It’s been roughly 30 years since the release of the original “Die Hard,” and it looks like the series isn’t over yet.
According to Empire, the New York Police Department officer John McClane (played by Bruce Willis) will again appear on screen in the sixth picture. Empire reports that the next film will be part-sequel and part-prequel, with portions of the movie dedicated to McClane’s time as a young officer.
Continue reading “Monday Movie Report: ‘Die Hard’ part 6 in the works”
Collaborations between Director Peter Berg and actor Mark Wahlberg have been OK. But this latest one… Oof.
In their new team-up, Mark Wahlberg plays James Silva, the head of a special operations unit under the leadership of the CIA. The story picks up with the team at United States embassy in a country that is never specified throughout this feature. The audience soon learns that the unit is there because there is an informant named Li Noor who has a computer drive with the location of nuclear weapon materials.
That informant, played by Iko Uwais, wants something in return, though: asylum in the United States. As a result, the team take the informant on a 22 mile trip to an airfield to get him out of the country and reveal where the materials may be. However, Noor is a target in the country, making the journey dangerous for the CIA team.
Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Mile 22’ is an awful action picture to end the summer”
You hated “Alien Vs Predator.”
You tolerated “Freddy vs Jason.”
You were disappointed by “Batman v Superman.”
So, how will you handle Jason Statham vs a giant shark?
“The Spy Who Dumped Me” is a movie that seemed fine, for a while. Then it kept going, and kept going.
Before getting into what didn’t work, though, a recap of the story. “The Spy Who Dumped Me” starts off with the main character Audrey (Mila Kunis) celebrating her birthday with her best friend Morgan (Kate McKinnon). However, the celebration is soured by the fact that Morgan’s boyfriend Drew just ended their relationship.
Because of her phone conversations with Drew, though, Audrey soon finds out that her ex-boyfriend is actually a spy working on a significantly important mission. As a result of her discovery, Audrey and Morgan are forced to go on the run, as they’ve become tied into the espionage world.
Continue reading “REVIEW: Weak second half, poor chemistry drag down ‘Spy Who Dumped Me’”
I’m very happy to report that there’s some Grade A Tom Cruise running in this movie.
Cruise is once again running through city streets because his character Ethan Hunt must once again save the world. In his latest (impossible) mission, Hunt and his crew are tasked with recovering three containers with nuclear materials that, in the right hands, can create weapons of mass destruction.
This time, though, Hunt has some baggage. Because the CIA has issues with his methods, they send one of their own agents, August Walker (Henry Cavill). Hunt begrudgingly begins working with Walker, but the mission becomes more complicated when aspects of his past start showing up, too.
Continue reading “REVIEW: Latest ‘Mission Impossible’ delivers where it counts: the action”
I’ll admit, I was disappointed that Denzel Washington’s character never said “you’re about to get equalized.”
In all fairness, Washington’s character, Robert McCall, isn’t a superhero, but he sure fights like one.
Continue reading “REVIEW: Washington and some good action isn’t enough to save ‘Equalizer 2’”
A man with law enforcement experience has to save his family member(s) in a skyscraper from a group of highly trained individuals looking to steal something from the building.
Yep, you’re thinking of the right movie, “Skyscraper” from 2018.
OK, yes, this film is quite similar to the classic action film “Die Hard.” Unfortunately, though, this film lacks quite a bit of the charm as that 1988 picture.
Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Skyscraper’ is a generic action picture with little to offer”
It’s funny how “The First Purge” turned out to be better than the first “Purge.”
Way back in 2013, I wasn’t expecting this little, low budget horror franchise to have a fourth installment, but here we are. Unlike the previous two, this entry is a prequel, showcasing how the first Purge event took place. The film picks up in the not so distant future where a new political party has taken power amid high unemployment and a crumbling infrastructure.
As a result, some scientists working for the government decided the best option is for an “experiment” where all crime could be legal and any individuals who are upset about the system or just their daily lives could take out their anger. As a trial run, the experiment only takes place in the area of Staten Island. There, a group of characters we’re introduced to must try to survive this new government operation, which we as the audience know from other “Purge” movies is really to eliminate poor Americans.
Continue reading “REVIEW: Intense action, good lead characters make ‘First Purge’ a fun B-Movie”
Superhero couples are relatively rare in Hollywood, with the one featured in “The Incredibles” series being likely the most prominent. Fortunately, Marvel Studios has added to that catalog.
This sequel to the 2015 “Ant-Man” again follows the life of Scott Lang (Paul Rudd). The movie picks up with the character on house arrest, a punishment he received following the fight between members of the Avengers at an airport.
Despite this factor, though, the father-daughter duo of Hank (Michael Douglas) and Hope (Evangeline Lilly) once again recruit Scott for a mission. Despite having reservations about working with Scott again because of his recklessness, Hank explains that he needs Lang’s help to save his long lost wife Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer). The mission doesn’t feature Scott on his own this time, though, as Hope gets her own advanced suit and joins the mission, going by the Wasp alias.
Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ powered by super couple”
I don’t know if anyone was really asking for a “Sicario” sequel, but I sure as hell won’t complain.
Denis Villeneuve, who directed the first picture, didn’t helm “Day of the Soldado.” Instead, Stefano Sollima enters the director role and did solid work in crafting a crime thriller. The movie picks up sometime after the events of the previous one, with tensions along the U.S.-Mexico border reaching a boiling point.
The reason for such intensity is because some cartels have allegedly started smuggling terrorists over the border. Following a terrorist attack in the heartland of America, federal agent Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) is recruited because of his experience on the border and is sent to throw the cartel system into chaos, and subsequently ruin their drug empires. To help, Graver once again teams up with the mercenary Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro).
Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Sicario’ sequel is a (mostly) satisfying follow-up”
Matthew Liedke on Film 