a place to stay underground in a farmhouse with another small group of survivors. Hunter explains they will need to spend at least a month underground while the fall out of the nuclear attack settles. We follow the group through the month as tension rise over time.

When I saw this and the title I was actually looking to settle down and watch a horror like film, but what we got was so much more. First off there is no horror involved, it is all tension building character development. We see the group over 30 days and how their situation gets worse as each day goes by, with only the radio to update them. We get to see how the radiation slowly changes and infects them while others try to get in. it plays on a range of emotions and comes off very bleak. This is a great story of the struggle to survive after a nuclear attack from the point of view of the innocent victims. (7/10)

 

Actor Review

 

C.J. Thomason: Hunter doctor and survivalist who leads the group of survivors as they try to make it through the attack in a farm basement. He tries to treat everyone who has issues but even with his skills he can’t save everyone from the situation. C.J. gives a good performance as a reluctant leader. (7/10)

 hunter

Monica Keena: Elizabeth stranger picked up on the side of the road, she stays with the group and sometimes looks out for younger members by her calm nature. Monica gives a solid performance but sometimes struggles in the action scenes. (6/10)

monica

Edward Furlong: Brad over protective redneck who doesn’t want to let the group in and is always against the decision to let them in. he is a hot head but as the time goes by he wants to look after the group as much as the rest. Edward gives a good performance and does a good job with the only character that shows full emotion. (7/10)

 ed

Support Cast: Aftermath’s supporting cast is mainly extra people in the basement who go through the struggles but also includes the people outside who are too far gone to let in.

 

Director Review: Peter Engert – Peter does a good job directing Aftermath creating genuine tension throughout. (8/10)

 

Action: Aftermath only has a few action scenes and they are quick, but each comes off desperate like the situation the people are in. (7/10)

Thriller: Aftermath really pulls you in as you want to know what happens to the group and feel for them when things start to get worse. (8/10)

Settings: Aftermath uses its isolation setting that the group creates for themselves to survive really well, as it keeps us unaware of what is going on outside. (9/10)

Suggestion: Aftermath is worth watching, but I do feel like the casual fan might not enjoy this, it really will appeal to those who enjoy a solid drama about survival. (Try It)

 

Best Part: The bleakness that surrounds the story.

Worst Part: Aftermath can come off feeling a little bit slow.

 

Believability: Aftermath tackles a potential real problem the world could face. (7/10)

Chances of Tears: No (0/10)

Chances of Sequel: No

Post Credits Scene: No

 

Oscar Chances: No

Runtime: 1 Hour 32 Minutes

 

Overall: A Great Unwatched Thriller

https://moviesreview101.com/2015/03/24/aftermath-2012/
  
Eye In The Sky (2016)
Eye In The Sky (2016)
2016 | Drama, Mystery
An exceptional look at warfare
Warfare is incredibly hard to depict well on screen. The brutality of conflict as well as the accuracy of technologies used is something very rarely achieved in the cinema due to the constant need to turn a profit and please audiences.

After American Sniper rocked the early part of 2015, there were numerous films in the genre greenlit soon after. Gavin Hood’s Eye in the Sky is one. But is it as good as American Sniper? And, more importantly, does it show an accurate depiction of modern conflict?

Eye in the Sky follows the tough choices that have to be made by politicians and military personnel in the fight against modern-day terrorism. Starring an arresting Helen Mirren as Colonel Powell, who leads a group of soldiers in their efforts to thwart a terrorist attack in Nairobi, Kenya.

Alongside her for the journey is the late Alan Rickman, in one of his final screen roles, as General Benson – the man who has to please the more political side of the divide. The film also stars Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul as a US drone pilot, tasked with delivering a fatal strike on a terrorist cell.

Eye in the Sky, despite its ridiculous name, is one of the freshest and most involving war films in recent times. This is even more astounding considering director Gavin Hood’s recent CV includes the lambasted X-Men Origins: Wolverine and commercial failure Ender’s Game.

This is a taut and well-shot action thriller with an unusually emotional heart at its centre. Our characters continuously grapple with the inevitable “collateral damage” that comes with firing a missile from 22,000ft in the air and we, as the audience share in each of their difficult decisions.

Helen Mirren provides one of her best performances in years and the wonderful Alan Rickman gives us yet more proof of what made him such an exceptional actor – you simply cannot take your eyes of the screen when he is on it. Aaron Paul is also brilliant, with the heart-breaking decisions he is forced to make reflected in his facial expressions. His tears speak louder than any script could ever rustle up.

It’s true that the action is kept to a minimum; this is no Michael Bay picture, but the boardroom setting and confines of the drone pilot room are more than a match for needless explosions as it all feels grounded in reality – despite the fact that some of the intelligence equipment isn’t in the field yet.

Overall, Eye in the Sky is an exceptional piece of film-making with real emotional punch. This is something normally reserved for other genres but it pays of well in this highly intelligent and fantastically acted thriller. Unfortunately, as is the case with many movies in between release schedules of bigger features, it will no doubt slip under the radar slightly.

That’s a shame, as there’s something truly special here and there’s no doubt it is one of the best films released in the last twelve months.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/04/23/an-exceptional-look-at-warfare-eye-in-the-sky-review/
  
Everything is Lies
Everything is Lies
Helen Callaghan | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
6
6.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Death, manipulation, and deception are the foremost themes in this suspense-thriller! Sophie arrives at her childhood home to find her mum dead, hanging from a tree, and her father stabbed to inches of his life on the floor.

Before she has time to grieve, Sophie discovers that her mum, Nina, was writing a memoir and had a publication deal. Sophie finds two of her mother’s notebooks, and another life is revealed where Nina had been seduced into a controlling cult.

The book is aimed at Sophie and begins with “Everything is Lies, and nobody is who they seem”. Sophie uncovers her mother’s secrets slowly, page by page. When a death is hinted at, Sophie is determined to find out more.

When she can’t find the third and final notebook, Sophie tries to contact people referred to in the book, and soon finds herself in danger. She even decides to meet the cult leader, where a monumental revelation is made to her. (No spoilers!)

During the course of events, there’s an attempted break-in and an attempt made on Sophie’s life! Just when all seems revealed, there is more action to follow! (No spoilers!)

I don’t normally find thrillers predictable, but this time I’m sorry to say I did. Not all of it, but enough so that most of it was no surprise, but not enough to ruin the book for me. I also felt that the author was needlessly showing off her vocabulary when more well-known words would have been more effective.
  
Cold Winter Sun
Cold Winter Sun
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Cold Winter Sun by Tony J. Forder is as loosely connected sequel to Scream Blue Murder, easily read as a stand-alone. I know, because I’ve not read any of his other books, but boy, oh boy, will I do now! From the first page readers will be thrown into an fast-paced, eye-opening scene, which foreshadows the exact style of writing and plot you’re going to encounter throughout.

The storyline begins with a man being tortured; who he is, and why he is there is the beginning of an adventure that will quickly throw you into the deep and hold you down until you finish and can breathe again.

When main character, Mike, gets a phone call from his ex-wife, about her new husband’s missing nephew, Vern, he and his friend Terry, decide to track him down, but it soon becomes clear there’s more to this case than they bargained. But what secrets are being hidden? Why is this happening? Who is really the guilty party in all of this?

With hostage situations, crossfires and lives at risk, Mike must do his best to save his nephew, ex-wife and daughter from danger before it’s too late.


Cold Winter Sun is a crime thriller bursting with action, and there’s many twists and turns to keep readers guessing right up until the end. If you like crime thrillers, packed with great characterisation and gut-punching shocks, you’ll enjoy this. It hit me like a bullet that won’t dislodge. Loved it!
  
Jack Reacher (2012)
Jack Reacher (2012)
2012 | Drama, Mystery
6
6.9 (14 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The Plot line (0 more)
Tom Cruise is not and cannot be Jack Reacher (0 more)
A serviceable thriller, but this isn't Jack Reacher
It's just not possible.... Jack Reacher is HUGE, he is a Giant among men. His physical statue is part of the story... Tom Cruise is not. It's not his fault but this is bad casting. According to wikipedia: Explaining the casting decision, author Lee Child said that it would be impossible to find a suitable actor to play the giant Reacher and to recreate the feel of the book onscreen, and that Cruise had the talent to make an effective Reacher. Child also said, "Reacher's size in the books is a metaphor for an unstoppable force, which Cruise portrays in his own way." Of Cruise's relatively small stature, Child said, "With another actor you might get 100% of the height but only 90% of Reacher. With Tom, you'll get 100% of Reacher with 90% of the height."

  I respectfully disagree. Lee Child can do whatever he likes, he created the character... but I think Mickey Rourke (as he did in Sin City) could've done a hell of a job. Or Clive Owen who is 6'2 and has action chops as well as a subtle humor.... And if you've going to without the height I think Bruce Willis is your man. Maybe they turned it down which is a shame if that's the case. This is one of my favorite literary characters.


  The movie was acceptable, but could've been great.
  
TP
The Plotters
Un-su Kim | 2023
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
154 of 235
Book
The Plotters
By Un-su Kim
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Behind every assassination, there is an anonymous mastermind--a plotter--working in the shadows. Plotters quietly dictate the moves of the city's most dangerous criminals, but their existence is little more than legend. Just who are the plotters? And more important, what do they want?
     Reseng is an assassin. Raised by a cantankerous killer named Old Raccoon in the crime headquarters "The Library," Reseng never questioned anything: where to go, who to kill, or why his home was filled with books that no one ever read. But one day, Reseng steps out of line on a job, toppling a set of carefully calibrated plans. And when he uncovers an extraordinary scheme set into motion by an eccentric trio of young women--a convenience store clerk, her wheelchair-bound sister, and a cross-eyed librarian--Reseng will have to decide if he will remain a pawn or finally take control of the plot.
     Crackling with action and filled with unforgettable characters, The Plotters is a deeply entertaining thriller that soars with the soul, wit, and lyricism of real literary craft.

I really enjoyed this book it was dark, twisty and violent. A look into the dark world of an assassin life one that doesn’t like doing what he does. Knowing he has only one way out. I wasn’t expecting to like it at all it was a mystery book I had in a subscription box. It was really well translated too.